William Kenneth (Bill) Roulston

Interviewer: Joy Lietze

Abstracter: Gil Berg

First Session: 18th January 2011

Track 1

00.0 Interview Identification: WILLIAM KENNETH ROULSTON born in 1921

Track 2

00.19 Father HECTOR BUCHANAN ROULSTON a farmer born in NZ

00.57 Mother NANCY TROTTER BELL

01.16 Family lived on farm at HILLEND and that is where Bill was born

01.45 Farmed mostly sheep on very hilly country

02.30 BILL was the second in the family his sister IRIS Val was almost two years older than him. Her married name was MORGAN. Other siblings were: PETER, COL, LORNA, ALUMU (?) and GEORGE who was the youngest.

03.37 Large family home boys mostly slept in one room.

03.58 Remembers his grandmother but not his grandfather as he had passed away before BILL was born – Details

07.21 No electricity at family home until around 1936. Had an outhouse and were one of the first in the area to get a flush toilet.

08.10 Had a built in safe for food. – Describes

08.58 Had about 4 house cows. The cream covered the cost of groceries during the depression. – Explains

09.56 Milk and cream went to STIRLING FACTORY.

10.07 Nearest town was BALCLUTHA 18 -19 miles away. – Explains

11.14 First car in 1933 -34. A CHEV. –Discusses

12.10 Came from a very happy home. Never heard the word bored, a number of activities. – Describes.

13.12 Chores – hens, dogs and cows.

13.24 Reflects on not being children for long and his education at HILLEND SCHOOL. Explains

14.56 Left school at 13 ½ and worked a team of 8 horses and 3 furrow ploughs. Mentions

15.17 Went into army at 20 years old. Explains

16.09 Returns to talking about school years after a question by the interviewer. Recalls favourite subjects, discipline, and teachers. Includes a story about pinching turnips. Explains and describes.

20.32 Left school as couldn’t go further at HILLEND SCHOOL. Explains

21.27 Depression time memories. Describes

23.06 Got a radio run by a car battery around the beginning of the war. Mentions

23.43 Family Outings – Church and visiting relations. Explains

24.45 At war for 5 – 6 years. Mentions

25.03 Working on farm paid £1.00 a week and beginning of his savings with SOUTHLAND BUILDING SOCIETY. Explains

26.54 Talks of ploughing techniques. Describes.

27.35 Crops grown. Explains

28.09 Selling of lambs to the works and buying new ones in. Explains.

28.56 On the farm there were 700 acres that were able to be ploughed and a lot of gullies. Mentions

29.09 Father owned HILLEND Farm and further farm land - TOROPUKE was acquired. Explains.

30.51 Father worked at the freezing works during the depression to keep the farm going. Mentions.

31.10 Effects of the depression on everyone including the towns’ people. Mentions

32.02 BILL’S wife was a good seamstress which was a huge help as she was able to make children’s clothing etc.

33.06 Coming out of the depression into the war years. Explains

33.45 Reflects on young people today compared to depression times.

34.48 Reflects on how to help people overseas in areas of poverty to provide for themselves. Explains

35.20 Interviewer asks about his team of horses and Bill explains they were a mixture used for ploughing and he worked with both dogs and horses. Describes.

38.12 Farming with brother JORDIE (sp?). Explains

39.25 Father took over TOROPUKE in 1944. Explains

End of track 2

Track 3

00.40 Home at HILLEND described.

03.28 Track 3 ends.

Track 4

00.19 Interviewer asks how BILL was conscripted into the army. BILL explains.

01.56 First in the family to be called up. Father had been to the first war in FRANCE. Mentions

02.32 Explains how he heard about the outbreak of war in response to a question from the interviewer.

03.00 In 1941 he went into camp. Mentions

03.12 Recalls his feelings on being conscripted and what happened after that including his 21st birthday in BURNHAM CAMP.

04.13 Family were not keen on him going to camp. Explains

04.45 Trained first in INVERCARGILL as part of the OTAGO INFINITARY UNIT. Describes

06.10 Then to BURNHAM CAMP and when 21 went to TRENTHAM. Explains

07.24 Assigned to ANTI TANK. Explains

08.10 Journey over to EUROPE took about 5 – 6 weeks. Describes.

End of Track 4

Second interview: 1st February 2011

Track 1

01.31 Heard about the outbreak of war over the wireless which was run by a car battery. Describes

02.34 AQUATAINIA (sp.?) cruise ship converted to a troop ship. Recalls his time spent on this as they sailed to MIDDLE EAST. Describes

05.39 Disembarked at PORT TEWFIK entering the SUEZ CANAL

06.05 Recalls catching up with mates and escort ships. Explains

07.19 Recalls trip back to NZ was rough but never got sea sick. Explains

08.38 Interviewer asks about names of unit and the Commander. Unit was 7TH ANTI-TANK REGIMENT and there were various commanders. Mentions.

