NZNAM is for New Zealand National Army Museum Figures - 'Operation Heritage' or Let's Build a Museum!

Many, many, many moons ago, back at the start of the blog (in fact ten-years ago; today - 22nd Jan, and that's a fluke co-incidence I only noticed posting this just now (Monday PM), while looking up the links!), I included in a post on unknown figures a few larger 'flats' (actually semi-flats) I had picked-up over the years, and they were identified by a couple of chaps from New Zealand; Al Clarke and Glenn Sibbald as being from the New Zealand National Army Museum, which reminded me that the figures had been in Plastic Warrior magazine a few years earlier.

Both correspondents offered to send me samples, and Al did so at the time, however Royal Fail/Parcel Farce managed to lose the parcel, and with real life intervening, as it does, both ends of the Earth - time rather slid! From time to time Glenn would get in touch and let me know he hadn't forgotten me, until a week or so before this Christmas just gone - when he was emailing me for an address to send to!

We've had Pink, we've had not-Airfix, but also in 'The Parcel' from Glenn, for the Blog, for you - loyal readers - to enjoy . . . were these chaps;

"Mint on sprue!"; actually mint-on-runner, but some myths persist! This is how the figures looked, in NZ Woolworths in 1978, when you rushed in after seeing the TV slots and handed over your NZ$2.00, six figures in an old, hollow-cast 'toy soldier' style, representing NZ forces over the previous 100-years or so.

Set-out on the runner in chronological order and we find a militiaman from the 1840-70 period, a dismounted Mounted-rifleman from the Boer War, A WWI Anzac, and WWII Anzac, a Vietnam era (SLR with 'Bren-pouches' and bum-roll) New Zealander and an NZ No.2-dress equivalent on 'Staff-Parade' from the 1970's.

Following the original comments and a return to PW's article (which is deep in the garage somewhere) I had/have (?) spent the years thinking they were sold from the/a/museum's gift shop, but with them is a flyer encouraging both individuals and school classes to get behind the fundraising, and while the groundbreaking and laying of 'foundation stone' had already occurred, it's clear that these were a sort of citizens subscription to 'their' museum - something probably very necessary in a country with a small population, and a good idea as it gives 'the people' a sense of shared-ownership in the enterprise.

Text Reads;

'OPERATION HERITAGE'

LET'S KEEP OUR HERITAGE

l. MILITIA 1845 - 1872

     Formed into battalions as a result of the general

alarm in Auckland and elsewhere at Hone Heke’s rebellion, the

first Militia Ordinance operated, as garrison troops in their

home districts, frontier outposts and took part in a number of

skirmishes with the Maoris.

2. BOER WAR 1899 - 1902

     New Zealand supplied ten mounted rifle contingents

comprising 6,500 officers and men, mostly volunteers.

     All ten contingents saw action and earned a

fine reputation- in battle.

3. WORLD WAR ONE 1914 - 1918

     New Zealand troops were despatched to Egypt and

fought in the desparate campaign at Gallipoli.

     Following the return of the NZ Expeditionary Force to

Egypt it was reorganised as an infantry division and a

mounted brigade.

     The division went to Francei while the mounted

brigade continued to operate in Palestine.

4. WORLD WAR TWO 1939 - 1945

     In September 1939 a special force was mobilised

which was to become the nucleus of the 2nd New Zealand

Expeditionary Force.

     A Division was raised and served in Egypt, Libya,

Greece, Crete and participated in all the major campaigns in

North Africa, moving to ltaly in 1943.

     New Zealand soldiers also served with distinction in

the Pacific theatre.

5. POST WORLD WAR 1946 - 1977

     From 1951 the New Zealand Army has served in

Japan, Korea, Malaysia, South Vietnam and Thailand.

     A New Zealand Contingent (Jayforce) formed part of

the British Commonwealth Forces in Japan from 1946 - 1948.

