THIS IS MY STORY THE LIFE OF A WAR BABY.
  WAS BORN ON THE 28-12-1949. I WAS THE ONLY CHILD. MY MOTHER CAME FROM A VERY BIG FAMILY.THERE WERE 5 GIRLS AND 6 BOYS. MY MOTHER WORKED IN CAMBRIDGE AND LIVED IN LEAMINGTON WHERE HER PARENTS OWNED A FARM.
I DO NOT KNOW WHEN MY MOTHER MET MY STEPFATHER, BUT HE WORKED ON THE NEW ZEALAND RAILWAY IN FRANKTON. MY MOTHER AND STEPFATHER GOT A RAILWAY HOUSE IN FRANKTON, THE BACK OF THE HOUSE FACED TO THE RAILWAY LINES.
I WAS BORN BEFORE MY MOTHER AND STEPFATHER GOT MARRIED. BEFORE THEY WENT ON THEIR HONEYMOON THEY GOT MY STEPFATHER'S MOTHER TO COME LOOK AFTER ME.WHEN THEY HAD BEEN GONE FOR SOME TIME, ONE NIGHT I WAS SITTING ON THE SOFA LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW AND I SAW THE TRAIN COMING DOWN THE RAILWAY LINE TO THE STATION. I TOLD GRANDMA THAT MUM AND DAD ARE COMING HOME. SHE TOLD ME NOT TO BE A FOOL THEY ARE NOT COMING HOME. I TOLD HER THE TAXI WILL BE HERE SOON, AND IN 15 MINUTES THE TAXI CAME. I TOLD MY GRANDMA WHO IS THE FOOL NOW.
MY MOTHER AND STEPFATHER WERE NOT HOME LONG WHEN I REALLY GOT SICK. I HAD ENDED UP WITH THE GERMAN MEASLES AND DOUBLE PNEUMOMIA ALONG WITH TONSILLITIS ALL AT ONCE. THEY CALLED FOR THE DOCTOR TO COME TO THE HOUSE. WHEN HE AND HIS NURSE CAME HE TOLD MY MOTHER I WAS LIKE AN OLD MAN DYING AND THERE WAS NOTHING HE COULD DO. THE NURSE TOLD HIM IF HE DID NOT GET ME INTO THE WAIKATO HOSPITAL SHE WOULD TAKE HIM TO THE MEDICAL COMMISSION. SO I SPENT 15 WEEKS IN THE HOSPITAL IN THE OLD HOCKIN WING.
WHEN I WAS IN HOSPITAL MY MOTHER ADOPTED HER SISTER JENNIFER TO BE A MATE FOR ME. BUT THE DAY I GOT OUT OF HOSPITAL SHE PUSHED ME DOWN THE HILL AND I ENDED BACK UP IN HOSPITAL THE SAME DAY.I WAS ONLY 3 YEARS OLD.
WHEN I GOT OUT OF HOSPITAL I WENT TO STAY WITH MY MOTHERS MOTHER IN LEAMINGTON, BUT THINGS GOT TOO HARD FOR HER SO I WENT HOME TO MY MOTHER IN HAMILTON.
ONE DAY MY STEPFATHERS MOTHER TOOK ME OUT FOR THE DAY TO TOWN AND SHE TOOK ME TO HAVE COFFEE UPSTAIRS IN A RESTAURANT. WHEN WE LEFT SHE PUSHED ME DOWN FROM THE TOP OF THE STAIRS AND I ENDED UP IN HOSPITAL. WHEN MY MOTHERS MOTHER FOUND OUT SHE GOT THE BUS OVER TO HAMILTON AND CAME TO SEE ME BEFORE SHE WENT TO SEE MY MOTHER TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON. SHE TOLD MY STEPFATHER THAT HIS MOTHER TRIED TO KILL ME.
MY LIFE NEVER GOT BETTER.
