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Broadcaster John Gordon interviews former 1ZB broadcaster Doug Laurenson, who has just returned to New Zealand after five years overseas during World War II. He explains he left with the Third Echelon (in August 1940) as part of the New Zealand Mobile Broadcasting Unit. After a year's service with them in Egypt, he transferred to the British Forces Radio, based in Cairo.
In late 1942 he joined the Egyptian State Broadcasting Service, in the European Recorded Music Division. He describes the multicultural workforce at the ESBS, which broadcasts every day in 18 different languages, including via shortwave to Europe and Africa. He had a music request programme at the ESBS, similar to one he had at 1ZB.
He describes Cairo and life in the city and gives a colourful description of some of the sights he has seen in the past five years. However, he says nothing was more beautiful than seeing the Southern Alps and Kaikoura mountains from the sea as he approached New Zealand last week from Australia.
A second interview on this recording with pianist Isador Goodman talking about his wartime service with the Australian forces in the Pacific theatre is not available to listen to on-line.