Fred Pinny thought he would be a war hero when he returned from the war, but what he had been promised and what he returned to were two different things.

Tauranga man Brian Pinny has made a movie about his father's time during World War II from 1942 until his return to New Zealand three years and 306 days later.

Brian Pinny wants to share his father's, Fred Pinny (pictured here), memories of the war so they aren't lost forever. Watch Brian's movie below or on YouTube.

Brian wants to share the movie, so the memories of WWII 'are not lost forever”.

'It's too important not to do. Time goes by, and these memories get lost forever.”

Brian spent 'many hours” compiling the video.

Some of the images used in the movie are of Brian's father Fred during his time in the war.

'A lot of the anecdotes that I have talked about in the movie were from memories that he told me,” says Brian.

'He didn't talk much about it, but when he did I remembered the anecdotes he did talk about, like the part where they gave up chasing flies away and ate them too.”

Brian says there is a part in the movie where he recalls Fred telling him about the particular sound a bomb makes when they're falling from the sky.

'He and his mate ran toward a house, and they went either side of a chimney. The bomb went off on his mate's side and his mate was killed. He had to deal with all of that.

'He drove a truck because he thought it would be the safest thing to do,” says Brian.

Fred thought he wouldn't have to shoot anyone, but in the end it was either shoot or be shot.

One thing Brian recalls is the disappointment his father had when he returned from the war.

'While they were over there, they thought they were war heroes. That is what they were told.

'It's only now, we know what a hero they were.”

The movie goes on to share more of Fred's memories, including his time at Trentham Camp where he lost all of his teeth, and the 'boring” boat ride.

Brian ends the movie with a quote from H.G Wells: 'If we don't end war, war will end us”.

'That is very poignant, and it's a good one for Anzac Day.”

Leaving certificate. "A certain feebleness of Intellect".




At home in Mount Maunganui in 1952.

Formal photo before leaving to go to war.

Trentham camp.

Welcome home in Wellington. Fred on left.