Thodey, J I (Colonel), 1910-

Date: 1940-1983

From: Gentry, William George (Sir), 1899-1991: Photograph albums

By: Green & Hahn (Firm); Wood, W J (Private), active 1945

Reference: PA1-q-1139

Description: Photograph album compiled by Sir William Gentry, chiefly relating to his military career (between 1940 and circa 1955), but also some family holiday snaps as well as two colour images from after his retirement. Some family snap shots are likely to have been taken by Gentry, but for most images the photographer is unidentified. - World War II images feature scenes from army life, mainly during the final campaign and after Allied victory in Europe. Locations featured are in Egypt (Maadi, Alamein) and Italy (Trieste, Venice, Lake Como, Lake Garda, Bolonga, Pisa, Miramere Castle). Events such as the New Zealand Infantry Brigade Ceremonial Parade (Fabriano, Italy, March 1945), Christmas Day Donkey Derby (1944), fishing in the Dead Sea on the 'SS New Zelandia', rugby match between divisions in Fabriano, and El Alamein memorial service (9 Nov 1945) are covered. There is a focus on General Bernard Freyberg, with whom Gentry worked closely during the campaigns in North Africa in 1941-1942. Also contains images of military convoys, meetings (including 1 March 1943), camps, and officers' meals. Miscellaneous images also show bridges and the wreckage of bridges (with Adige River, River Po). - A series of formal and informal group portraits relate to Gentry's time at the Imperial Defence College, England (1948). These include the official class photograph (wearing suits, see album for name listing), and another with subjects in military attire. Related images from this period show Larkhill (1948), a military group in an air hangar in Bristol, and a shot of A M Slessor greeting King George VI. Also contains an Aug 1963 group portrait taken at a reunion dinner of Imperial Defence College attendees in Shelly Bay, Wellington (see album for name listing). - Contains photographs from Asia and the Pacific following Gentry's promotion to Major General in 1952. Images of conflicts cover the Korean War (1951) and the First Indochina War (1953). The latter series show Gentry inspecting troops with General Henri Eugene Navarre and General Rene Cogny (Hanoi), with personnel in Quang Yen and at a concession post, and smoking with General Georges Masson at Nam Dinh. Also a number of Vietnamese landscapes (Reo River Delta, Baie D'Along, and Plain Des Jarres) and an aerial photograph of Haiphong. Further images from Laos (1953) depict discussions at a military camp and parade in Vientiane. Images of military conferences relating to the Pacific region are also contained in the album; Gentry is shown at SEATO (Bangkok), [COGS?] (1954), and as New Zealand's representative at the first ANZUS meeting with Lieutenant General S.F. Rowell and Admiral A.W. Radford (Pearl Harbour, Hawaii, 1952). Hawaian images also show Gentry inspecting a marine guard in Honolulu and tourist colour prints of a volcanic eruption. Also images of Gentry visiting the Fijian Armed Forces and inspecting troops with Queen Elizabeth in New Zealand. - Named figures in group portraits and at events include: Lieutenant-Colonel Albert (Bert) William O'Reilly, Major Denis Wood Porter, and Lieutenant-Colonel James (Jim) Leonard Williams getting awards from General Freyberg; Freyberg, Brigadier Leonard Whitmore Thornton, Brigadier S H Chump, Gentry, and Major C K Reed at El Alamein memorial ceremony (photographed by Private W J Wood); [John Henry?] Nankivell and Buckley at Guadalcanal; Winston Churchill with Gentry and others; Gentry, Molly Raynor (actress in 'On Approval'), Dan Sullivan and Sir Keith Park backstage after performance at the Garrison Theatre; Lieutenant-Colonel H [Ramada-?] with Gentry and the 1st Cavalry Regiment; and Gentry, Major General Graham Beresford (Ike) Parkinson, Keith Stewart, and Brigadier Raymond (Ray) Candish Queree in front of a map (photographed by Green and Hahn, Christchurch [ca 1952]). Others names include Jim Burrows, Major Jock I Thodey, Field Marshall Alexander, General Charles Walter Allfrey, Frame, and [Buffet?]. See name listing for [RCDC?] 1978 reunion dinner (Shelly Bay, Wellington). Contains formal military portrait of Gentry [1942] and two images at an army reunion in Pakuranga [198-?]. - Also contains a set of 82 family snap shots taken at a range of locations including London, England, during the 1948 Olympic Games. Family members featured are son Steven, daughter ? and wife Alexandra (known as Lalla). Images include the voyage to England, Olympic athletics events at Wembley Stadium (Empire Stadium) as well as a race on the streets [marathon?], a variety of buildings and landscapes, and a parade of the Royal Order of the Garter at Windsor Castle with notable persons including Princess Elizabeth, her husband Phillip, and King George VI and his queen consort Elizabeth. Also includes views of Capetown (Table Mountain) and Sydney (Harbour Bridge) from at sea, girl guides, camping, fishing, beach scenes, an unidentified wedding, the farewell of Lord and Lady Freyberg, and the Gentry family in Melbourne in 1949. - Ephemera includes notice dropped by the Royal Air Force behind German lines giving the phonetic English for 'I surrender', a newspaper clipping (with photograph) about Gentry being met off the troopship by his father Major F C Gentry, the programme for the 30 Corps Order of Service of Thanksgiving and Remembrance after the capture of Tripoli, autographed menu from General Freyberg's farewell dinner at the Hotel Baglioni in Florence, two clippings relating to son Lieutenant Steven Gentry's supervision of the army's erection of a suspension bridge over the Waitotauru stream, and a Greek first day cover from 1981 commemorating the Battle of Crete. Quantity: 1 album(s) Album(s). Physical Description: Photograph album

