Abstract of Frank Albert HAMLIN (Albie), 2006
Item — Box: 11
Identifier: H00390002
Abstract
Albert (Albie) Hamlin
Interviewer: Janice Templeton
Abstractor: Marianne Widmer
Track 1
00:00 Interview identification
00:50 Interviewee details, date of birth etc.
01:50 Father’s job. Explains exactly where self used to live.
03:50 Father’s parents moved out to NZ from Devon. Looking at photographs of Albie’s parents
05:40 Recollects childhood. Mokatua. Gummies Bush.
07:35 Wild Bush. How came to live there.
07:40 Talking about different teachers at school. Stories of punishments at school. Teachers: Alistair McDonald, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis. 10:15 About 40 children in school, sole charge teacher.
10:55 Stayed at Wild Bush school until gained proficiency. Jobs after school, wages. Describes.
12:58 Describes incident with acute appendix. Had surgery.
14:42 Started work at Aparima Dairy Factory.
14:58 End Track 1
Track 2
00:00 Aparima Dairy Factory continued. Describes work and wages.
00:35 Winton for short amount of time, cutting wood at Forest Hill, then back to Dairy Factory. 5 Pound a week for wages. Boarding at Tom Lockett's, near Slaughter House.
00:41 War broke out. Explains
02:50 Went to Burnham camp. Age 24. Then overseas. Explains where he went.
03:43 Freemantle, Bombay, year 1940. Egypt, Greece, Athens, explains time in Greece.
11:00 Insert: prisoner of war at one stage.
11:11 Continues describing time in Greece during war.
14:58 End Track 2
Track 3
00:00 Continues describing time in Greece during war. Describes incident of Germans within convoy. Captured Germans for prisoners.
08:20 Been taken prisoner of War himself. Taken to Ben Gasi. Describes. Some prisoners taken to Peterson on boat. Self went to Tripoli. Then sent over to Italy on boat. Camp outside Genova. Odd Red Cross parcels received. Then Australians and New Zealanders taken to new camp north into Dolomites, near Yugoslav border.
14:17 Describes cricket match of Australians. Incident when player got shot on cricket ground . 14:58 End Track 3
Track 4
00:00 Continues.
00:20 All together 2 years in prison in Italy.
02:40 Taken through Brenner Pass into Austria. Camp outside Vienna. Russians in same camp.
03:50 Total time Prisoner of war over 3 years. Released before war was ended. 05:20 Contracted Polio. Describes.
06:20 Taken to Brussels. Then taken over to England, London to hospital. Had developed Poliomyelitis. 14 weeks in hospital. Describes.
11:00 From London went on to Convalescent Depot on train to Sundridge. Was together with Burma people. Describes. Used to have a “good time”.
14:58 End Track 4
Track 5
00:00 continues.
1:17 Insert: Olive born during First World War, 1919 Visited Olive’s relatives (future wife), describes. 02:22 Met Bill Guise at the New Zealand Club in London. Together went up to Sterling in Scotland on train. Describes. Used a car to have a look around. Describes living arrangements. Friends go back to join Submarine.
04:51 Self going to Leith, following invitation. Describes. Back to Sterling. Edinburgh.
06:50 Pipe Band Contest. Describes.
8:00 Discharged from hospital. Sent home on boat. 100% disability.
8:30 October 1945 back in New Zealand.
08:42 Met Olive before war. She came here after First World War with family. Granny McIntosh in Riverton. 10:10 Married in 1947 in Martinborough. Age 31. Spouse’s family lived there. Relatives in Napier.
11:20 Bought house near Haywoods. Cost of house 500 Pounds. Then shifted “up here”.
12:18 Butter maker at Aparima Dairy Factory after war. Working there for 3-4 years after war.
13:18 Working with Pest Board in winter time. Then full time Pest Board, foreman. Poisoning rabbits. Describes.
14:20 Describes poison used: Arsenic, 1080.
14:58 end Track five
Track 6
00:00 Continues about poisoning rabbits.
01:04 Marked rabbits off in Diary as killed them. Time sheet each week. Also shooting rabbits, as well as poisoning.
01:42 Men he worked with: Arthur and Jack Stanley, Cranky Haywood (he was diabetic), Eric Crawford. Describes way of working. “Got rid of them (rabbits)”
02:55 By end of time only getting “5 or 6 a week”. They were at: Colac Bay, Fairfax, Waimatuku . 03:18 After his work finished farmers were supposed to look after them themselves. But rabbits increasing again.
03:45 Albie’s poison ticket was canceled only the other day. Need to sit exam for ticket.
