Posted to Fanning Island with a detachment protecting the communications cable shortly before WW2

According to Marjorie Traill, a friend, Nigel was initially a territorial, then joined the regular force and was serving in New Zealand at the outbreak of WW2.

His first posting overseas to Fanning Island in the Pacific area to protect the communication cable, was as a regular soldier at the start of WW2.

With the mass recruiting for WW2 underway he was an instructor at Trentham, then Burnham.

Husband of Olive M; father of Donald, Briar.

Posted to Dunedin as a regimental sergeant major to the Otago Regiment at age 23

In 1942 he joined 8th reinforcements at Burnham and posted to Fiji, commissioned with rank as Lieutenant. He did active service in the Pacific returning to Fiji in 1945.

Briefly worked as instructor at Burnham before transferred to Jayforce in 1946 and spent 15 months in Japan on postwar reconstruction

On return to NZ he specialised in stores work, with 5 years as quartermaster at Waiouru before returning to Burnham as accounting officer.

In 1959 posted to Malaya, Taiping (1959-1961) 2 Battalion, 2nd Regiment as Quarter Master with the rank of Captain. Served there for 2 years and promoted to Major

Returned to Burnham in 1961 and became 2nd in command of the base.

Retired from Burnham Military Camp with the rank of Major in 1973 with 35 consecutive years of service

Gave wrong age to enlist with territorials.

Photo of Capt N.M. Laing in The Officers, 2nd Battalion The New Zealand Regiment (Taiping, Malaya 1960)

Photo of Capt N.M. Laing in The Officers, 2nd Battalion The New Zealand Regiment (Malaya 1961) AWMM