November 02

• A chronological history of the NZ Military Forces 1840-1926, by LtCol TW McDonald.
• Messing in the mess, a tale from Tony Tustin.
• Photographs of 164th Battery.
• Brian Hewitt's page is updated.
• New book - Bearded Brigands, the diaries of Frank Jopling from the Long Range Desert Group.
• Check the Shrapnel page for an interesting find in an Austrian hotel.
• Our South African colleagues require information on Anglo-Boer War pieces. See the message on the Shrapnel page.
• Several new links on our links page.

October 02

• The 6th Field Regiment story continues with Helwan Camp, Egypt.
• Report of the Third Echelon parading through Auckland in August 1940 on their way to war.
• Check the Shrapnel page for a message about Blackie Burns's book launch.

September 02

• Newsletter 115 highlights
• The 6th Field Regiment story continues with Arrival in Maadi Camp, Egypt
• Army launches.
• Check the Shrapnel page for a message from Don Donaldson.
• Can you help locate any of the people in our 'Missing Persons' file?

July 02

• The 5th Field Regiment story continues with the end of the North African saga
• The 6th Field Regiment story continues with the voyage to Egypt
• Poem: Tale of a Desert Rat, by Lin Rowell, 27 Bty

June 02

• Report on the Gunners' Day Dinner at Papakura, from Mike Subritzky
• Alan Boyd reports on the northern reunion of the 5th Field Regt
• Poem: Hell and Earth
• Highlights of Newsletter 114

May 02

May 26 is Gunners' Day. See the Shrapnel page for celebration details.

• The history of The Gun is updated with
  • breech mechanisms, and
  • obturation in rifled ordnance.
• Coast Artillery Defences, by Captain AJ Baigent, MBE
• Gun rule
• The Sixth Field Regiment story begins this month with the formation of the Regiment, early training, parades, and departure from NZ in 1940.

April 02

• 2/631 Gunner Herbert Basil Richardson, of Dannevirke, died at Gallipoli in June 1915 while serving with the New Zealand Field Artillery in World War One. You can read SSgt RJ Wait's diary record of the field funeral.
• Under Fire at Sidi Rezegh, by Major Robin Wait (son of the above), 1941, World War Two.
• Target Adjustment using two legged Communications, by John Rout, 1965, Indonesian Confrontation.
• Life as a POW of the Japanese, by Harry Carver, 1942-45, WW2 in the Pacific
• Muzzle brakes
• The Army Memorial Museum, Waiouru, is displaying WW2 photos taken by Struan MacGibbon, who served with the New Zealand Artillery. See the Shrapnel page for details.

March 02

Get your medals organised for ANZAC Day next month, and remember to book for Gunners' Day lunches/dinners in May. See the Shrapnel page for phone numbers for both these events.

• With the New Zealand Artillery at Gallipoli, a letter written by SSgt RJ Wait on 25 April 1915
• Breech mechanisms
• Highlights of Newsletter 113

February 02

• The Mortar is updated with accounts of:
  • The mortar after WW2
  • British 81-mm L1 mortar
  • French 120-mm MO-120-RT-61 heavy rifled mortar
  • Russian 160-mm M53
  • Finnish 'Tampella' 160-mm mortar
  • Russian 240-mm mortar
• 7.7-cm FK 16 at Te Kopuru, Northland
• Scenes from Vietnam, 1968, from John Rout

January 02

• Obituary for Jim Gilberd.
• Contact details for the RA Sigs 110 Signal Squadron reunion in Canberra 15-16-17 March 2002 can be found on the Shrapnel page.
• Vietnam pics showing living conditions in Bien Hoa, c. 1966, from Peter 'Doggo' Downs
• Book - 3 RHA at War due out in a few months.
• New links
• View the What's New listings from previous years by clicking on the "2001" etc above

Keep those suggestions rolling in.