Illustrations

Trentham Camp, 1939

First Echelon recruits at Hopu Hopu receive their web equipment

Visitors’ Day, Trentham, before the departure of the First Echelon in January 1940

Second Echelon farewell parade at the Auckland Domain, April 1940. A small Navy contingent sailed with this echelon

First Echelon troops on board the Dunera, Lyttelton, 5 January 1940

Railway Construction sappers board the Andes at Lytelton, 1 May 1940

Submarine lookout, Mauretania

First Echelon and AIF convoy in the Indian Ocean, January 1940. The ships are: Nearest line (from left), Otranto, Sobieski; second line, Strathnaver, Strathaird; third line, Orion, Orford, Dunera; fourth line, Empress of Canada, Empress of Japan; fifth line, Orcades, Rangitata; at rear, an escorting cruiser

Mess-deck

General Freyberg welcomes the First Echelon at Port Tewfik, 12 February 1940. General Wavell (carrying cane) is behind him and to his left are Mr Anthony Eden and Sir Miles Lampson

20 Battalion arrives at Maadi Camp, February 1940

Battalion lines, Maadi

Second Echelon disembarks at Gourock

Mytchett Place, Headquarters of 2 NZEF in the United Kingdom

Mr Churchill takes the salute from D Company of the Maori Battalion

Loading spruce. New Zealand Forestry Group in the United Kingdom

General Freyberg at his desk, Maadi Camp

A 4 Field Regiment gun crew trains at Maadi on an 18-pounder

19 Battalion at work on the anti-tank ditch at Wadi Naghamish, June 1940

New Zealand trucks carry back Italian prisoners from the First Libyan Campaign, December 1940

River-crossing training on the Nile, February 1941

The Marit Maersk arrives at Piræus, Greece, 17 March 1941

Athens welcomes the New Zealanders

Hymettus Camp

Athens from the Acropolis

21 Battalion men break their train journey north. The troops travelled in box-wagons (Hommes 40, Chevaux 8)

The motor transport convoy on the road between Elevtherokhorion and Dolikhe

On the Aliakmon line: General Freyberg and his G1, Colonel K. L. Stewart

GOC’s conference

From left: General Freyberg, Colonel Stewart (dark glasses), Brig R. Miles (CRA), Brig E. Puttick (Commander 4 Brigade), Lt-Col W. G. Gentry (AA & QMG), Lt-Col G. H. Clifton (CRE), Col H. S. Kenrick (ADMS), Lt-Col S. F. Allen (Divisional Signals)

General Sir Archibald Wavell – from a sketch by Peter McIntyre

General Sir Henry Maitland Wilson

General Sir John Dill, Chief of the Imperial General Staff, visits Maadi Camp

From left: Brigadiers R. Miles and E. Puttick, Generals Freyberg and Dill, Brigadiers J. Hargest and H. E. Barrowclough

Bishop Gerard conducts a service near Katerini, March 1941. Mount Olympus is in the background

Vevi. Looking north-west towards the Yugoslav border from a New Zealand machine-gun post. Sections of the road to Monastir are seen to the top left

Blown bridge over the Aliakmon River

New Zealand positions at Platamon castle under bombardment – from a German magazine

The coastline north of Platamon from the castle. The railway runs to the left

Looking west towards Pandeleimon from the castle

Preparing gun positions in the Olympus Pass

Looking towards Katerini from the Maori Battalion positions in Olympus Pass – a post-war photograph

New Zealand engineers build a road in the Olympus Pass

Servia, looking towards the Aliakmon River – a post-war photograph

19 Battalion’s first German prisoners, Servia

Mist covers the withdrawal through the Servia Pass

New Zealand provost on point duty, Olympus Pass

The Pinios ferry – a post-war photograph

German tanks ford the Pinios River – from a German magazine

German tanks ford the Pinios River – from a German magazine

The German text read:

A BRIDGE IS FORMED.

The Pinios Bridge in the Vale of Tempe has been blown up. Rubber dinghies have taken the first attacking troops over. Foot soldiers and light vehicles can now get across. By heavy travel on muddy roads, over swampy fields, through the narrow defile by Pandeleimon and along the railway embankment the bridging column reaches the Pinios. While the sappers build a new bridge near the one destroyed, vehicles are drawn across on a quickly set up ferry. Only a few hours later supplies roll over the new bridge.

German reconnaissance plane in the Molos area

Thermopylae

Sunrise near Kriekouki

Kriekouki. Shelling disperses the enemy advanced guard

Brigadier Puttick’s map of Attica showing 4 Brigade positions at Porto Rafti (‘D’ Beach)

Athens waves goodbye. A convoy passes through the city during the withdrawal

Porto Rafti

Corinth Bridge

A Sunderland flying boat lies off the coast of Greece

Commanders’ conference near Monemvasia. Standing against the car is General Freyberg. Colonel Stewart (dark glasses) sits in the centre with his back to the car and seated on the bumper is Lieutenant-Colonel Gentry

New Zealand troops arrive at Suda Bay, Crete

HMAS Nizam, carrying troops from Greece, arrives at Alexandria

The Salween disembarks troops at Alexandria