Tales from the Trails index - Artillery Stories

Home Docs History Photo gallery Poetry and Songs Tales Units Links
Reminiscences, anecdotes, ditties. These articles are written by professional gunners about their experiences in New Zealand's artillery, and are presented in no particular order other than by the time in history to which they refer. All our Gunners are important to us, whether they serve in Antarctica, the desert, the Pacific, Europe or at home. For technical articles, visit the History section. For information specific to artillery units, visit the Units section. See also songs and poetry. On this page you will find stories relating to the following periods:
Click on part of the timeline to find NZ's artillery of the era.	World War One, 1914 - 1918 New Zealand artillery of WW1 was concentrated in the Middle East, North Africa and Europe. See also NZ Artillery of WW1. World War 2, 1939 - 1945 New Zealand artillery of WW2 was concentrated in North Africa and Europe; the Pacific; and the coastal defences of NZ. See also NZ Artillery of WW2. Korean War, 1950 - 1955 16 Field Regiment was raised as part of the NZ effort in Korea and remained there until 1955. See also NZ Artillery of the Korean War. Borneo/Malaya/Hong Kong Although no New Zealand artillery battery was deployed, personnel served in these places in other capacities. Vietnam War, 1965 - 1971 161 Battery served in Vietnam in support of Australian, US and other NZ units. See also NZ Artillery of the Vietnam War. Peacekeeping, 1945 - present RNZA personnel serve all over the world as peacekeepers. Peace During peacetime, NZ gunners train for both war and peacekeeping, and serve in NZ and overseas - in jungle, snow, desert, and administrative posts. See also NZ Artillery in the post-Vietnam Era.

World War 1
Gunner HB Richardson is buried at Gallipoli, 1915 With the New Zealand Artillery at Gallipoli, 25 April 1915 Search and Capture of von Luckner, 1917 Diary of the Search for von Luckner, 1917 HL Dixon Life aboard von Luckner's ship, 1917 Carl Singer See also: NZ Artillery of WW1 Return to top
World War 2
9 Coast Regiment at Fort Takapuna Formation of 6 Field Regiment 6 Fd Regt leaves for War Life aboard the Mauritania, 6 Fd Regt 6 Fd Regt in Egypt Helwan Camp, 6 Fd Regt 6 Fd Regt in Egypt, Jan 1941 6th Field Regiment gets its Guns Leaving NZ for War with 5 Fd Regt Life aboard the Aquitania, 5 Fd Regt Sojourn in England, 5 Fd Regt 5 Fd Regt travels from England to Egypt, 5 Fd Regt 5 Fd Regt in Greece, 5 Fd Regt Diary of Greece 1941 Alan Jackson 5 Fd Regt in Crete Diary of Crete 1941 Alan Jackson Reforming 5 Fd Regt The 1941 Desert Campaign, 5 Fd Regt Baggush to Syria, 5 Fd Regt Battle Again: Mersa Matruh - Alam Nayil, 5 Fd Regt Mingar Qaim, 5 Fd Regt Miteiriya Ridge, 5 Fd Regt Bardia el Agheila, 5 Fd Regt Tripoli, 5 Fd Regt Medenine, 5 Fd Regt The Left Hook and Tebaga Gap, 5 Fd Regt Gabes and Wadi Akarit, 5 Fd Regt Towards Takrouna, 5 Fd Regt Battle at Takrouna, North Africa 1941 Allan Boyd End of the North African Campaign, Allan Boyd Wrapping up in North Africa, 5 Fd Regt 2nd Field Regiment NZA Prepares for War, 1940 AH Paddison Egyptian Shower, 1943 Chook Fowler A Gunner in the Pacific, 1939-44 Forbes Greenfield Life as a POW of the Japanese, 1942-45 Harry Carver Freyberg, Puttick and Crete, 1941 RH Dyson Under Fire at Sidi Rezegh, 1941 Robin Wait Ngaire's War, 1942-44 Ngaire Subritzky With 6 Fd Regt at Sidi Rezegh, 1941 RS Wait A Week on the Alamein Line, 26 Bty 1942 Struan MacGibbon New Year at Castelfrentano 4 Fd Regt 1944 Des O'Connor 2Lt Brock and the 6-in Gun 1944 Bruce Brock A Gunner