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During the year morning-tea receptions were given to certain visiting sporting teams, including the Australian Rugby Football Team, the Australian Rugby League Football Team, the Australian Surf Life-saving Team, the Australian Ski Team, and Messrs. Richard Bergmann and Victor Barna, Table-tennis stars. Appropriate welcomes were given on their return to the New Zealand Rugby Football Team and the New Zealand Cricket Team, and a farewell was held in honour of the New Zealand Rugby Football Team prior to its departure for South Africa. This Branch assisted in organizing the campaign for Compulsory Military Training. Early this year the Australian Fleet visited New Zealand, and also during the period under review the French Sloop " Francis Gamier " berthed at Auckland. The usual hospitality was extended. As in the past, the Department acknowledges the help and assistance given by all local authorities and the Maori people, which assisted materially in entertaining guests of Government. VII. WAR HISTORY BRANCH Progress in research for both the service and civilian volumes of the official history of New Zealand's part in the Second World War and in the writing of preliminary narratives was continued during the year. On the publication side, six more of the Branch's productions in the illustrated popular series were produced and others will follow at regular intervals. One volume in the unit history series, the History of the Ist Ammunition Company, has been published, met great success, and has been sold out. A. Documents Unexpected delays in publication of the first volume of the series of official documents relating to New Zealand's participation in the Second World War occurred, but it is now promised by June, 1950. The typescript of the second volume was sent to the Commonwealth Relations Office in the United Kingdom and approval to publish was obtained. The third volume in this series is almost completed. B. Popular Series Twelve numbers in this series have now been published and more are in preparation. Sales have been very good. C. Official History Research for the Army campaign volumes and the writing of narratives has continued and several sections have been completed. As they are completed, sections of these narratives are being sent to the historians, several of whom have begun work on their volumes. The exchange of narratives and information with the other historical sections of the British Commonwealth is operating satisfactorily. The prisoner-of-war history is the most advanced and should be published next year. For the two projected volumes on the Royal New Zealand Navy and on New Zealanders in the Royal Navy the research is well advanced. Several of the sectional narratives have been completed and good progress is being made with the writing of the main narrative. Research for the Royal New Zealand Air Force volumes is within twelve months of completion. The greater part of the narrative work has been completed or is nearing completion and the writing of the first drafts of the history is proceeding. Work is continuing on the medical and dental volumes and the research for the civilian histories is also progressing well. D. Unit Histories Two more of the projected twenty volumes in this series are nearly completed. The Chaplains' History is almost ready for publication. The authors of the other volumes report varied progress.

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