In 2002 I wrote an article about my friend Roland John Wilson, or John as he was better known. Sadly, I now find myself adding to that article more details of John’s long and distinguished military and medical service history after he died December 28th 2010 aged 62. Wednesday January 5th 2011 John’s funeral was […]
Ken was born in Jersey City, New Jersey and was the oldest of four children having three sisters. He joined the Army’s 82nd airborne March 1956 and went through military police school with the 82nd MPs. Ken weighed barely 130 pounds just making the minimum required weight for jump school. Ken's active service with the […]
John Wilson was born in 1948 at New Plymouth and moved to Dunedin with his family when he was two years old. He attended Arthur Street School followed by Otago Boys High School during which he was a member of the army cadets where he had spent time at Burnham and moved through the cadet […]
The martial arts world may be well versed in the life time martial arts achievements of Jon Bluming, the Kyokushin Karate 10th dan black belt and Judo 9th dan black belt. Jon was a pioneer in mixed martial arts and never lost a judo or karate match and strangled the legendary judoka Kaminaga unconscious. However, […]
Fight Times has always had a record of service column where veteran’s family members and friends can submit articles. This column is very special to us and our readers consider it a mark of respect to those that have sacrificed so much in service of their country. This column is a great way to record […]
This issue of the Record of Service is about Gustavus Ferdinand von Tempsky who served with a very early group of irregular soldiers known as the Forest Rangers. The Forest Rangers date back over 140 years to the New Zealand Wars where they proved the worth of their guerrilla type warfare. There were other Ranger […]
Bill Underwood (The “Little Giant Killer”) was Canada’s top Unarmed Combat Instructor in WWII. It was Bill who created the basis for Canadian Forces Unarmed Combat by way of his system known as ”Combato” (1910). His system known as “Defendo” (1945) became a foundation for many Canadian and American Law Enforcement Agencies. All things considered […]
1 NZSAS Gp proudly celebrated their 50th Jubilee from 3-12 June 2005. The celebrations included a gathering of the Originals, Association members, former members and current unit members from Waiouru to Palmerston North then finally in Papakura, Auckland. Since its formation in 1955, the NZSAS has over the past 50 years established a reputation of […]
As our bus, full of recruits fresh from basic training, pulled up at the guardroom of the RAF Regiment Depot Catterick, a wiry looking sergeant with several rows of medal ribbons came on board and directed the driver through the snow-covered camp to our barracks. Upon arrival he turned his attention in our direction and […]
A decorated fighter pilot in World War One, Sir Keith Park was Commander of the RAF during the Allied evacuation from Dunkirk (France) in the early part of World War Two, and in charge of defending London and southern England from German bombing raids during the Battle of Britain. "If any one man won the […]