09.19 Own rank was BOMBARDIER. Mentions

09.40 Recalls first getting onto land and impressions of EGYPT. Describes.

11.17 Went straight to MARDI (sp?) CAMP. Mentions.

11.58 Travelled CARIO to EL ALAMEIN by train. Then to further destinations by plane. Explains.

13.20 Life on battlefront. Describes

15.42 Recalls reunions and SARGENT (?) telling story of an incident on the battlefield.

16.41 Life in the desert hard. Explains

19.00 Could be in trench for days. Explains.

20.42 Gun pit a dangerous place. Explains.

21.28 Interviewer asked where unit went. BILL replied usually they stayed in one place and didn’t go far. Explains.

22.37 Digging trenches. Explains

24.02 Loss of life in regiment was low. Mentions

24.29 In TRIPOLI for about a year. Explains.

24.59 Communication from home every 2 – 3 months. Explains

26.00 Interviewer asks about friends and interactions and time off. BILL answers and details.

27.17 Describes what it’s like to be ‘strived’ (?) by aircraft.

28.57 In NORTH AFRICA for approximately a year. Describes.

29.40 Replies to interviewer’s question about land mines and describes.

31.00 Time in NORTH AFRICA was a learning curve. Explains.

32.19 Father wanted BILL to have a farm. Bill signed up for his part of this while in ITALY. Explains

32.50 After a year returned to MARDI (?) in EGYPT. Explains.

33.32 Asked about hygiene in the desert. Explains

34.56 General health during this time. Mentions

35.34 Noticed flies as soon as he got to EGYPT. Explains.

36.09 Went into CAIRO 2 – 3 times while waiting to go to ITALY. It was about an hours drive away.

37.09 On one occasion BILL was heading out and grabbed some biscuits from a tin that had been opened roughly and cut himself. Explains.

38.19 Replies to interviewer’s question about being ‘strived’ (?) by an AMERICAN airplane. Describes.

39.00 At MARDI camp for 2 – 3 months before going to ITALY. Daily Routine. Explains.

39.58 Went to ITALY by boat which took a few days. Mentions.

40.52 Went to Italy with the majority of the group he was with in North Africa. Explains.

41.45 Landed in TARANTO and marched 10kms up the coast to camp. Explains.

42.43 Was in ITALY 1 month before their first battle at SANTI (?). Describes

43.44 Had CHRISTMAS DAY away from the front line and then packed up and went to CASINO.

43.58 CHRISTMAS DAY quite good had a bottle of beer and no active duty that day.

44.29 Explains why they were defeated in the SANTI (?) BATTLE and GERMAN tactics.

46.58 Up until this point they had had no causalities.

47.29 Asked how the troops moral was kept up. BILL replies and explains.

48.08 Asked about smoking and how it helps with stress and nerves. Explains.

49.09 Sometimes given a ration of rum. Tells a story of when he needed it most. Describes.

50.49 Didn’t always understand what was going on and at times felt like a sitting duck. Describes

51.36 When BILL was asked how the unit coped, he replied they all supported one another.

51.53 BILL was injured in the side in CASINO. He talks of this event and the side effects. Describes.

56.04 Went back to base camp at TARANTO and was dispatched out again to LAMON (?). Bill describes the journey and incidents along the way.

59.09 Talks out arriving in the village, duties there, and the blowing of a building they were sheltering. Mentions BASIL ROBERT CURRY. Describes.

1.02.49 Injuries and medical treatment. Describes

End of Track 1

Track 2

00.06 Recording starts recalling 7th ANTI TANK. 8th January 1944 B CAMP Q TROOP were bombed in a building they were sheltering in.

00.43 7 died. 5 on their gun died. Bill and the driver only ones to get out. Interviewer names BILL’s friends who didn’t get out they were BASIL ROBERT CURRY, RAYMOND JOSEPH CLARK and FRANCIS JOHN WHITEHORN.

01.36 Interviewer names the others who didn’t get out and they were RHYS VAUGHAN DAVIS, KEVIN WILLIAM TELFER, STANLEY GORDON SHRIMPTON, and PATRICK LOUIE SCANNELL.

02.02 BILL was taken to the BRITISH hospital. His unit all left and went to east of ITALY. Explains.

02.53 When discharged from hospital was sent to a BRITISH unit. Was now a LANCE BOMBARDIER. Recalls an incident of being given the job of taking the guard at his new camp. Explains.

04.10 Later on there were some of his own chaps at the camp so he packed up and went back with them to his own division. Took 10 days.

