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RSA REVIEW • AUTUMN 2016
Medals MEDAL MOUNTING COURT STYLE
SWING STYLE
Damage free professional medal mounting in either court style or swing style $20 per medal with new ribbon (full size & miniature). $8 return courier NZ wide. Replicas of all medals available at just $50 per medal inc mounting. NZ wide mail order service or by appointment. Turnaround is usually 7 days. Framing from just $150
A G Bairstow - NZ Medals Ltd PO Box 128 - 134, Remuera, Auckland 1541 Ph: 09 571 2074 E: aubreyb@clear.net.nz
www.nzmedals.com
MEDAL MOUNTING Full Size and Miniature Orders, Decorations and Medals. Court Mounted or Swing Style. If necessary medals cleaned and new ribbon supplied. Duplicate groups made up to order. Registered with New Zealand Defence Force as an Approved Medal Mounter Quality work guaranteed Contact: Russell Barker, P O Box 346, Waikanae 5250 Phone: 04 293 1045 Email: rmbarker@xtra.co.nz Website: www.kiwimedalmounting.com
MEDALS MOUNTED Court or Swing style. Professional quality guaranteed work. Reasonable prices. Medals also framed for family history displays, museum quality work. Medals & military souvenirs purchased for my own collection especially gallantry awards eg. DFC, MC, MM etc. German & Allied hats, helmets uniforms, RNZAF RAF pilots wings & boots also sought. Ph: Ian Hamilton 09 266 5783
MEDAL MOUNTING, MILITARY HISTORY & GENEALOGY RESEARCH. Orders, decorations & medals (full size &
miniatures) court mounted for day, evening wear, and for family history displays. Medals mounted with respect for over 45 years by a long serving soldier. No modifications to medals or clasps. Contact Medal Mounting Wellington, H.E. Chamberlain, Ph: 04 293 3504. 470 Te Moana Rd. Waikanae. Email: clas.chamberlain@xtra.co.nz.
English Tie & Medal Co *Replica medals and Miniatures supplied and mounted. *Full sized and Mini medal groups for other family members. *Framed Medal Displays and Copy displays. *Regimental Ties & Blazer pocket badges. We do not sell or trade in original medals
P. 09 838 4828 F. 09 838 4850 W. www.medals.co.nz 6 Central Park Drive, Henderson, Auckland 0610
NEWS
Army’s ‘woman of influence’ makes difference From page 48
Evelyn Hutchins is now 102. But she recalls very clearly her World War 2 days of driving trucks in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF). Her military service interrupted her budding professional singing career, but she found ways to mix her love of singing with her efforts to contribute to what she considered ‘a worthy cause’.
Not even war could stop this songbird from singing From page 48 There were no serious injuries, but a much worse incident was on the horizon. She was sitting watching two Tiger Moths flying one day when the pair collided. “The two instructors and the trainee boys were killed – the whole four of them. My heart was in my mouth and I thought ‘Oh goodness me’ and I never went up in a Moth again.” But despite her day job, she still managed to find a way to sing: “I sang in the Dunedin Town Hall every Saturday night. I was lucky because if I had
night flying duties, one of the other girls would stand in for me.” She was also getting paid, but had to keep quiet about her moonlighting role because getting wages from sources other than the Air Force was not allowed. Her performances were recorded for the local radio station. At Harewood, Evelyn continued singing. “I used to sing to the boys as I drove. Sometimes I would drive the trucks to a concert where I’d get out and be the singer as well.” Also at Harewood she joined the Armed Forces Operatic Society where she played the lead female roles in performances that included The
Pirates of Penzance and HMS Pinafore. Wounded soldiers who had returned from battle also benefited from her talents – “I would sit at the piano and play for them and sing, because I liked doing that .” After the war, Evelyn was commissioned to sing Welcome Home and Smoko to the returned servicemen and women. She gets the chance to reminisce about her time in the services this month when she attends the 75-year reunion of women in the Air Force. “I’ve been to every one since the 21st-year reunion. At 102, I’ll be the oldest girl there apparently.”
the organisation, knowing that these trades aren’t only for men will make a massive difference to their willingness to join us.” “This simple fact is that diversity within organisations – particularly within leadership – has become a priority. And it should be. Our’s is a modern organisation – and we need to reflect the attitudes of today’s society. Why? As the newly elected Canadian prime minister recently answered when asked why he had ensured half his cabinet were women: Because it’s 2015.” Thompson says that since her ward, she has often been asked “What’s next for you?”. Her answer is simple: “Next year I will become commander headquarters training and doctrine command in Waiouru.” This unit is responsible for land-specific doctrine, the mid- and long-lessons-learned loops, the delivery of individual training, command of the reserve infantry units and directed training evaluation. Thompson will be its first woman commander. “I can’t wait to be back in the training environment,” she says. “I consider Waiouru the home of the New Zealand Army. We have all been through there at some stage, so for me it’s like coming home. Training our people, watching them develop and grow, is my passion. “I hope that my being there, having a woman at the helm, might show those looking at our army as a career choice that not only is it viable, but that you can reach senior leadership levels and continue to make a difference.