Story: Theatre companies and producers

Unlike their First World War equivalent the Digger Pierrots, the Kiwi Concert Party was officially integrated into the army as an entertainment unit in the Second World War. For four years they followed the path of hostilities through the Middle East and Italy. This 1942 photo shows a performance at El Alamein, Egypt, just before the opening of a successful offensive. The Concert Party's members were fully infantry-trained and armed and sometimes found themselves under fire. After the war they toured New Zealand and Australia continually from 1946 to 1954. Listen to the professional-sounding harmonies in this rendition of 'The Kiwis on parade'.