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New Zealand at War

Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira has a dual role – as a guardian for objects great and small, and as a memorial to those who served in armed conflict. The stories on this page bring those two roles together, using objects in the Museum's collection to tell just a few of the tales of heroism from those who served and those who supported them. 

Recent stories

'So what the hell'

'So what the hell'

Whangarei pilot and Battle of Britain airman Derek Ward designed his own coat-of arms for the side of his Hurricane fighter. The shield displayed four images of ‘bad luck’: a broken mirror, three on a match, the number ‘13’ and someone about to walk under a ladder. Below it, a banner proclaimed 'SO WHAT THE HELL'.

The role of wartime fighter pilot drew the enthusiastic and the colourful. But these pilots were also cool headed under pressure, focused and quick responders, especially during the Battle of Britain.

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Peter Gallacher: Documentarian of D Company

Peter Gallacher: Documentarian of D Company

Malayan Veteran, Peter Gallacher discusses his passion for photography and the importance of acknowledging his comrades.

Peter has kindly provided Online Cenotaph with more than 500 photographs of his time spent in Malaya and full proofsheets are included in this article.

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Dean Anaki: Seaman, painter

Dean Anaki: Seaman, painter

In recognition of Merchant Navy Day (Friday, 3 September), our Online Cenotaph team brings you the intriguing story of Dean Lupo Anaki.

As a young boy in Niue, Dean Lupo Anaki dreamt of sailing the seas. As a teenager, he booked a passage to New Zealand and soon joined the Merchant marines as an Ordinary seaman.

Dean recounts his journey in the marines and why he thinks every seaman is also a painter.

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Stranded on Emirau

Stranded on Emirau

To commemorate Merchant Navy Day (Friday, 3 September), we bring you this powerful article from our Online Cenotaph team.

On 21 December 1940, some 500 merchant seamen and passengers were left stranded on an island in the north-east of Papua New Guinea, their ships intercepted and sunk by German raiders.

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Sitting down with Murray Watene

Sitting down with Murray Watene

In honour of this year’s Vietnam Veterans' Day (Wednesday, 18 August), we bring you the fascinating story of Murray Watene (Ngāti Kahungunu). 

Murray grew up in Waimarama and joined the New Zealand Police in 1959, before going on to serve in Malaya, Vietnam and Antarctica throughout the '60s and '70s. The avid poet sat down with Madison Pine and Victoria Passau from our Online Cenotaph team to share his memories and experiences from his life, as well as some of his poems.

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The mystery of the travelling guitar

The mystery of the travelling guitar

Rarotongan-born Private Tuaine Utanga took a guitar with him on active service. Private Utanga invited his fellow soldiers to sign their names on the guitar's case, which in the end held the signatures of more than 200 of Utanga's fellow New Zealand soldiers. The guitar was an object of much interest to many Museum staff, but neither the guitar, its case nor the associated diary are held in the Museum's collection. So where were they? 

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A case in point


The 21st Battalion Association collection is a very significant collection, both symbolically and in sheer size, consisting of nearly 700 objects. This series of blogs by Museum staff looks at the collection from every angle, from the acquisition to the photographing to the grant that made it all possible.

Thank you, 21st Battalion

Thank you, 21st Battalion

When Auckland War Memorial Museum was given the gift of memorabilia by the 21st Battalion Association after the veteran’s club in Auckland closed its doors in 2005, the team could not have known how the final stages of cataloguing would be affected by the Covid-19 pandemic. Read about how the 21st Battalion's gift embodies the sense of community spirit we've craved over lockdown.
The value of external support

The value of external support

Head of Collection Care Vasiti Palavi describes what a gift like the one the 21st Battalion donated to the Museum means for the collection, what a massive undertaking it is to make it accessible to audiences, and staff select some of their favourite objects.
Military detail

Military detail

When a collection the size of the 21st Battalion's gift is acquired by the museum, the work of cataloguing and storing each piece begins before it even gets through the door. Read the step-by-step of how a Collection Manager and their team process each item to ensure it will be safe for generations to come.
Worth a thousand words

Worth a thousand words

Collection Photographer Richard Ng reflects on the work involved in photographing this huge collection, and the importance of getting each image absolutely right, down to each nick and scratch, every dog-eared corner and patched hole.

Cenotaph Stories

Explore a selection of stories from our Online Cenotaph, from a POW-turned-art dealer to stories from Vietnam to our efforts to include non-Army records.

A journey to the archives
ONLINE CENOTAPH STORIES

A journey to the archives

Read about how Online Cenotaph is shifting its collection policy to focus on non-Army records as well as more recent conflicts.
World War Voices
ONLINE CENOTAPH STORIES

World War Voices

Read about how sound history researcher, Sarah Johnston is working to identify the voices within World War II radio broadcasts.
May Palmer
ONLINE CENOTAPH STORIES

May Palmer

Nina May Palmer’s medals and badges tell us her story of nursing throughout the First World War.
Peter Gallacher: Documentarian of D Company
ONLINE CENOTAPH STORIES

Peter Gallacher: Documentarian of D Company

Malayan Veteran, Peter Gallacher discusses his passion for photography and the importance of acknowledging his comrades.
The Sing Brothers Go to War
ONLINE CENOTAPH STORIES

