You probably don't know that we have two historic landmarks on the property here at Struan Farm: trenches dug by the Piopio Home Guardsmen during WWII to defend against possible Japanese invasion. It was thought that the Japanese might attack the Arapuni Power Station, something that would have crippled the North Island of New Zealand during the war.
John's brother Carrick erected copper signs years ago at both sites to commemorate these pieces of history. One is in an area of the farm called the "Bull Paddock," and is much easier to walk to than the other, which is down a hill in bush overlooking the main road.
Awhile ago I'd learned that Piopio resident Ron Bevege was involved in digging the trenches on our farm from his grandson Aaron. I went to see Ron to learn more about it, since the Robertson family really didn't know all that much other than the fact they were on the farm, they certainly didn't know that people in the community they knew had actually dug them!
This past week The Waitomo News decided to write a story about the Piopio Home Guard as part of its ANZAC Day publication, and brought Ron and Stan Neal, another area resident who was also in the Home Guard, out to the farm to share their stories.
The main strategy was to block the road through the Awakino Gorge by felling large trees, backed up by machine gun emplacements in a number of trenches that were dug by hand.
Ron (now 90) joined the Home Guard in 1941 when he was 15, while Stan (now 89) joined in 1944 at age 18. The Piopio Guard was led by Arthur Ronaldson, a veteran of WW1.
Trainings were held on the Piopio Primary School grounds with a rifle range on farmland nearby. The defence HQ was in a woolshed next to the bridge over the Mangaotaki River. This structure is still standing by the roadside; John and I are thinking it needs a sign too given its historical status.
We will remember them.
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