Pacific War Memorial. Whakatane R.S.A. Bay of Plenty. New Zealand.
S 37° 57.210 E 176° 59.640
60H E 499472 N 5799344
Amongst a line of memorial stones, a simple stone plaque outside the Whakatane Returned Servicemens Association honors those New Zealanders who fought in the Pacific War.
Waymark Code: WM8MNG
Location: North Island, New Zealand
Date Posted: 04/19/2010
Views: 7
"Most of New Zealand's Second World War POWs were captured in the European theatre in the early stages of the war. Only about 100 New Zealand servicemen fell into Japanese hands, mainly airmen or seamen attached to the Royal Navy or Royal Air Force. A mere 26 soldiers (mostly coastwatchers) became POWs in the Pacific theatre; only seven of these men survived their captivity.
Thousands of New Zealanders fought in the Pacific War in the 1940s. There's a certain irony in the phrase 'the Pacific War'. The ocean that was named for peace became an arena of battle between Japan on the one side, and the United States, New Zealand, Australia and their allies on the other. It was a conflict fought on a vast scale over huge distances: from Darwin to Midway, the Solomons to Iwo Jima. For the New Zealanders, this was a war fought close to home." Information quoted from the NZ History OnLine Website.
Type of Resource: Memorial
Other from above - Please Specify: Plaque.
Relevant Website: [Web Link]
Date if Relevant: Not listed
Relevant Position in Armed Forces: Not listed
Nationality: Not listed
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Visit Instructions:
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