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Roland Harry Packwood (1892–1972) was a civil engineer in New Zealand and served in the New Zealand Army in both World War I and World War II. He transferred to the British Army in 1943 and served as a Colonel in India. He was instrumental in the construction of one of New Zealand's largest hydroelectric dams (for the time), the Waitaki Dam.

Early life
Roland Packwood was born on 11 April 1872 in Kaiapoi, Canterbury, New Zealand. He was educated in Christchurch and Wellington before he joined the Public Works Department as an [[ in early 1908.

Packwood worked himself up through successive stages to the position he now holds as resident engineer in charge of the Westfield deviation and waterfront road construction. Extensive experience in road, railway and harbour building and hydro-electric schemes has thoroughly equipped Mr. Packwood for his new post.

He had been engineer-in-charge of the first dam of the Waitaki hydroelectric project, which opened in 1934. During the first world war, he saw active service with the New Zealand Engineers Tunnelling Company, and then in the Middle East and India in the second world war.

He was awarded an OBE (Military) in 1942 for his services and the rank of colonel when he retired from the army. Later, he was appointed the PWD District Commissioner of Works in Auckland. Packwood passed away in 1972 while living in London.

Natusch
Mr R. H. Packwood the District Engineer, a man with about 20 years’ experience in the PWD, came from railway deviation work south of Auckland. Basically a shy man, he was devoted to his profession and the job, and knew the system well. He expected his staff and work force to have the same devotion, and with labour plentiful he probably encouraged selectiveness in those allowed to be kept on, either as a reward for the hard workers, or to build up the average performance on the job. His talents possibly lay in organisation rather than an eye for detail as there are tales of confrontations with his engineers who found that details he had required could not work in the field. His demand for a high standard of work - combined with his temper, which matched his red hair—gave him a reputation, at least with those beneath him, as a hard and ruthless driver. At least one bullet went through his front window. At other levels he generated good publicity and was commended for doing a good job, and a union leader wrote acknowledging his fairness in difficult conditions.

There is an account of his being driven up from Oamaru in a strange car and catching unawares a gang not working to his satisfaction. He asked the driver to stop and roundly admonished the men. In the circumstances of the time such a telling-off would have been very potent. The workforce had a special whistle which, on being passed round the job meant ‘Here comes the red bastard’. On the other hand he could recognise a good man when he saw one. When the job was running down and the YMCA had to reduce staff Packwood sent for the redundant man, said 'You look as if you’ve been worked to your limit. I think we can fit you in'. Put temporarily into the office, the man gained skills useful to the PWD and retired many years later as a section leader.

Prepared to address the men on all matters of importance, whether or not the subject was popular, Packwood was respected if not liked, and at times feared. In a wider field he had a flair for publicity which gained him wider recognition, even through it caused some resentment in parts of Head Office. While in a general way he was not a good mixer and did nothing to discourage social stratification that occurs in one-purpose towns and camps, in the evenings Packwood would often visit the YMCA where he was a regular user of the library and played a good game of billiards. It was said of one rather inferior workman that he avoided dismissal because of his ability to match the boss at the game.

Both he and Mrs Packwood were keen bridge players. Near the end of the job a young engineer used to be asked to make up the four. Usually he finished on the losing end, but on one occasion he was winning handsomely when Packwood flung his cards across the table, exclaiming, ‘how can anyone concentrate when that rubbish coming over the wireless’. It was the night of the 1935 election.

Early in 1935 he was sent on an extended tour of hydro-electric organisations and sites, but on his return there was no immediate opportunity to use his

hydro-electric experience and he became District Engineer a Whangarei. He had a distinguished career during the war, finishing as a colonel in India. Afterwards he was District Commissioner of Works in Auckland. Upon retirement from this he paid a visit incognito to Benmore (then under construction), and Waitaki. Recognised at the latter by an old member of the work force he expressed envy of the facilities now available at Benmore. He afterwards went to England where he acted as a consultant to the Scottish Forestry Commission, and died in London at the age of 82.

News Article
In 1925, has been appointed district engineer, in charge of the construction of the new Waitaki hydro-electric scheme which the I*ublic Works Departs ment is to build neaj Kurow; South Canterbury, t The principal work involved in the scheme will be the construction of a dam across the Waitaki River, the length' being 1700 ft., of which 500 ft. will be in the river. The tote}. capacity of the station, which will servo the whole of South Canterbury, will ultimately be 70,000 i k.w., or 100,000 h.p. Through, his association with some cf the most difficult and successful engineer-, ing projects in the Dominion Mr. Packwood enjoys a high reputation, built up on a foundation, of enterprise and experience. Educated in Christehureh and Wellington, he joined, the Public Works Department as an engineering cadet 20 years, ago, and worked himself up through successive stages to the position he now holds as resident engineer in charge of the Westfield deviation and waterfront road construction. Extensive experience in road, railway and harbour building and hydro-electric schemes has thoroughly equipped Mr. Packwood for his new post. Among the public works that have seen his direction in some shape or- form are the South Island Main Trunk Railway (Blenheim end), the Nelson aftd Midland Railway, on which be was engaged in survey and construction, the Napier-Gisborrie and Gis-borne-Motu railways, the Waihi-Tauranga section of the East Coast Railway, and the North Auckland Main Trunk Railway, Mr. Packwood being resident engineer in charge of the stages of' the work near Whangarei. He was associated with the construction of the hydro-electric works at Waikaremoana, and was also responsible for the construction of the present harbour at Waikokopu, Hawke's Bay..