03:59 Interviewee’s recollection of skins hanging on Tony Lockett’s fence. Albie explains. Trapping rabbits when working at Dairy Factory, for extra money. 04:54 Keith Fraser’s had lots of rabbits. Describes. Gorse (undercover) is worse for rabbits. Worst areas were down by Armstrong’s. Used Ferrets to flush out rabbits.
06:40 Carried on this job until retired, over 60 years of age.
06:48 insert: Had small farm, sheep, cows, pigs.
07:27 Back to rabbits: describes different ways of poisoning.
08:52 saw 6 dead cows in Blackmores Gully. Had been eating Tutu.
09:00 Describes different poison used, and why.
10:00 What to do with rabbits now? Night shooting Otaitai Bush. Today more hares than rabbits.
11:03 Albie retired out of own will, gift of tea set for 25 years working for rabbit board.
11:14 Describes work on own farm. Saved up money to go on World Tour.
12:10 Year 1975 went on tour with “Prisoner of War Association”. About 20 Australians, and Jack Magee and his wife, Olive and self, Bert Aicken from Invercargill. Went on ship “Australis”, stop in Fiji, Acapulco, Suez Canal, Miami, England. 24 day tour on a bus. Describes tour. Germany, had to go through checkpoint, describes. East Berlin. Describes.
14:58 End Track 6
Track 7
00:00 continues about East Germany.
00:15 Continues describing tour: West Germany, East Germany, Berlin, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Vienna, Yugoslavia, Zagreb, Gone back to war places. Bulgaria. Northern Greece, Athens. Italy, Casino, Rome. Describes feelings.
04:20 Continues describing route: Venice, Florence, Bolzano, Dolomites, Austria, Munich, describes Bier garden, dancing.
06:15 No big health problems any more after Polio, still on medication.
06:37 Continues describing route: Paris, describes places they went there. London, Sussex visiting Olive’s family.
08:44 Hearing Olive talking on tape: “First time I have seen my aunts and cousins.”
08:58 interviewer winding up interview.
09:18 Track and interview ends.
Interviewer: Janice Templeton
Abstractor: Marianne Widmer
Track 1
00:00 Interview identification
00:50 Interviewee details, date of birth etc.
01:50 Father’s job. Explains exactly where self used to live.
03:50 Father’s parents moved out to NZ from Devon. Looking at photographs of Albie’s parents
05:40 Recollects childhood. Mokatua. Gummies Bush.
07:35 Wild Bush. How came to live there.
07:40 Talking about different teachers at school. Stories of punishments at school. Teachers: Alistair McDonald, Mr. and Mrs. Lewis. 10:15 About 40 children in school, sole charge teacher.
10:55 Stayed at Wild Bush school until gained proficiency. Jobs after school, wages. Describes.
12:58 Describes incident with acute appendix. Had surgery.
14:42 Started work at Aparima Dairy Factory.
14:58 End Track 1
Track 2
00:00 Aparima Dairy Factory continued. Describes work and wages.
00:35 Winton for short amount of time, cutting wood at Forest Hill, then back to Dairy Factory. 5 Pound a week for wages. Boarding at Tom Lockett's, near Slaughter House.
00:41 War broke out. Explains
02:50 Went to Burnham camp. Age 24. Then overseas. Explains where he went.
03:43 Freemantle, Bombay, year 1940. Egypt, Greece, Athens, explains time in Greece.
11:00 Insert: prisoner of war at one stage.
11:11 Continues describing time in Greece during war.
14:58 End Track 2
Track 3
00:00 Continues describing time in Greece during war. Describes incident of Germans within convoy. Captured Germans for prisoners.
08:20 Been taken prisoner of War himself. Taken to Ben Gasi. Describes. Some prisoners taken to Peterson on boat. Self went to Tripoli. Then sent over to Italy on boat. Camp outside Genova. Odd Red Cross parcels received. Then Australians and New Zealanders taken to new camp north into Dolomites, near Yugoslav border.
14:17 Describes cricket match of Australians. Incident when player got shot on cricket ground . 14:58 End Track 3
Track 4
00:00 Continues.
00:20 All together 2 years in prison in Italy.
02:40 Taken through Brenner Pass into Austria. Camp outside Vienna. Russians in same camp.
03:50 Total time Prisoner of war over 3 years. Released before war was ended. 05:20 Contracted Polio. Describes.
06:20 Taken to Brussels. Then taken over to England, London to hospital. Had developed Poliomyelitis. 14 weeks in hospital. Describes.
11:00 From London went on to Convalescent Depot on train to Sundridge. Was together with Burma people. Describes. Used to have a “good time”.
14:58 End Track 4
Track 5
00:00 continues.
