With The Kiwis In Japan

(1) Disputes with BCOF HQ

Disputes with BCOF HQ continued to cause unnecessary disruptions. Their intransigence stymied the building of a Jayforce radio station at Yuda during the winter of 1946-47.

BCOF HQ would only approve a 10 watt station, not powerful enough for the signal to reach all the New Zealand camps in Yamaguchi Prefecture.

Eventually, Brigader L Potter ignored their stipulations. ‘The Commander…requested that we carry on with our plans to build a 500 watt transmitter while he negotiated at a higher level for the requisite authority to increase the power of the station.’

(2) Getting the Gear A radio station especially for the New Zealand force operated at Yuda from 15 January 1947. Radio WLKW broadcast a mixture of news, music and live commentaries on major sports events involving New Zealand troops. Although there was little official help in establishing the station, there was unofficial assistance from other occupation forces. J. Penketh remembered: Colin Buck (technician) and I travelled by train through the under-sea tunnel from Honshu to Kyushu where I presented a half-hour NZ programme over the US Army ‘Voice of America’ network……When I came Off Air, the Americans put on a beer party for us. They eventually took us to the train and we found that our carriage had been loaded up with all manner of radio station goodies including a great many records….their only proviso being that we cue out the announcer’s words ‘This is the Voice of America’. Chofu-based personnel could also tune into an American radio station based on Kyushu, and those located near the Australian zone of Hiroshima Prefecture could pick up the BCOF radio at Kure.

(3) With the Kiwis in Japan Another technician and I from the NZ Broadcasting Service were selected to go there in March-April 1948, with preliminary rank of corporals, but promotion expected. I understand that when the occupation of Japan began, the Yanks quickly set up their radio broadcasting stations. So the Aussies had to do the same, and then the New Zealand brigader wanted a radio station. He sent for the honorary lieutenants (an announcer and a technician) who were with the army to do the With the Kiwis in Japan, a later version of the wartime with the Kiwis in Africa and Italy. They got a 30 watt transmitter from the Aussies, and turntables and mixer. I have the faint memory these things were originally from a lorry that had the whole outfit carried around in it. There was a mast too, which was mounted in a field adjacent to the transmitter site. The station was set up at Yuda, a small town about 8km from Yamaguchi, the capital city of the prefecture of the same name, and where there was a large New Zealand army camp. There was another big camp at Chofu, further south, and near to Shimonisikei, at the tip of the main Japanese island of Honshu. At AKAA at Yuda, I understand the transmitter was built by Lin Martin. It had a power supply from a Japanese submarine, which was voltage stabilised, but when it adjusted voltage it sounded like a machinegun firing. Station AKAA, 1440 kHz at Yuda, was the main station. The 30 watt satellite station WLKY, 1480 kHz was at Shimonisikei. WLKY rebroadcast AKAA’s programs. The staff consisted of professionals lent from NZ Broadcasting, and volunteer soldiers from the army, under Lin Martin, the engineer and honorary lieutenant. Bill Hamer, originally from 2YZ Napier, was a sergeant, and is still to be found in Wellington, a keen ham and jazz organiser. Among the army volunteers, Dick Allard, an electrician from Christchurch, later became the Christchurch broadcasting sports announcer. Bob Irvine, a Lands and Survey clerk before he joined J-Force, ended as chief announcer at Auckland and a rugby commentator. Another technician, ex DSIR, joined broadcasting when he returned, and after a successful career installing new stations, moved to South Africa. Most successful was Gary Chapman, a grocery assistant and trainee cabinetmaker, who left school at Standard VI, and after Japan, became an advertising agency creative director, while spending some years compering the Saturday evening National program on the YA’s, and other assignments. He later left advertising and became one of the two all-night announcers on the 11pm to 6am YA stations. Lin Martin became the engineer at the broadcasting receiving site at Quartz Hill (Makara, Wellington), and ended his working days as Engineer, Dunedin. One of the army part-timers on the Japanese stations, Staff-Sgt. John Raynor is secretary of the NZ Sub-Branch of the RSL in Sydney, where I am now in my 4th term as president. John had a most successful career in radio in New Zealand, and then in Australia. Before I left broadcasting in 1962, I asked what information they had on AKAA and WLKY and all they had was a log book with almost nothing in it. The success of our soldier volunteers, and the way some people who joined broadcasting, but later gave up and went into another profession, were part of my inspiration for community broadcasting for New Zealand (I didn’t know it had already been invented in the USA and Australia). Also, Vic Stagpoole had been bringing FM broadcasting to our attention, and as a technician, I knew FM had to be on VHF/UHF, because of its great bandwidth. VHF transmitters meant that, unlike medium frequency broadcasters, small community stations would not clutter up the airwaves all over the country and cause interference.

(1) Laurie Brocklebank in Jayforce, New Zealand and the Military Occupation of Japan 1945-1948, (c) Oxford University Press, Auckland, New Zealand. Published 1997. Source: private collection, NZ Broadcasting Unit Japan, correspondence, monthly reports etc 1946-48, L H Martin
(2) Ibid
(3) Ben Furby, Campie NSW, Australia in personal correspondence to author, April 23, 2002. Ben is currently a part time volunteer with 2RPH Radio for the Print Handicapped in Sydney.