The Pamphlet Collection of Sir Robert Stout: Volume 79
The New Zealand Army (By E. E. M.)
The New Zealand Army (By E. E. M.)
ew zealand's military efforts during the war have been devoted to the raising and upkeep of no fewer than four separate forces besides the maintenance of the territorial army and senior cadets as the country's "schools of war" and for use in the event of emergency. These four separate forces comprise:
(1). The Expeditionary Force which occupied Samoa, and the maintenance of a permanent garrison there.
(2). The raising of the Main Expeditionary Force for employment in Europe, its maintenance by means of reinforcements, and its enlargement by the addition of new units also requiring reinforcements.
(3). The Tunnelling Corps for employment on the Western Front
(4). The Wireless Troop for use in Mesopotamia.
The Taking of Samoa
The Main Body
Camp Headquarters Staff, Trentham
Back Row:—Lieut. Sheppard. Paymaster: Lieut. Weir: Regt. Sergt.-Major Luckham: Sergt-Major Cunnings. W. O., Camp S. M.: Lieut Bridge. O. C. Records: Q. M. S. Mcnair, W. O.: Capt. Boon. Assistant Q. M.
Front Row:—Lieut. Hoar. Assist. Infantry Instructor: Lieut Cheater. Assist. Infantry Instructor: Capt. Bell. Assist. Adjt.: Capt. Dovey. Adit. Lieut. Col Potter. Camp Commandant.: Lieut. Col. Andrew. P. M. O.: Capt. Purdon. Chief Musketry Instructor. Major Mooney. Camp. O. M. Assint. Lieut. Col. Macdonald. Chief Inferntry Investor.
quarters, Mounted Rifle Brigade (Auckland Mounted Rifles Regiment, Canterbury Mounted Rifles Regiment, Wellington Mounted Rifles Regiment), One Independent Mounted Rifles Regiment (the Otago Mounted Rifles Regiment), one Infantry Brigade (Auckland Battalion, Canterbury Battalion, Otago Battalion. Wellington Battalion), Divisional Artillery, Divisional Signal Service, Divisional Transport and Supply Unit, Divisional Medical Units, Divisional Army Troops.
The force was mobilised immediately after the outbreak of war, and went into four camps for training, namely, Alexandra Park (Auckland), Awapuni Racecourse (Palmerston North), Hagley Park (Christchurch), and Táhuna Park (Dunedin). The local units were concentrated in their respective local camps, while the national units were generally distributed, the Divisional Artillery going to Palmerston North. The Force sailed from Wellington on 16th October, 1914, in a fleet of ten transports under the escort of five warships, including H.M.S. "Minotaur," Flagship of the China Squadron, and the Japanese Cruiser "Ibuki." The fleet joined the Australian Expeditionary Force at Albany, and proceeded to Alexandria. There the two forces disembarked, and they were converted into the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps, consisting of the 1st Australian Division (complete) and a mixed division of New Zealand and Australian troops. The Corps was welded together on the sands of Egypt, and received its baptismal fire while guarding the Suez Canal in February, 1915, when it repulsed a Turkish attack. Later it was employed in the attempt to force the Dardanelles; which is now a matter of history.
Reinforcements and New Units
The authorities, however, were not content with this; from the beginning they commenced increasing the size of our page 22 Expeditionary Force in the field by adding many new units, including the Maori Contingent and fresh artillery, and in April, 1915, embarked upon a big undertaking in this way by raising two new battalions with transport and ambulance complete. These, originally named the Trentham Regiment, went into camp in May, 1915, and after four months' training departed for Egypt. In August the Government decided to add to this effort by creating a further two battalions, thus forming a 2nd Infantry Brigade with the necessary transport and ambulance establishments. The original Trentham Regiment thus became the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the new brigade and the new battalions the 3rd and 4th Battalions. The latter went into camp in October for four months' training, and left New Zealand in February last Other fresh units were added to New Zealand's military effort in the form of the Tunnelling Corps and Wireless Troop for service in other spheres of action.
Increased Reinforcements
The Total Force Abroad
Including the men who are now being trained, New Zealand has raised over 55,000 soldiers for service overseas, and the recruiting continues steadily.
page 23War Policy on European Lines
The present size of our Army in the field is also noteworthy as representing the fulfilment of New Zealand's declared war policy of " not placing a maximum force in the field for a few weeks, but of maintaining the greatest possible force in the field for the estimated duration of the war." We have, in fact, built up a maximum force which it will take us all our time to maintain; in other words, Germany is to feel our maximum effort from now on—the deciding stage of the war. This forms a conclusive answer, surely, to the amateurs who talked so glibly some time ago about sending fresh "Contingents" of 10,000 and 50,000 men that we could never have maintained, much less trained and equipped and despatched to the seat of war. The Hon. James Allen and his advisers, nevertheless, had much to do to combat these impetuous, ill-informed enthusiasts. Happily, knowledge and wisdom prevailed, to the everlasting credit of New Zealand and theglory of her arms.
No treatise on the New Zealand Army can omit that very important unit—the Nursing Service (now about 351 sisters and nurses)—whose cheerful, tireless devotion to duty has won the Army's heart.
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