UNITED STATES MARINE CORPS IN NEW ZEALAND 1942-43. HIGGINS BOATS LANDING EXERCISES AT MARTINS BAY, MAHURANGI EAST, 25 MARCH 1943

Rights Information
Year
1943
Reference
F318892
Media type
Moving image
Ask about this item

Ask to use material, get more information or tell us about an item

Rights Information
Year
1943
Reference
F318892
Media type
Moving image
Place of production
United States of America
Categories
Unfinished
Production company
US Marine Corps

This is unedited raw film footage, shot by Academy Award winning US Marine cinematographer Norman T. Hatch for a US newsreel that was never completed, provisionally titled 'Meet New Zealand'. Around 21,000 Marines were stationed in camps around the Wellington region from June 1942 until November 1943. Most of their time was spent training hard preparing for the war in the Southwest Pacific against the Japanese.

At early dawn, silhouetted Marines on Higgins Boats, land on a beach, ferrying the men from troop transports anchored offshore. The first to arrive are Marines of a signal company, carrying heavy reels of wire, which will be set up for communications. Many more Higgins Boats bring landing parties of Marines that rapidly disembark and run up the beach through the surf as part of their training manoeuvres. Site secured, they set-up a camp and soon army jeeps and amphibian tractors are seen transporting fuel and supplies, which chains of men pass up the line. Rapidly a base is set-up as more tank lighters bring military vehicles to shore. Commanding Officers put a plan in place and Marines armed with weapons slowly advance and secure more of the surrounding area.