This article discusses NZPO support to coast-watching services during the Second World War.
Many details of this article were researched from the publication 'Coast-watchers', one of a series of volumes in the Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War series. Our thanks to the publishers for making sure these valuable contributions to the New Zealand war effort have been maintained as part of our national heritage. Direct quotes are marked [NZCW]
The full text of 'Coast-watchers' is available online at NZETC, the New Zealand Electronic Text Collection hosted by the National Library of New Zealand.
The Need For Coast-watching Services
[NZCW] Coast-watching was carried on from our own coasts and those of New Zealand dependencies. Watch was also kept on those islands to the north and south which might, in enemy hands, menace our security. Although the greater part of the coast-watching communications system was operated by New Zealanders, the actual watch for ships and aircraft on many Pacific islands was kept by local civilians and natives.
The need for the quiet, passive observation of coast-watchers, for those long hours of boredom and monotony, was to restrict the activities of enemy raiders who might wish to upset local shipping commerce or gain some military advantage.
The number of watcher sites varied greatly between the start and the end of the war as the military need changed. Also, the style of coast-watching changed from pure 'eyes and telescopes' to include existing NZPO radio stations, military radar sites, and port war signal stations. The staffing therefore also varied between Navy, Army or Air Force, and even civilian personnel such as the Pacific islanders, port war signal operators, Public Works Department and Post Office communications staff.
This Coast-watcher article is provided in separate sections based on the different theaters of operations, these being:
- The New Zealand Coastline
the home front - monitoring our cities, harbours and often-rugged and remote coastal areas; and where many civilians manned remote or established communication stations, military forces operated more equipment-intensive vessel detecting or sensing systems, civilian aircraft patrolled remote Fiordland coastal bays, and the Navy patrolled with vessels; - The Pacific Theater
a vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean covering islands to New Zealand's north, east and south; - The Sub-Antarctic Islands
a closer look at the protective measures in New Zealand's often overlooked southern realm; - Threats and Attacks
a reminder of how close the menace of war came to our shores.
Please select a section from the sidebar menu.