Arawa Guerilla

The Arawa Guerilla was a monthly camp magazine printed between 1942 and 1944 by The Morning Post from the Arawa Park remedial training camp in Rotorua during World War II. The camp, which started accepting men in January 1942, was part of a wider group of remedial training camps designed to train those men ‘deemed unfit to stand up to the ordinary course of military training’ (Stout: 274).

Originally published by well-known press photographer Private Leo White resulted in what the Auckland Star called ‘a well printed eight page monthly … brightly written and has many items of interest to members of the armed forces’ (Auckland Star, 1 June 1942: 4). However, after three issues, publication was taken over by John Reid in the Army Education Service. This is most likely John Cowie Reid who would later go on to become a professor of English at the University of Auckland and founder of the Mercury Theatre.

Since the beginning of the paper, it was found to be popular amongst the civilian population. While most likely published in jest, there are suggestions that the paper’s circulation was increasing, going from stating its circulation as enormous at the start of April 1942, now colossal in June, astounding by November, astronomical in December and phenomenal by January 1943.

From February 1943 the Arawa Guerilla rebranded to become known as just Guerilla, with a ‘radical change in nature and format’ (February 1943: 2). Having grown in size and popularity, Guerilla outlined in this issue that while its original intention as a camp paper was to ‘mirror the views, interests, doings and personal characteristics of the members of the Remedial Training Camp’ (February 1943: 2), the new Guerilla, while not abandoning topics ‘bearing on the war and solider training’ (February 1943: 2) hoped to add to its value for troops and civilians alike.

While it is not clear when Guerilla stopped publishing, the last issue available is from January 1943. However, the camp was closed later in August 1943 where these ‘Grade II’ men (Stout: 275), were reserved for civilian work rather than the armed services.

Reference:

Stoud T Duncan M. Medical Services in New Zealand and the Pacific. The Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War 1939–1945. Historical Publication Branch Wellington, 1958.