H0294 THOMAS (TOM) WILLIAM EDWARD JOHNSTONE

Interviewer: Nancy Burnett

Abstracter: Judith Christie

Interview: 16 January 2017

TRACK One

00.00: Interview identification

00.55: Date of birth 16 November 1918.

02.00: FATHER was JOHN ARTHUR JOHNSTONE, born and lived in DRUMMOND, farmer. His father born in Scotland. Was a CARTER, taking grain from DRUMMOND to FAIRFAX RAIL. Owned 100 ACRE FARM.

03.15: Name was Johnstone with an E - which was not supposed to be there.

03.50: MOTHER ELIZA MCFARLANE – her father came from Ayr, Scotland and also farmed at Drummond. Bred DRYSDALE HORSES.

05.30: Self born in Drummond in the middle of the INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC. Attended DRUMMOND SCHOOL, no secondary school. Left school during the DEPRESSION, CAUGHT RABBITS which earned 3d a pair.

07.00: Worked in a THRESHING MILL six days a week. Half a day off on Saturday to play FOOTBALL.

07.40: Describes location of Drummond and early life there. Village had two GROCERY STORES, a HOTEL, a HALL and at one stage a BIKE SHOP. RAIL went through village to NIGHTCAPS at one stage.

09.10: SPORTS DAY held on Christmas Day. BIKE ROAD RACES held, which developed into sports meetings once a fortnight during summer months. Winter time, held EUCHRE PARTIES with a supper and dancing. UNIONISATION of dance bands stopped individuals from playing.

11.00: Lots of visits between residents – CARD PLAYING.

11.25: DRUMMOND RUGBY TEAM from the early days. Won competition in 1928, 1938, and 1948. WAR meant insufficient members to make up teams.

12.20: INFLUENZA EPIDEMIC - people would help others, no respect for people who refused to assist. One woman reported she was saved by whiskey.

13.45: Left school during Depression, which had a lesser effect on self than others. Able to live off the land. Nobody had any money so all in the same boat. Some STOCK FIRMS harsh on clients.

End of Track One

TRACK TWO

00.00: BOB SHEDDON from SCOTTS GAP said that only DALGETYS did not sell up a client.

00.20: Enjoyed SCHOOL – attended at school at age three with his five year old brother. Describes. Mentions EWAN KENNEDY’S WORKSHOP. After age three attended school when he felt like it, until age five when attended permanently. Two teachers originally, then only one. MRS DICKSON taught there most years self was at school. Left school at 13.

04.00: Two brothers and one sister, self youngest. SIBLINGS FRANCIS EDWARD, CATHERINE ELIZABETH, and ROBERT WILSON ARTHUR.

05.00: Describes WINTON HORSE SALES on Saturday mornings during winter. Led horses to Winton from Drummond with UNCLE SANDY MCFARLANE. ROB LAUGHTON had two horses, and ARTHUR ELLISON had one horse. Laughtons would buy unbroken horses and train them. Horses mainly Clydesdales. Up to 30 sold each week. Self also driven teams of horses.

08.15: Knew that Hitler was invading other countries in Europe. 3 September 1939 War declared – expected that this would happen. Self called up to serve - saw his name in the newspaper in 1942. Attended camp at the SHOWGROUNDS AT INVERCARGILL, then to FORBURY PARK in Dunedin (camping at ST CLAIR SCHOOL and at the RACECOURSE) and then on to BURNHAM. At the end of that year left for overseas. Medical found self had flat feet and hearing.

End of Track Two

TRACK THREE

00.12 Further description of TRAINING before going overseas.

00.45: Describes UNIFORM WORN and the FOOD PROVIDED.

01.40: Entered training at the beginning of February 19?? and left for overseas in November of that year. Spent Christmas and birthday on the boat.

02.10: Self’s brother also served. Hard on the mothers of the soldiers. Had FINAL LEAVE before embarking of around a week. FAREWELLS held in DRUMMOND and ISLA BANK.

04.00: Several CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS. One, a school teacher, lost his job because of his views.

04.40: Self knew he was going to EGYPT. Fighting finished just as he arrived. Travelled on the ship AQUITANIA which embarked from WELLINGTON. Travelled from a camp in the North Island. Went to BURNHAM, TRENTHAM and then to HAYWARDS camps.

07.00: From EGYPT, travelled to NORTH AFRICA. Fighting had just finished, so involved in bringing back PRISONERS. In Egypt for some time before going over to ITALY. German prisoners were brought to base camps designed to house them.

08.40: Egypt – lots of sand. At MAADI CAMP, where there were trees and some green. Self was in the ARTILLERY. Describes different branches of the Army and their functions. Self was on the trucks carrying the ammunition to the guns.

11.50: Self was aware that the army’s job was to put down Hitler. Fought for his country and its people.

