Letters from a Conscript
by
John Archer
Dave
Archer was my father. He was a typical conscript in the
newly-built Waiouru Camp. Born in 1919, he was raised in the
Whangaehu river valley at Mangamahu. He had 2 years
secondary schooling, and then began working as a lorry
driver for his father at Mangamahu. He married Molly Smyth
at Easter-time in 1940 and I was born in June 1941. He was
conscripted into the army on the 28th of October 1941, and
deployed to the Pacific Islands after 9 weeks of basic
training.
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28 / Nov / 1941
My Dearest Darling,
Just a
few lines of cheer as I'm not sure of when I
shall be coming home again but I know it will be
before Thursday. We are going to find out
tonight.
I've had a good job today. I scrubbed 12
hand basins this morning and then we raked the
metal on the roads around our area. After
dinner we started to fill palyasses with straw
but left that and had to go into the kitchen and
wash a lot of cooking utensils. There were
six of us and it took about 3 hours.
Some of the
chaps had to erect about 20 tents and driving in
the pegs made good big blisters on their
hands. We are not able to get any more
week-end leave now. Of course that is
Saturday after-noon and Sunday. We shall
still be getting three days a month.
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But a
week after he wrote that letter, the Japanese Navy
attacked Pearl Harbour. So he didn't get
back down Field's Track to Mangamahu for that three days
leave with his young wife and baby son John.
17
/ Dec / 1941
My Little Darlings,
I hope you are both keeping well and not worrying
too much. We have been having lectures and
rifle drill as before, and this afternoon we
had to dig our slit trenches. We have to
have our clothes and web gear ready to fall out at
any time in the day or night should an alarm
go. Of course they are not afraid – practice
is a routine procedure in camp...
How is John doing, is he liking his rusks and
Farex? I enquired about the 4/- a week
benefit. Well I can’t get it, but I might be
able to get my insurance paid.
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19
/ Dec / 1941
Dearest Darling Love,
It is still cold
and wet. We went trench digging and in an
hour we were wet through. We came home and
had a hot and cold shower then had a cup of tea
and cakes. After that we spent 1½ hours in
the mess room doing Physical Training with four
medicine balls.
All the boys are still
arguing about leave and speculation is rife, but I
think it is all off, as we are having sports
on Boxing Day. I saw Mr Smith and they are
going on manoeuvres again with the tanks and with
the other chaps from the Middle East as well as
some of the chaps in camp. They are for
defence in case of attack on NZ.
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20
/ Dec / 1941
My Dearest Molly and Baby John,
We had a busy afternoon yesterday
loading ammunition onto railway trucks. We
loaded 3½ trucks with 384 cases of a cwt.
each. There were twelve of us. We had
roast mutton, gravy, cabbage and potatoes, and
pudding for
dinner.
I
drink a lot of milk now. Last evening I
drank 3 mugs on end. I was that dry after
loading ammunition. Hoping to see you soon
sometime.
Lots of Love.
Your Darling Husband and Daddy
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22 / Dec / 1941
We had a period of Drill
and a period of Bren gun training and two periods
of Fieldcraft. We had to climb a hill and
see what was to be seen.
I hope you will not worry
too much about not having me home for Xmas and
make the best of it Darling. Lots of Love
and Kisses,
and a Merry Xmas to all.
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29
Dec 1941
Pte D. H. Archer
32nd LAD, D Coy,
Ordinance,
No. 3 TU
Trentham
M. C.
Today we went out on
Fieldraft and what a change it is from
Waiouru. Trees, green grass, sheep, and
birds in the trees. For dinner we had soup
and a nice fresh lettuce, so for now I have
no complaints to make and am doing top hole.
We hope to spend New Year in Wellington.
If you could get someone to
look after baby John I’d like to see you down here
some time.
Lots of Love Darling.
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2nd Jan
1942
We are all ready to go and
our gear is on the train. I’m sorry as
anything I could not see you. I do not know
where we leave from or where we are going to.
We have been issued with our hot weather kit and it
is good.
We’ve made arrange-ments to meet our cobbers the
first Good Friday after the war is over in the
Waterloo Hotel in Wellington.
Well Darling,
remember me to all the folks and say I’m sorry I
couldn’t get home, but that I will always
remember them. I can always remember the
lovely days of our Marriage until we parted. We
shall be together again soon. Keep your
chin up darling.
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It was nearly 4 years before they were reunited. Sergeant
David Archer was flown back from Fiji in an Air Force
Catalina for 28 days leave in October 1944, and WO2 D. H.
Archer was discharged from the army in June 1945. Dave and
Molly spent the next thirty-five years running a carrying
business for farmers at Mangamahu.
Next
23. The
Westlawn Dwarf
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