From front line to finance

After the Army, Terence Nolan went into business. Photo / Supplied

Henry Terence Wickham Nolan. DSO. Soldier, business leader. Died aged 94.

Terence Nolan had a distinguished career as a soldier during World War II.

A young farmer, he rose to become a lieutenant colonel in the New Zealand Army, winning a Distinguished Service Order for his personal leadership and control in front line situations in Greece, the Middle East (including Alamein) and Italy.

Later he became heavily involved in the fledgling New Zealand plastics industry in Auckland, and with various business organisations including being a director of the National Bank for 19 years.

Terence and his sister Barbara spent their early years on their parents' back country sheep and cattle station, Ngapuke, on steep hill country about 32km beyond Tuakau, south of Auckland. It was at the end of a road which finished in clay and the nearest house was three miles (5km) away.

From about the age of 9 Terence went to boarding school and when he had finished with Wanganui Collegiate he went farming with his parents on a new farm in Papatoetoe.

By the time World War II broke out Nolan was 24 and a second lieutenant in the Territorials. He left New Zealand for the war in April 1940.

The artillery units in the New Zealand Division had six regiments, three known as "field regiments" equipped with 25-pounder guns. He served in all three ultimately and became commander of the Fourth Field Regiment as a lieutenant colonel.

Noland's technique was to station himself well forward near the front-line infantry, the better to accurately call in support for the troops from his guns located at the rear. His DSO came when a newly formed 9 NZ Infantry Brigade was meeting strong opposition from German paratroops. The citation said his direction of the fire he called in saved casualties and his personal example and control of his observation posts "were responsible in giving the infantry great confidence".

The dangers for all troops in front-line service were shown by one incident Nolan recorded in a letter about a close escape near the Italian village of Osogna in 1943. Through incorrect intelligence Nolan drove through the New Zealand front line without realising and his jeep was promptly blown up by German artillery fire.

"The air seemed thick with bullets but they were being deflected by the trees. I peeped round the corner of my tree and to my horror saw a large tank moving slowly towards me with its machinegun going flat out. Behind it were two more."

The only way out was a dash across the road and down a deep bank between two houses about 50 yards [46m] away.

"I had got about 40 before the guns got on to me and bullets were pinging all around."

But he reached the bottom of the deep bank alive and recalled later overhearing one of his gunners observing that he hadn't known it was possible for a human being to move so quickly.

Back in New Zealand after the war Nolan remained active as a Territorial soldier and was for a time an honorary aide-de-camp for General Sir Bernard Freyberg who had become Governor-General of New Zealand.

But having been trained in leadership and man management by the Army he decided business was better than farming and became involved in an innovative plastics manufacturer in which family interests were involved. It became a considerable business known eventually as Consolidated Plastics Ltd. Nolan ultimately became managing director and chairman, retiring in 1979 after it was taken over by Feltex.

Terence Nolan was predeceased by his wife Joyce after 60 years of marriage. They had met while he was doing a staff course for senior officers in Britain during the war. He is survived by a daughter, two sons and their families.