IMMENSE EFFORT

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIV, Issue 41, 18 February 1943, Page 6

IMMENSE EFFORT

N.Z.'S HECTIC YEAR

CAMP FOR 120,000 MEN

Under the caption, "What New Zealand Has Done Since Pearl Harbour," the Standard sets out the following accomplishments:—

Accommodation has been built in New Zealand for over 120,000 troops, a figure equal to the combined populations of Christchurch City, Riccarton, Sumner, Lyttelton, Akaroa and Ashburton. The accommodation is the equivalent of building 17 Ashburtons. Seventeen hospitals have been built with a total capacity of 5000 patients—four times greater than the whole of the Wellington hospital accommodation. Militarv stores already aggregate 20,000,000 ft of floor space. The Dominion is now guarded by 93 aerodromes covering 9763 acres. There are 108 miles of metalled runways and 68 miles of concrete runways. The average manpower in the field on defence construction has been 6000 tradesmen. Seven military camps consume over 10,000,000 units of electricitj' a year, or slightly more than the consumption of Timaru. The air force consumes 31,000,000 units annually—equal to the annual consumption of New Plymouth. Over 1*50.000 cubic feet of refrigeration have been provided for the armed services in New Zealand, sufficient for a town four times the size of Timaru.

Americans Amazed The Americans had hoped, at best, for a level paddock with a water supply. They were amazed to find complete camps awaiting them. How accommodation was provided for the first American forces to arrive in New Zealand is a remarkable story of achievement. In less than a month bare paddocks were covered with orderly rows of huts, mess rooms, cook-houses, ablution benches, drying rooms, store rooms, and even hospitals. Whether in. isolated spots or near townships, these camps were fully reticulated with power, water, sewage and surface drainage. The engineering difficulties of such an undertaking were enormous. At one of the camps a water supply capable of filling the needs of a borough the j size of Blenheim had to be furnished. Similarly a complete sewage dis- j posal plant had to be installed. Each of these operations would normally occupy several months. Under present conditions the time is reckoned in days. Fleets of bulldozers levelled parade grounds and gouged out a network of roads. Prefabricated build- ( ings, constructed in workshops in every part of New Zealand, arrived by ship, rail and road, and were speedily erected. Huge military stores have been' rushed up all over the country, and already aggregate 20 million feet. If they were placed end to end it would take over two hours to walk through them.

Speedy Hospital Jobs To bring some of the major aerodromes up to the most modern standard, concrete runways and paving were laid. This, too, was carried out in record time and represents over 68 miles of highway. On two aerodromes alone there are nearly seven miles of concrete runway. The new military hospital at Cornwall Park, Auckland—itself as large as the Auckland Public Hospital—is a miracle of speedy and efficient construction. It comprises 90 separate buildings and has a total floor space of a quarter of a million square feet —approximately six acres. Provision has been made for over 1000 patients. Its cost was £566,470. The Hobson Parjk military hospital at Auckland, 'in use by the United States Military Forces, introduced steel prefabrication to New Zealand. This was added to substantially by wards designed in New Zealand and this institution has a floor area as great the Cornwall Park Hospital. To make the best use of the 6000 tradesmen available the Commissioner of Defence Construction, Mr. James Fletcher, divided the country into 17 districts, in each of which the master builders were formed into a single organisation. At the head of each of these associations was set up a small committee of builders and union representatives, which worked in concert with the manpower and Public Works Department officers. All contracts are handled by these committees, which nominate a contractor or group of contractors to undertake work in accordance with manpower and equipment. There is a direct responsibility on each committee to see that urgent jobs are properly manned.