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New Zealand Divisional Cavalry units in Italy

A Daimler Dingo of the New Zealand Divisional Cavalry rushes along a dusty road in the Atina Belmonte area on 30 May 1944, during the Italian Campaign. The photo illustrates the difficulties faced by the Division as it advanced along narrow roads through the rough, mountainous terrain of the Italian peninsula.

Credit:

Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: DA-06005-F
Photographer: George Frederick Kaye
Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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NZ soldiers crossing destroyed Italian bridge

Members of the Second New Zealand Division's infantry advance towards Faenza by crossing the girders and debris of a demolished bridge over the Lamone River, December 1944. During the Italian Campaign, retreating German forces destroyed many bridges in order to slow the Allies' advance. Army engineers often repaired the damaged bridges, or replaced them with prefabricated Bailey bridges.

Credit:

Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: DA-07947-F
Photographer: George Kaye
Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa must be obtained before any reuse of this image.

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Wounded at Cassino by Peter McIntyre

This painting by Peter McIntyre, New Zealand's official war artist in the Mediterranean during the Second World War, depicts a scene during the Battle of Cassino, part of the Italian Campaign. McIntyre was attached to the 2nd New Zealand Division during the war, and his work helped define the New Zealand soldier's experience in Crete, North Africa and Italy.

The muted colours in McIntyre's painting convey a sombre tone. This perhaps also conveys the disappointment felt amongst members of the Division that the offensive's objectives were not met. The most detailed section of the painting, and the viewer's natural point of attention, are the two New Zealand soldiers. One is helping his wounded comrade navigate the network of rubble that characterised the town of Cassino following its destruction by aerial and artillery bombardment in March 1944.

Discover more works from the official war art collection on Archives New Zealand's War Art Online site.

Credit:

National Collection of War Art, Archives New Zealand
Reference: AAAC 898 NCWA 309
Artist: Peter McIntyre
Permission of Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga must be obtained before any reuse of this image.

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Bombing of Cassino painting

Bombing of Cassino Monastery and town by Peter McIntyre, New Zealand's official war artist in the Mediterranean during the Second World War, depicts a scene during the Battle of Cassino, part of the Italian Campaign. McIntyre was attached to the 2nd New Zealand Division during the war, and his work helped define the New Zealand soldier's experience in Crete, North Africa and Italy.

From mid January 1944, the New Zealand Corps readied itself for an attack on Cassino – a strong point on the Germans' defensive Gustav Line, and a major obstacle on the route to Rome. Worried that the Benedictine monastery on the hill above Cassino would be used as a lookout by the Germans, the Corps' commander Lieutenant-General Sir Bernard Freyberg ordered its destruction. On the morning of 15 February 1944, 255 aircraft dropped a total of 576 tons of high explosive on or near the monastery.

Painted in May 1944, months after the event, the perspective of McIntyre's painting gives a sense of the magnitude of the bombings. The monastery is positioned on the top of the hill, obscured by black smoke. In the centre of the painting is Castle Hill. Below them are the ruins of the town of Cassino, shattered by weeks of artillery bombardment. One month later, on 15 March, the town itself was destroyed by another major aerial bombardment.

Discover more works from the official war art collection on Archives New Zealand's War Art Online site.

Credit:

National Collection of War Art, Archives New Zealand
Reference: AAAC 898 NCWA 13
Artist: Peter McIntyre
Permission of Archives New Zealand Te Rua Mahara o te Kāwanatanga must be obtained before any reuse of this image.

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Soldiers on Cassino battlefront

Soldiers clamber over ruins during manoeuvers on the Cassino battlefront on 5 April 1944, during the Italian Campaign. The New Zealanders were engaged in street fighting over mounds of rubble after the wholesale destruction of the town of Cassino by Allied aerial and artillery bombardment.

Credit:

Alexander Turnbull Library
War History Collection
Reference: DA-05502-F
Photographer: George Kaye
Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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View of Cassino

Click on the lightbox above for a larger version of the image.

This view of the Cassino area was taken from Trocchio on 2 February 1944, before the town or the Benedictine monastery on Monte Cassino were destroyed by aerial bombardment.

The railway line curves along the lower left-hand side of the image. The rail causeway crosses the Rapido River, which itself extends across the lower section of the image. The road leading directly to Cassino is Highway 6, which ran below Monte Cassino and continued towards Rome through the Liri Valley on the left-hand side of the photograph. The monastery is visible on the skyline to the left of centre, and Castle Hill can be faintly seen directly behind the town itself. The snow-capped mountain in the background is Monte Cairo.

