This is a story about a man that went to war … a man who returned …. A man that saw friends die … a man that it did not like to talk about the war!!
During this essay I would like to tell you all about my Great Granddad (my Mum’s Granddad) Allan Archibald Parkhill, his life as a butcher, a father, an All Black and soldier… and always a loving husband. I will tell you about his laughter, his passions and the tears he cried for his friends and his country.
Great Granddad was born in Palmerston, New Zealand on the 22 April 1912
And died on the 26th August 1986 when he was 74. He fought in the battle of north Africa in world war 2 he got shot through the stomach a went to the England hospital to get it checked out they sent him back to New Zealand. He had a lot of friends but his best friend was named Lyall McGregor, he fought aside him in all that they did but when Alan got shot through the stomach he was so sad so once Alan came back to a New Zealand he had a child a boy(my Granddad) and named him Alan Lyall Parkhill to remember him.
The North African campaign started when Italy went to North Africa for oil and went from June 10, 1940 to May 16, 1943.New Zealand and Australian troops were sent there to cut off the Axis supply of oil.The New Zealanders saw little action during the beginning stages of the North African campaign.Living in the desert was hard cold nights and searing daytime temperatures made life uncomfortable for soldiers in forward positions and shade was hard to find these things are and this was the longest and most important land campaign that New Zealanders fought in.
Before the war Alan went to school like an ordinary boy then he went to high school(Palmerston District High School) then he was a rugby player he played for Otago and Canterbury even the all blacks. He played No.8 he loved what he was doing but when he went to the war and got shot through the stomach he knew he couldn't play anymore so he decided to be a butcher, he weighed 90 kg (200 lb) and was 1.8M tall(5ft 11inches)
My Great Granddad is very inspirational to me and my family, he is a big part of our family's history and he loved everyone he knew.
