Archives Invites: Shaun McGuire - The Royal New Zealand Air Force Leaves Singapore: Records Hindmost!
Archives Invites: Shaun McGuire - The Royal New Zealand Air Force Leaves Singapore: Records Hindmost!
New Zealand’s contribution to the defence of Malaya in 1942 was the Royal New Zealand Air Force Squadron 488 and an Aerodome Construction Unit. The two units had the good fortune of leaving Singapore shortly before the island’s fall, sparing many of its men from internment by the invading Imperial Japanese Army.
Considered low to no priority, the units’ records were left behind or lost as the forces evacuated to the Dutch East Indies. The records (and photographs that had chanced to survive) from this campaign were largely compiled after the war and now reside at the Archives New Zealand. Join Archivist Shaun McGuire as he highlights some of these records.
Date: 14 February 2023
Time: 6:00pm to 7:00pm
Venue: ZOOM platform
Admission to the programme is free.
For more information, please visit this link for more information.
About Speaker
Shaun McGuire is an archivist with 20 years’ experience supporting researchers in Archives New Zealand and at New Zealand’s Heritage Library, Alexander Turnbull Library. He has a Masters in History from the University of Waikato and a Masters of Information Studies from Victoria University of Wellington.
About “Defending the Little Red Dot”
The responsibility of defending a nation rests on its people. Every year, Singapore commemorates Total Defence Day on 15 February, which marks the fall of Singapore in 1942. For this year’s Total Defence Day, the National Library Board presents Defending the Little Red Dot, a campaign packed with talks, book displays and film screenings, highlighting stories of resistance and resilience during the Japanese Occupation, and the importance of preparedness in the digital age.