The Army in Pukerua Bay During World War 2

The onset of the Pacific War in December 1941 and Japan’s easy victories in Asia and the northern and central Pacific created a fear of invasion in New Zealand. Wellington was defended from such an invasion to its north and west by a line of coastal defences, mainly the small pillboxes evident at Pukerua Bay today, and a series of roadblocks and demolitions along the main roads leading to the city. The Porirua Ridge, the site of the current Porirua Hospital was seen as a significant defensive feature, occupation of which was complicated by it also being the location of the Porirua Mental Hospital. The most northerly positions of the Wellington defence were the two concrete pillboxes, still evident today, at the eastern and western ends of Pukerua Bay beach.

On 12 December 1941, five days after the onset of the Pacific War, 4600 men of the Territorial Force and the National Military Reserve were mobilised to man the coast defences, to be followed on 10 January 1942 by the remainder of both forces. The National Military Reserve was established in May 1939 for home defence duties. During 1940 it was restructured into four regional battalions with headquarters in the four main cities.[i]

On 9 December 1941, according to its War Diary, 2 Battalion, National Military Reserve was mobilized and assumed the defence of the Porirua area.  The battalion headquarters was Prosser’s Hall in Porirua. The battalion’s two most northerly posts were two light machine-gun (LMG) posts at Pukerua Bay East (Post No 1) and Pukerua Bay West (Post No 2). This was a platoon position with a section at each post and the platoon headquarters and a reserve section on the road in rear.[ii]

In addition to the two LMG posts several roadblocks and demolitions were put in place. Beyond the pillboxes at the beach the only signs of the World War 2 activity is the inland pillar of a road block situated half way down the hill leading north from Pukerua Bay. The road block had a pillar on either side of the road and one in the middle into which were slotted and secured railway tracks. In addition the following potential obstructions were put in place:

A demolition 50 yards south of the roadblock designed to block the road with debris and possibly crater the road. This is in the gully marked by the tall white drain south of the inland pillar.

The road bridge over the railway immediately south of Pukerua Bay was prepared for a demolition that would crater the southern abutments and destroy five of the ten pillars supporting the bridge.

A side road from Pukerua Bay station was also prepared for cratering.

There were further road blocks on Pukerua Bay road and the beach road.[iii]

The National Military Reserve had a short life, on 6 February 1942 it was absorbed into the Territorial Force and 2 Battalion was renamed 3 Battalion, The Wellington Regiment. This had no effect on preparations in the Pukerua Bay area but the same couldn’t be said for the weather.

The winter of 1942 appears to have been particularly severe, the posts at the beach being damaged and flooded on one occasion and the road and railway on several occasions. In mid-July a slip rendered the roadblock on the northern side of Pukerua Bay ineffective; Beach Road was blocked by a slip and a crib wall on the main road failed, the resulting debris demolishing unoccupied houses below. Ten days later, around mid-morning, another slip endangered the railway line and completely blocked the main road. Post No 1 was evacuated and the weapons, personnel and stores were moved to an unidentified reserve position via Paekākāriki. The main road was open again by 6pm.

The weather was not the only problem; blackout conditions for vehicles had dire consequences. On the first night the northern roadblock was in position (28 May 1942) a truck hit the central pillar, and in mid-May a motor cyclist also hit the same roadblock killing himself and seriously injuring his sister, the pillion passenger.

In late July 1942, 3 Battalion was relieved by 4 Battalion, The Wellington Regiment. According to 4 Battalion’s War Diary, A Company was responsible for the area from Pukerua Bay to the northern edge of the Paramata Bridge.  The company headquarters was in the vicinity of Plimmerton School. 5 Platoon was at Pukerua Bay with a section at each of the posts and the platoon headquarters was in the vicinity of Post No 2.[iv]

The War Diary includes comments that in August 1942 work continued on Post 2. This included the carting of shingle, sand and turf to camouflage the rear of the post and painting the concrete. The planting of creeper and scattering of driftwood, deepening the main entrance, the construction of a trap door; and the spreading of garnished nets over the front of the post.

By late August 1942, Post No 2 was the only concrete position in Pukerua Bay; the decision was made, therefore, to reduce manning in Pukerua Bay to two sections until such time as the construction of a permanent Post No 1 was completed.

In late September 1942 the construction of huts in Pukerua Bay commenced, there is no indication of where these were being built. In early October work began at Post No 1. The War Diary records that this entailed the filling in of the old trenches with shingle and rubble, facilitated by the loan of a horse and scoop by Lady Pomare and Mr Wall of Pukerua Bay.

Throughout the construction work the troops continued with training to defend the area. In November 1942 the War Diary records that on the 5th the troops in the Plimmerton company area practiced assembling and defending the roadblocks at night.

By December 1942 the construction of Post 1 appeared to be complete; the top of the post had been covered with soil and the camouflage improved. It was to be a short-lived occupation.

By mid-1942 with the Japanese defeats in the Coral Sea and at Midway and land defeats in New Guinea it was evident that the Japanese threat to New Zealand was considerably reduced if not completely unlikely. Also the number of men involved in home defence was affecting the manpower pool and the cost of the daily allowance per man put paid to the unit, approximately 30/-, was becoming a major financial burden. By January 1943 the decision was made to man the Pukerua Bay posts with a non-commissioned officer and four soldiers. By mid-February 1943 forward posts, and company and platoon headquarters were to be evacuated as soon as possible. The battalion would concentrate in the main camp in the Porirua area, but a quick drill was to be established for reoccupying the forward areas. Huts were to be dismantled and returned to Porirua. On 19 February 1943 beach patrols ceased and from the following day there would a daily patrol of an officer, a non-commissioned officer and a soldier to inspect the posts for maintenance etc.  By mid-1943 almost all the mobilized Territorial units had been stood‑down.

To the south of Pukerua Bay, overlooking the State Highway 59 – Airlie Road Junction is a zgizag trench system that could have taken up to 20 – 30 soldiers.  At one end of the system are three large indentations all connected to one another and the trench system. These indentations are possibly the Command Post, a sleeping bay and a cooking bay. The location has panoramic views: to the north the view takes in the sea-area through to the northern end of Kāpiti Island and the coast in the area of Paraparaumu; to the south it is possible to see beyond Mana Island tto include the stretch of Cook Strait between Wellington and Tory Channel.

It is believed that the system was intermittently manned by a mounted troop from the Hutt Home Guard. When the National Military Reserve was absorbed into the Territorial Force, the Hutt Home Guard became C Company of 3 Battalion, Wellington Regiment.

By Terry Brown