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JonS

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03 November 1913

Wellington - During a riot in Buckle Street in Wellington, a clash between striking ‘wharfies’ and specially enlisted mounted constables occurs at the location of Army Headquarters. Two civilians and a Permanent Force officer are wounded by gunfire. Most of the ‘specials’ are from country areas and many, including virtually all their leaders, are from the Territorial Force, a fact denied at the time.

After being driven from the waterfront, the special constables were billeted around the Alexandra Barracks at Buckle Street, Mount Cook. Many locals strongly resented their presence in this working-class neighbourhood. The New Zealand Artillery secured Buckle Street, placing soldiers with fixed bayonets and a machine gun at each end of the street.

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A stand-off on Buckle Street, Wellington, during the 1913 Waterfront Strike. The view is towards Mt Victoria from the intersection with Taranaki Street. Two regular army soldiers with fixed bayonets guard the intersection.

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11 November 1918

Western Front - the Armistice, marking the end of the First World War, comes into effect at 1100 hours.

11 November 1942

Western Desert – the last of Rommel’s forces cross the Egyptian frontier back into Libya. This marks the beginning of the end for the Axis forces in North Africa.

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20 November 1911

New Zealand - Bernard Cyril Freyberg is appointed 2nd Lieutenant in the 6th Hauraki Regiment. Freyberg went on to serve with distinction in the British Armed Forces in the First World War, earning the Victoria Cross. During the Second World War he was appointed Commander of the 2 New Zealand Expeditionary Force, and following the war would serve as Governor General of New Zealand.

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26 November 1941

North Africa - The New Zealand Division links up with the garrison at Tobruk, Libya. New Zealand troops also capture Belhamed and Sidi Rezegh.

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26 November 1944

Italy – 2 New Zealand Division takes part in the offensive against German forces at the town of Faenza.

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26 November 1948

Japan - The last New Zealand forces, known as Jayforce, leave Japan. New Zealanders have been in Japan since the end of the Second World War in 1945.

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27 November 1940

South Pacific - NZ Shipping Company liner RANGITANE is sunk by the ORION and KOMET, 300 miles off New Zealand's East Cape. 15 passengers and crew are killed, and around 300 are taken prisoner. At 16,000 tons this is the largest ship sunk by German raiders in the Second World War.

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27 November 1941

Libya - 5 Brigade HQ is overrun by Rommel's forces, who are returning to the Tobruk front. Following desperate fighting more than 700 New Zealanders were taken as prisoners of war, including Brigadier Hargest, who managed to duck-shove his responsibility for the fiasco at Malame, and many many years later would gain a measure of posthumous fame for the notes he took as an observer during the early phases of the normandy Campaign.

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28 November 1917

England - The Royal Navy establishes the Women's Royal Navy Service WRNS (Wrens).

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28 November 1957

New Zealand - Newly raised 1st Battalion, The New Zealand Regiment parades through Wellington and embarks on the SS CAPTAIN COOK, bound for Malaya.

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01 December 1945

Fiji - Demobilisation of the Fiji Military Forces begins. Many New Zealand soldiers had served with the force during the Second World War.

01 December 1966

New Zealand - The New Zealand Naval Board is entirely composed of New Zealanders for the first time.

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02 December 1941

North Africa - A severely battered 2 New Zealand Division withdraws from Libya. It's advance to and defence of the Sidi Rezeg area was instrumental in allowing 8th Army to defeat Rommel during Op CRUSADER after an appaling start to the operation by the British armoured brigades.

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02 December 1943

Italy - Castelfrentano falls to 2 New Zealand Division. This success seems, falsely, to open the way for the breaching of the Gustav Line.

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02 December 2007

New Zealand - A robbery occurrs at the Queen Elizabeth II Army Memorial Museum at Waiouru. Stolen were nine Victoria Crosses awarded to Captain Samuel Frickleton, Brigadier Leslie Andrew, Major Reginald Judson, Lieutenant John Grant, Lieutenant Colonel Harry Laurent, Sergeant John Hinton, Sergeant Clive Hulme, Lieutenant Keith Elliot, and Captain Charles Upham.

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05 December 1941

Mediterranean Sea – the small steamer SS CHAKDINA, carrying about 600 men from Tobruk to Alexandria, is sunk by an aerial torpedo at around 9pm. On board were 120 New Zealanders on, made up of wounded, a detachment of Divisional Headquarters urgently needed at Baggush, and an escort for General von Ravenstein. 80 of the New Zealanders drowned, along with about 320 of the other passengers and crew - a terrible end to Op CRUSADER.

