Sir Leonard fronts Freyberg documentary

Waimarino Bulletin, Volume 3, Issue 22, 22 October 1985, Page 1

Sir Leonard fronts Freyberg documentary

General Sir Leonard Thornton and TVNZ were filming at ATG Waiouru last week, for part of a documentary on the life of Lord Freyberg, Commander of the New Zealand Division, during the Second World War. Sir Leonard, who was head of the New Zealand Army from 1960-65 and Chief of Defence Staff from 1 965-7 f, is presenting the documentary and has put the script together. He and several other generals have recently made headlines speaking against Prime Minister Lange's defence poliey. The first day of filming began with students from

the School of Armour in tanks and on foot, illustrating the difference between the army of today and in Lord Freyberg's time. On Tuesday night a minefield scene was filmed, in simulated North African conditions, and a sequence on infantry and counterattack was shot on Wednesday. Work on the documentary will continue in New Zealand until after Christmas and later move to the Middle East for two months. "Lord Freyberg came to New Zealand at the age of two, and for the first third of his life, he was an ordinary New Zealander and became a

dentist," said Sir Leonard. During the second third of his life he became an Englishman and was in the British army. Lord Freyberg commanded the New Zealand Division in the Middle East and was Governor General between July 1 946 to August 1952. In England he became a representative of the Queen at Windsor Castle and died there aged 74 in 1963. "There has never been an attempt to tell his life story since his death and I felt that, as he is one of our great New Zealanders, his story should be told," said Sir Leonard.