Subaltern's Recollections of the Italian Campaign 1944 - 1945 Les Wright 'A' Tp 27 Bty 5 Fd Regt at Cassino 1944 Owen Raskin Dick's Story "Gracie" Field, 5 Fd Regt The Birds at Ruweisat Ridge Robert Harris, 5 Fd Regt On Operation CRUSADER, O-Pip Ack Report 1941 Frank Austin Nebelwerfers at Cassino 1944 Owen Raskin Letter from Tripoli 1941 Allan Boyd A Gunner's Recollections of Sidi Aziez 1941 WP Brown 47 Battery at Bel Hamid 1941 Alan Jackson 46 Bty's premature, 4 Fd Regt 1944 Des O'Connor Young Men who went off to War, Des O'Connor Some ill considered action!, confronting an enemy in retreat, 4 Fd Regt, Des O'Connor See also: NZ Artillery of WW2 Return to top
Korean War
Patrol DFs, the original 16 Fd Regt as seen from the front-line trenches, 1953 Bruce Matthews 1st Battalion, 11th Marines at the Hook, 1953, Robert D. Caulkins C2 Gun, 162 Bty at Kapyong Regimental Calibration, 1952 16 Fd Regt and the 'Utah' Battalion at Kapyong, 1951 Donald Scott I was 162 Bty Captain's Driver/Operator, 1950-52 Jim Holtham With the Durham Light Infantry, Nov 1952 - Jul 1953 Bruce Matthews The Hook, Nov 1952 - Jul 1953 Bruce Matthews Hill 355, 1953 Bruce Matthews A Night near Hill 159, 1952 Colin Velvin The Umbrella and Duck Saga, Bill Giles See also: NZ Artillery of the Korean War Return to top
Borneo, Malaya, Hong Kong
Good Times for a Gunner, Hong Kong 1949, Malaya 1950-51 Jim Ross Immediate MC, The John Masters Story, 1965 Mike Subritzky Target Adjustment using Two Legged Communications, 1965 John Rout Night Ambush, 1965 John Masters Giving Advice, 1965 John Masters Return to top
Vietnam War
Journey to Vietnam, 1965 Harry Haitana A 'Q'uandary, 1965 Bill Giles RNZEME Light Aid Detachment at Bien Hoa, 1965 Peter 'Doggo' Downs Demolishing the village of Long Phuoc, Vietnam, 1966 Mike Dakin Establishing the gun position at Nui Dat, 1966 Mike Dakin Jungle Daydream - Memories of Long Tan, Murray Broomhall Good Deeds on R&C, A Cautionary Tale for Young Gunners, 1970 Rodney Simpson R&R: Two ex-members of 161 Bty, RNZA re-visit Vietnam, 1999 Rod Baldwin, Ron Turner Extract from a Forward Observer's War Diary in South Vietnam, 1969 Angus Rivers See also: NZ Artillery of the Vietnam War Maps of the Vietnam War Return to top
Peacekeeping and the post-war occupation of Japan
28th ANZUK Regiment Boat Race, Singapore 1972 With 25 Battery in Yamaguchi, 1945 Wally Ruffell Kashmir - The Climbing Medal, 1970-71 Kerry Lee Palestine - The Looking and Cooking Medals, 1974-76 Kerry Lee Peacekeeping in Rhodesia, 1979 Mike Subritzky With the NZ Monitoring Force in Rhodesia, 1979-80 John Nagle Rhodesia - captured weapons, 1979-80 John Nagle Operation Agila, Background to Rhodesian peacekeeping, 1979 Mike Subritzky Rhodesia - French Dressing, Mike Subritzky Rhodesia - The Ceasefire, 1979-80 Mike Subritzky With the Multinational Force and Observers (Sinai), 1997-98 Steve Harvey Return to top
Peace - preparing for war
Final CMT Shoot for A Gun, 21 Battery, 2 Field Regiment, Waiouru, 1959 10 Coast Regiment, 1947-1951 Brig LW Wright Messing in the mess, 1950s Tony Tustin A Gunner's White Christmas, Antarctica, 1973 Mike Subritzky Fatigues, 1930s Les Kitney Runaway Wagon, 1930s Les Kitney Army Schools, Trentham, 1938 Wally Ruffell The Officers' Barbeque, Tekapo, 1978 The Last Regimental Shoot with the 25-pr in NZ, 1977 Mike Subritzky Improvising with the 4.2-inch mortar, Graeme Black The day I joined 161 Battery, Mike Subritzky Reflections of Anzac Day, Murray Broomhall A Tale from Tony Tustin From the OP, Graeme Black Joe Hak, Mike Subritzky Essentials of Fire Discipline, Graeme Black Return to top
Home