Indochinese War, 1946-1954

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