"2nd New Zealand Divison"

SERGEANT "IAN" PLATOON LEADER RIFLE COMPANY 24th BATTALION/2NZD

RANK: Sergeant

Platoon Leader Rifle company

Date created: 10/25/02

"Ultimate Soldier SAS Scud Hunter"

Ian "I do all the dirty work!"

Inpiration for my Kiwi trooper Ian, came from George McNeur's webpage about his fathers experience during WWII. He has kindly posted it on the Internet." The Kiwi Soldier Webpage."

Private Ian McNeur was a signals soldier with D Company of the 23 Battalion, 5th Brigade, 2nd New Zealand Division. He fought in Africa, Tunisia, and finally Italy where he was wounded on April 4th 1944. His battle accounts of Monte Cassino are an eye opener and really puts light to the hell that both sides experienced. Most touching are his poem's which offer insight to a soldiers state of mind during the war. I suggest you take the time to visit and read some of the poem's and more about his experiences.

"Kiwi Courage, A deadly encounter!"

 

If you think the Germans had it easy at Cassino your dead wrong. Not only did they face superior numbers and artillery, they were also matched up against tough commonwealth troops of the 2nd New Zealand Corp. These men were used to a tough life and proved themselves a deadly foe in the close quarter fighting within the ruins that once were Cassino. New Zealanders from the 23rd, 24th, and 25th Battalions fought hard and suffered high losses in this desperate struggle for survival.

Despite the hell of the close quarter fighting, where no quarter was given and none expected the soldiers of both armies fought with chivalry and often treated the enemy with as much compassion as can be expected in such a hell. Were an encounter with the enemy was often face to face, violent and usually ended in death and seldom capture. As remembered below by Private Ian McNeur.

 

Private Ian McNeur "..... their experience when they emerged from behind cover was the same killed or wounded before they dived for the cover of a hollow surrounded by shattered walls. But even here the enemy had some observation, for when 2ndLieutenant Norm Hardie, stood up to look over the remains of a window ledge he was promptly shot by a German with a Schmeisser submachine gun. While Sergeant Alan McLay was dressing Hardie's wounds, a grenade came hurtling over the wall and wounded McLay and others."

Special thanks to George McNeur for graciously sharing his fathers experiences.
Check out Ian's genuine leather jerkin.

New Zealand troops practicing the fine art of house clearing!
"More on the Kiwi troops coming soon!"
Fallschirmartz©2002