| Weekly Review No 139 (1944) Here and There: RNZAF airmen issued with clothes and equipment kit before leaving for Pacific War. Locally-made hand grenades are loaded onto ships as part of a huge munitions cargo. 02.00 Apples and Hops, Wartime Harvesting: Soldiers help orchardists in the Nelson district who can't get enough labour for the harvest. Hop picking is another job the soldiers lend a hand in. The hop harvest is a family occasion with all ages getting involved. At Motueka wharf, soldiers help load a scow which takes the produce down to the port of Nelson. 04.30 Nissan Island, Airstrip Construction: The invasion of Nissan Island in Papua New Guinea ended 2 years of Japanese occupations. Now, while Allied soldiers root out Japanese troops in the jungle, NZ forces are starting work on a large airstrip from where attacks can be launched on enemy positions further north. Road building is the first priority - a battle of jeeps and bulldozers against mud, floodwaters and jungle. Crushed coral is laid on the runways instead of bitumen - once compacted it's an ideal surface for the heavy bombers. In just 16 days a mile long airstrip has been built and kiwi soldiers watch with pride as the first aircraft to use the airstrip are from an RNZAF squadron. Duration 08.06 |
