大象传媒

New Zealand sent its army to the middle east in 1940. The country had long relied on Britain to protect her in times of war. However with Japan capturing Singapore in early 1942, New Zealand was unprotected from the Japanese advance.

It was with relief that the country welcomed the 1st US Marine Corps in 1942. Their fleet sailed into Wellington harbour and the troops camped at "McKay's Crossing" north of the city.

They arrived to a city where most eligable men were overseas. Very rapidly, the relative wealth of the marines and their access to "goodies" - silk stockings, chocolate made them attractive to men starved "Kiwi" girls.

US servicemen arrived to take the NZ girl out with flowers, chocolates and stockings in one hand and a ground sheet over the other arm.

With the return of members of the NZ 2nd EF in 1943, relationships between the two allied forces deterioated rapidly. "The Yank's were oversexed, overpaid and overhere" was the derogatory response to the Marines.

In late 1943, this erupted into the "Battle of Mannners Street" where serveral hundred of each country's servicemen fought a pitched battle for serveral hours in the main street of Wellington.

NZ servicemen composed a derogatory version of the "Marine Hyme":

From the halls of Motisuma to the shores of Tripoli;
Their a pack of Yanky barstards for reasons plain to see;
They think they run New Zealand, but they couldnt run latrines;
Yet their F....g all our women, the United States Marines!

Depite this anymosity, New Zealanders greatfully acknowledge the sacrifies of the USA. The city still has buildings built for the US forces during the war.

For myself, the first words I ever learnt to read were "US Navy". These were on the blanket on my cot that the Marines had sold for one pound a piece on the black market! Such are the spoils of war.

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