New Zealand’s most-decorated soldier, Charles Upham, received the first of his two VCs – for outstanding gallantry and leadership during the Battle of Crete in 1941 – from King George VI at Buckingham Palace.
North African Campaign
Events In History
2 November 1942
At El Alamein in Egypt, 2 New Zealand Division opened the way for British tanks, allowing the Allies to make a breakthrough and force the Axis forces in North Africa to retreat.
17 August 1942
118 New Zealand prisoners of war died when the Italian transport ship Nino Bixio was torpedoed by a British submarine in the Mediterranean.
23 November 1941
The attack was part of Operation Crusader, an ambitious attempt by the British Eighth Army to both recapture Tobruk and destroy General Erwin Rommel’s elite Afrika Korps.
22 November 1939
British-born but New Zealand-raised, Lieutenant-General Sir Bernard Freyberg was a charismatic and popular military leader who later served as governor-general.
Articles
War oral history programme
Information about the now completed From Memory oral history project, including advice on how to interview war veterans Read the full article
Page 7 - Notes and questions, North Africa
Questions for oral history interviews with veterans of the North African
The North African Campaign
The second battle of El Alamein, which began 70 years ago this month, was the turning point of the war in North Africa. For New Zealand forces, this was longest and most important land campaign of WWII. But victory came at a heavy price: between 1941 and 1943, 14,000 Kiwis were killed, wounded or became prisoners of war. Read the full article
Page 1 - The North African Campaign
The second battle of El Alamein, which began 70 years ago this month, was the turning point of the war in North Africa. For New Zealand forces, this was longest and most important
Page 2 - Background
Fighting in North Africa stemmed from the area’s strategic importance to the Commonwealth. Italy’s decision in June 1940 to enter the war on Germany’s side seriously jeopardised
Page 3 - Operation Crusader
As British forces crushed the Italians in Abyssinia, elements of the Deutsches Afrika Korps (German Africa Corps) began arriving in Libya and the 2nd New Zealand Division departed
Page 4 - El Alamein
The New Zealand Division fell back to the Alamein Line, where it took part in the first Battle of El Alamein. They suffered heavy casualties at Ruweisat Ridge and El Mreir before
Page 5 - Tunisia and victory
The New Zealand Division enters Tunisia fighting fierce battles at Tebaga Gap and Takrouna. In May 1943 Axis forces in North Africa surrender and the New Zealanders begin a long
Page 6 - The North African Campaign timeline
Timeline showing key events of the Second World War, particularly New Zealand's involvement in North
Page 7 - Kiwi stories
Selected audio extracts of New Zealanders involved in the North African
Biographies
A First World War hero and commander of the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force, Bernard Freyberg proved to be a charismatic and popular military leader who would later serve a term as Governor-General
Charles Upham is probably New Zealand's most famous soldier. His actions in Crete in 1941 and Egypt in 1942 led to his becoming one of only three people – and the only combat soldier – ever to win the Victoria Cross twice.
Leader of the 5th New Zealand Infantry Brigade in the North African desert campaigns of 1942 and 1943, Kippenberger was New Zealand’s most popular military commander, and perhaps its most talented.
Main image: Fort Capuzzo in Libya
New Zealand soldiers stand in front the battle-scarred Fort Capuzzo in Libya, circa December 1941.