6. TODAY'S SOLDIER.

     Since 1845, the New Zealand soldier has earned a

distinguished reputation demonstrating skill, ingenuity and

adaptability in action.

     Today’s soldier carries on this proud tradition and can

look forward to unlimited opportunities in a professional Army.

I'm not going to bother with the entry-form stuff to the right of the page, but the dates are worthy of note!

I will however transcribe the competition details, as they hold some fascinating clues to some of the background, and raise questions like where the TV slots (video clips?) are now, what were the questions in the end and what happened to the winning dioramas, to wit; were they ever publicised or displayed?

Text reads;

WOOLWORTHS            SOUTH PACIFIC TELEVISION

YOU CAN WIN THESE FANTASTIC PRIZES!

1ST PRIZE:

     Return trip for family of four to Singapore, London and Copenhagen,

including accommodation.

A great way to fly

SINGAPORE AIRLINES

2ND PRIZE:

     Asian Affair Holiday for two - 15 days, including accommodation.

3RD PRIZE:

     Holiday for four at either Queenstown or Rotorua staying at b Vacation Hotels

SCHOOL PRIZE:

     Hanimex synch recorder and slide projector - value $425.

Plus 100 consolation prizes from Lincoln Industries Games.

THE COMPETITION

     South Pacific Television will screen six 60 second short sketches during the

weeks of March 20 to April 8, 1978 at times to be announced later.

     These short programmes will relate to the six model soldiers enclosed with this

entry form, and contain clues that will help you to complete your entry.

     In each sketch, a question will be asked which you must answer on this

entry form.

     Remember, it is important that you see all the sketches as they will provide

clues that will help you answer the questions.

     Competition closes April 14, 1978.

CLASS PROJECT

     1. Construct a diorama of a battle involving the N.Z. Army using models from

the Operation Heritage soldier kit.

     Details on how to construct a diorama will be shown on the

“Hey, Hey, It's Andy” show.

     2. Send a photograph of the diorama together with a short story about the

battle to the address on the reverse side of this entry form.

     3. Competition closes May 12, 1978, but entries postmarked on that day will be

accepted up to May 19, 1978.

CONDITIONS OF ENTRY

     1.All entries will be judged by an independent body, decisions will be final and

no correspondence will be entered into.

     2. Entries must be on the official entry form, and will be judged on correctness,

neatness, and originality.

     3. Proceeds to the Army Memorial Museum Trust.

     4. Prize winners will be announced on South Pacific Television on Anzac Day,

April 25, 1978.

     5. Employees of South Pacific Television, their advertising agencies and their

immediate families are not eligible to enter this contest.

The museum of-course; has a website here but seems remarkably lacking in details of/for these figures or the part they played in its funding/construction, it may well be that they didn't raise the cash hoped for (the prizes alone would have needed a lot of sales to pay for - unless they were donated by the airlines/hotels/travel agents involved, and while you only need to sell fifty sets to find NZ$100, equally (as we shall see in a subsequent post) two dollars was a lot of money for six rather inactive toy figures in 1978!

The eight figures off the runners and ready for their participation in the diorama building, it's a hard one actually (the competition parameters), given the breadth of the time period between the six figures and their neutral posing.

The best thing to do probably, would be to model an actual museum display, with the figures painted as mannequins and placed in glass (clear plastic cut from blister-packs?) cases, or painted as statues on plinths (from Lego?), or something like that.

The figures were issued in three colours' the red rarer than the other two, we shall look at the olive-drab/deep-bronze green ones next. Many thanks to Glenn Sibbald of New Zealand who sent not just the set on the runner, but also a lose set to photograph.

He's still not worthy! He's still not worthy! Under my tutelage the 'Berserker' has adopted a less-aggressive stance in dealing with his sizing role, where these Kiwi figures are concerned!

Glenn has a few sets on the runners and lose sets for anyone who needs them or would like them, eMail me (maverickatlarge[at]hotmail[dot]com) in the first instance and I'll pass-on your details.