29 June 2006 Military service of Lincoln staff recalled at ANZAC service

The Second World War military service of seven Lincoln staff members, and a student of the time who later became a staff member, formed the centre piece of this year's Anzac Day address at the commemoration service in Memorial Hall on 25 April organised by the Lincoln University Alumni Association.

Retired staff member Vern Clark, who became an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2005 New Year's Honours List, was the guest speaker and he recounted the background and service of "seven young men who early in World War Two shared duties and laboratories at the East end of the Laboratory Block (now known as the McCaskill Building)."

The eighth veteran he spoke about was a student when war broke out.

Mr Clark said that the word ANZAC originally conveyed conflict, catastrophe and courage but today it was a term that spelt reflection, remembrance and respect.

He said that some alumni association members had commented to him that while they knew they were being lectured to by Returned Servicemen after the war they knew nothing of the military arm in which their lecturers served or any of their personal experiences.

"They have suggested that this be corrected," he said.

"To answer the requests from students of the past I will introduce some veterans of World War Two who lectured them."

Most worked for or were associated with Professor C.P. McMeekan.

The first to depart for the war was "gone without a goodbye", said Mr Clark.

"His absence was not noted until the next day when another staff member, entering the weather station recordings found in bold print GONE TO WAR!"

This staff member served in the New Zealand Army in Greece where he was taken prisoner of war. At the end of the war he returned to Lincoln as the Librarian.

Staff member No.2 was manpowered to the Defence Corps and his background in physics was put to use in the design and installation of radar. He went to Britain working on radar development and was appointed scientific liaison officer between the British authorities and their New Zealand equivalents. After the war he took up the position of Professor of Animal Science and Vice-Principal.

Staff member No.3 had a background in chemistry which was put to use in ammunition research, testing and quality control at factories in Australia for the duration of the war. He eventually returned to Lincoln College and a career in soil science, retiring as Reader.

No.4 was an Englishman who also worked in soil science and returned to Lincoln at the war's end.

No.5 entered the Meteorology Section of the Royal New Zealand Air Force and held positions throughout the Pacific theatre preparing forecasts and giving briefings to aircrews. He returned to New Zealand and Ruakura to rejoin McMeekan.

No.6 entered the New Zealand Army, transferred to the Air Force and was posted to a US Task Force and an upper atmosphere research team. He returned to Lincoln and a career in animal science.

No.7 entered the Royal New Zealand Air Force with specialist science duties on bases throughout New Zealand. At the end of his service he returned to Lincoln College then joined the DSIR and worked in the area of gene structure.

No 8 was a student at the outbreak of hostilities. He subsequently entered the Navy, was posted to the Royal Navy and trained as a gunnery officer. On D Day, 6 June 1944, he was the gunnery officer on a destroyer assisting the invasion forces in the liberation of Europe. He completed veterinary qualifications and returned to Lincoln and eventually became head of veterinary science.

Mr Clark pointed out that the eight men he described contributed to changes that have been part of the development of what he described a "modern warfare" through their roles as combatants, liaison officer, professional contributors, scientific contributors and technology developers.

"War has become increasingly technical, fought at greater distances from the enemy, by highly trained service personnel, using sophisticated equipment."

Mr Clark said that as a realist he had to accept that wars would occur, however he urged his audience to "safeguard our country and its youth, do all possible to reduce the frequency of wars. Remove combatant roles. Encourage significant contributions by governments to peacemaking and peacekeeping in our region."