I WAS PUT INTO THE HAMILTON NEST, IT WAS RUN BY THE SALVATION ARMY. ON MY 5TH BIRTHDAY I WAS TAKEN AND PLACED INTO THEIR BOYS HOME AT HODDERVILLE. I WAS A BOY THERE UNTIL I WAS 7 YEARS OLD.
I WENT BACK HOME TO MY MOTHER AND STEPFATHER, THEY NOW LIVED IN TE AWAMUTU. I WENT TO SCHOOL FOR THREE WEEKS AND MY MOTHER GOT ME PUT INTO CHILD WELFARE AND THE COURTS MADE ME A STATE WARD.
I WAS TAKEN AND PUT INTO THE HAMILTON BOYS HOME. I WAS ONLY THERE THREE WEEKS AND WAS PLACED INTO A FOSTER HOME JUST OUT OF HAMILTON AT HOROTIU. I WAS GOING TO THE HOROTIU SCHOOL JUST UP THE ROAD SO I DID NOT HAVE FAR TO GO.
ONE OF MY FOSTER BROTHERS WAS IN THE NEW ZEALAND NAVY AND THE OTHER ONE WAS WORKING RACE HORSES, BUT WHEN HE CAME HOME HE HATED ME SO MUCH THAT HE WOULD GET THE LAWMMOWER AND START IT UP AND CHASE ME UNDER THE HOUSE AND TRY RUNNING IT INTO ME. SO ONE DAY I TOOK TO HIM AND BROKE HIS FINGER, HE TOLD HIS BIG BROTHER WHEN HE GOT HOME FROM THE NAVY AND HE BEAT THE HELL OUT OF ME. HIS SISTER JENNIFER WORKED UP IN AUCKLAND AT THE MENTAL HOSPITAL, SHE WAS REALLY NICE TO ME.
ONE NIGHT I HEARD THEIR MOTHER TALKING TO THEIR FATHER THAT SHE WAS GOING TO GO TO SEE THE CHILD WELFARE TO ADOPT ME, SO AT 3AM IN THE MORNING I GOT UP AND RAN AWAY BACK TO THE BOYS HOME. I WAS SITTING ON THE DOOR STEP WHEN THE MANAGER CAME TO WORK, HE WAS Mr JOHNSTON. HE ASKED ME WHAT I WAS DOING THERE SO I TOLD HIM WHAT THEY WERE GOING TO DO TO ME. HE TOLD ME THE CHILD WELFARE WILL HAVE TO BE PHONED.
I STAYED AT THE HOME FOR ANOTHER YEAR. I WAS GOING TO SCHOOL WITH THE OTHER BOYS BUT I HATED SCHOOL, SO I START PLAYING UP AND I STOPPED GOING TO SCHOOL. I LOVED WORKING OUTSIDE WITH THE OLD GARDENER HE WAS AN EX COP BUT HE TAUGHT ME SO MUCH AND I LOVED WORKING WITH HIM.
ONE DAY Mr JOHNSTON TOOK THREE OF US BOYS TO SEE THE DOCTOR AT THE HOSPITAL. HE WAS A HEADSHRINKER. HE TOLD US THAT WE WERE GOING TO THE SOUTH ISLAND AND WE WOULD DRIVE CARS AND RIDE HORSES ALL DAY AND WE WOULD NOT HAVE TO DO SCHOOL WORK, THIS REALLY FELT GOOD SO WE WERE HAPPY TO GO.
FIVE DAYS AFTER WE HAD BEEN UP TO THE HOSPITAL WE WERE TAKEN TO THE FRANKTON RAILWAY STATION TO GET THE OVERNIGHT Express.WHEN WE GOT TO WELLINGTON WE WERE TAKEN BY CAR TO ANOTHER BOYS HOME AT LEVIN, WE STAYED THERE ALL DAY DOING NOTHING. AFTER TEA WE WERE TOLD THAT WE WOULD BE GOING BACK TO WELLINGTON. WHEN IT WAS TIME TO GO THERE WAS ONLY TWO OF US KENNY'S BROTHER MICHEAL WAS LEFT AT THE BOYS HOME. SO I AND KENNY WERE THE ONLY ONES GOING TO GET THE SHIP TO GO TO THE SOUTH ISLAND.
