From Memory
Visit our website www.NZHistory.net.nz and you will find an exciting new addition to this popular site, a section called From Memory.
From Memory is an oral history project that will collect the stories of New Zealand's war veterans – women and men. Through the website we offer guidance and assistance to those interested in interviewing and recording the memories of New Zealanders who served their country in times of war.
At this stage, Second World War veterans are the focus of the project, but people who served in later wars of the twentieth century will also be interviewed.
Oral historian Alison Parr is leading the From Memory programme in the Ministry for Culture and Heritage and she is passionate about recording the memories of war veterans, and preserving them for researchers in the future.
'There's real urgency about the task, particularly when it comes to the Second World War. The generation who lived through those years is fast diminishing. The veterans we have interviewed so far are ordinary men and women who have been through extraordinary times,' says Alison.
'Oral history gives a voice to those people who are otherwise left out of historical records. Through them we learn the day-to-day reality of the experience of war. We have found that many veterans are willing to reveal things they have never talked about before – things that would never be known without their oral history.'
Once complete the recordings can be offered to the From Memory collection in the Alexander Turnbull Library where they become available for anyone to listen to.
The Ministry will hold From Memory workshops in Auckland , Wellington and Christchurch to encourage best practice and promote oral history as an important tool in safeguarding this country's history.
The From Memory web pages are a significant resource for anyone interested in recording the stories of war veterans. They contain information on the different theatres of the Second World War involving New Zealanders such as North Africa and Italy. There are also sections on POWs and those who served with the RAF and the Royal Navy. A short background summary followed by a comprehensive list of questions which could be used in an oral history interview are also included. Similar details on other wars will be added.
Best practice in oral history is also detailed, with advice on techniques, equipment and ethics. This kind of information is useful for anyone intending to record oral history on any topic.