500th Post on this Blog

Just as I was about to write this post, I noticed that this is the 500th post on the New Zealand Journal Blog and next week sees the second anniversary of the blog. I'm not sure I ever thought I would reach 5 or 50 posts let alone 500 but it is without a doubt the longest running "diary" I've ever kept. Though it may not constitute a personal diary in the normal sense, it has become a diary of thoughts of sorts on New Zealand matters.

In the opening post on this blog of 4th of July, 2008, the blog's purpose was stated as "anything and everything about New Zealand", allowing me the greatest scope to explore and ruminate upon (like a Taranaki dairy cow) anything I wished to related to the country and its people.

The blog's handful of readers will have observed over the ensuing months that the focus has shifted to a more historical bent, rooted in social history.

The original intent had been to provide a source for this blogger's American university students who could find short entries on various events and topics on New Zealand. As their attention has waxed and waned through two field tours of New Zealand and a couple of on-campus courses, I've tended to explore issues of more personal and professional interest to me.

In that bog known as the blogosphere, I've never expected much of an audience nor sought it but a very modest interest appears to have been generated by simply being "out there" in the middle of the bog.

Based on visit information, it seems some of the more frequently read entries have included the series on the history of the cycling craze in Christchurch in the early 1900s, the North Island Main Trunk Railway Line, Nurse Maude, bank deposit insurance (presumably because of all that "hot money" circulating in global markets looking for a safe haven), Ready Money Robinson and the Cheviot Estate, and more recently, the school dental nurse programme.

Like many bloggers, my interest ebbs and flows when it comes to posting to the blog and other matters press their claim on one's time ahead of blogging,

This past month of June has been a particular dry spell for posting here. An unexpected trip to New Zealand at short notice took priority (expats & sharp-witted folks will read the code here), but the good news is that it also gave me the opportunity as a collateral benefit of the trip to gather new material that allows me to complete some small projects that will show up as new posts in the future.

To those of you who have found something of passing interest here, to those who have left comments or sent emails letting me know of your own interests or offering additional information or thoughts, I offer my thanks.

On to post number 501.

Continuance or Prohibition? 1920s New Zealand Campaign Poster

Circa 1920 New Zealand Continuance poster

And boy did it fail in the United States...  and they did vote for continuance in New Zealand - although there were still some dry licensing districts for years afterwards.

Salute the Soldier, Back the Attack - World War II Propaganda Poster

World War II Victory Loan poster, New Zealand

Back Them Up - Protect New Zealand - World War II Propaganda Poster

New Zealand National Savings Bond Issue - World War II Poster

Back The Attack - Victory Loan - World War II Propaganda Poster

New Zealand World War II War Bonds Poster

Back Them Up - The Hudson & U-570 - World War II Propaganda Poster

Back Them Up! National Savings Bond Poster, World War II

The war had to be financed by all means possible so in addition to taxation and war loans from allies, the public was exhorted to scrape together a few coppers, silver coins would be nicer, and support the war effort through national savings bonds. Such thrift had the additional benefit of suppressing consumption at home. Besides, with war time shortages and priority given to war industries, who could find anything to buy with their weekly pay packet, anyway?

A little research reveals that the Lockheed Hudson of 269 Squadron British Coastal Command pictured in the poster captured the German U 570 U-boat submarine on 27 August, 1941. The crew of the Hudson spotted a U-boat on the surface off Iceland, dropping 4 depth charges on it as it attempted to dive, damaging it so that it re-surfaced. After a good raking with machine gun fire, the U-boat captain surrendered. Next day the crew were removed and the vessel boarded to recover whatever documents that could be useful to the war effort and to attempt to save the submarine for further examination. The U-570 was subsequently towed into harbour in Iceland then taken to the UK after repairs. It yielded a wealth of invaluable technical information to the Allies on the operation of U-boats.

U-570 had a very short wartime service, commissioned in May or June 1941 it was effectively decommissioned by the late August attack. Allied investigators concluded the submarine actually could have evaded its circling British captors overnight by submerging and sailing away but a panicked and inexperienced crew, already troubled by severe sea sickness, lacked the knowledge and capability to do so. The U-570 crew earned the dubious distinction of being the only U-boat crew to surrender in World War II..

A wealth of information - photos, plans, and reports on the U-570 capture and examination of its design and operation can be found at U-boat Archive.

Speed Up Production! - WW II War Propaganda Poster

World War II Propaganda Poster - Speed Up Production, artist Marcus King

The effort on the home front to keep the troops supplied on the various battlefronts was essential so a little motivation by poster was the order of the day.