British American Ambulance Corps

Date: [Circa 1941]

From: New Zealand. Department of Internal Affairs. War History Branch :Photographs relating to World War 1914-1918, World War 1939-1945, occupation of Japan, Korean War, and Malayan Emergency

By: McIntyre, Peter, 1910-1995

Reference: PA1-q-287

Description: Official photographs from World War II, very few of which have captions. General Freyberg is seen in many images, with different groups of officers and soldiers, and reviewing of New Zealand troops on parade. He is also shown receiving the Greek Military Cross from the Greek Minister of War, Stelios Dimitrakakis. The New Zealand Bomber Squadron is shown with their "Wellington Devil"; R.A.F. bombers with some New Zealand airmen returning from a raid on Berlin; and airmen from NZ joining the fighter force receiving final training on a Spitfire. There are scenes of activities associated with entertainment and sports. These include a pipe band of a South Island Battalion recently arrived in the Middle East, taken at Maadi, circa 1941, and one picture of four buglers; the Kiwi Concert Party performing in the Middle East (p 118-125); and sports including boxing, athletics, discus throw, tug-of-war, rowing and swimming. New Zealand Division Athletics Championships in Cairo (p 82-87). One set of photographs (p 58-68) were taken by a German photographer who was killed in Crete. They show Axis destroyers at Piraeus, in readiness to transport Nazi parachute troops and airborne infantry to an island airfield in the Aegean Sea used as a base for the invasion of Crete; Nazi bombers with groups of soldiers waiting to board a troop carrier; and two aerial views, one showing a Junker troop carrier nosed down into the Cretan Sea, and one showing wrecked German troop transports on Maleme aerodrome. Views of HMS Leander in the Middle East (p 70-75, 98-99). New Zealand crew members W. Hickford (Wanganui), E. Drabble (Auckland), J. Stewart (Wellington), A L Poad (Auckland) and K Newson (Wellington) are named in image no. 952 (p 71); a large range-finder in action; group of officers (identified in reference no. DA-01901); clothes-washing; mending clothes; serving the rum ration; a church service; gunners with a captured Breda gun (D.L. Graham-Cameron (Gisborne) and J. Kelly (Waitara)); repairing a torpedo; and deck hockey. The opening of the Lowry Hut at Maadi on 16th July 194l shows general Freyberg and Mrs Freyberg, Mrs A P F Chapman who was attached to the New Zealand YMCA which operated the hut, which was presented by her father Thomas Henry Lowry; and general scenes inside and outide the hut. The other club shown in this album is the New Zealand Forces Club in Cairo, with a mural painted by war artist Peter McIntyre. There are also reproductions of some of his paintings on p 101 and 104-105. Ambulances were presented to the NZEF through the British American Ambulance Corps and the Anzac War Relief Fund, Maadi, with a number of photographs showing different types of ambulance, and a mobile surgical unit. At the reception of the Anzac War Relief Fund in New York they gave a demonstation of the Australian Indian type of ambulance which would be sent to the Middle East, at which the Hon. J G Coates, Nola Luxford were present, and at which the American president of the fund presented the Wings of Mercy badge to the Hon. Frank Langstone. A group of wireless operators and air gunners who attended the No. 11 W.A.G. course at Mountain View Air Station (Canada), p 111. (For full names see information noted on reference nos. DA-01417 to DA-01418, and DA-01420). Many photographs are related to the postal service, showing huge piles of incoming parcels and letters for the troops, with men sorting, collecting and receiving their mail. Quantity: 1 album(s) Album(s). Physical Description: Album with dark blue cloth cover, black corners and spine; 34.5 x 22 cm

Date: 1939-1945

From: New Zealand. Department of Internal Affairs. War History Branch :Photographs relating to World War 1914-1918, World War 1939-1945, occupation of Japan, Korean War, and Malayan Emergency

