THE THIRD DIVISION

New Zealand Listener, Volume 28, Issue 713, 13 March 1953, Page 12

THE THIRD DIVISION

THE PACIFIC, by Oliver A. Gillespie; War History Branch, Department of Internal Affairs, Wellington; 15/-.

(Reviewed by

P.J.

W.

HE Third Division was the only large force apart from the Americans operating in the South Pacific, and this book, the first campaign history of the war to be produced under the editorship of Sir Howard Kippenberger, is largely its story. It is a story of tropical warfare in the main, but also of diplomatic ‘conflict and governmental uncertainty, of incessant manpower problems and differences of opinion within the American command over the Division’s role. It had none of the glamour of the 2nd N.Z.E.F., partly, perhaps, because it was operating so close to home, ‘and’ General Barrowclough must have been one of the most frustrated generals in history. "No New Zealand commander," we are told, "was ever so harassed by proposals, uncertainty and indecision." But the Division played an indispensable role in the war, and staked New Zealand’s claim in the" Pacific. The ANZUS "pact is in many ways a direct outcome, a recreation of the Pacific War Council set up in Washington over Churchill’s objections. The story begins with the departure of the Fiji Defence Force and its staff of retreads from the 1914-18 war, in November, 1940. Conditions and equipment in Fiji were bad, and the Fiji venture was a rather shabby episode in our history, for which the author of this book provides official excuses which sound apologetic rather than convincing. When the Fiji force was relieved by the U.S. 37 Division in June, 1942, there began the long period of indecision which continued, with interludes of action, until the end. The title 3 Division had been first used in May, 1942, but the- force was never officially gazetted as such and remained. legally Pacific Section, 2N.Z.E.F. The unofficial title stuck, however, and with justice, since at the end of 1943 there were 20,000 army personnel in the Pacific theatre, compared with 30,000 in the Mediterranean. Of the Division’s Solomons campaign, which began in August, 1943, the author records that "there can be no connected story. . . Not once did the brigades cooperate in joint action." In its Vella Lavella, Treasuries, and Green Islands landings the Division was only the spearhead of a larger covering force which was predominantly American. Even in the actual assaults there were always American troops under General Barrowclough’s command. The Treasuries was our first opposed landing since Gallipoli, and though there were some early difficulties, the last invasion, of the Green Islands, was highly praised by Halsey, and went off like clockwork. Then the Division was sent back to New Caledonia, and Barrowclough bombarded Wellington with letters: "I cannot over-emphasise the difficulties we are meeting in the absence of any fixed policy direction." The final disbandment, in October, 1944, because of manpower difficulties at home, must have been a personal blow. The book is complete with photographs, maps, appendices of relevant documents, statistics, and biographical notes. Major feats of heroism, such as the rescue of Beaumont’s party on Vella,

and the gallant battle of Loganforce at Soanatalu on Mono Island, are treated in detail. There are chapters on the roles of. the Coast-watchers, the Fijian guerrilla units, the Fanning, Norfolk and Tonga garrisons, the naval and air force units, the occupation of Japan-and the perspective is continually checked by quotations from Japanese battle records. This is a comprehensive book which has accomplished much in the’ sifting of acts from among a great deal of confusing material.