A piece of Second World War history has recently been uncovered during safety upgrades of State Highway 3 in Taranaki.
Two Home Guard rifle pits were found to the north of the intersection of SH3 and De Havilland Dr in Bell Block on the outskirts of New Plymouth.
The Transport Agency said they were likely to have been constructed between 1941 and 1942 as a defensive position to protect the Bell Block Aerodrome on Te Arei Rd, which was being used as a Royal New Zealand Air Force training base, from a potential invasion by Japanese forces.
The Home Guard was formed in 1940 in response to the potential threat posed by the Empire of Japan during the Second World War.
Membership was initially voluntary but became compulsory from 1942 for men aged 35-50.
“These are textbook Home Guard pits,” SH3 Waitara to Bell Block project archaeologist Daniel McCurdy said.
“These are so textbook that, in fact, one of them conforms exactly [within a few inches] to the standard set out for the Home Guard.
“However, instead of an optional drainage trench at the base, the men chose to place timbers instead, likely reclaimed from the local farm.”
There had been a number of archaeological finds since physical works began in 2023.
Te Ara Tūtohu project manager Calvin Rorke said his team worked closely with archaeologists and cultural monitors in these instances andm depending on what was found, the find may be removed or documented and left in place.
“The area we are working in is historically significant. It’s important that whenever we come across a potential archaeological find in the course of our work that we take the time necessary to investigate.
“I know that I, and many of us working on Te Ara Tūtohu, have learnt a lot about the history of this area through our work on the project.”
