Official History of New Zealand's Effort in the Great War

Official History of New Zealand's Effort in the Great War

Cover of volume I covering Gallipoli
Author	Fred Waite divers hands
Country	New Zealand
Language	English
Subject	Military history of New Zealand in World War I
Genre	Military history
Publisher	Whitcombe and Tombs
Publication date	1919–23

The Official History of New Zealand's Effort in the Great War is a four-volume 'Popular History' series which covered the New Zealand involvement in the First World War. Aimed at presenting the efforts of the New Zealand Military Forces during the war to the general public, the series was published during the period 1919 to 1923.

As early as 1915, it was recognised by the New Zealand Government that an official history would be produced to document the contributions of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) to the First World War. The official war correspondent, Malcolm Ross, was tasked with collecting the historical material that would be required. Ross, a trained journalist who had reported on the seizure of Samoa earlier in the war, had been on Gallipoli alongside Charles Bean, the Australian official war correspondent, and would also observe the New Zealand Division during the fighting on the Western Front.

After the war, when serious consideration was being given to the production of the official history, Lieutenant General Alexander Godley, the commander of the NZEF, believed that Ross would be the best person to produce the history. However, Major General Alfred Robin, the commandant of the New Zealand Military Forces, held firm views of what should be communicated by an official history. He dictated an educational approach, considering the target audience to be students of military history. Journalistic and writing skills were second to the ability to understand and communicate military tactics and strategy, the lessons of which were to be imparted at the direction of the Imperial General Staff at the War Office. Hence, rather than Ross, Lieutenant Colonel Hugh Stewart, who had commanded a battalion in the New Zealand Division during the war, was favoured by Robin to write the official history. It was recognised that an accessible 'Popular History', aimed at a more general readership would be appropriate alongside the official history. Endorsed by the Minister of Defence James Allen, the Government approved the writing of this 'Popular History'. The Government's decision to produce a 'Popular History' was formally announced in June 1918.