The Sing Brothers Go to War

The story of the four Sing brothers of Grey Lynn, Auckland, enlisted to war in 1914.
Determined to Serve
ONLINE CENOTAPH STORIES

Determined to Serve

In WWI, Gladys Sandford found her own way to Egypt to help drive wounded men to safety as an ambulance driver.
James Herbert Golding Alp
ONLINE CENOTAPH STORIES

James Herbert Golding Alp

Read about how an ex-POW became an art gallery custodian with a cat named Mrs McSweeney.
Bret Bestic
ONLINE CENOTAPH STORIES

Bret Bestic

Bret Bestic tells of his time serving in Vietnam and how people responded on his return.
The lost Airmen of 41 Squadron
ONLINE CENOTAPH STORIES

The lost Airmen of 41 Squadron

The lost airmen of 41 Squadron are found and recognised for their service in Vietnam.
Commemorating Armistice Day in lockdown

Armistice Day

Commemorating Armistice Day in lockdown

On 11 November 1918, an armistice was signed by Allies and Germany, signalling the end of the First World War. This disastrous war had seen New Zealand, with a population of 1.1 million in 1914, send 100,000 men and women abroad.

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, we were unable to host our annual Armistice Day memorial service in 2021. Instead, Auckland RSA hosted a small, private service at the Auckland Cenotaph. On this page, we invite you to commemorate Armistice Day and reflect on the sacrifices made in the hope of securing lasting peace.

Image: Armistice signed. Nov. 11 1918 fundraising badge; AWMM 1992.326, W3410.46.

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The heroic battle for Britain

The heroic battle for Britain

The Battle of Britain was a bitter, four-month-long air battle fought for the sovereignty of Great Britain. Royal Air Force (RAF) aircrew who took part were awarded the Battle of Britain bar, and the battle is commemorated on 15 September. You can read more about the Battle of Britain and the New Zealanders who fought in it on Online Cenotaph.

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Campaign medal featuring the Battle of Britain bar; AWMM 1996x2.80.2

More information ›

Online Cenotaph - Commemoration during COVID

Radio anzac

Staying Connected

In 2020 we are learning anew what distance and separation means. What can we learn from those separated from each other in crises past?
Maori battalion marching song

Wartime, Peacetime, COVID-19-time

Dr Aroha Harris ponders iwi Māori capacity to mobilise in response to major crises throughout the 20th and 21st Century.
Names not numbers

Names not numbers

Christopher Pugsley, Lieutenant Colonel (Retired) reflects on the upcoming Anzac Day in the time of the Covid-19 pandemic.
Poppies anzac

Commemoration in a Digital World

How does commemoration transform in the digital sphere?
12 October marks New Zealand's darkest day

Battle of Passchendaele

12 October marks New Zealand's darkest day

how can they be dying here all morning
faster than two a minute?
 
New Zealand poet and writer Kevin Ireland wrote his poem 'A Fine Morning at Passchendaele' conveying the huge of loss he felt when he visited the battlefield in Belgium, where the lives of 843 New Zealand soldiers were lost in a single day on 12 October 1917 during the battle of Passchendaele. Due to Level 3 restrictions, there is no service at Auckland War Memorial Museum to recognise New Zealand’s darkest day this year.
 
Read Kevin's full poem and learn more about the battle here via the 'read more' link below.

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Stories of war

Far away but not forgotten

Far away but not forgotten
The Pacific War - 75 years on

The Pacific War - 75 years on
Flags in the Hall of Memories

Flags in the Hall of Memories
The Zero: Two men and a plane

The Zero: Two men and a plane

Anzac stories

SamNoonAnzac

Discipline, Respect, Comradeship

An interview with Eileen Noon about her beloved husband Sam Noon, a Malaya and Thailand Veteran with a significant connection to Auckland Museum's Anzac Day ceremonies.
history of poppy anzac

The History of Poppy Day

This year is the first time Poppy Day has been postponed since 1922. Read about it's history here.
Centenary of the Anzac Day Act
CENOTAPH STORIES

Centenary of the Anzac Day Act

This year is the 100th centenary of the Anzac Day Act. Dive into the surprisingly difficult journey to making Anzac Day an official day of remembrance.
Language from WW1

Language from WW1

Discover the new, often humorous, language that was used to describe the miserable, dangerous and peculiar world that WW1 soldiers found themselves in.
Recognising WWI Gilbert Islanders – i-Kiribati service personnel

Recognising WWI Gilbert Islanders – i-Kiribati service personnel

Do you know of anyone from the Gilbert Islands (now known as Kiribati) who enlisted in the New Zealand Army during WWI? Our Online Cenotaph team have identified 25 i-Kiribati  servicemen but would love to hear from you if you know of any others not represented on this list.

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Kāre e ngaropōina ia mātou a rātou e tuātau `uātu

Kāre e ngaropōina ia mātou a rātou e tuātau `uātu

“Our reo contributes to our identity as Cook Islanders. We are a small nation with a rich and beautiful history that stretches back to primordial beings that have now become part of myth and legend.”

William Kainana Cuthers, Researcher and Academic Writer, wrote an article to commemorate and highlight the legacy of Cook Islands service persons, like his grandfather and namesake William Kiri Cuthers, a Coastwatcher during the Second World War. 

Introduction written by Arerangi Tongia.

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