HUGH PATERSON

Interviewer: Richard Savory

Abstracter: Jean Hawkes

TRACK 1

00:00 Interviewer identification.

00:41 HUGH PATERSON born October 1921 in GORE.

01:49 Farmed at EAST CHATTON.

01:55 HUGH'S father born at WAIKAKA. Member of Mounted Rifles. Joined First Expeditionary Force [1NZEF] in 1914. Invalided with rheumatic fever. EGYPT, GALIPOLLI – Mentioned. Parents farmed at WAIKAKA. History of gold mining, railway between LUMSDEN and KINGSTON – Mentioned. Bought MAKARORA STATION at the head of LAKE WANAKA. PEMBROKE – Mentioned. Moved back to WAIKAKA.

04:46 Father bought property at EAST CHATTON 'TANNER HILL'. Family farm until HUGH sold it in 1971.

05:21 Older sister DOROTHY aged 91, in PERTH, WESTERN AUSTRALIA. Brother JAMES, pilot on ROYAL AIR FORCE in ENGLAND – Explained. FRANCE – Mentioned. JAMES killed. 06:57 Parents reactions to JAMES choices. TAIERI AERODROME, WIGRAM in CHRISTCHURCH – Mentioned. Visit to WIGRAM – Described HAWKER TOMTIT and WILDEBEEST aircraft – Described. Brother JAMES ALFRED PATERSON. BATTLE of BRITAIN – Mentioned.

10:05 HUGH'S father had very poor health.

10:24 HUGH poor scholar, ill health – Described. Did not go to high school. DOROTHY and JIM went to high school. 11:15 HUGH drove a six-horse team when aged 13.

11:26 DOROTHY went nursing to ROTORUA. Younger sister SALLY married ATHOL HARPER, manager of EMPIRE FORWARDING, she lives in INVERCARGILL. Another brother died as a babe. Sister FRANCIE married LES DALE, accountant in INVERCARGILL. 12:36 Kept letters written by JIM when he was overseas. Withdrawal from FRANCE – Described. 93rd FIGHTER GROUP in ENGLAND – Mentioned. JIM'S duties – Explained. FAIREY BATTLE, HURRICANE, SPITFIRE aircraft – Mentioned.

15:00 End of Track 1.

TRACK 2

00:00 Mother, JIM, SALLY and FRANCIE at home.

00:58 JIM given posthumous award [MBE] for work in FRANCE.

01:06 EAST CHATTON – Mentioned. JIM first one from district to be killed. Reaction of neighbours – Described. BATTLE of BRITAIN – Mentioned. Radio source of information – Described. 03:32 Management of farm – Explained. Sheep and a few cattle. State of farm – Described. Rabbits, gorse, broom were problems.

05:45 Six-horse team. Amount of feed grown – Explained. Winter feed for stock – Described. Fertiliser required – Described. MILBURN, MAITLAND – Mentioned. Effects of quicklime on skin and on horses – Described. Effect of water on quicklime – Described.

09:55 CATERPILLAR 22 tractor purchase and use – Described. 11:32 Frosts heavier in early years. Conditions – Described. 12:13 Horses kept after tractor purchased – Explained. Top work – Explained. Ploughs – Described.

13:24 Responsibilities as a thirteen year old – Explained. Milked seven or eight cows.

14:30 Attended EAST CHATTON SCHOOL.

15:00 End of Track 2

TRACK 3

00:00 Rounding up cows – Described. Meal after school – Described. Vegetable garden and hens were free-range – Explained. Eggs and potatoes sold. Groceries ordered from ASHERS from WAIKAKA and GIBBON & CO of GORE – Described.

04:09 Pine plantation – Described. 04:40 Rabbits and hares in competition with sheep. Derilect farms, late 1920s early 1930s – Mentioned.

05:22 Period known as 'The Depression'. Conditions – Described. Sold eggs, butter and potatoes.

