title: Resisting captivity: An analysis of the New Zealand POW experience during World War Two

authors: Johnson, Matthew

subjects: captivity

abstract: During World War Two more than 9,000 New Zealand servicemen were captured and imprisoned. Many of these men were confronted by the challenges of disempowerment and a prolonged imprisonment. However, histories of captivity have tended to portray the prisoner-of-war (POW) experience as a continual attempt to disrupt the enemy war effort from behind the wire. More recent scholarly works have challenged this simplistic narrative. This thesis continues this work by emphasising the diversity of resistance and the use of various forms of escapism, both physical and mental, to cope with captivity. In doing so, it explores how men constructed their individual identities, refusing to be labelled as mere prisoners.

More than escapees or saboteurs, POWs were active agents in shaping the spaces they inhabited. They implemented elements of their pre-war lives into their daily camp routines. Although these efforts never turned their camps into comfortable environments, they were an escape from the monotony of camp life. Combined with letters from loved ones, shaping the camps into more familiar spaces helped bridge the men’s remoteness from New Zealand.

Through a detailed examination of New Zealand POW diaries, letters, memoirs, images and oral histories, this thesis uncovers an intimate depiction of captivity. The men’s individual experiences are at the forefront. In their accounts they recorded vivid accounts of life as POWs. This thesis uses these sources to explore how men came to terms with their captivity, resisted being labelled as prisoners, and coped with being imprisoned so far from home.

text: Resisting captivity: An analysis of the New Zealand POW experience during World War Two During World War Two more than 9,000 New Zealand servicemen were captured and imprisoned. Many of these men were confronted by the challenges of disempowerment and a prolonged imprisonment. However, histories of captivity have tended to portray the prisoner-of-war (POW) experience as a continual attempt to disrupt the enemy war effort from behind the wire. More recent scholarly works have challenged this simplistic narrative. This thesis continues this work by emphasising the diversity of resistance and the use of various forms of escapism, both physical and mental, to cope with captivity. In doing so, it explores how men constructed their individual identities, refusing to be labelled as mere prisoners.

More than escapees or saboteurs, POWs were active agents in shaping the spaces they inhabited. They implemented elements of their pre-war lives into their daily camp routines. Although these efforts never turned their camps into comfortable environments, they were an escape from the monotony of camp life. Combined with letters from loved ones, shaping the camps into more familiar spaces helped bridge the men’s remoteness from New Zealand.

Through a detailed examination of New Zealand POW diaries, letters, memoirs, images and oral histories, this thesis uncovers an intimate depiction of captivity. The men’s individual experiences are at the forefront. In their accounts they recorded vivid accounts of life as POWs. This thesis uses these sources to explore how men came to terms with their captivity, resisted being labelled as prisoners, and coped with being imprisoned so far from home.

year: 2018

title: Nonlocality and the critical Reynolds numbers of the minimum state magnetohydrodynamic turbulence

authors: Zhou, Ye

subjects: maths

abstract: Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) systems can be strongly nonlinear (turbulent) when their kinetic and magnetic Reynolds numbers are high, as is the case in many astrophysical and space plasma flows. Unfortunately these high Reynolds numbers are typically much greater than those currently attainable in numerical simulations of MHD turbulence. A natural question to ask is how can researchers be sure that their simulations have reproduced all of the most influential physics of the flows and magnetic fields? In this paper, a metric is defined to indicate whether the necessary physics of interest has been captured. It is found that current computing resources will typically not be sufficient to achieve this minimum state metric.

text: Nonlocality and the critical Reynolds numbers of the minimum state magnetohydrodynamic turbulence Magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) systems can be strongly nonlinear (turbulent) when their kinetic and magnetic Reynolds numbers are high, as is the case in many astrophysical and space plasma flows. Unfortunately these high Reynolds numbers are typically much greater than those currently attainable in numerical simulations of MHD turbulence. A natural question to ask is how can researchers be sure that their simulations have reproduced all of the most influential physics of the flows and magnetic fields? In this paper, a metric is defined to indicate whether the necessary physics of interest has been captured. It is found that current computing resources will typically not be sufficient to achieve this minimum state metric.

