Wartime camp

At the beginning of the winter of 1940, 800 construction workers from the Ministry of Works built a training camp with capacity for 7,000 Territorial soldiers. Within six weeks 25,000 tons of building materials had arrived at Waiouru Railway Station. 450,000 tonnes of earth was shifted to make a flat area for the camp. At the same time, hundreds of soldiers camped under canvas in the snow and completed extensive field training.

By Christmas 1940, there were 230 buildings erected, served by 20 km (12 mi) of streets, and 8 km (5.0 mi) each of water mains, power lines and sewers. By mid-1941, seven regimental camps housed 7,000 soldiers. There was a bakery, a hospital, two film theatres and five "institutes", each with a concert hall, library, writing room and tearooms. However, there were no bars; soldiers had to go to Taihape to buy a beer. An Armoured Fighting Vehicle School and a Command and Staff School at Waiouru were established in August 1941.^[2] By the end of the war, £1.2 million (NZ$2.4 million) had been spent on developing the camp, and 340 km² (130 sq mi) of land had been acquired for training.^[3]

Postwar

More land was required for the camp by 1949. Plans were made to upgrade the Desert Road track through the artillery range to a major State Highway and build a high-voltage power line to transfer power up the Moawhango valley. The Army Schools at Trentham were to be transferred to Waiouru, compulsory military training was about to commence and, as defence responsibilities shifted to South-East Asia, the Army needed forests for jungle warfare training. These considerations resulted in another 250 km² (97 sq mi) of land to the north and east of the camp being acquired by the New Zealand Government. In 1955, the 1st NZSAS Squadron started jungle training in Paradise Valley, part of the newly acquired area.^[3]

Waiouru's busiest years

Compulsory military training was carried out at Waiouru from 1950 to 1958, and balloted national service from 1962 to 1972. In 1978, the National Army Museum opened at Waiouru, and in 1985 the Officer Cadet School of New Zealand. These were busiest years at Waiouru. 100 recreational clubs were active in the 1970s and 80s: the Ski Club alone had 300 members. At the time, Waiouru had a population of 6,000 people, including 600 children.

Accidents

On 9 March 1997, a 155 mm artillery round exploded in the barrel of an FH-2000 howitzer during a live firing exercise conducted by the 23rd Battalion, Singapore Artillery, of the Singapore Army at the artillery range of Waiouru Army Camp. This resulted in the death of two full-time Singaporean national servicemen; Third Sergeant Ronnie Tan Han Chong and Lance Corporal Low Yin Tit. 12 other servicemen also were injured in the incident, including a Staff Sergeant from New Zealand Army, who was part of a group of New Zealand Defence Force liaison officer/observer to the visiting SAF battalion.^[7] The explosion was attributed to a defective fuse. The loading force of the round was found to be a contributing factor.^{[citation needed]}

On 19 January 2019, while taking part in a live firing exercise as an Operationally Ready National Serviceman, Corporal First Class (CFC)(NS) Aloysius Pang entered the cabin of a Singapore Self-Propelled Howitzer (SSPH) to troubleshoot a fault. At 7.05 pm NZDT (2.05 pm SST),^[8] to enable diagnosis of the fault, the barrel of the howitzer was automatically lowered to neutral position within the cabin. Pang was in the path of the receding barrel and sustained severe crush injuries to his chest and abdomen as a result.^[9] Pang eventually succumbed to the sustained injuries and died at Waikato Hospital on 24 January 2019 at 1.45 am (NZDT UTC+13) (23 January 2019 8.45 pm SST UTC+8).

Alamein Barracks

Alamein Barracks commemorate the 1942 Second Battle of El Alamein in which the 2nd New Zealand Division played a vital role.

Belhamed Barracks

Belhamed Barracks commemorate the 2nd New Zealand Divisions actions at Belhamed during Operation Crusader in December 1941.

Bologna Barracks

Bologna Barracks commemorate the Italian town of Bologna in Northern Italy which the 2nd New Zealand Division helped to liberate in 1945.

Cambrai Barracks

Traditionally a Royal New Zealand Armoured Corps Barracks, Cambrai Barracks commemorate the 20 November 1917 Battle of Cambrai which was the first time that tanks were used en masse.

Cassino Barracks

Cassino Barracks commemorate the 1944 Battle of Cassino.

Crete Barracks

Crete Barracks commemorate the May 1941 Battle of Crete.

Faenza Barracks

Faenza Barracks commemorate the December 1944 liberation of the Italian city of Faenza by the 2nd New Zealand Division. The NZ Division out flanked the German Garrison in Faenza, killing at least 200 Germans and capturing a further 300.

Galatas Barracks

Galatas Barracks commemorate the New Zealand actions at Galatas during the Battle of Crete.

Gallipoli Barracks

Gallipoli Barracks are named after the New Zealand's Army's first major campaign of the First World War.

Korea Barracks

Korea Barracks commemorated the 4700 New Zealanders of Kayforce who served during the Korean War from 1950 to 1957.

Malaya Barracks

Malaya Barracks commemorated New Zealand's contribution during the Malayan Emergency.

Maleme Barracks

Maleme Barracks commemorate the New Zealand actions at Maleme during the Battle of Crete.

Megiddo Barracks

Megiddo Barracks commemorated the 19–21 September 1918 Battle of Megiddo in which the New Zealand Mounted Rifle Brigade played a significant role.

Menastir Barracks

Menastir Barracks commemorated the 2nd New Zealand Divisions actions in the Menastir area in December 1941.

Minqar Qaim Barracks

Minqar Qaim Barracks commemorates the dramatic break out of the 2nd New Zealand Division when encircled by the German 21st Panzer Division.

Olympus Barracks

Olympus Barracks commemorates the actions of the 5th Infantry Brigade (New Zealand) at Olympus Pass during the Greek Campaign of April 1941.

Platamon Barracks

Platamon Barracks commemorates the actions of the 5th Infantry Brigade (New Zealand) at Platamon during the Greek Campaign of April 1941.

Ruweisat Barracks

Ruweisat Barracks commemorated the 2nd New Zealand Divisions actions at Ruweisat Ridge area in July 1942.

Senio Barracks

Senio Barracks commemorated one of those most difficult of operations - an opposed river crossing, when in April the 2nd New Zealand Division successfully crossed the Senio River in Italy during the Spring 1945 offensive in Italy.

Somme Barracks

Somme Barracks commemorated the two WW1 Battles of the Somme, after which several New Zealand Infantry Battalions were granted the battle honour "Somme 1916-18".

Takrouna Barracks

Takrouna Barracks commemorate the 2nd New Zealand Divisions last major action of World War IIs North African Campaign.

Tebaga Barracks

Tebaga Barracks commemorate the 2nd New Zealand Divisions capture of the Tebaga Gap, opening up the road to the Mareth Line.

Terendak Barracks

Terendak Barracks are named after the purpose built brigade camp in Malaysia that was occupied by the New Zealand Army from 1960 to 1969.

Trieste Barracks

Trieste Barracks commemorate Trieste in northern Italy where the 2nd New Zealand Divisions ended it involvement in World War II and it is said fought the first battle of the Cold War

Vella Levella Barracks.

Vella Levella Barracks commemorates the battle conducted by the 14th (New Zealand) Infantry Brigade of the 3rd New Zealand Division to secure Vella Levella in the central Solomon Islands.