Austin Warwick collection of Second World War ephemera.

Austin Neville Warwick was born in Pahiatua in July 1923. In September 1941 Warwick joined the New Zealand Army, he was just 18 and gave his occupation as student. Warwick began his military training in February 1942 and served in New Zealand with the 3rd and 4th Battalions, Wellington West Coast Regiment and as a gunner with the 10th Heavy Regiment at Fort Dorset, Wellington. In September 1944, Wawick, aged 21, embarked for overseas service with the 2 New Zealand Expeditionary Force. On arrival at the New Zealand base at Maadi, Egypt in November 1944 he was posted to the 22nd Battalion. Warwick served as a Private with the Battalion in Italy from January 1944 until late 1945 and then in Japan with Jayforce as part of the British Commonwealth Occupation Force, from March to September 1946.

In August 1945 Warwick was granted 5 days leave to visit Venice, however he made his way to Denmark only returning to his unit 29 days later. He was tried by Court Martial and received 22 days field punishment which he served in a British Army detention camp in Florence. The French newspaper in the collection dates from this period.

After the war Warwick married and lived in Auckland where he worked as a surveyor. Warwick died in November 2007.

References: Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database. Military service record for 455700 Austin Neville WARWICK, held by NZDF Personnel Archives. New Zealand, Electoral Rolls, 1953-1981 ,accessed through Ancestry.com.