Shooting from the Shadows
New Zealand’s Special Forces history is not only rich, its historic
roots go back long before the creation of the New Zealand Special
Air Service (NZSAS) in 1955. The Kiwi contributions to the Long Range
Desert Group (LRDG), Special Operations Executive (SOE) and Z Special
Unit during World War Two, to mention just three, have their antecedents in
Von Tempsky’s Forest Rangers during the New Zealand Wars of the 1860s.
Irregular warfare, you could say, is in the New Zealand soldiers’ DNA.
The Ferret
The author writes: 'I interviewed Eric Batchelor several times during the years I worked as a journalist in Timaru, usually in the lead up to Anzac Day or some other military commemoration. Sitting in his homely kitchen he shared stories of his exploits during World War Two in his quietly spoken manner. He was always frank with detailed accounts of battles as well as his personal experiences and recollections away from the front lines. He went into details of combat, death and survival few other returned soldiers were willing or able to do.
They Served at Sea
Beyond the men of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the First World War there were those who served in the Navy, on the sea, below the surface, in the air and on land. A naval war is a global campaign and a hundred years later, it is a mostly forgotten fact that the war was brought to the very shores of New Zealand.
In August 1914 New Zealand had just commissioned a small cruiser as a training ship. It was quickly prepared for war and after participation in the occupation of German Samoa HMSPhilomel was part of the escort for the ships carrying the Expeditionary Force overseas.Philomel spent the next three years in the Middle East.
War regulations prevented men of military age from going overseas without a special passport. An exception was granted to the Royal Navy to recruit men for service in anti-submarine motor launches in 1916. Around 100 officers and 100 qualified motor mechanics were entered. They did not serve as a group, being scattered around the British Isles and the Mediterranean. Many took part in the raids on Zeebrugge and Ostend in April and May 1918, a large percentage winning gallantry awards.
Courage with Fire in the Sky
Born at home 14th June 1919, fourth child to Percy and Ada Ward of Whanganui, James (Jimmy), small of stature, imbued with duty and service by his upbringing, fought all his life to do things the big boys did, through team work and share adventures. A remarkable recovery from near death caused by pneumonia, to acceptance by the Royal New Zealand Air Force as a pilot for Active Service was a dream accomplished. On the night of 7 July 1941, Sergeant Ward was second pilot of a Wellington bomber returning from an attack on Munster. When flying over Zuider Zee at 3962.4m, the aircraft was attacked from beneath by a Messerschmitt which secured hits with cannon shell and incendiary bullets. Fire then broke out near the starboard engine and threatened to spread to the entire wing. The crew forced a hole in the fuselage and made strenuous efforts to extinguish the fire. As a last resort, Sergeant Ward volunteered to make an attempt to smother the fire with an engine cover. With the help of the navigator, he climbed through the hatch on to the wing, despite the slipstream from the airscrew, which nearly blew him off. He lay in a precarious position and successfully smothered the fire. Tired as he was he was able to successfully make the perilous journey back into the aircraft. The flight home had been made possible by the gallant action of Sergeant Ward in extinguishing the fire on the wing, in circumstances of the greatest difficulty and the risk of his life. For his action Sergeant Ward was awarded the Victoria Cross on 5 August 1941.
