Their idea was that they would never allow any of the social and political abuses of the old world to grow up here. . . . There were to be no armies except a militia, which would have no functions but those of police. They would have no court and no pomp; no orders, or ribbons, or decorations, or titles.
~ OPERATION TORCH ~ NORTH AFRICA - 8th to 12th Nov 1942. Operation Torch was the invasion of west North Africa to prevent the Germans taking control of the territories occupied by the French, then under the control of the Vichy French Government. Torch was an American led operation under Eisenhower with substantial UK support. Background The Allies decided to occupy Vichy French controlled North Africa, thus denying the territory to the Axis forces.
Home New Zealand at War Second World War The Battle for Crete Page 2. The Battle for Crete was one of the most dramatic battles of the Second World War. Over 12 days in May 1941 a mixed force of New Zealanders, British, Australian and Greek troops desperately tried to fight off a huge German airborne assault.