New Zealand Memories Issue 151

WORLD WAR II
By the end of 2019 the golf greens had gone, the
new roads had been laid and plots had been surveyed
for over fifty new homes. It was common knowledge
that during World War Two the grounds were used as
a camp for both New Zealand and American soldiers,
but this had begun to fade from memory. In honour
of the site’s military past the developers, Westwood
Property Group, named the new housing site The
Barracks.
In September 1939 the United Kingdom declared war
on Germany. Being part of the British Commonwealth,
New Zealand followed suit and began to recruit men
to help Britain in her war against Nazi Germany. For
two years young New Zealand men trained and sailed
for the European war. Meanwhile life continued back
home. Masterton still held its annual Agricultural and
Pastoral shows at the Solway Showgrounds. It wasn’t
until Japan’s entry into the war in December 1941 that
this began to change. With the war much closer to
home, more troops were needed for the Pacific to help
defend against the coming threat. New training camps
were set up across New Zealand to meet the demand
and the showgrounds at Solway were seen as an ideal
site. The 1942 show was cancelled and the Ruahine
Infantry Regiment of the New Zealand army moved
into the grounds for training and deployment to the
Pacific.
Half a world away, another group of young men
were involved in the same conflict. A month after
New Zealand declared war on Germany, the Third
Defense Battalion of the United States Marine Corps
was formed. This was in response to the actions of
Germany but also of Japan, whose expansion into the
Pacific was causing alarm.
In April 1940 the battalion boarded a ship and sailed
for Pearl Harbor. They remained there for ten months
and then sailed for Midway Island where they helped
build up the atoll’s defences. By September 1941 the
USMC were back at Pearl Harbor. They were there
on December 7 when the Japanese attacked and were
quick to join in the defence of the base. By the end of
the raid three of the attacking planes had been shot
down.
In May 1942 half the battalion was sent back to
Midway where they helped defend the atoll against
the Japanese attack on June 4. From here it was back
to Pearl Harbor to resupply before they were sent to
their next battleground, the island of Guadalcanal in
the Solomon Islands. The Japanese had been building
an airstrip on the island which would be a threat to
Australia when competed. For six months the Third
Defense Battalion was stationed in the Solomons,
defending against air and sea attacks by the Japanese,
who were determined to recapture the airfield. By
February 1943 the troops were exhausted and sick
with malaria. They were told they would be taking
some time off for rest and retraining, and they would
be doing this in New Zealand. On February 9 the
battalion boarded the USS George Clymer and sailed
for a safer world. 1
On February 16 the battalion arrived in Wellington.
From here an advance party went by train to the
Solway Showgrounds in Masterton. 2
The advance group was tasked with making
preparations ahead of the arrival of the rest of the
battalion. The New Zealand Ruahine Regiment had
left a few months before and tents and facilities had to
be put in order in the now vacant camp. In March the
remainder of the battalion arrived at the showgrounds.
Dressed as they were for Guadalcanal, their summer
uniform was inadequate for the much colder New
Zealand climate. One Marine recalled “the first chance
I had I went over the top and shot into Masterton and
picked myself up a nice double eiderdown. I didn’t get
cold from then on.” 3
For the first two weeks in Masterton, the Marines
settled in to their new home. Most stayed in tents, six to
each, which were warmed by stoves supplied by the locals.
Others utilised the showgrounds existing buildings. The
majority camped in the main showgrounds area but
there were several tents pitched on the northern field
which is shown on a wartime plan. Cook houses,
shower blocks and latrines had all been installed prior
to the Americans arriving at camp, although there were
complaints that the hot water in the shower blocks was
lukewarm at best.
After two weeks the troops were still without proper
supplies and began to grow restless. They had brought
some gear with them, which included a souvenir
Japanese bullet casing from Guadalcanal (rediscovered
during excavations), but they were still short of warm
clothes and luxury items. To appease the men, a supply
of 700 bottles of American beer and a large amount of
ice cream was sent up by train. 4 The main food supplies
were provided locally and included meat, vegetables,
fruit and tinned goods which had been brought in
from overseas.
1 Theodore R. Walker, History of the Third Defense Battalion, Fleet
Marine Force U.S. Marine Corps, p. 1-24.
2 3D Defense Battalion, 1265-leb, 1-3.
3 Wairarapa Archive, Oral History 484.
4 Ibid
United States Marine Corps site Solway just after US Marines left. November 1943.
Inset: USMC site looking over bush to northern field. Courtesy: Wairarapa Archive
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