Turua six were brothers in war

Six brothers hailing from Turua all went off to war.
They faced different countries, different battles, and different roles, and after their return, they each had different lives.
Learning about the history of her family follows a “life-long fascination” with World War II for Frances Salt, and has culminated in a chronicle she has collated detailing her dad and uncles’ experiences in war, and the safe return home of all six.
Fred, Andy, Glen, Eric, Roy and Norm were brothers – the Olsen boys hailing from Turua on the Hauraki Plains.
Glen was the father of Frances, who was born two weeks after “VJ Day” [Victory over Japan Day] in 1945, which signalled the end of the war in the Pacific.
“In my earliest memories people constantly talked about “The War” and I wondered what it was,” Frances said. “When we went to functions such as the RSA Christmas Party there was always a toast to “Absent Friends” and I thought it was because some people could not attend.
“Years later, I realised it referred to those killed during the war, especially dad’s cousins. As I grew older, I became aware that dad had been to “The War” as indeed had all six Olsen brothers.”
Fred, a New Zealand Expeditionary Force Signalman, was wounded in action in North Africa in 1942, sustaining a chest contusion from an exploding shell. He was discharged from service almost three years to the day later.
Andy, a cheese maker-turned combat engineer, was stationed in North Africa and escaped back there from Crete.
Eric, a sergeant with the Divisional Cavalry Regiment, once spoke of a time in the desert when the vehicle he was in became stuck in the sands. The call went out for help, and when the rescue vehicle arrived, there was his brother Fred sitting on the front – whom he hadn’t seen for almost two years.
Roy was in the Infantry before becoming a signalman. When Roy enlisted, he was 18-years-old and underage, but his mother reluctantly signed for him. His main reason for wanting to go was because Johnny Johnson – his best friend and cousin – had already enlisted and Roy wanted to be in “the action” with him.
Sadly, Johnny was killed by a German attack and this has had a long-lasting effect on Roy.
Norm, meanwhile, was a Lance Corporal and served in Japan where the standard activities of his service included sentry duty, ceremonial guard, and artillery practice. Some 70 years later, he still recalled the Japanese for: “Halt! Who goes there?”.
Finally, Frances’ father Glen, the third-eldest Olsen boy, was a Captain in the Infantry. He was stationed in the Pacific Islands, Italy, and Egypt.
“When we were young we were always amazed at how many men dad knew,” Frances said. “When we asked how he knew someone, it was always the same answer: ‘I knew him in the Army!’.”
Glen met his future wife Winifred when he was a first-year teacher at Turua Primary School and she was a first-year dental nurse posted to the Hauraki Plains. They married in August, 1940.
When Glen retired, he took her back to Italy – to Rome and Florence – to show her places where he had served during the war.
All six Olsen brothers have since passed, but Frances said their combined 25 years of service in World War II was a “remarkable contribution to Aotearoa New Zealand.”
“Each Anzac Day at the Dawn Service I remember what they did for our country. I will be in London this Anzac Day but will wear my poppy with pride with other New Zealanders in commemoration.”