06:09 Town once a month in father's 1925 STUDEBAKER Big 6 – Described.

06:54 Change to Friday late night shopping in mid 1930s. Half-holiday on Wednesday when late night was Saturday. Excitement of watching express trains going through – Described. 08:54 Two picture theatres. Given spending money on town trips. 09:31 Holiday to RAVENSBOURNE, DUNEDIN – Described.

10:27 Community activities – visits to neighbours. Lots of children in district. Mrs DUNN – Mentioned. Children involved in farm chores. At school rounders, cricket etc. Made nets for rabbitting. Tanning and use of cattle hide – Explained. Made carts – Described. 14:11 Using dogs to bring cows in – Described. 14:31 Use of dog to pull cart with sister in it. Incident – Described...

15:00 End of Track 3

TRACK 4

00:00 Incident involving sister, continued.

00:38 Stoats and weasels. Trapping method – Described. Difference between stoat and weasel – Explained. Reason for introduction of stoats and weasels and the problems created – Explained. Problem with harrier hawks – Explained.

02:50 Summer tended to be very hot. Few trees.

03:24 Fuel for fires, wood and lignite coal.

0334 During depression father and uncle joint ownership of farm. Panned swamp for gold. Chinese involvement in earlier times. WAIKAKA VALLEY had 32 gold dredges. RAINBOW GOLD DREDGE activities – Described. 06:18 Father died before HUGH returned from war. Took over farm a year later, gold dredge still working. Wedding rings made from gold off the farm. HUGH'S wife first wedding ring was of 'farm gold' but second one that needed to be made is not.

07:13 Operation of gold dredge – Described. WAIKAKA – Mentioned. Father panned for gold with a cradle – Described.

09:08 HUGH man-powered to work on farm – Described. Grew linen flax. Uses – Explained. Remnants of flax factories at GORE, TAPANUI, MATAURA. Government owned. Ordered to grow wheat and oats. Sheep meat and wool – Mentioned. WAIKIWI wool storage – Mentioned.

12:35 Involvement with Army – Described. INVERCARGILL, BURNHAM, CHRISTCHURCH, ASHBURTON – Mentioned. HOME GUARD – Mentioned.

13:43 JAPANESE threat – Mentioned. HUGH went overseas in 1944. Attitudes – Described.

15:00 End of Track 4

TRACK 5

00:00 Manpower scheme – Explained. GORE, Home Defence, BURNHAM – Mentioned.

02:19 After initial training at BURNHAM to Middle East on troopship 'Mooltan' – Described. INDIA, MERCHANT NAVY – Mentioned.

0:37 Conditions on 'Mooltan' – Described. DOGGER BANKS in ENGLAND – Mentioned.

0:48 During the journey Strategy Classes, PT [Physical Training]. Parade on Deck – Described.

07:04 Entertainment on board – KIWI CONCERT PARTY ADEN at mouth of RED SEA, PETER McINTYRE – Mentioned. Recommendation to keep a diary.

08:53 PETER McINTYRE'S work – Explained. EGYPT, SYRIA – Mentioned. Keeping of Diaries by soldiers – Described. 09:59 KIWI CONCERT PARTY on board ship in ADEN – Described. HOBART, 'SUSSEX' (cruiser), AUSTRALIAN BIGHT – Mentioned. Journey through AUSTRALIAN BIGHT – Described. 12:05 FREMANTLE shore leave – Described. FREMANTLE-PERTH RAILWAY – Described. Drinking in Railway Station bars – Described. Meals and entertainment in PERTH.

14:23 Military Police round-ups. INDIAN OCEAN, JAPANESE FLEET – Mentioned.

15:00 End of Track 5

TRACK 6

00:04 JAPANESE FLEET, 'MOOLTAN', AFRICA – Mentioned. Incident in INDIAN OCEAN – Described. MADAGASCAR, BOMBAY – Mentioned

01:19 Shore leave in BOMBAY, INDIA – Described.