Date: 1943-1945

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

Reference: PA1-q-300

Description: Photographs of New Zealand military personnel serving in Italy during World War 2, 1943-1945, taken by various photographers and compiled for official purposes. Many individuals identified are listed, but while many others are identified in group portraits they are not named. Views of the No 1 New Zealand General Hospital at Molfetta; Prime Minister Peter Fraser visiting NZ troops in Italy (p 2-12, 18-19), including the occasion of his audience with the Pope at the Vatican and senior officers and chaplains after being received by the Pope at Vatican City; the chief prior of Abbey Monte Cassino returning to the ruins of the monastery (p 2). Views of a Divisional Flashspotting troop; a "jeep train" supplying men to forward areas, known as the "Ghost train" as it had to move in darkness; pursuit of Germans after the capture of Atima and Belmonte. The No 2 NZ Field Bakery in action; the No 2 NZ General Hospital at Caserta (p 10-12); the NZ Forestry Unit in Southern Italy Transport ship Gripsholm arriving in Algiers with repatriates from the UK, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and other allies; swimming and boating sports at Arce; NZers on leave in Rome, Vatican City, St Peter's, Castel St Angelo, and the NZ Forces Club; a gymkhana, and wood chopping competition at Arce. NZ troops after the assault on Mount Lignano; the advance towards Florence; King George VI visiting the NZ Division during the advance to Florence; "Tuis" in Rome at John Keats House; a Regimental Aid post. Sound recording machines, helping locate enemy guns; clearing landmines; various armoured vehicles including German Tiger tanks, and other German Panzer tanks, Staghound armoured cars; M10 tank busters Members of the RNZNVR in the Mediterranean (p 50-51, 55); Italian partisans in Florence, and one view of Nikos Souris (worked with the escape system in Crete); New Zealanders arriving in Florence; New Zealand Forces Club in Florence. Weddings at the chapel at No 3 General Hosptial (Bari), and at All Saints Church in Rome; inspections by general Freyberg accompanied by senior Greek officers inspecting the 3rd Greek Brigade in Italy; Winston Churchill touring the 8th Army front. The RNZAF in Britain: fighter pilots of Hawker Tempest planes; pilots and navigators of a Mosquito squadron engaged in bombing targets behind German lines by night (British official photographs, p 60-63) Kiwi Concert Party entertaining children and adult refugees at a camp in Rome; a gala day held for Italian children by members of the No 21 NZ Battalion; the advance to Gambettola; troops on leave in Riccione; a donkey derby; advance through Faenza; scenes of Christmas celebrations in the No 3 NZ General Hospital and on the line in Italy. NZEF Middle East (p 104) the Honorable D G Sullivan visiting Maadi, NZEF Italy, Sullivan visiting the troops in Italy (p 107-110). A dance held at Senigallia as a farewell to members of Transport HQ returning to New Zealand under the replacement scheme; sporting activities including rugby, soccer and hockey; New Zealand High Commissioner to London visiting NZ troops and hospitals in italy; Sir Patrick Duff (British High Commissioner designate to NZ visiting Italy en route to NZ; Italian women partisans in Massa Lombarda; New Zealanders in Venice after having been liberated; a pontoon bridge over the River Po; meeting between General Freyberg and members of the Yugoslav Army; and NZ ex-prisoners of war at a NZ repatriation unit in Italy all of whom are named. Quantity: 1 album(s) Album(s). Physical Description: Album with faded blue cover, darker blue corners and spine; 34.5 x 22.0 cm

Date: 1944-1945

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

Reference: PA1-q-301

Description: Photographs of New Zealand military personnel serving in Italy during World War 2, 1943-1945, taken by various photographers and compiled for official purposes. Many individuals identified are listed above, but while many others are identified in group portraits they are not named above. Officers and personnel of the 9th NZ Infantry Brigade and of the 6th NZ Infantry Brigade at Trieste; thanksgiving service on the occasion of the end of war in Europe, and presentation of awards by Lt-Gen Sir B C Freyberg. Group portraits of No 1 & No 2 Platoons of Mechanical Equipment Company of New Zealand Divisional Engineers; various sports and entertainments including a trotting meeting at Montebello, Trieste; swimming regatta; athletics; hurdles; yacht race; skiing and staying at the NZ Alpine leave centre at Madonna di Campiglio, in the Brenta di Dolomiti (Southern Dolomites); sports in Florence (Allied track and field championships); swimming championships at Rome; water polo; motor cycle speedway events and rugby. New Zealand staff at the NZ Forces Clubs in Bari, in Rome, in Florence and in Venice. A memorial visit to Crete by members of the NZ Division who had been in the Cretan campaign in 1941, as guests of honour at a luncheon given by the people of Galatas; visits to the old Head Quarters; and a memorial service at the military cemetery; other memorial services at the Sangro Military Cemetery and at the Cassino War Cemetery. New Zealand troops on leave in the United Kingdom, visiting Hampton Court, Victoria Barracks, Houses of Parliament, Westminster Abbey, the Tower of London and St Paul's Cathedral. Scenes with Freyberg inspecting troops before they leave for New Zealand; also members of "Jay Force" during their training in the Florence area; an illuminated address presented to Lt-Gen Sir B C Freyberg by 28 Maori Battalion during his farewell visit to the Divisional Unit, (the address includes a wooden frame carved by Charles Iotua Tuarau); Freyberg saying farewell to nursing staff at the NZ General Hospital (Florence); married men of the Tenth Reinforcement at the NZ Advance Base awaiting transport home; group portrait of the staff of the NZ Army Post Office at Bari on the day the post office disbanded. Quantity: 1 album(s) Album(s). Physical Description: Album with faded blue cover, darker blue corners and spine; 34.5 x 22.0 cm