1:17 Insert: Olive born during First World War, 1919 Visited Olive’s relatives (future wife), describes. 02:22 Met Bill Guise at the New Zealand Club in London. Together went up to Sterling in Scotland on train. Describes. Used a car to have a look around. Describes living arrangements. Friends go back to join Submarine.
04:51 Self going to Leith, following invitation. Describes. Back to Sterling. Edinburgh.
06:50 Pipe Band Contest. Describes.
8:00 Discharged from hospital. Sent home on boat. 100% disability.
8:30 October 1945 back in New Zealand.
08:42 Met Olive before war. She came here after First World War with family. Granny McIntosh in Riverton. 10:10 Married in 1947 in Martinborough. Age 31. Spouse’s family lived there. Relatives in Napier.
11:20 Bought house near Haywoods. Cost of house 500 Pounds. Then shifted “up here”.
12:18 Butter maker at Aparima Dairy Factory after war. Working there for 3-4 years after war.
13:18 Working with Pest Board in winter time. Then full time Pest Board, foreman. Poisoning rabbits. Describes.
14:20 Describes poison used: Arsenic, 1080.
14:58 end Track five
Track 6
00:00 Continues about poisoning rabbits.
01:04 Marked rabbits off in Diary as killed them. Time sheet each week. Also shooting rabbits, as well as poisoning.
01:42 Men he worked with: Arthur and Jack Stanley, Cranky Haywood (he was diabetic), Eric Crawford. Describes way of working. “Got rid of them (rabbits)”
02:55 By end of time only getting “5 or 6 a week”. They were at: Colac Bay, Fairfax, Waimatuku . 03:18 After his work finished farmers were supposed to look after them themselves. But rabbits increasing again.
03:45 Albie’s poison ticket was canceled only the other day. Need to sit exam for ticket.
03:59 Interviewee’s recollection of skins hanging on Tony Lockett’s fence. Albie explains. Trapping rabbits when working at Dairy Factory, for extra money. 04:54 Keith Fraser’s had lots of rabbits. Describes. Gorse (undercover) is worse for rabbits. Worst areas were down by Armstrong’s. Used Ferrets to flush out rabbits.
06:40 Carried on this job until retired, over 60 years of age.
06:48 insert: Had small farm, sheep, cows, pigs.
07:27 Back to rabbits: describes different ways of poisoning.
08:52 saw 6 dead cows in Blackmores Gully. Had been eating Tutu.
09:00 Describes different poison used, and why.
10:00 What to do with rabbits now? Night shooting Otaitai Bush. Today more hares than rabbits.
11:03 Albie retired out of own will, gift of tea set for 25 years working for rabbit board.
11:14 Describes work on own farm. Saved up money to go on World Tour.
12:10 Year 1975 went on tour with “Prisoner of War Association”. About 20 Australians, and Jack Magee and his wife, Olive and self, Bert Aicken from Invercargill. Went on ship “Australis”, stop in Fiji, Acapulco, Suez Canal, Miami, England. 24 day tour on a bus. Describes tour. Germany, had to go through checkpoint, describes. East Berlin. Describes.
14:58 End Track 6
Track 7
00:00 continues about East Germany.
00:15 Continues describing tour: West Germany, East Germany, Berlin, Czechoslovakia, Austria, Vienna, Yugoslavia, Zagreb, Gone back to war places. Bulgaria. Northern Greece, Athens. Italy, Casino, Rome. Describes feelings.
04:20 Continues describing route: Venice, Florence, Bolzano, Dolomites, Austria, Munich, describes Bier garden, dancing.
06:15 No big health problems any more after Polio, still on medication.
06:37 Continues describing route: Paris, describes places they went there. London, Sussex visiting Olive’s family.
08:44 Hearing Olive talking on tape: “First time I have seen my aunts and cousins.”
08:58 interviewer winding up interview.
09:18 Track and interview ends.
Dates
- 2006
Conditions Governing Access
For access please contact the Southland Oral History Project Coordinator at sohp@ilibrary.co.nz.
Conditions Governing Use
The contents of Southland Oral History Project collections are subject to the conditions of the Copyright Act 1994. Please note that in accordance with agreements held with interviewees additional conditions regarding the reproduction [copying] and use of items in the Southland Oral History Project collections may apply. Please contact the Southland Oral History Project Coordinator for further information at sohp@ilibrary.co.nz.
Extent
From the Record Group: 1 folder(s)
Language of Materials
From the Record Group: English
Creator
- From the Record Group: Templeton, Janice (Interviewer, Person)
Repository Details
Part of the Southland Oral History Project Repository
