206 Talbot Grove Trentham, Upper Hutt

The story

206 Talbot Grove Upper Hutt, street scene 2018

Reason for the name

Upper Hutt Council named this Grove in honour of two prominent Trentham soldiers. Father and son Warrant Officer Class 1, William Frank Uren Talbot and his son Brigadier Graeme William Talbot. Most streets within and surrounding NZDF Camps and Bases are named in honour of prominent people, battles, campaigns, ships, aircraft and places creating a rich history of our military service.

This naming of a father and son is unique within the Poppy Places project and being in close proximity to Trentham Camp recognises a significant contribution to our military service. Upper Hutt City Council approached Graeme Talbot some years ago with a proposal to name the street in recognition of his association with the area. Upper Hutt Side School in Trentham, Upper Hutt Primary School, Heretaunga College, and military service in Trentham Camp with B Platoon 10 Transport Company and Commander Support Command. In addition his Father’s service in the Camp post World War 2 through to his retirement as a Warrant Officer Class 1.

Author: The Poppy Places Trust and Brigadier (Retired) Graeme Talbot

William Frank U’Ren Talbot was born in Gisborne on 17 November 1911. He was educated at Gisborne Boys High School and after a period of employment in the private sector enlisted in the RNZAF on 27th November 1943 where he served as a wireless mechanic at Ohakea.

0n 20th June 1945 he transferred to the New Zealand Army (with the Regimental Number 535935) where he was deemed unfit for overseas service because of injury, he was appointed as a guard at the Japanese Prisoner of War Camp at Featherston and he served there until the camp was closed in 1946.

Following closure of the prisoner of war camp Frank was posted to the Central District Motor Transport (CDMT) Workshops in Trentham, where he served in administrative roles in that unit throughout his military career until his compulsory retirement some 15 years later. It was most unusual for a serviceman to remain in the one unit for this length of time, let alone serve in the same camp for that period. He retired from the New Zealand Army as a Warrant Officer First Class having served as the Chief Clerk for the workshops in his later years.

His time in the Army at Trentham was only the beginning of his association with Trentham as on retirement he was appointed to the civilian position as Pay Master Trentham Camp where he was employed for approximately eight years. His final position was with the ANZ Bank in Upper Hutt which involved him in delivering cash for payment of wages and salaries to businesses in the Upper Hutt to Silverstream area. An appointment he held for about three years until his final retirement. Frank lived in Trentham from the time of his arrival in 1946 until his passing. He maintained an active involvement with the Trentham and Upper Hutt community during his time in the area. Frank married Lillian Carmen Brown in Gisborne and they had two children, Graeme William Talbot and Karen Francis Talbot.

Graeme William Talbot was born in Featherston on the 1st July 1941 and moved with his parents to Trentham in 1946. He was initially educated at the Upper Hutt Side School (a branch of Upper Hutt Primary School established in Trentham Camp to provide education support to the local military, civilian and refugee families in the area). Education followed at Upper Hutt Primary School and subsequently Heretaunga College where he graduated in 1958.

Graeme enlisted into the New Zealand Army on 19 Jan 1959 and served for 38 years until his retirement in the rank of Brigadier on 17th Jan 1997.

On graduation from the Royal Military College Duntroon (Australia) in December 1962 and following a post graduate course at Pukapunyal in Victoria Australia, Graeme returned to Trentham Camp where he served as the Officer Commanding B Platoon 10 Transport Company, a position he held for approximately two years. Military postings took him away from Trentham to Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and the United States of America. In 1968 Graeme saw active service in Vietnam as a staff officer on the HQ of the 1st Australian Logistic Support Group (1 ALSG) which was a ground support unit of the Australian Army during the Vietnam War located at Vung Tau. 1 ALSG commanded logistic support units to all Australian forces in South Vietnam and was composed of engineer, transport, ordnance, medical and service corps units. The unit was initially formed in 1965 as the Australian Logistic Support Company to support the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, and was re-designated as 1 ALSG in April 1966 following the deployment of the 1st Australian Task Force as the Australian commitment in Vietnam expanded.

He returned to the Trentham area in April 1990 when he took up the position of Commander Support Command a position he held for two years. Although subsequent service was in Defence Headquarters in Wellington he remained living in the Trentham area as he did for the 10 years that he worked as Chief Executive of the TRANSQUAL Industry Training Organisation and 18 months as a business consultant. He remained in the area on retirement and has recently moved a short distance away to Wallaceville.

Graeme has had a long association with Trentham and Upper Hutt through his education, military and civilian employment in the area and contribution to the community as a member of the Rotary Club of Heretaunga. Graeme married Cynthia Ailsa Gorrie on 12th Feb 1966 and they had three children: Philip David, Michael Stewart and Claire Louise.

Graeme’s honours and awards are as follows: