Godley Head’s WW2 History
Godley Head’s WW2 History
The Lyttelton Fortress
The rapid advancement of the Japanese forces in early 1942 placed New Zealand under direct threat of invasion. A large number of anti-invasion defences were thrown up around the country. The battery complex at Godley Head was considered potentially vulnerable to a raiding party or a proper invasion. The assumption was that the destruction of the battery would allow a direct attack on or seizure of the port of Lyttelton. To counter this threat the peninsula of land East from St Andrew’s Hill / Lyttelton Port Valley to Godley Head was declared a Fortress Area and placed under martial law. A comprehensive system of infantry and anti-tank defences were constructed throughout the Fortress Area. Locally prefabricated concrete pill-boxes were extensively used, of which a number are still visible today.
During the height of the invasion scare following Japan’s entry into the war there were a total of 158 officers and 2,893 men stationed within the Lyttelton Fortress. These were made up of artillery personnel manning the battery and infantry supporting them. Included were ancillary forces such as ambulance corps. These numbers did not include the Home Guard units based in the surrounding towns and countryside. As the Pacific war rolled back towards Japan the threat was steadily reduced, as were the number of troops stationed within the Fortress.
During the height of the invasion scare following Japan’s entry into the war there were a total of 158 officers and 2,893 men stationed within the Lyttelton Fortress. These were made up of artillery personnel manning the battery and infantry supporting them. Included were ancillary forces such as ambulance corps. These numbers did not include the Home Guard units based in the surrounding towns and countryside. As the Pacific war rolled back towards Japan the threat was steadily reduced, as were the number of troops stationed within the Fortress.