THE SHIP LEFT WELLINGTON AT 8:30PM. WE DID NOT GET INTO LYTTELTON  UNTIL THE NEXT MORNING. WHEN WE GOT IN WE HAD TO WALK DOWN THE PLANKWAY AND ONTO TRAIN CARRIAGES AND IT WAS PULLED THROUGH THE LYTTELTON TUNNEL TO THE CHRISTCHURCH STATION WHERE WE GOT OFF TO HAVE BREAKFAST. AFTER BREAKFAST WE HAD TO GET BACK INTO THE CARRIAGES AS THE TRAIN WAS A BIG BLACK STEAM TRAIN.SO WE WERE OFF AGAIN.
WE HAD TO GET OFF AT THE OAMARU-STATION, WE WHERE MET BY AN OLD MAN WHO CALLED HIMSELF MR O'CONNOR. HE TOLD KENNY AND I EVERYTHING AROUND US AND ABOUT THE LITTLE PLACES THAT WE HAD TO GO THROUGH TO GET TO OTEKAIEKE. WHEN WE WENT DOWN THIS ROAD WE WERE STILL LOOKING AROUND AND OUT OF THE BLUE WAS THIS OLD CASTLE ON THE HILL. IT WAS NOT UNTIL WE WENT TO GO INTO THE DRIVEWAY WHEN WE SAW THE SIGN SAY  OTEKAIEKE SPECIAL SCHOOL. THEN IT HIT US THAT IT WAS ALL LIES THAT THE HEADSHRINKER TOLD US.
 WHEN WE GOT UP TO THE CASTLE  WE GOT OUT OF THE CAR AND WERE TAKEN INSIDE TO MR O'CONNORS OFFICE WHERE HE SAT DOWN AND KENNY AND I HAD TO STAND. THAT'S WHEN MR O'CONNOR STARTED LAYING DOWN THE BULL SHIT AND TELLING US OUR RIGHTS, THAT WAS ALSO BULL SHIT WE HAD NO RIGHTS.Mr O'CONNOR MUST HAVE THOUGHT WE WERE TWO NICE BOYS.AFTER THE FIRST TWO WEEKS HE PROBABLY HAD SECOND THOUGHTS ABOUT US TWO.
KENNY AND I WERE PUT INTO THE SAME COTTAGE TOGETHER  WITH ALL THE OTHER BOYS. AFTER FOUR WEEKS THEY MOVED ME UP TO COTTAGE B WITH THE OLDER BOYS.
THE BOYS IN MY COTTAGE ALL WANTED TO BE MY FRIEND THEY DID NOT WANT TO GET ON THE WRONG SIDE OF ME. I STILL BELIEVE THE HOUSEMASTERS HAD TOLD THEM ABOUT ME AND WHAT I REALLY WAS LIKE THAT I DO NOT STAND SHIT FROM NO ONE.THERE WERE A LOT OF HOUSEMASTERS THAT DID NOT KNOW HOW TO TAKE ME. BUT I WOULD PICK MY OWN FRIENDS. IF I LIKED YOU THEN YOU WOULD KNOW THAT I WAS ALWAYS THERE FOR YOU AND THAT WENT FOR ALL THE STAFF AS WELL. TO BE HONEST I DID NOT LIKE ALL THE STAFF MEMBERS THERE WAS A LOT I DID LIKE.