05.01 His family had been informed he had been wounded in action. Mentions

05.21 When he got to his new outfit, he wasn’t keen to go into buildings for protection. Explains

07.06 Put into a medical unit when shipped back to EGYPT. Talks of some of the duties he undertook here. Explains.

07.37 Then had a few weeks in R.A.P. Describes

08.33 Next BILL went to a surveillance place where the SARGENT was returning home and before he went home, he showed BILL how to take off bloods. Explains.

09.28 Never went back to regiment and came home in 1945. Explains.

10.36 Went on a night out before leaving EGYPT. Describes

12.16 Arrived back into WELLINGTON and caught a troop train back to DUNEDIN. Describes.

13.02 Meet by parents and went back to HILLEND. In the middle of harvest time.

14.14 When returning from overseas everyone was keen to get back to work. Explains

15.20 First job on the farm when got back was to do some plumbing under the cottages. Describes.

16.17 Had memory lapses when he returned home e.g. talking at YOUNG FARMERS and forgetting what he wanted to say. Describes.

17.09 Attend all reunions after returning home. Explains.

18.22 Very few of his regiment still alive. Driver still alive WALLY BUDDLY (?). Keeps in touch with his wife; Also, KEN TURNER who was a SARGENT. Explains

20.17 Fellowship through local RSA. Describes

20.50 Mentions BRUCE MILLER and TOM DUNGEY (?)

21.29 Took over TOROPUKE WEST OTAGO. ALF HERBERT was the previous owner. Describes.

22.31 Was run down when BILL took over. The whole family shifted to TOROPUKE which was 1200 acres. Tells how they purchased the farm. Describes.

24.23 there were 3 cottages and the main house. The main house had 6 bedrooms. Describes.

25.35 Improvements made to home. Describes.

26.21 Farm was purchased by the company made up of parents and the whole family. Explains.

27.00 1947 married his wife ELIZABETH (KITTY) DRAIN who was a teacher from OAMARU. KITTY boarded with his family. Explains.

28.25 KITTY continued teaching for a short time and they lived in one of the cottages when they married. Explains.

29.17 Most of the children were born when they still lived in the cottage. They were: JOAN, IVAN, KENNETH, EUNICE, and SUSAN.

29.49 Didn’t have a car and relied on public transport. Describes.

30.29 Brought a Flying Stanley car. Cost £450.00. Bill was earning £8.00 a week at the time. Plus paying out other members of the family for the farm. Explains.

31.41 Farmed Sheep, crop and a number of head of cattle. Tells of the improvements they made to the property. Describes.

32.35 Started with horses and then used tractors. Brother was very good on tractor work. Explains.

33.20 Recreation for Bill was half a day off a week when he could go and play golf. Describes.

34.20 Didn’t talk much about war experiences at home did this mostly at reunions.

34.44 Took sometime to get over shell shock. Explains.

35.35 One of the first things that was done at TOROPUKE was to build a killing shed. Describes.

36.30 Two of the cottages are still standing and lived in. Explains.

37.01 Went out of the farm in 1984. It was split between IVAN and KENNETH. Eventually both converted to dairying. Describes.

38.22 Has 12 grandchildren and has great grandchildren too.

38.43 Recalls it being a big hurdle when first started on the farm. Describes

End of track 2

Track 3

00.18 Had a rabbit problem when first took over the farm. Describes.

02.25 Dredge Trails (?) next to be looked at. Explains.

02.54 Sowed Lucerne in 30 acres. Mentions.

03.36 Ran ROMNEY SHEEP. Had a SOUTH DOWN STUD at HILLEND.

04.12 Was a successful farmer never had any debt and paid everyone off.

04.29 Reflects on what life would have been like for Kitty on the farm. Describes.

05.10 Shearing would take 6 – 7 days dependant on weather. Describes.

06.14 KITTY had other interests including golf. She was a very good golfer.

06.45 Retirement activities included bowls both outdoor and indoor. Describes.

07.43 KITTY was in RSA, WOMEN’S DIVISION, ROSE SOCIETY (?) and remained in golf.

08.19 BILL was 66 when they shifted to TAPANUI. Talks of retirement. Describes.

10.06 Seen a lot of changes in what is required today when running a farm. Explains.

11.19 Talks of time spent with neighbours mentions BILL THOMPSON AND ALLAN SMITH as two of them. Explains.

12.23 Enjoyed dances and the KELSO Hall held dances. Explains.

13.27 Been in TAPANUI 35 years. Reflects on working with Kitty and what life is like since she passed away. Describes.

15.05 Daughters live in the North Island and recently flew up for Grandson’s wedding. 15.40 Reflects on how it is more difficult financially for the grandchildren to take over the land. Compares to how land changes hands between generations in Austria and thinks this is a better way. Explains.

End of track 3/End of interview