Hockey

Although played by fewer men, hockey in the battalion maintained a more consistent record than any other sport. The battalion team was never defeated in competition by any of its brother units. The first battalion game was played at Namaka against the divisional band, page break

Above: Swimming sports at Ouenghi. Right: Lieutenants O. S. James and P. B. McKenzie stage a mat show. Below The athletic team, Suva, in 1942: S. G. Dinniss, H. T. Metcalfe, B. Johnstone, W. Sargison, V. G. Nix, A. J. Skinner, R. F. Nurse, T. P. McMullan, D. R. Christopher, A. E. Derecourt, W. M. Gilfillan, V. H. Johnstone, L. R. Jordan, H. G. Gillespie, S. Kemp, S. G. Wolfe, H. G. Cutler, B. K. Hawkins, and A. R. Wall

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Training' in New Caledonia was hard. Here are the mortars climbing Mount Tonta duringan exhausting exercise. Far below can be seen the Tontouta River, winding: among the niaoulis

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Halavo Bay, with Catalinas waiting to take off. A 29th Battalion patrol went on an expedition from this bay to the island of Choiseul

Playing a convoy into the Base Training Depot, Te'ne' Valley, near Bourail

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Battalion Commanders
Lieutenant-Colonel H. J. Thompson, MO, ED, the battalion's first commander in Fiji
Lieutenant-Colonel A. J. Moore, who took the battalion from Fiji to New Caledonia
Right Lieutenant-Colonel F. L. H. Davis, who took command of the battalion during: action in the Solomons, and until it was disbanded

page 83and resulted in a win for the 29th by nine goals to one. Before any-other matches were played the unit moved to the Suva side of the island and then took on all comers at Albert Park—only the two Fiji Defence Force teams being too strong.

During this period three games were played against local sides by a New Zealand army team, in which the following 29th players were included at some time:— C. L. Burton, D. A. Noble, F. W. P. C. Cox, R. H. Simon, R. Roydhouse, W. D. Curtis, F. A. Richardson, H. C. McCann, J. V. Richards. It was practically a battalion side. The first game was against Suva, and the Kiwis were defeated 9-3, largely owing to the superior stickwork and combination of the local side. The New Zealanders improved with practice, however, and beat a team from Levuka at Albert Park by three goals to two, losing 3-2 in a return game played at Levuka.

When the battlion returned to New Zealand in the winter of 1942 a team was entered in the Auckland competition and, in spite of the absence of a number of players at various times, reached the semi-final of the Devonport Shield. The 29th was there beaten by a strong University side.

New Caledonia was the scene of many triumphs. Minus a few of the old players, but with E. J. Faire and P. E. Rough helping in the halves, the side was very strong and romped home against all opposition. After the time lost in the Treasuries the story was the same and in competitions played before the unit returned to New Zealand on leave the 29th won both the Brigade championship and a knock' out series. The team in New Caledonia at the height of its strength was:— H. C. McCann, L. Jeffs, W. D. Curtis, C. L. Burton, P. E. Rough, E. J. Faire, A. H. Lawton, W. G. Wham, R. H. Simon, F. W. P. C. Cox, R. B. Brooks.