AllMovie

This interesting New Zealand documentary compiled from newsreels depicts the war years between 1939-1945 and shows brigades from these islands joined with the Allied forces in campaigns in the Mediterranean. Attitudes towards war subtly change from clean-cut patriotism in World War I and the early '40s to a realistic acceptance of death, destruction, grief, and mourning as the loss of Maori soldiers mounted in World War II. Along with war memories come scenes of life in New Zealand at that time, of a visit of Eleanor Roosevelt to the islands, and some perspective on the effects of U.S. Marines stationed here during World War II.