Other formats

    TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

Base Wallahs: Story of the units of the base organisation, NZEF IP

Chapter Twenty-Three — Noumea Units

page 210

Chapter Twenty-Three
Noumea Units

In November 1942 a small advanced party of Headquarters New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the Pacific, arrived in Nouméa, the capital of the French Colony of New Caledonia. Its immediate task was to make preparation for the arrival of the Third Division which was to operate in the Pacific sphere. Headquarters South Pacific American Command had already been operating with Nouméa as its base for some nine months and with its co-operation difficulties which in the early stages appeared insurmountable were soon overcome. The first New Zealand camp in Nouméa was established in late November 1942 at Vallée du Tir, not in ideal surroundings as the site allocated was originally an old cemetery, and in one particular area tombstones had to be demolished before tents could be erected. It was a common sight in the first few weeks of occupation to see Kiwis making the proverbial cup of tea—primus blazing on the French equivalent of 'Here lies little Michel.'

Quartered in this transit camp were the following base units:—

(a)Transit Camp Staff.
(b)Headquarters NZEF IP Staff.
(c)Base Pay and Records Detachments.
(d)Movement Control Unit.
(e)Base Postal—Field Post Office.
(f)Base Supply Depot No. 1.
(g)Divisional Troops—33 Heavy Regiment Workshops.

Vallée du Tir, sometimes known as the 'Valley of Tears' to the Kiwis, will always be remembered by those who were quartered there as it was in this valley that Nouméa's famous page 211'Pink House' was situated and it was there also that 'Rosie the Redskin' operated her nefarious sly grogging activities. Base Supply Depot No. 1 moved very shortly to a site acquired in Vallée de Limousin, some four miles from Nouméa proper, and remained there right throughout its period in the Pacific. This camp was used as a dump for all inward and outward shipments of supplies. All units soon became well organised to service the division on its arrival and on 1 January 1943 the task of disembarkation commenced. Three days accomplished this, a large staging area having been prepared at the Dumbéa Valley some 15 miles north of Nouméa. A portion of the division was transhipped by a shuttle service to Népoui, some 150 miles north, and this considerably lightened the transport difficulties, trucks being in short supply at that stage.

Early in January 1943 transit camp moved to Vallée de Colons on the recommendation of medical headquarters. It was a pleasant valley in the centre of Nouméa township and with the assistance of our American friends a style of camp with fitting arrangements soon took shape, to the envy of the other Kiwis not so favourably situated owing to tactical demands. In March 1943 Headquarters NZEF IP moved to Bourail, 102 miles north, leaving a headquarters detachment under Captain H. Johnson to control the activities of base units in the area, and to conduct liaison with United States Headquarters and the French Government. The activities of this detachment of Headquarters NZEF IP soon became very extensive, leading to a large increase of staff from all services dealing with such matters as all movement by sea and air, the requisitioning of all supplies under lend lease, settlement of disputes and claims from French civilians through a properly constituted French-New Zealand Claims Commission, leases of French properties, etc. In March 1943, also, Camp McCrae was established in Nouméa with a strength of approximately 550 to assist the American Service Command with the loading and unloading of supply ships. This camp continued for some six months, the Kiwis playing a very important part in relieving the congestion which was becoming serious in the port at that particular time. The American headquarters spoke very highly of the work they performed, their monthly tonnage figures being beyond all expectations. Transit camp expanded and soon became a rest area for troops, nursing sisters and WAACs from page 212the north of the island and regular parties arrived each week from the 'never-never' to see the wonders of Nouméa. The sisters and WAACs were particularly welcome and everything possible was done to make their stay enjoyable.

As supplies gradually arrived from New Zealand, the whole camp changed from canvas to prefabricated buildings with excellent amenities such as large shower block, large recreation hut, open air picture theatre, native style mess huts with thatched roofs, and a cookhouse unequalled anywhere on the island. Before long well-kept gardens appeared around the huts, a very pleasant sight to the eye. When the Third Division moved to the forward area, the 4th General Hospital was moved from Bourail to Dum-béa Valley, near Nouméa to solve the problem of long haulage by road of evacuated casualties from the forward area. In November 1943 a liaison NCO under Nouméa detachment NZEF IP was transferred to Tontouta aerodrome, some 40 miles north of Nouméa, to take care of casualties arriving by air. This system worked extremely well through good liaison work between Headquarters NZEF IP and Advanced Echelon, Guadalcanal, and in all cases casualties were met on arrival and quickly moved to the hospital.

The division returned to New Caledonia from the forward area from May 1944 onwards and the bulk of personnel passed through Nouméa to their old unit areas. Then the task of returning the division to New Zealand commenced with all its supplies, Nouméa units playing an important part in that undertaking. Past experience had proved an excellent teacher. Outside the headquarters of the force, very little was known of the real activities of the Nouméa units. They performed a very wide range of essential services with efficiency and without ostentation. They contribute in no small measure in building up the prestige of the 'Kiwis' in the Pacific.