About the photographer:
Harold Paton did what many young men did shortly after the outbreak of World War II - the 20-year-old bumped up his age and enlisted in the Army. It was 1940.
Paton, who had been a cadet photographer with the Auckland Star, embarked with the New Zealand Expeditionary Forces, but soon found himself assigned to headquarters staff as official war photographer.
His images, including the famous shot of General Sir Bernard Freyberg lying wounded in a slit trench after taking a shell splinter in the neck at Minqar Qaim, were starkly memorable.
After being demobbed, he rejoined the Auckland Star and was chief photographer from 1956 until his retirement in 1979. He now lives with his wife Olive in the Bay of Plenty.
Paton took thousands of photos, many of which were published in newspapers and magazines over the world, including Life magazine. They now form the bulk of illustrations for New Zealand's World War II history volumes.
To commemorate this Anzac Day, Paton has provided a series of images from his personal collection to stage a commemorative exhibition at the Auckland Museum.
Unlike much of his published work, these photographs show the soldiers going about their personal daily routines in North Africa. They capture the soldiers relaxing, and show that not even the desert or rocky terrain could deter the Kiwis from playing rugby or cricket.
Anzac photo exhibition
Private Paton's Photos - North Africa 1941-1942
Presented by the New Zealand Herald and