year: 2011

title: Ecological modelling of water quality management options in Lake Waahi to support Hauanga Kai species: Technical Report

authors: Allan, Mathew Grant

abstract: This report describes a numerical modelling approach for Lake Waahi to assess the effects of various future scenarios on water quality attributes known to affect the appearance of the lake’s multiple hauanga kai species across differing spatial scales. Hauanga kai refers to customary gathering and use of naturally occurring and cultivated foods. Numerical models were used to support shared learning and development of future scenarios in response to different management options and environmental pressures. The shallow lakes of the Waikato region have been particularly impacted by anthropogenic eutrophication. This is due to the fact that many of these lakes have already undergone a degree of natural eutrophication due to their geomorphic properties, such as their low elevation and shallow depth. The main contributing factors to water quality decline in shallow Waikato lakes have been identified as: high external nutrient and sediment loads, internal loading exacerbated by high sediment resuspension and bioturbation from pest fish (carp), reduced water depth due to installation of water control structures, reduction in wetland filtering potential due to draining, and stock access to wetlands. A 1-D hydrodynamics model, the General Ocean Turbulence Model was coupled to a complex ecological model (PClake) via the Framework for Aquatic Biogeochemical Models (FABM). FABM is an open source FORTAN-based code that facilitates the coupling of hydrodynamic and ecological models. FABM-PCLake is a redesigned PCLake. The consensus from the model simulations carried out in the study suggests that, for Lake Waahi to undergo restoration whereby the lake is restored to clear-water stable state, both external load needs to be reduced significantly by greater than 50%, along with changes in lake ecological structure, resulting from re-establishment of macrophytes aided by the control of carp biomass. These finding supports the general view within the literature that for lake restoration success, external load reduction (catchment load) is critical. Finally, if the ultimate goal of lake restoration in Lake Waahi is to address the decline in tuna (shortfin eel - Anguilla australis) biomass, a return to a clear-water stable state should facilitate improvement in tuna habitat and provide the conditions for development of a healthy eel population. Coupled modelling approaches will provide a more complete picture of potential responses of Hauanga kai species to land and lake management scenarios.

text: Ecological modelling of water quality management options in Lake Waahi to support Hauanga Kai species: Technical Report This report describes a numerical modelling approach for Lake Waahi to assess the effects of various future scenarios on water quality attributes known to affect the appearance of the lake’s multiple hauanga kai species across differing spatial scales. Hauanga kai refers to customary gathering and use of naturally occurring and cultivated foods. Numerical models were used to support shared learning and development of future scenarios in response to different management options and environmental pressures. The shallow lakes of the Waikato region have been particularly impacted by anthropogenic eutrophication. This is due to the fact that many of these lakes have already undergone a degree of natural eutrophication due to their geomorphic properties, such as their low elevation and shallow depth. The main contributing factors to water quality decline in shallow Waikato lakes have been identified as: high external nutrient and sediment loads, internal loading exacerbated by high sediment resuspension and bioturbation from pest fish (carp), reduced water depth due to installation of water control structures, reduction in wetland filtering potential due to draining, and stock access to wetlands. A 1-D hydrodynamics model, the General Ocean Turbulence Model was coupled to a complex ecological model (PClake) via the Framework for Aquatic Biogeochemical Models (FABM). FABM is an open source FORTAN-based code that facilitates the coupling of hydrodynamic and ecological models. FABM-PCLake is a redesigned PCLake. The consensus from the model simulations carried out in the study suggests that, for Lake Waahi to undergo restoration whereby the lake is restored to clear-water stable state, both external load needs to be reduced significantly by greater than 50%, along with changes in lake ecological structure, resulting from re-establishment of macrophytes aided by the control of carp biomass. These finding supports the general view within the literature that for lake restoration success, external load reduction (catchment load) is critical. Finally, if the ultimate goal of lake restoration in Lake Waahi is to address the decline in tuna (shortfin eel - Anguilla australis) biomass, a return to a clear-water stable state should facilitate improvement in tuna habitat and provide the conditions for development of a healthy eel population. Coupled modelling approaches will provide a more complete picture of potential responses of Hauanga kai species to land and lake management scenarios.

year: 2018