World War II
Awarded Officer of the Military Division of the said Most Excellent Order on 30 December 1941.

COLONEL R. H. PACKWOOD

AUCKLAND DISTRICT ENGINEER WAR-TIME EXPERIENCES “ The Press ” Special Service AUCKLAND, January 11. Planning port installations at Benghazi ana bridge building in Burma were among activities undertaken in six years of war-time service, principally in the Middle East and India, by Colonel R. H. Packwood, 0.8. E., who returned to New Zealand by Tasman flying-boat yesterday afternoon. Colonel Packwood is the newly-appointed district engineer at Auckland for the Works Department. Before his enlistment for overseas Colonel Packwood was district engineer at Whangarei, and he has many important constructional works in New Zealand to his credit. Appointed to command the Survey Company which formed part of the 2nd Echelon, Colonel Packwood sailed from New Zealand in April, 1940. The company had been intended for special work in France, but Germany occupied France before Colonel Paekwood reached England, and the Survey Company was diverted there. He left for the Middle East with his company in September, 1940, and spent 12 months in planning the Western Desert railway. In the meantime, his company was engaged in Eritrea, Palestine, and Greece. Colonel Packwood left the Survey Company in’ August, 1941, to become assistant-director of works, G.H.Q., Middle East. There he was concerned

primarily with the installation of port facilities at. the principal ports of the Red Sea, as well as the construction of new ports. Heavy engineering, bridge construction, and oil, installations also came within his .sphere. After three years on this work Colonel Packwood was transferred from the N.Z.E.F. to the Royal Engineers and went to India in September, 1943, as director of planning and to act as consulting engineer to the military engineer-in-chief. His duties mainly concerned marine works, the expansion of various Indian ports, installations for combined operations, naval works, landing facilities, and slipways. Another sphere of his activities was a large programme of bridge building, which included the erection of the longest Bailey bridge in existence, a structure 2400 ft which spanned the Chindwin river. The constructional programme also included the erection of many bridges on lines of communication.

Colonel Packwood was responsible for the construction of airfields and hangars, as well as certain production problems and scientific investigation. Where machinery was available and speed was essential, heavy mechanical equipment units were used, but other-, wise the work was done by a huge force of native labour.

When hostilities ended Colonel Packwood was touring .the North-West Frontier of India, and it was in the Khyber Pass that he received notification of his Auckland appointment. His later activities were concerned principally vXth the training and education of Royal Engineer officers in bqavy construction engineering, hydro-electric and irrigation schemes, and the use of 'mechanical equipment.

Retirement
PUBLIC WORKS ENGINEER PRESS, VOLUME LXXXIV, ISSUE 25650, 12 NOVEMBER 1948, PAGE 2 https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/CHP19481112.2.7

PUBLIC WORKS ENGINEER

MR R. H. PACKWOOD TO RETIRE NEXT YEAR “The Press” Special Service WELLINGTON. November 11. The retirement of Mr R. H. Packwood, District Commissioner of Works and district engineer for the Ministry of Works at Auckland, has been approved by the Public Service Commission. It will take effect from April 1 1949, next year, when Mr Packwood will have completed 41 years’ service. One of New Zealand’s leading civil engineers, Mr Packwood began his career as a cadet in the Public Works Department. Although his duties have taken him to various parts of New Zealand, his association with Auckland has been a major one, for he was in charge of the Westfield deviation and the waterfront road construction from 1923 to 1928, and after some six years’ war service, he returned in 1946 to become Auckland district engineer for the Public Works Department, and later District Commissioner of Works.

Educated in Christchurch and Wellington, Mr Packwood has risen to one of the most senior posts in the department. By his association with some of the most difficult and successful engineering enterprises undertaken in New Zealand, he has established an outstanding reputation. After wide experience in road, railway, harbour and hydro-electric work, he was chosen in 1928 as district engineer in charge of the Waitaki hydro-elec-tric scheme, a project that occupied six yeafs. Later he went abroad, making a world tour to study engineering developments and problems, especially those of irrigation in India. After his return, he became the department’s engineer at Whangarei. Appointed to command the survey company which formed part of the 2nd Echelon, Mr Packwood sailed from New Zealand in April, 1940, and in his war service, mainly in the Middle East and India, he reached the rank of colonel, and was awarded the 0.8. E.

Links
https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/C92141

https://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/name-026517.html

New Zealand Electronic Text Collection topic page http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/name-026517.html Further Reference Military Personnel File https://collections.archives.govt.nz/en-NZ/web/arena/search#/entity/aims-archive/R24062283 Further Reference Military Personnel File https://collections.archives.govt.nz/en-NZ/web/arena/search#/entity/aims-archive/R24268599 Further Reference Military Personnel File https://collections.archives.govt.nz/en-NZ/web/arena/search#/entity/aims-archive/R24268600 Further Reference Military Personnel File https://collections.archives.govt.nz/en-NZ/web/arena/search#/entity/aims-archive/R24062283 Further Reference Military Personnel File https://collections.archives.govt.nz/en-NZ/web/arena/search#/entity/aims-archive/R24268599 Further Reference Military Personnel File https://collections.archives.govt.nz/en-NZ/web/arena/search#/entity/aims-archive/R24268600 Further Reference