HISTORIES OF ARTILLERY UNITS

Chronicle (Levin), 28 November 1946, Page 3

HISTORIES OF ARTILLERY UNITS

♦ A decision of great interest .to all gunners who servod in the Middle East in the 1939-45 war regarding tlu; fonn the unit histories of Seeond Divisional Artillery should take was made at a representative meeting of gunners from all regiments in Wellington, recently. iMost of the battalions have their. individual unit histories under way, but ihe linal decision of how the artillery histories should be handlcd has been delayed to allow gunners from as many centres as possible to express their

opinions to delegates called together to decide the question. Three proposals before the meeting included that individual units should compile their own histories separately; that the history of divisional artillery should be compiled in five or six volumes on a campaign, ehronologieal order basis; and that unit histories should be grouped under a scheme incorporating tlio first two suggestions. It was agreed that with New Zealand guns called upon to support other divisions in the ididdie East tlieatres as well as the ISecond New Zealand Division, the history would involve at least five to six volumes on a campaign basis. At the conclusion of the business regarding war histories, Lieut.-Col. Philp reviewed the progfess made with the formation of a Gunners' Association in Palmerston North and suggested that eventually all gunners in New Zealand would be drawn iuto this orgauisatiou. Ile said that membershijl was opeu to all gunners wliethor of 1, 2 or 3 Div. or llome IService and was formed to keep up the gunner traditions and as^sociations. Bteps have alreadv been taken to iorm a gunner association .in Hamilton and it has been reported that in other centres u certain amount of progress has also been made in this connection. The delegates at the meeting liad previously arrauged meetings of gunners in their respective districts to gaiii the opinions of as manv gunners as possible. Lieut.-Col. L. W. Thornton, au ex-C.R.A. of the Division, was ,the convener of the meeting, and among those present were Lieut.-Cols. C. J. Duff, It. Uprosen, C. L. Walter, \V. D. Philp, T. Kensington, K. W. i'ruser, all ex-conuiiaudiiig otticers of one of Ihe Divisional Artillery regiin.ents, and the chairmau was Col. K. W. It. Glasgow. It was decided to produce six voluuies, the iirst to be a general summary of activities of New Zealand artillery as a wliole (includiug unit lustory of Headcpuirters N'.Z.A.; and niaking mention of the Dritish regiments aiul units that were attaehed for the various campaigns. The 4th, 5th, 6tli Eield liegi ments and 7lh Anti-Tauk itegiment are to have a voiunie each and the linal voluine is to be in two parts, oue for ' Lhe 14th Light Anti-Airerat't iiegiment and the second part- for .the history of the 36th ISunev B'atferv.

Each history, is to be,' (lesiglied as a humau ehroYiolOgicaJ.. recor'd, with anecdotal material in narrative fonn, of j)articular interest tb bhe individual. A' recommendation is to be made to war histories branch that each jncmber of a regiment and ncxt-of-kin of deceased personnel shouldube suppliod with a free copy of a selec'ted volume on applicatiou and also that copics of the histories, other than a mau's own unit, be made available to members of Divisional Artillerv at reduced costs.

During the disbandment of Divisional Artillery in Italy, the residue of regiment al hinds from all regiments was contrulised in u N.Z.A. Unit history fund, and it was reported that nearly £2U(JU was available in this fund. iu view of the fact that war histories' branch would be giving all the linaucial assistance uecessary in the production of unit histories, it was decided to authorise the production of a popular piclorial rucord of N.Z.A. 's activities with the money available from the N.Z.A. funds. The following members represenling various units were elected as a provisional Divisional Artillery unit histories co-ordinuting coiumittee: — Messrs Al. l'ledger (U.Q., N.Z.A.),- It. II. Dysou C4th EieldL Iv. W. Eraser (5tli Eield L

,J. Aldous (6th Eield), J. Ilall-Kcnny (7 Anti-Tank), K. W. It. Glasgow (1-f L.A.A.), L. White (36 Biirveyj and J. Elliott as secretary-treasurer. It was reported to the meeting that 36 Burvey Battery liad a reasonablu . narrative in rough draft forin and the reeords of the 7th and 14th Itegiments were in reasonable order but, gcnerally speaking, there was a great deal missiug from the field regiments reeords. Bkeleton narratives liad' been prepared, but they were not complete ant), in most cases were lacking in personal detail. The material that was now required was held by individuals either in diaries or in their meniories and it was essential to obtain material from exmenibers of N.Z.A. to make any sort of complete readable history.