WHEN I WAS UP AT THE SCHOOL WE HAD SOME REAL GOOD TIMES. ON THE WEEKEND WE WOULD ALL GO DOWN TO THE PARK TO PLAY AND WE HAD A LOT OF FUN OVER THE SUMMER AND GO SWIMMING. BUT WE HAD TO ALWAYS DO CROSS COUNTRY AND I HATED THAT. WE MADE WOODEN SLEDGES AND WE WOULD LEAVE THEM AT THE TOP OF THE HILL AT THE WATER TOWER AND WHEN WE GOT TO THAT PART OF THE CROSS COUNTRY WE WOULD SLIDE DOWN THE HILL. MR & MRS BOYLE AND THEIR DAUGHTER LOUISE  WOULD BE SITTING OUTSIDE THEIR COTTAGE WATCHING THE RACE AND WHEN THEY SAW ME COMING THEY WOULD SEE ME DISAPPEAR THEN OUT OF THE BLUE I WOULD BE ON MY WAY DOWN THE HILL ON MY SLEDGE. WHEN I GOT OFF I DID NOT HAVE FAR TO RUN.
OVER THE WINTER WE WOULD BUILD HUTS UNDER THE GROUND AND WE WOULD HAVE CHIMNEYS POKING OUT OF THE GROUND. WE WOULD GO UP TO THE PIGGERY AND GET THE PIG POTATOES AND TAKE THEM BACK TO OUR HUTS AND COOK THEM ON THE OPEN FIRE. WHEN YOU CAME DOWN THE ROAD YOU COULD NOT SEE ANYTHING BUT SMOKE YOU COULD NOT EVEN SEE ANY OF THE BOYS.
ONE DAY WE WENT TO ANOTHER BIG HILL ON THE FARM TO TRY IT OUT TO SLIDE DOWN WITH OUR SLEDGES. ONE OF THE HOUSEMASTERS I NICK NAMED ZIG ZAG TOOK US. BUT I TOOK SOME REAL THICK FLOOR POLISH TO PUT ONTO MY WOODEN RUNNERS AND I WAS SHINING THEM UP WHEN ZIG ZAG CAME UP TO ME AND SIAD WE COULD EVEN GO FASTER IF I GET ON TOP OF YOU. SO I SAID OK LETS GIVE IT AGO. WE GOT ONTO THE SLEDGE TOGETHER AND WE TOLD ALL THE OTHERS TO GET OUT OF THE WAY BECAUSE WE ARE COMING DOWN. WHEN ALL THE BOYS GOT OUT OF THE WAY WE TOOK OFF. WHEN WE GOT NEAR THE BOTTOM WE HIT A ROCK. WELL HE TOOK OFF OVER THE TOP OF THE FENCE AND I WENT STRAIGHT THROUGH IT, BUT THE SLEDGE STAYED BEHIND.
WE COULD NOT WAIT FOR THE SCHOOL HOLIDAYS BECAUSE WE WOULD GO HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS. MAY AND CHRISTMAS FOR THE JUNIORS AND CHRISTMAS FOR THE SENIORS. WHEN WE LEFT THE SCHOOL THEY WOULD SEND THREE NZRRS BUSES TO TAKE US INTO THE OAMARU STATION TO GET THE TRAIN TO CHRISTCHURCH, WE WOULD HAVE TEA THEN GET THE TRAIN INTO LYTTELTON TO GET THE SHIP TO WELLINGTON. WHEN WE GOT INTO WELLINGTON WE WOULD ALL GO TO THE RAILWAY STATION FOR BREAKFAST AND THE BOYS THAT WHERE NOT GOING TOO FAR NORTH GOT THE TRAIN. THE ONES THAT WHERE GOING RIGHT UP THE NORTH ISLAND GOT ON A BUS AND IT WOULD TAKE ALL DAY TO GET TO AUCKLAND AS THE BOYS WERE GETTING OFF AT THE BUS STOPS ON THE WAY UP.