02:20 ARABIAN PENINSULA, ADEN, RED SEA, TAUFIQ – Mentioned. Journey to SUEZ and MAADI CAMP – Described. 04:27 Life jackets usage while on 'MOOLTAN' – Described.

04:44 Army pay rate compared with civilian pay. Accumulation of funds and cigarettes (WOODBINE, CAPSTAN, CAMEL) – Mentioned. ITALY, EGYPT, CAIRO, MAADI – Mentioned. 08:22 Training at MAADI – Described. ITALY – Mentioned.

11:09 Vehicle course, including navigation by stars – Described. ITALY, Pyramids – Mentioned.

12:36 Leave allocations. CAIRO. Tours arranged by padres.

13:19 CAIRO – Described. New Zealand Provosts (Military Police), Red Caps (English Police). Kiwi attitudes.

15:00 End of Track 6

TRACK 7

00:00 Actions of Red Caps. Discipline – Described.

01:02 Street selling activities. Males' robe (gallibaya) – Described. 02:42 Moved to ITALY. 23rd and 26th Battalions – Mentioned.

03:11 11th Reinforcement of 23rd Battalion. CASSINO, TERELLE, MOUNT CAIRA, Air raids – Mentioned.

03:40 Equivalent of dugouts on mountain sides – Described. Conditions – Described.

04:57 Taking of CASSINO. Moving on – Described. VALMONTE, LIRI VALLEY, Poppies – Mentioned.

06:40 Troop movement – Described. VALMONTE – Mentioned.

08:00 Patrols – Described. Static positions. Battle conditions.

10:01 Movement north through ITALY – Described. FLORENCE – Mentioned.

12:07 Movement through ITALY, around ASSISI – Described. FAULI – Mentioned. Battle weariness.

13:27 Infectious hepatitis – Described. FAIENZA – Mentioned.

15:00 End of Track 7

TRACK 8

00:00 Air attack – Described. Visit to Machine Gunners RAP [Regimental Aid Post]. Transfer to hospital ship to BARI. Hospitalised for six weeks. Made dogs. LEGHORN – Mentioned.

02:39 Garage and workshop in GORE. Learn through hands rather than head.

03:00 Arrival of cousin at hospital. Convalescent camp. New Zealand Forces Club at BARI. Drafted to TRIESTE. Manning of Companies – Explained.

05:22 Divisional Headquarters, Officers Mess. Cook and Mess Corporal for remainder of war. 'TINY' FREYBERG – Mentioned.

05:56 Father very ill in New Zealand. Queued for leave in ENGLAND, told going home. Departure from ITALY – Explained. How pistols were acquired. Eventually handed in.

08:21 Feelings on returning home. Father died day HUGH left ITALY. PORT SAID, RED SEA – Mentioned. Access to ENGLAND via AMERICAN AIR FORCE – Described.

09:35 On return met by mother and sisters. Discharged from Army. Situation regarding Army Pension – Explained. Being on farm again, a different world. Missed companionship of men. 11:20 Civilian life – straight back into farming. Lonely life. Ownership of farm in name of father. Mother and three sisters – mentioned. ROTORUA, AUSTRALIA – Mentioned. Rehabilitation Office arranged course at LINCOLN COLLEGE. Took over farm. It wasn't profitable at the time – Explained.

14:54 Married in 1950.

End of Track 8

TRACK 9

00:07 Female met on MILFORD TRACK.

00:25 Farming in 1950s. LINCOLN COLLEGE gave a new outlook. Different style of farming to father, grandfather etc. Efforts were successful.

01:01 Topics taught at LINCOLN – Described.

02:19 Back injury on farm – Explained. DAVID BROWN tractor – Mentioned. Shrapnel injury – Mentioned.

03:38 Retirement from farm – Explained. Farm sold.

04:28 Moved into Real Estate. Bought GORE Service Station. Health problems – Described.

06:00 End of Track 9