The North African Campaign
'We had a wet canteen and we could have one or two bottles of beer a night. We had to buy them, but that was OK. We had a piano and plenty of musicians in the company. Some of them were good and some of them were not good, but it didn't matter too much. And the more we drank the less it mattered. "Kiss Me Goodnight, Sergeant Major", "Salome". And, of course, we told lies to each other about what we used to do back home. That was our recreation at nights. We had ping-pong, too. That was my favourite game.' Breynton Campbell, 27452, Sapper, 16 Railway Operating Company
War is often thought of as constant frontline action, but in reality troops are often out of the lines, training or on leave. And many of those who serve are not in front line units.
This feature contains an overview of the North African campaign and a timeline of events, but concentrates on the times those who served were not in action. The material is adapted from The Desert Road: New Zealanders Remember the North African Campaign, Megan Hutching (ed.), Auckland, HarperCollins, 2005.
Relaxing in a dugout canteen.
Alexander Turnbull Library, War History Collection, F-19286-1/4.
Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of the images used in this exhibition.
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