War History
once to a French King for not receiving him with cannon. There were, he said, a hundred reasons for the lapse, each better than the first; and the first was that he had no cannon. We are sure there were a hundred reasons why the first-born of the New Zealand war histories is a little volume of left-overs.* What the hundred reasons were we do not know, but a safe guess for the first would be that no author had finished anything bigger, and if he had, that no printer at the present time could print it. But none of this means that what has been produced is an unconsidered trifle. It is the account of an episode in the Western Desert in 1941 that all A FRENCH Mayor apologised
these years (and excitements) afterwards brings a lump in the throat to read. The guns used against the tanks were light guns, two-pounders mounted on lorries, fought more or less on the move, and more or less in the open. There is no space here to follow the action in detail; but one troop of four guns fighting en portée ‘held off an enemy column for many hours, knocked out 24 tanks and many unarmoured vehicles, and withdrew safely, when night fell. It is the details of course that. make the story and justify the publication, and in the handling of these the History Branch has shown judgment, skill, and taste. The text could have been, but is not, sentimental and florid. The maps could have been, confusing, the photographs could have been blurred. None of these things has happened. The narrative is. direct, simple, clear, admirably condensed and restrained. The photographs have been well chosen and well arranged, and the map and two diagrams are, what such things always should be and seldom are -clarifiers of the word picture. Now that the standard has been set-in manner as well as in matter, since the typography is perhaps the best feature of all-the public will know what to expect, and it will not be possible to offer anything less attractive. *New Zealand in the Second World War: Guns Against Tanks. War History Branch, Department of Internal Affairs.
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New Zealand Listener, Volume 19, Issue 491, 19 November 1948, Page 5
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369War History New Zealand Listener, Volume 19, Issue 491, 19 November 1948, Page 5
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Copyright in the work University Entrance by Janet Frame (credited as J.F., 22 March 1946, page 18), is owned by the Janet Frame Literary Trust. The National Library has been granted permission to digitise this article and make it available online as part of this digitised version of the New Zealand Listener. You can search, browse, and print this article for research and personal study only. Permission must be obtained from the Janet Frame Literary Trust for any other use.
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