AFTER WE HAD OUR HOLIDAYS WE HAD TO GET BACK TO WELLINGTON SO THE TRAIN WOULD LEAVE AUCKLAND AND STOP ON THE WAY DOWN TO PICK THE BOYS UP. WHEN THE TRAIN GOT INTO WELLINGTON WE WOULD ALL MEET THERE FOR BREAKFAST. AFTER BREAKFAST THE STAFF WHO WERE TAKING US BACK TO THE SCHOOL WOULD TAKE US TO THE OLD ROXY PICTURE THEATRE AND WE WOULD SIT THERE ALL DAY AND SEE THE SAME PICTURE OVER AND OVER. SOME OF THE BOYS WOULD RUN AWAY AND SIT UP ON TOP OF THE HILL AND WHEN THEY SAW THE SHIP LEAVING THEY WOULD BE OFF.BUT THEY ALWAYS ENDED UP BEING BROUGHT BACK TO THE SCHOOL.
WE WOULD ALWAYS GET UP TO NO GOOD ON OUR WAY BACK ON THE TRAIN. WE WOULD GO INTO OTHER CARRIAGES AND WHEN EVERY ONE WAS SLEEPING WE WOULD PUT THEIR WINDOWS DOWN AND ALL THE BLACK SMOKE AND SOOT WOULD GO ALL OVER THEIR CLOTHES. WE WOULD THROW THE RAILWAY CUPS AND PLATES OUT THE TRAIN WINDOWS AND THEIR PILLOWS AS WELL. WE WOULD SEE HOW MANY BLACK FACES WERE GETTING OFF THE TRAIN ESPECIALLY WHITE PEOPLE.
IF ANY BOY GOT TO BAD THEY WOULD LOCK THEM UP IN THE JAIL DOWN BY MR O'CONNORS HOUSE BUT THE FUNNY THING ABOUT IT WAS THE BARS ARE FACING OUT INTO THE ORCHARD AND THE VEGETABLE GARDEN. AT NIGHT IF YOU WERE LOCKED IN THE ROOM ON THE LEFT SIDE THE BAR WOULD GO RIGHT UP IN THE AIR AND YOU COULD CLIMB OUT AND ROB THE ORCHARD AND THEY NEVER KNEW.
IT WAS BETTER WHEN YOU GOT DOWN TO THE SENIORS, YOU COULD WORK AND THERE WAS MUCH MORE TO DO.
EVERY FRIDAY MR LEE WOULD PICK TWO BOYS TO GO WITH HIM TO THE OTEKAIEKE RAILWAY STATION TO UNLOAD THE COAL TRUCKS AND WE WOULD SEE HOW LONG IT WOULD TAKE AND MAKE RECORDS.
IF YOU RAN AWAY TOO MUCH THEY WOULD SEND YOU TO THE MENTAL HOSPITAL IN DUNEDIN.THAT IS WHAT THE CHILD WELFARE WERE GOOD AT ALONG WITH ALL THEIR BULL SHIT.
WHEN I LEFT OTEKAIEKE IN 1966 I WENT HOME BUT I WAS STILL UNDER CHID WELFARE.
I CAME HOME IN MAY AND MY MOTHER PHONED THE CHILD WELFARE AND TOLD THEM I WAS TO GO BACK THERE. BUT SHE WAS TOLD I WAS TOO OLD.
I GOT A JOB AT THE TE AWAMUTU SAWMILL. ONE DAY I WAS OUT WITH THE TRUCK DRIVER PICKING UP FENCE BATTONS AND THE TRUCK GOT STUCK AND MY MOTHER RANG MY BOSS TO SEE WHERE I WAS. HE TOLD HER THE TRUTH AND SHE RANG HIM AGAIN AND AGAIN, BY THIS TIME HE WAS SICK OF THIS. WHEN WE GOT BACK TO THE SAW MILL I WAS OFF HOME THINKING I DID A GOOD DAY'S JOB. BUT, I HAD NOT GOT FAR UP THE ROAD WHEN A POLICE CAR PULLED ME UP AND SAID THAT MY MOTHER RANG THEM ABOUT ME. I TOLD HIM I ONLY JUST GOT BACK TO THE SAW MILL WE GOT THE TRUCK STUCK ON THE FARMER'S LAND AND I WAS ON MY WAY HOME. I WAS 17 YEARS OLD.