The Germans laid extensive minefields and demolished stopbanks to flood low-lying ground to strengthen their defensive position in the Cassino area before the New Zealanders attacked on 17 February 1944 during the Italian Campaign.

See a map of the area here.

Credit:

Alexander Turnbull Library
War History Collection
Reference: DA-09505-F
Photograph taken by an unidentified member of the 36th New Zealand Survey Battery Division
Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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Bailey bridge in Sangro River area

During the Second World War's Italian Campaign, the progress of the 2nd New Zealand Division was significantly hindered by the country's rugged terrain. In many cases retreating enemy forces had destroyed existing bridges across the country's countless rivers and ravines. In order to continue the Division's advance through Italy, New Zealand Engineers made use of prefabricated Bailey bridges, such as the one seen in the image above. This image, taken around 29 November 1943, shows a Bailey bridge in the Sangro River area.

Credit:

Alexander Turnbull Library
War History Collection
Reference: DA-04660-F
Photographer: George Frederick Kaye
Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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New Zealand soldiers disembark at Taranto

New Zealand troops disembark from a troopship in Taranto, Italy, to be ferried ashore in landing barges. The photograph was taken on 14 October 1943, the month in which the 2nd New Zealand Division left North Africa to participate in the Italian Campaign. From Taranto, the men of the Div were sent north to the town of Bari, which served at the main staging base for newly arrived New Zealand troops.

Credit:

Alexander Turnbull Library
Reference: DA-03195-F
Photographer: W A Brodie
Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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Kiwi stories - the Italian campaign

Discover the stories of some of the New Zealanders who served in the Italian Campaign, 1943–1945. Each biography links through to a page with further information. The first five biographies include audio extracts featuring recollections of the soldiers’ experiences.

Able Seaman Joseph Pedersen, Royal New Zealand Navy

In 1940, at age 17, Joseph Pedersen joined the New Zealand Division of the Royal Navy, which became the Royal New Zealand Navy the following year. In 1942 he was posted to the destroyer HMS Lookout on which he served in the Mediterranean. Hear him describe the Allied invasion of Sicily in September 1943.

Gunner Gordon Johnston, 5 Field Regiment

Gordon Johnston was called up in 1940 and trained in the artillery. He served in North Africa before going to Italy with the New Zealand Division in late 1943. In Trieste in 1945, Gordon met his future wife, Luciana, who came to New Zealand after the war. Hear him talk about the Division's first action in Italy on the Sangro River.

Private Joseph Bacos, 20 Armoured Regiment

Joseph Bacos enlisted in January 1940 and served with the Divisional Ordnance in North Africa, where he repaired vehicles and instruments like binoculars and compasses. He then trained as a tank gunner, and went to Italy with the 20 Armoured Regiment in December 1943. Hear him describe his first action at Orsogna.

Private Reginald Minter, 24 Battalion

Private Reg Minter joined 24 Battalion as a signalman in the Middle East, and was sent to Italy in late December 1943. His first real time in action was at Cassino in March 1944 where he was wounded. After six weeks in hospital, Reg rejoined his battalion and served with the Division for the rest of the Italian Campaign. Hear him talk about being wounded at Cassino, trying to break the German lines at Faenza, and his experiences in Trieste at the end of the war.

Sergeant Tautini Glover, 28 (Māori) Battalion

Tautini Glover (Te Aitanga-o-Hauiti) arrived in Taranto in southern Italy at the end of 1943. He spent several weeks in hospital after receiving a large shrapnel wound to his arm outside Orsogna in early 1944. Tini then rejoined the 28th (Māori) Battalion and saw action at Cassino, Tavarnelle and Faenza before ending the war in Trieste. Hear his audio recollections of the Italian Campaign on www.28maoribattalion.org.nz.

Brigadier General Howard Kippenberger, commander of New Zealand Division

Howard Kippenberger was one of New Zealand’s most popular military leaders, and perhaps its most talented. In 1944 Kippenberger was made temporary commander of the 2nd New Zealand Division, and led the unit in the early stages of the Battle of Cassino. While climbing a mountain to gain a better view of the town on 2 March 1944 he triggered a German anti-personnel landmine and lost both his feet. Read Kippenberger’s biography here.

New Zealand tank in Florence

Jubilant citizens of Florence greet a New Zealand tank on 4 August 1944, the day the city was liberated by the Allies during the Italian Campaign.

Credit:

Alexander Turnbull Library
War History Collection
Reference: DA-06513-F
Permission of the Alexander Turnbull Library, National Library of New Zealand, Te Puna Matauranga o Aotearoa, must be obtained before any re-use of this image.

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