Sappers Association

Who can become a member

If you have ever been a serving sapper affiliated to the Corps of the Royal New Zealand Engineers then you can become a member of the Sappers Association (NZ) Inc. All you need to do to become a member is to register your name, rank, regimental number and all other relevant details on the downloadable form on the Contacts Page. The registration form is in two formats, a Word 2000 file or a PDF file. (Adobe Acrobat Reader required.)

Why become a member?

Members of the Sappers Association receive our highly popular 4-monthly newsletter that keeps our members current with:

	Reunions, Anniversary's and other formal Association gatherings
	Up to date information on "Sapper happenings" globally
	Local branch meetings, parades and other information
	Anecdotal memoirs and tales from the past
	Lost Souls - where fellow sappers often are reunited with each other, and
	Roll of Honour - our mates and colleagues - We Will Remember Them

"KIWI SAPPERS - The Corp of the Royal New Zealand Engineers' Century of Service" by Dr Ian McGibbon, senior historian in the History Group, Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Kiwi Sapper tells the story of courage, determination and dedication of the Corps' over the past 100 years, mainly in pictures - Stocks are no longer available from Reed Publishing Ltd but the odd copy may still be obtainable from Bruce McKenzie Booksellers outlets. A current project is under way to produce a comprehensive history due out in 2010.

Have you read the book? "The Desert Railway" by Brendon Judd.

Eight years it took for eight railway servicemen to write their stories, collect the stories of their comrades, remembering the many they left buried in the sands of the desert. They wrote this book so their grandchildren and great grandchildren would be proud of their heritage. They left their beloved country as volunteers, with the second and third echelons, returning after the end of the desert conflict, then they were quietly absorbed into the NZ war needs of the country. ONLY TO BE FORGOTTEN. Many people knew little of this "specialized" unit that caused Field Marshal Erwin Rommel (German Commander) to state in his memoirs "The Greatest Asset the Eighth Army had was The Desert Railway" and after the battle of Alamein, General Montgomery (British Commander) said "Now it is the Railways versus Rommel."

Seventy five of these men can proudly call themselves "THE RATS OF TOBRUK" for they manned the supply barges in Tobruk for the Australians. Lord Haw Haw (the German announcer) broadcasting from Germany referred to them as " The poor colonial boys that would be crushed like Rats In A Trap".

After printing 1000 copies (sold in seven weeks) the requests for a reprint amounted to several hundreds so the rights for world-wide distribution were handed over to Penguin Books and the control to The Sappers Assoc. (Only three of the committee survive.) The book is sold in all reputable bookshops and the ISBN is 0-143-01915-5. RRP $29.95.

So read the book and support your Association, - the royalties go to them.

Norm Leaf

Ex Chairman of the Book Committee

Footnote by Association President (Joe Hollander):

"The Desert Railway" is a great read and an excellent record, a tribute to the Sappers of the various Railway Construction, Operating and Survey units, known as the NZ Railway Group. The Association is indebted to the Book Committee for their generous offer of book royalties and the handing over of control of the book to the Sappers Association of NZ. This is a fitting acknowledgement and recognition of the sterling service provided by the NZ Railway Group during World War II and a memorial to the members of the Group now passed on.

If you would like to become a member of the New Zealand Sappers Association Inc, please complete an application form found on the Contacts Page and post it to the secretary. Alternatively, if you would like to be kept up to date with information about reunions etc by being on the Sappers Database, email the Secretary on the admin email link below.

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All enquiries about this website and its contents should be directed to: The Secretary, New Zealand Sappers Association Inc, c/- PNRSA, PO Box 88, Palmerston North, New Zealand - Contact the Secretary by E-mail to admin@sappers.org.nz

The NZ Sappers Association Site was last updated on 15 Jul 2008.

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