THE NEXT MORNING I WAS OFF TO WORK. WHEN I GOT TO THE MILL THE BOSS TOLD ME I HAD NO JOB. SO I WENT HOME AND TOLD MY MOTHER I LOST MY JOB.
I GOT THE PAPER AND I GOT OTHER JOB, THIS TIME ON A FARM MILKING COWS. I HAD NOT BEEN THERE LONG WHEN MY MOTHER PHONED MY BOSS AND ASKED HIM IF I WAS TAKING MY PILLS FOR EPILEPSY. I TOLD MY BOSS THEY ARE NOT MY PILLS, I DON'T TAKE EPILEPSY MY STEPFATHER DOES, SO HE TOLD MY MOTHER I WAS NOT TAKING THEM. SHE THEN PHONED THE CHILD WELFARE THEY CAME TO MY JOB AND TOLD MY BOSS THEY WERE PUTING ME INTO TOKONUI HOSPITAL TO HAVE AN EEG  AND I WOULD BE IN HOSPITAL FOR TWO WEEKS. BUT THAT WAS ANOTHER LIE. I WAS THERE FOR FIVE YEARS. THERE WAS NOTHING WRONG WITH ME AT ALL.
EVERY TIME I GOT A JOB MY MOTHER WOULD HAVE IT IN FOR ME SO DID THE CHILD WELFARE.
WHEN I HAD MY TWO OLDER CHILDREN THE CHILD WELFARE  TOOK THEM OFF ME BUT I TOOK THEM TO COURT AND I GOT MY CHILDREN BACK FROM THEM.
IT WAS THE SAME WITH KENNY'S SISTER. SHE WAS ALSO PUT INTO CHILD WELFARE AS A YOUNG GIRL. THEY PUT HER INTO A FOSTER HOME AND THE FOSTER FATHER WAS HAVING SEX WITH HER. WHEN SHE WENT HOME TO SEE HER MOTHER SHE TOLD HER WHAT WAS GOING ON THERE. HER MOTHER PHONED THE CHILD WELFARE AND TOLD THEM WHAT HER DAUGHTER HAD TOLD HER. THE CHILD WELFARE OFFICER TOOK HER BACK TO THE FARM. WHEN THE OFFICER ASK HIM ABOUT IT HE SAID SHE WAS LYING. AFTER THE OFFICER LEFT THE FOSTER FATHER BEAT HER UP FOR TELLING HER MOTHER AND THE CHILD WELFARE DID NOTHING.
SO YOU SEE WHEN YOU ARE A WAR BABY YOU HAVE NO ONE. ALL YOU END UP WITH IS FIGHTING FOR YOUR RIGHTS BECAUSE NO ONE REALLY GIVES A SHIT.
ALL I KNOW IS MY MOTHER TOLD ME MY REAL FATHER WAS AN AMERICAN SOLDIER. I WILL NEVER GET TO KNOW HIM.

                    HERE ARE SOME OF MY PHOTOS.





The Auckland—Wellington “Limited” Express at Frankton Station, MY MUM AND DAD CAME HOME ON.


THE WAIKATO HOSPITAL TO DAY



IT IS THE HOUSE WITH THE RED ROOF IT WAS  75 HAZELMERE  CRESENT.



THREE OF US BOYS LIVING THE HAMILTON BOYS HOME TO GO DOWN  TO THE SOUTH ISLAND.














THIS IS THE SHIP WE GOT TO GO HOME ON, FROM LYTTLETON


HERE ARE THE RAILWAY CUPS WE THREW OUT THE TRAIN WINDOWS ON THE WAY BACK TO THE SCHOOL.





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