By: McIntyre, Peter, 1910-1995

Reference: PA1-q-295

Description: Photographs of New Zealand military personnel serving in the Middle East and Egypt during World War 2, 1939-1945, taken by various photographers and compiled for official purposes. Many of the personnel identified are listed above, but group portraits in which individuals are named, are not individually listed above. Images include a consignment of 3000 cases of apples arriving at the New Zealand Forces Club in Egypt; YMCA secretaries of the NZEF in Crete before the blitz; NZ pilots at advanced RAF training school in England; King George II of Greece inspecting troops in the Middle East, being entertained by members of the Maori Battalion, and presenting medals to the platoon acting as his bodyguard on the Greek royal family's evacuation from Crete to Egypt (p 6-11). American aid to the ANZACs, showing a function in New York celebrating the presentation of over 100 ambulances to the fighting forces in Egypt, with (on p 12-15) views in Egypt of the ambulances & mobile surgical unit; the General Hospital at Helwan, with views inside wards, and life of convalescents including a swimming carnival, picnics and yachting (p 16-20); nurses' life at the General Hospital (p 139-141). Arrival of a mobile canteen for the YMCA (p 20-21); NZ soldiers on leave in Cairo; NZ cricket team at the Gezira Sporting Club (p 23-24); Parades of NZ units reviewed by general Freyberg; A YMCA canteen service van in Crete; opening of the Lowry Hut (p 8, p 28-30, p 34-35); Rowing races between a NZ team and Cairo representative team at the Cairo River Club (p 30-31, p 67). PM Peter Fraser's tour of NZ activities in Britain; broadcasts to NZ through the BBC's New Zealand programme (p 32-33, 92-93, 124-125); the New Zealand Forces Club (p 35-39, 44); ENSA Concert Party (p 40-42); staff at NZ House in London sorting parcels from NZ for NZ personnel. Attack on Crete (p 44-53), views taken by a German photographer who was killed in Crete, including Junkers transport carriers, Axis destroyers and wrecked German planes at Maleme airport; transport ship Glengyle after the evacuation from Crete. HMS Leander (p 55-61, p 79, p 84-85), includes group of sailors & NZ officers, all identified. Maori Battalion training in the Middle East; incidents during route march; two views of the official Netherlands Indies Women's organisation in wartime who looked after NZ airmen passing through batavia (Djakarta) (P 66, 68); sports meeting at the Prince Farouk Stadium Cairo (p 68-73, 83); artillery callibrating guns (p 73-79); field ordnance worlshops; Mobile Surgical Unit; copies of paintings by war artist peter McIntyre (p 87-91); Bomber Command Operational Training Unit. Postal unit (p 94-101); wireless operator air gunners after training at the WAG course at Mountain View Air Station in Canada (all named, p 96-97); investiture conferring Greek decorations on NZ officers (p 101-102, 110-111); Kiwi Concert Party (p 103-110); manouevres in the desert; fire brigade at NZ Base Camp (p 118-122); 2nd Echelon Office keeping personal records (p 120, 122-123); camp laundry in Egypt (p 128-130); work of a Light Aid Detachment in the field; the original ANZAC Club, Singapore (p 144); training under active service conditions in desert (p 145-149); visit by NZ soldiers to a stable maintained by the Egyptian Government at Heliopolis raising Arab horses. Arrangement: Images in album form single numerical sequence, 782-1226. Follows sequence established in PA1-q-294. Quantity: 1 album(s). Physical Description: Album with faded blue cover, black corners and spine; 34.5 x 22.0 cm

Date: 25 November 1941

From: Luxford, Nola, 1895-1994 :Photographs

Reference: PA6-905

Description: A panoramic photograph taken 25 November 1941 at the Hotel Piccadilly in New York City, of a Royal Australian and Royal New Zealand Air Forces luncheon, arranged to raise funds for the ANZAC war relief fund and British American Ambulance Corps. The photograph shows both Royal Australian Air Force and Royal New Zealand Airforce servicemen in uniform, and guests in formal attire, sitting at long banquet tables and looking towards the camera. Title taken from item. Inscriptions: Recto - bottom left - STANDARD FLASHLIGHT CO., INC. NEW YORK 3297; Recto - bottom right - LUNCHEON TENDERED TO ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AND ROYAL NEW ZEALAND AIR FORCES BY ANZAC WAR RELIEF FUND AND BRITISH AMERICAN AMBULANCE CORPS HOTEL PICADILLY NEW YORK CITY NOVEMBER 25, 1941; Verso - bottom right - Photographed by the Standard Flashlight Co., Inc. 1595 Broadway at 48th St. New York, N.Y. CIcrle 6-0366-67-68-69 Quantity: 1 b&w original photographic print(s). Physical Description: Panorama, 51 x 31 cm.

Date: 1940-1945

From: Luxford, Nola, 1895-1994 :Photographs

Reference: PAColl-9548-08

Description: ANZAC Club New York and the British American Ambulance Corps. Photographs of the ANZAC Club in New York for New Zealand and Australian servicemen, 1941-1945. This was organised by Nola Luxford and run by her and her team of volunteers. Included are photographs sent to Nola by some of the 35,000 servicemen who used the club. Nola's fund raising work for the British American Ambulance Corps included fabric design. A portion of the sale price of the fabrics was donated to the Corps. One group of photographs are of Nola modeling dresses made from her patriotic fabrics. Other photographs are of ambulances purchased by the Corps, and events relating to presenting ambulances to the representatives of allied countries. Quantity: 74 b&w original photographic print(s).