English Māori Harold Ralph Betridge Born 2 October 1910 - Died 9 June 1975 PDF Key details Service numberWWII 2979 AWMM Also known as Armed force / branchArmy AWMM Last rank WarWorld War II, 1939-1945 AWMM Enquire Lay a poppy 'Anzac Conquerors'. Life magazine cover, 24 February 1941. Foremost (second from left) is Lieutanant … View gallery Hide sources Show empty fields Identity About Contribute › Title ForenamesHarold Ralph AWMM SurnameBetridge AWMM Ingoa Also known as Service numberWWII 2979 AWMM GenderMale AWMM Iwi Hapū Waka Rohe ReligionChurch of England, Christian AWMM Images and documents Images Contribute › Report › Documents Contribute › Civilian life About birth Contribute › Birth2 October 1910 AWMM New Zealand AWMM Date of birth Place of birth Birth notes Address before enlistmentWW2 Pre 2 October 1939 AWMM Whangapara, Great Barrier Island, New Zealand AWMM Post war occupation Next of kin on embarkationWW2 Mr A. Betridge (brother), Whangapara, Great Barrier Island, New Zealand AWMM Relationship statusPre 5 January 1940 AWMM Single AWMM Service Wars and conflicts Contribute › WarWorld War II, 1939-1945 AWMM CampaignWestern Desert AWMM Armed force / branchArmy AWMM Service numberWWII 2979 AWMM Military service Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers Military decorations Contribute › Medals and Awards1939-1945 Star AWMM Africa Star AWMM Defence Medal AWMM War Medal 1939-1945 AWMM New Zealand War Service Medal AWMM Training and Enlistment Contribute › Military training Branch Trade Proficiency EnlistmentWW2 2 October 1939 AWMM Age 18 AWMM Bushman/Civilian AWMM Occupation before enlistment Age on enlistment Embarkations Contribute › Embarkation detailsWW2 Private AWMM 18 Infantry Battalion AWMM 2NZEF: 1st Echelon AWMM Prisoner of war Contribute › Capture details Days interned Liberation date Liberation Repatriation POW liberation details POW serial number Medical history Contribute › Medical notesHeight, Unknown Period AWMM 5 feet 7.5 inches AWMM Hospital Diseases , Wounds, WWII AWMM Admitted to 4 Field Ambulance Hospital 16/5/40; discharged 22/5/40. AWMM Hospital Diseases , Wounds, WWII AWMM Wounded 23 May 1941 AWMM Last known rank Contribute › Last rank Biographical information Biographical information Contribute › Harold was one of the 432 men involved in the 'Furlough Draft' incident. They arrived back in New Zealand after having seen active service for the past three years. They maintained that they should not have to go back to war, rather others who had not seen active service should be required to serve first, so they went AWOL. Further information about the incident can be found McLeod, J. (1986)"On February 24, 1941, New Zealand soldiers from the Machine Gun Company in the 18 Infantry Battalion were made world famous by appearing on the cover of Life magazine as 'Anzac Conquerors'. The soldiers were photographed in Egypt by the famous Margaret Bourke-White and showcased to the world as an example of the heroic men fighting for the Allied Powers. As historian Ron Palenski has noted, the caption assumed that the New Zealanders were fighting with their Australian cousins as 'shock troops' in Libya, though only the Australians were in Libya at the time. The New Zealanders in the picture were recognisable for the well-known Lemon-Squeezer hat clearly seen on the foremost soldier. Catering to an American audience the caption also likened the 'insubordinate, hard-fighting' Anzacs to Texans who were known for their toughness and fighting prowess.18 Battalion itself was formed in September 1939, and fought in Greece and Crete as infantry soldiers before being re-organised as a tank unit - re-designated as the 18th Armoured Regiment - in October 1942. In Greece, they were part of the untested New Zealand forces that were soundly defeated by the well-organised Germans in April 1941 and had to be evacuated from the country. They were to suffer defeat again in May 1941 and evacuated from the island of Crete after German paratroopers succeeded in taking the island. Losing friends and comrades in large numbers, life was tough for troops on the back-foot and constantly adapting to different conditions and styles of warfare. Nevertheless the 18th Armoured Regiment went on to fight with distinction at the famous battles at El Alamein (Eqypt), and at Orsogna and Cassino (Italy). Not originally named in Life magazine, two of the soldiers on the cover photograph have now been identified, while another could well be a Parnell soldier. In the front right is Private Harold Ralph Betridge of Great Barrier Island. To the left of him is Private Maurice Carran O'Shea of Remuera, and on the far left of the photograph is possibly Private Guilford Charles "Happy" Thorne of Parnell. The latter two were photographed together here by the Auckland Star newspaper on their return to New Zealand in 1943." - Millar, Dan . Anzac Conquerors: world famous in the Second World War . Auckland War Memorial Museum - Tāmaki Paenga Hira. First published: 19 June 2017. Updated: 24 August 2017. AWMM Read more Death About death Contribute › Death9 June 1975 AWMM Age 65 AWMM Auckland, New Zealand AWMM Date of death Age at death Place of death Cause of death Death notes CemeteryArea 11, Block A, Lot No. 534, Hillsborough Cemetery, Hillsborough, Auckland AWMM Cemetery name Grave reference Obituary Memorial name Memorial reference Memorials Memorial Contribute › Memorial name Roll of Honour Remember Harold Ralph Betridge by laying a poppy. Roland Desmond Ernest Betley Alfred Richard Betridge Harold Ralph Betridge Douglas Home Bett Francis Arnot Bett Lay a poppy for 2021 Leave a note Leave a tribute or memory of Harold Ralph Betridge Leave a note Contribute › Processing Sources Sources Contribute › External linksBirths, Deaths and Marriages (New Zealand) Historical Records online https://www.bdmhistoricalrecords.dia.govt.nz Sources Used 'Engagements Announced', Auckland Star, 3 JUne 1944. Papers Past. https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS19440603.2.92.3?query=harold%20betridge Further Reference Auckland Star, 15 JUly 1943 https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS19430715.2.17.1?query=happy%20thorne Further Reference 'War Memories'. 15 July 1943. Papers Past. https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/AS19430715.2.23?query=happy%20thorne Further Reference DocumentsMcleod, J. (1986). Myth and reality : the New Zealand soldier in World War II. Auckland, N.Z.: Reed Methuen. AWMM Dawson, W. (1961). 18 Battalion and Armoured Regiment. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch. AWMM Military Service Record AWMM Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. (1941). Nominal Roll Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force No. 1 (Embarkations to 31st March, 1940). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer. AWMM WW2 1: WW2 18 AWMM Contributors Processing Command item Command item Add new record Refresh DateFirst namesLocationRelationshipContact 22 August 2019AlbyUnited KingdomOther The development of the Online Cenotaph is an ongoing process; updates, new images and records are added weekly. In some cases, records have yet to be confirmed by Museum staff, and there could be mistakes or omissions in the information provided. Online Cenotaph Data by Auckland War Memorial Museum is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License