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08 December 1940

The New Zealand steamer KOMATA is sunk by German raiders Orion and Komet off Nauru Island.

08 December 1941

The Pacific – Following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour a state of war exists between New Zealand and Japan from 1100 hours. The Japanese shell Ocean Island in the Pacific, where a radio station is manned by New Zealand civilians.

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05 December 1941

Mediterranean Sea – the small steamer SS CHAKDINA, carrying about 600 men from Tobruk to Alexandria, is sunk by an aerial torpedo at around 9pm. On board were 120 New Zealanders on, made up of wounded, a detachment of Divisional Headquarters urgently needed at Baggush, and an escort for General von Ravenstein. 80 of the New Zealanders drowned, along with about 320 of the other passengers and crew - a terrible end to Op CRUSADER.

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rather sad.

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10 December 1941

Gilbert and Ellice Islands – four New Zealand soldiers are captured by the Japanese at Butaritari Atoll in the Northern Gilbert Islands.

10 December 1950

New Zealand – Kayforce, numbering 1,056 men, embarks in Wellington en route to South Korea.

10 December 1971

South Vietnam – Victor Six Company of the ANZAC Battalion is withdrawn from South Vietnam without replacement. It flies to Singapore from Vung Tau.

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15 December 1991

Pakistan and Afghanistan – The New Zealand engineers mine clearance commitment to the United Nations Mine Clearance Training Team ends.

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15 December 1991 (yes, the same year)

Cambodia – the first New Zealand mine awareness teams deploy to Cambodia in as part of the United Nations Advance Mission in Cambodia where they establish the Cambodian Mine Action Centre.

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15 December 1992

Somalia – the New Zealand contingent advance party arrives in Somalia to set up a supply detachment in support of the United Nations Operation in Somalia (UNOSOM).

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18 December 1899
South Africa - Attached to General French’s cavalry division, at the end of Black Week the New Zealanders see their first major action at Jasfontein Farm, earning commendations from the general for their steadiness in a difficult position. French would go on to command the BEF in France in 1914, until finessed out of the position by Haig towards the end of 1915.

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  • 2 weeks later...

January 1st 1863

 

“That on the first day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and sixty-three, all persons held as slaves within any State or designated part of a State, the people whereof shall then be in rebellion against the United States, shall be then, thenceforward, and forever free,”

 

“And upon this act, sincerely believed to be an act of justice, warranted by the Constitution, upon military necessity, I invoke the considerate judgment of mankind, and the gracious favor of Almighty God,” - Abraham Lincoln

Edited by sburke
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  • 2 weeks later...

12 January 1941
United Kingdom – the Second Echelon (5 Bde Gp) sails from Belfast Lough for Egypt where it will join the rest of The Division. It had been diverted in transit to England as a result of the German invasion of France and the Low Countries in May 1940, and for a time composed a significant portion of the mobile forces posed to resist Op SEALION.
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12 January 1942
Singapore - 488 (NZ) Squadron pilots are in action against Japanese aircraft for the first time.
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12 January 1943
Tunisia – T1 Patrol of the Long Range Desert Group under the New Zealander Capt N.P. Wilder becomes the first Eighth Army unit to enter Tunisia. This patrol also discovers a pass – dubbed Wilder’s Gap - through the hills that was later used by the temporarily formed New Zealand Corps to outflank the German Mareth Line.
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15 January 1900
South Africa - About 60 men of the New Zealand Mounted Rifles, commanded by Captain W.R.N. Maddocks, rout a Boer attack on a hill at Slingersfontein, Cape Colony, with a bayonet charge down the slope at the advancing Boers. The feature is renamed New Zealand Hill by General French.
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15 January 1915
North Sea - Battle of Dogger Bank. HMS NEW ZEALAND is in the Battle Cruiser Force.
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15 January 1945
Pacific - U862 surfaces outside Gisborne Harbour.
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15 January 1945
Pacific - Black Monday. Eight Corsairs from No.s 14 and 16 Squadrons are destroyed while attacking Rabaul, representing the largest number of aircraft the RNZAF lost in one day. One pilot was shot down in Rabaul harbour, and the remainder were lost on the way back to Green Island when they flew into foul weather. All the pilots were lost.
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15 January 1957
RNZAF Antarctic Flight Aircraft commence flying operations at Scott Base.
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