Kōrero: Second World War

The film Country lads was produced by the National Film Unit in early 1941 to record in heroic propaganda style the departure of New Zealand soldiers overseas. The title derived from a statement of Hitler's that they were 'poor deluded country lads' – which the film turned into a phrase of pride. The film plays up the fact that those who were part of the early echelons were largely civilians who had previously had little, if any, military training.