Bulford Kiwi

Sling Camp (now gone), part of Bulford Camp, was established in June 1916 for the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF). Soldiers of the NZEF underwent training there after arriving in England before being transferred to New Zealand units serving on the Western Front. The Kiwi was constructed on Beacon Hill overlooking the camp.

After the war was over, the New Zealand soldiers were eager to return home, but no troop ships were available. Following riots among frustrated soldiers, their commanding officers decided to keep the troops occupied by carving an enormous kiwi into the chalk hillside. This was carried out in February and March 1919 by the Canterbury^[1] and Otago^[2] Engineers Battalions. The emblem is cut into the chalk hillside and stands out in contrast to the surrounding vegetation.

The design was executed by Sergeant-Major Percy Cecil Blenkarne, a drawing instructor on the Education Staff, based on a sketch of a stuffed kiwi specimen in the British Museum.^[1] The site was surveyed and the design laid out by Sergeant-Major V.T. Low, NZE, also of the Education Staff.^{[citation needed]}

• The Kiwi's body covers 1.5 acres (6,100 m²).
• From the Kiwi's feet to the top of its back is 420 feet (130 m).
• The width is about 460 feet (140 m).
• The beak is 150 feet (46 m) long.
• The letters "N.Z." are 65 feet (20 m) high.^[3]

In the years following the Kiwi's creation, the Kiwi Polish Company maintained the figure through its London offices, employing local villagers to carry out the work. Although the company stated that it had "little if any advertising value", it regarded the figure as a memorial to the New Zealand troops.^[4]

During the Second World War, the Kiwi was camouflaged with leaf mould because of concerns that German bombers could use it as a navigation marker during The Blitz. In 1948, the leaf mould was removed by local Boy Scouts,^[5] and fresh chalk was added. The Scout troop subsequently renamed itself in honour of the kiwi.

In the early 1950s, Blenkarne arranged for the Kiwi to be maintained by the British Army's 3 (UK) Divisional Headquarters and Signal Regiment, continuing the work previously carried out by 249 Signal Squadron. 3 DHQ&SR formed part of the 3rd Infantry Division.

In 1986, a pillar with a commemorative plaque was unveiled by Bryce Harland, the New Zealand High Commissioner.^[1]

Since 2007, the Kiwi has been maintained by the UK Ministry of Defence.^[6] In 2017, the chalk figure was designated as a scheduled monument.^[1]

On 30 June 2018, the Kiwi was resurfaced. One hundred tons of chalk were ferried to the site by Chinook helicopter, where, under the guidance of Defence Infrastructure Organisation archaeologist Richard Osgood, the chalk was spread over the figure to restore it for the first time in 30 years.^[7]

Resurfacing was carried out again in 2023 using 100 tonnes of chalk,^[8] with a further 25 tonnes used in 2026, when work was undertaken by a team that included members of Operation Nightingale.^[9]

Views of the Kiwi are largely obscured because the direct view is from within the military camp. The Kiwi can be seen from Tidworth Road, which passes the hillside at an angle, and it is possible to walk up to the figure from there.

North of Tidworth Road at 51.2044°N 1.7345°W / 51.2044; -1.7345 is a viewpoint with an information panel. This is signposted from the road via a short stretch of byway.^[10][11]

Distant and distorted views of the Kiwi from the opposite side of the hill can also be seen from Woodhenge and from near Stonehenge.

There have been several military hill figures in Wiltshire, and the Bulford Kiwi is the only surviving example that does not depict a military badge.

Approximately 20 miles from the Bulford Kiwi are the Fovant Badges, a group of eight military badges, together with two additional badges, carved mainly by military camps during the First World War. More badges once existed on the hillside, and two recently restored examples are located nearby at Sutton Mandeville. An outline of Australia is located nearby at Compton Chamberlayne.

Another nearby military badge is the Lamb Down Military Badge near Codford St. Mary.

• List of hill figures in Wiltshire