 ROGER SMITH'S PERSONAL WARTIME PHOTO ALBUM Most of these photos show activities and
personnel from the author's wartime unit: A Company, 24th Battalion, New Zealand Division.
The photos were not taken by Roger Smith himself. Like many soldiers, Roger Smith
collected prints available at the time, privately or semi-officially. Some of the captions
may not be completely accurate in respect of equipment, and comments or corrections
are welcome. |
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1 SPECIAL OCCASIONS AND GET-TOGETHERS |
· 24th Battalion lining up for Christmas dinner,
served by the officers at Nofilia, Western Desert, 1942 · A giant sandy dinner table for the Christmas repast · A Company soldiers with a captured German flag draped over their Chev three-tonner · The Count and his family near Sousse, Tunisia |
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2 SLIT TRENCHES AND JEEPS –– NORTH AFRICA |
· Slit trench in an olive orchard at Enfidaville,
Tunisia. Dust from mortar stonk visible.
· Another view of the Enfidaville slit trenches · A Company jeep and three-tonner · Inspecting a bomb crater after the disastrous attack on A Company, shortly after the battle of Tebaga Gap, in Tunisia. |
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3 MOSTLY MAADI, EGYPT |
· Billboard advertising show at the El Djem
open-air theatre, Maadi Camp · El Djem - the real thing in Tunisia · Transport officer at Maadi Camp · Hospital in Palestine where Roger Smith was treated for malaria, 1942 |
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4 OUT IN THE OPEN –– MOSTLY NEAR TEBAGA GAP, TUNISIA |
· Aerial bombardment near Tebaga Gap, Tunisia · New Zealand Division convoy travelling between Tebaga Gap and Sousse. · NZ Division truck hit in aerial raid – between Tebaga Gap and Sousse. · Captured German 88mm guns ('88s') at Mersa Matruh, Egypt |
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5 MOSTLY IN TUNISIA |
·
Fighting at
Takrouna, Tunisia · New Zealand Division trucks passing through the Marble Arch into Tripolitania · On the coast road near Sousse, Tunisia, while returning to Cairo at the end of the North Africa campaign · Signals Platoon members from 24 Battalion stop for a cup of tea, near Tebaga Gap, Tunisia. . |
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6 THE AUTHOR AND OTHER PEOPLE |
·
Roger Smith
training in Australia before being posted to North Africa
· Roger Smith (wearing beret) and other soldiers training in New Zealand · Roger Smith with three soldier mates, in North Africa. Back row L-R: Gerry Herd, Roger Smith, Aussie Dalton. Seated: Ponga Colling · Ford V8 staff car near Sousse, Tunisia. L-R: Major Andrews, Col Jack Connelly, Roger Smith, Tom Stanley (the driver). |
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7 ON LEAVE |
·
On leave in Cairo
at the end of the North African campaign: 8 Platoon, A Company, 24th Battalion. From left:
Rajah Bain, Roger Smith (the author), Baldy Beddle, Torchy Blenerhasset. · Members of the 24th Battalion's Signals Platoon relaxing at Ezbekia Gardens, Cairo · Beach at Alexandria. Chatby Casino in the background. |
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8 MOSTLY CAPTURED GERMAN EQUIPMENT |
·
German truck
captured at Takrouna · Destroyed German Mk4 tank · Kiwi soldiers inspect a downed P40 Kittyhawk aircraft outside Mersa Matruh · Wingless Italian fighters piled up at the Castel Benito airfield near Tripoli - possibly waiting for repair. |
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9 MOSTLY MUNITIONS |
·
Fine sets of Kiwi
knees and Bombay Bloomers inspecting an unexploded naval shell at Enfidaville, Tunisia. · German butterfly bomb · Signposts to Tunis and Enfidaville |
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10 ARMY BRASS |
·
Winston Churchill
meets officers of 24th Battalion at Tripoli, 4 February 1943. Far left: General Freyberg,
third from left: Churchill, with Brigadier Gentry just to his right. Second from right:
Connelly, right: Ted Aked. · General 'Tiny' Freyberg presents the MC to Captain Ted Aked, A Company, 24th Battalion. · Field Marshal Montgomery (third from left) confers with New Zealand Division officers, possibly near Ben Gardane |
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11 24TH BATTALION LEAVES NORTH AFRICA FOR ITALY |
·
A Company troops
on eight-day march from Cairo to Alexandria, shortly before moving to Italy. · A Company near Alexandria, ready to embark for Italy · Three 24th Battalion officers waiting at Alexandria for transport to Italy. Left: Capt Ramsay, centre: Capt Peter Martin, right: Capt Ted Aked |
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12 WAR GRAVES |
·
Temporary graves
for the five soldiers in 'Up the Blue' who were killed by a land mine beside the Sangro
River, Italy · Temporary cemetery for Kiwi troops killed at Cassino · German cemetery at Tripoli · Kiwi troops burying the German dead after the battle of Tebaga Gap, North Africa |
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13 24TH BATTALION IN ITALY –– 1 |
·
Men from A
Company, 24th Battalion, outside the cookhouse at Trocchio · 8 Platoon, A Company, at Trocchio (The author was a member of this platoon, first as a private, and later as sergeant.) · General 'Tiny' Freyberg reviews the 24th Battalion shortly before it joined the conflict in Cassino · New Zealand Prime Minister Peter Fraser with Kiwi troops in the Volturno Valley near Cassino, May 1944 |
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14 24TH BATTALION IN ITALY –– 2 |
·
Setting up camp in
a rainstorm, near Taranto · Men from 24th Battalion clearing stones from the ground to make a rugby field – Alife · Castel Frantano · Cassino rubble |
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15 CASSIN0 –– 1 |
·
Devastation at
Cassino · Ditto · Destroyed Sherman tank at Cassino. Ruined castle on top of the hill in the background. · Another wrecked Sherman tank amid the Cassino rubble |
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16 CASSIN0 –– 2 |
·
Meeting of officers just before the NZ Division's 26th Battalion
entered Cassino. Far left: Lt Jack Woodhouse. Third from left –
Major Turnbull, CO of B Company; right: Capt Sam Scofield, temporary CO of A Company · Gate which had to be dug open to release trapped Kiwi soldiers, Cassino · Cassino Monastery after the bombing · Destroyed forest – Cassino Monastery in background |