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Stuart Richard SOUTHALL (621870) was posted to the 22nd Battalion in 1944, joining the Battalion for the NZ Division's final push into Trieste in northern Italy. Stuart's earlier military service included a posting as part of the guard on the Featherston POW camp near Masterton, New Zealand. From there he went overseas to training in Cairo before crossing into Italy. Stuart's active service was brief: the push into Trieste saw all the German forces in Italy surrender on 4th May 1945 to the 22nd Battalion. Stuart was a participant in that surrender process. The NZ Division's role in keeping the peace in Trieste was soon passed over to other forces, allowing the Battalion to move to Winter quarters at the Scola Aeronautica polythechnic in Florence. By early 1946 it had been decided that the Battalion would transfer to Japan as part of the Occupation Forces. Stuart spent time in Japan before being repatriated to New Zealand in late 1946.
These photos are from his album and record his days of training in Maadi Camp near Cairo, his time in Italy, especially Florence and his time in Japan.
 Maadi Camp 1944 |
 Training in desert |
 Maadi camp 1944 |
 Maadi Camp 1944 |
 Maadi Camp 1944 |
 Maadi Camp 1944 |
 New Zealand Forces Club Cairo - 1944 |
 Maadi township |
 Maadi township |
 Cathedral Maadi |
After a short time in Cairo, Stu was transferred to the 22nd Battalion in Italy, as the NZ Division was making the final push across the Senio River and on to Trieste. The 22nd Battalion was the first of the Allies to enter Trieste where they took the formal German surrender.
 15 Platoon Fabriano (Italy) 1945 |
 No 1 Section 15 Platoon - Fabriano 1945 |
 No 1 Section 15 Platoon - Fabriano 1945 |
 Wrecked railway station |
 Push to Trieste - Mind the bloody bridge! |
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 Driving past fruit trees |
 Sherman tank |
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 Crossing the Po and Senio Rivers |
 Adige River |
 Doug Harris 19 Battalion - Trieste |
 Doug Harris 19 Battalion - Trieste |
 19 Battalion - Trieste |
After the German surrender and the tensions with the Yugoslav partisans had died down, the Battalion could spend some time relaxing.
 Ken Prockter (496135), Grif, Stu - Trieste 1945 |
 Trieste 1945 |
 Jesi Aerodrome 1945 |
In August 1945 the Battalion moved south from Trieste, to bivouac near Perugia and then spent a week at a rest camp near Mondolfo. The Battalion Diary notes the prevalence of baseball and beach swimming at this camp - some of Stu's photos may be from this time.
 Support COY/HQ baseball teams |
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 Doug Harris |
 1&2 Sections, 15 Platoon, "C" Company |
 Jack Sicely (22805) |
 Doug Baty (214388) |
 Lance & Stu - Florence |
 Florence Camp 1945 |
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 Morrie Oliver (459099) & Jack Sicely - Florence 1945 |
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 ?, Brian Innis (444514) & Stu - Florence |
 Florence |
 Smithy, Bib Fraser - Florence Camp |
 Smithy, Stu & Lance - Florence |
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 Lance & Stu |
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 Doug Harris, Howard Davie, Jim Murphy, Bill Whitehead (449982) |
 Trotting - Florence 1945 |
 George McCormick, Lance Marshall & Bill Whitehead |
 Bill Whitehead & Stu barter for camera |
 Resting up before 22nd Bn rugby - Dick Jacob (378446) & John Sharp (397437) |
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 22nd Battalion rugby team - Florence 1945 |
 Both teams line up - Florence |
 22nd vs Artillery |
 Doug Harris vs Artillery |
 Doug scores! |
 Lineout win! |
 22nd Bn vs DivCav - Florence |
 HQ Coy Rugby Team - Xmas 1945 Florence |
 Support Coy team - Before! |
 Piped onto field - 22Bn Pipe Band |
 During! |
 After! |
 Stu & George - NZ Forces Club Florence |
 Morrie, Lance, George |
 Lance, Stu & George |
 George & Morrie |
 Lance at NZ Club Florence |
 Jim Murray & Bill Whitehead (449982) |
 Brian Innis (444514) & Bill Whitehead |
 George & Lance - Club swimming pool |
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 Venice - Hugh Poland (438135) & Lance |
 Lance & Stu - Venice 1945 |
 St Marks Square Venice 1945 |
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 Venice Grand Canal |
 Venice Grand Canal |
 Clock Tower - St Marks Square |
 Naples |
 Naples |
 Naples, Vesuvius in background |
 Naples |
 Naples |
 Naples |
 Pompeii |
 Pompeii |
 Pompeii |
 Pompeii |
 Pompeii |
 Stu on rooftop of NZ Club - "Quirinale Hotel", Rome |
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 Rome leave |
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 New Year's Eve Florence 1945 |
 George McCormack, Doug Harris, Stu, Joe Barnard - Florence 1945 |
 George McCormick, Lance Marshall & Bill Whitehead |
 George McCormick - Florence |
 "Tiny" Freyberg's final parade |
 Naples harbour 21 Feb 1946 |
 "Strathmore" |
 Naples Harbour |
 Embarkation Naples for Japan 1946 |
 Lance & Tubby Stewart onboard "Strathmore" |
 Lance - we pass Isle of Capri |
 Deck tennis - Gordon Anderson, Bib, Lance & Geo McCormack |
 Suez Canal |
 "Strathmore" enroute Japan |
 Suez Canal |
 "Strathmore" in Suez Canal |
 "Strathmore" in Suez Canal |
 Ferdinand de Lessops Memorial, Suez Canal |
 de Lessops Memorial, Suez Canal |
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 Water barge, Colombo |
 Colombo |
 Hiroshima from train Kobe/Chofu |
 Shimomoseki |
 Doug Harris - Chofu |
 Japanese girls entertain - Chofu |
 Battalion sports, Japan - Doug Harris |
 Sports day |
 Johnny Sharp - Bn long jump |
 Lance & Stu - Chofu |
 Doug & Stu - Chofu |
 Changing of guard - Bn HQ |
 Taking over Bn HQ - Chofu |
 Taking over Bn HQ - Chofu |
 22 Battalion - at Chofu |
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 Taxes Ball, Wellington 1946 |
 Battalion reunion, New Plymouth 1958: Buff Worth, Al Ciceridge, Bib Fraser, ?, Stu Southall (621870), Don Thomson, Brian Innes (444514), Gil Wall (444680). |
 15 Platoon reunion, Wellington 1954 |
 22 Battalion reunion, Napier 1974 |
 15 Platoon reunion, Rotorua 1984 |
 C COY (including 15 Platoon) reunion Trentham, 1994 |
 The Final Battalion Reunion, Katikati, Christmas 2010 (This function was the last of many that Stu Southall had organised for the Battalion) Back Row (L-R): Des Flavall, Charles Purcell, Chuck Hausman, Malcolm Waller, Lionel Isted, Barry Bracewell Front Row: Jim Sherratt, Ned Nolan, Haddon Donald, Stu Southall, Doug Froggatt, Stewart Nairn, Barry Dods |
Last updated: 19 June 2024
