Embarked 8 January 1940 (First Echelon), disembarked in Port Tewfik, Egypt on 13 February 1940. Shortly after his arrival he attended CTBA RASC Training Centre Moascar between 17 April and 19 May 1940.

He was promoted to a Corporal on 1 January 1941 and a Sergeant on 27 October of the same year. On 2 March 1942 he marched into OCTU (Officer Cadet Training Unit) Kasr El Nil Barracks.

Mr Arnold then had a series of promotions, to rank of Second Lieutenant on 2 May 1942 and exactly a year later to that of Lieutenant. He returned to New Zealand in 1944. He embarked at Tewfik on Cythia bound for Bombay on 8 January and Mariposa, arriving in Wellington on 11 February 1944.

On 9 May 1944 he was posted to the retired list.

On 13 Febuary 1947 he was posted from the retired list to the Territorial Force and was selected for service with 1 DIV TPT Company (NZASC) in the rank of Lieutenant. He was promoted to the rank of Temporary Captain on 1 Febraury 1951. He was again posted to the retired list on 21 October 1965.


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Captain TJ Arnold

I enlisted in the NZ Army in September 1939 when the Government called for volunteers at the outbreak of war.

On October 3 I was posted to HQ. NZ Army Corps and entered Trentham Military camp for training.

On January 6th 1940 I left Wellington with the first echelon which comprised of 254 officer and 6,175 other ranks, all volunteers. I was a private, and sailed in "Orion". Ships in the NZ Convoy for "Sobieski", "Dunera", Strathaird", "Empress of Canada" and "Rangitata", ecorted by H.M. Ships "Ramilles", "Leander" and "Canberra".

On 10 January outside Sydney Heads we were joined by 5 ships with Australian troops, "Orcades" "Orontes", "Orford", "Adelaid" and "Australia".

On 18 January we arrived at Fremantle for the day and all of us from "Orcades" had to march to Perth. On 30 January arrived at Colombo, a 2 day stay. Arrived at Aden on 9 Feb then Prot Tewfik on 12 February. From there we left by train for our base camp at Maadi.

In April 1940, now a corporal, I was sent on a special course at Ismalia and returned to the orderly room of HQ. ASC.

At various times I was posted to the desert for short periods on a 9 March 1941 left Alexanderia with the NZ Contingent for Pireaus in Greece. We advanced north over Mt. Olympus to Katerini. The Germans invaded Greece and the NZ, British and Australian troops had to gradually, fighting rear guard of 25 April I was evacuated from the beach at Marathon and left on HMS "Calcutta" for Crete where we arrive the same day.

On 14 May during the battle for Crete I was evacuated on board the "Nieuw Zealand" at 1:40pm and returned to Maadi Camp.

I was promoted to sargeant and then Staff Sargeant and in February 1942 was selected asa candidate for an office. I spent 1 month training at our Base Camp then 2 months at Drill was at 120 pacess per minute - hard on the shins and muscles. Besides lectures and mock exercises in the desert the purpose of all this training was to explore the temperment and selef discipline of the cadet, and if he was found unsuitable he would be returned to his unit.

On 2 May I was commissioned as second Lieutenant, spent a few months at Orderly Room Adjutant at Maadi and then was posted to Supply Company in the Western Deser. I was with Supply Company in all the balles from Alemain to Tripoli an in 1943 was promoted to First Lieutenant. After the defeat of the Germans and Italians orginal memebers of the first echelon returned to Cairo in October, 1943, and Bombay where we transferred to "Mariposal" and arrived in Wellington February 18.

After being demobilised from active service I returned to employer, Thomas Cook & son. Although demobilised I still retained my commissioned rank and was subject to call up in event of any future hostilities until the gace of 51 years, and had to report to Army Headquarters every year.

Meantime the Government had introduced compulsory military training for males, and this involved them hamving to undergo army training for a period of 3 months. I and serveral other officers voulunteered to assist in the training, and this involved our givigin up many week-ends during each year plus one whole week.

After a few years the compulsory training was abolished. I was promoted to Captain and having reach the age of 51 was no longer subject to call-up and was posted to the retired list on 20 September 1965, and i still retain my rank as Captain.

An interesting point is that as a percentage to a population New Zealand had more people in the Armed services than any other country other than Russia.

When we were brought back from the desert on leave from time to time, I took every advantable and visited places such as Luxor, Jerusalem and the Holy Land, and Tel Aviv. AWMM