12.30: During down times, relaxed at MAADI CAMP. Some trips around Egypt during leave. Visited CAIRO and Alexandria, where was treated well by the populace. Soldiers from other countries there too – SOUTH AFRICANS and CANADIANS. AUSTRALIAN SOLDIERS had been brought home to defend against the JAPANESE. FOOTBALL and other sports played.

End of Track Three

TRACK FOUR

00.12 From EGYPT, travelled to ITALY. Greener and more temperate. In Italy for around two years, staying in different areas. Carried on taking ammunition in lorries to the front line.

02.45: Great comradeship and close friendships made. Self kept in touch with some, including BRUCE COLE in Dargaville.

04.00: Self never feared for his life, but was aware the unexpected might happen.

04,50: Self slept on the truck that carried the ammunition – beds on the truck. Rations provided, and received parcels from home. Three or four trucks would travel in convoy to deliver the ammunition. Three people per truck. Mended boots.

07.50: Some officers were nice, some not so nice to the men. Padres there – church parades held.

09.15: Self had friends who died in the war, including BILL SPENCER and LES ROGERS of MAKAREWA – self trained with them at Forbury.

10.20: Letters from home appreciated.

11.00: After Italy, returned to Egypt to rest before returning home. Some rumours that troops might be required to fight against RUSSIA, but that didn’t happen.

12.00: Self MENDED BOOTS while in Italy – kept very busy doing this for around twelve months. Describes

14.30: Self away from New Zealand for three years. Excited when learned he was returning home.

End of track Four

TRACK FIVE

00.12: Lots of rumours about what was happening when overseas. Returned home on the ship STRATHMORE and landed in WELLINGTON. Four in the cabin in the AQUITANIA, but self was in a hammock on the ship home. Describes

03.30: Arrived back in New Zealand 30 September 1945, and immediately boarded the ferry to Lyttleton, then on to a train to Invercargill. ARRIVED INVERCARGILL on 1 October. Felt relief and joy.

05.00: MOTHER DIED while self overseas, learned by letter from father.

06.30: Self realised that people left behind in New Zealand had also struggled.

08.30: While travelling on the train, was informed of the date for a reboard(?). Self received a pension for a start, which was reduced and made permanent.

10.00: Before the war, self and sister worked on UNCLE’S FARM he started up for them. While overseas, did not return to that farm, but worked on others. Also a season at MAKAREWA FREEZING WORKS. Then brother and self worked on an EXCAVATOR, working in WAIREO, WREYS BUSH. Then farmed at HOKONUI. Brother not well. Self returned to LOCHIEL to BUY A FARM.

End of Track Five

TRACK SIX

00.12: REGIMENT AND RANK in Army given.

01.00: Self met OLDER BROTHER when overseas in North Africa – he got self into artillery. Describes Brother returned to New Zealand a year before self. 03.30: Self paid 7/- shillings a day. Had to line up for pay – paid in Egyptian money, which pay entered into a bank book. Could use money for sightseeing. Gambling not allowed, but self played Housie. Two Up also played with others.

05.40: Self joined RSA on return for comradery. RSA also served a welfare role. RSA helped self latterly with EYESIGHT TREATMENT.

07.50: Self attended ARMY REUNIONS, in TAURANGA and AUCKLAND. Sometimes meet for a meal in Winton with returned servicemen and their wives. Self has recently attended ANZAC DAY SERVICES.

09.20: Describes medals, which self currently wearing on chest during interview.

11.00: Describes first years after war. Saved money to PURCHASE FARM AT LOCHIEL with STATE ADVANCES LOAN. 400 acre farm, with 1,300 Rodney ewes and 300 hoggets. Farmed with older brother. Second farm was 160 acres, which self farmed by himself with 800 Romney ewes.

13.10: PLAYED RUGBY after the war for three or four years for Drummond. Describes Still interested in rugby.

13.50: Other interest HORSE RACING. BERT KENNEDY, self’s brother and self owned horses called Pageboy, Fujiama, Kimona, Geisha Boy. Kimona died mysteriously.

End of Track Six

TRACK SEVEN

00.00: Self then raised horses with TED WINSLOE, a trainer from GORE, including Sweet Sherry who won five races and Two IC, who was afterwards used as a hobby horse for self’s daughters.

01.00: Then owned horses with LES PALMER of MATAURA. Would attend races to watch horses race. Mentions names of various horses. Interest in horses started when given a brood mare. Horses bred on BERT KENNEDY’S property at DRUMMOND. Some grazed on self’s property. Describes

06.20: When around two years old, self visited uncle TOM MCFARLANE with TUBERCULOSIS. Mother talked with him through the window because of fear of contagion. TB common and a serious illness in those days – patients treated in a SANATORIUM in CENTRAL OTAGO. Room was opened up even when snowing.

End of Track Seven