The New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) was the title of the
military
A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a d ...
forces sent from
New Zealand
New Zealand () is an island country in the southwestern Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main landmasses—the North Island () and the South Island ()—and List of islands of New Zealand, over 600 smaller islands. It is the List of isla ...
to fight alongside other
British Empire
The British Empire comprised the dominions, Crown colony, colonies, protectorates, League of Nations mandate, mandates, and other Dependent territory, territories ruled or administered by the United Kingdom and its predecessor states. It bega ...
and
Dominion
A dominion was any of several largely self-governance, self-governing countries of the British Empire, once known collectively as the ''British Commonwealth of Nations''. Progressing from colonies, their degrees of self-governing colony, colon ...
troops during
World War I
World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
(1914–1918) and
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
(1939–1945). Ultimately, the NZEF of World War I became known as the ''First New Zealand Expeditionary Force''. The NZEF of World War II was known as the ''Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force'' (2NZEF).
The 2NZEF was led by General
Bernard Freyberg
Lieutenant-general (United Kingdom), Lieutenant-General Bernard Cyril Freyberg, 1st Baron Freyberg, (21 March 1889 – 4 July 1963) was a United Kingdom, British-born New Zealand soldier and Victoria Cross recipient, who served as the List of g ...
.
1st New Zealand Expeditionary Force
The New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) was the title of the military forces sent from New Zealand to fight for Britain during World War I. Upon the outbreak of war, New Zealand immediately offered to provide two
brigade
A brigade is a major tactical military unit, military formation that typically comprises three to six battalions plus supporting elements. It is roughly equivalent to an enlarged or reinforced regiment. Two or more brigades may constitute ...
s—one of
infantry
Infantry, or infantryman are a type of soldier who specialize in ground combat, typically fighting dismounted. Historically the term was used to describe foot soldiers, i.e. those who march and fight on foot. In modern usage, the term broadl ...
and one of mounted troops—with a total of 8,500 men. As was the case with the Australian army the existing New Zealand army was a "territorial" force, designed for the defense of the home islands. It could not be deployed overseas. Hence, it was necessary to form a volunteer "
expeditionary" force. The initial contingent of the NZEF, known as the "Main Body," sailed on 16 October 1914 for
Australia
Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country comprising mainland Australia, the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania and list of islands of Australia, numerous smaller isl ...
and then joined with the
Australian Imperial Force (AIF) in a convoy that sailed for
Egypt
Egypt ( , ), officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, is a country spanning the Northeast Africa, northeast corner of Africa and Western Asia, southwest corner of Asia via the Sinai Peninsula. It is bordered by the Mediterranean Sea to northe ...
on 1 November. The NZEF and AIF convoy was originally bound for Britain but diverted en route to Egypt because of the state of the training camps in England. As a result, the troops were dressed in woolen uniforms for the British climate. On 2 December the convoy reached Alexandria after passing through the Suez Canal. Disembarking the troops traveled by train for Cairo, bivouacking in tent camps within sight of the Pyramids.
The NZEF was commanded throughout the war by
Major General Alexander Godley
General (United Kingdom), General Sir Alexander John Godley, (4 February 1867 – 6 March 1957) was a senior British Army officer. He is best known for his role as commander of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force and II Anzac Corps during the ...
, a
British Army
The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
officer who in 1910, on the recommendation of
Lord Kitchener, had been appointed as the commander of the
New Zealand Military Forces
The New Zealand Army (, ) is the principal Army, land warfare force of New Zealand, a component of the New Zealand Defence Force alongside the Royal New Zealand Navy and the Royal New Zealand Air Force.
Formed in 1845, as the New Zealand Mil ...
. After Godley departed with the NZEF in October 1914, Major General
Alfred William Robin
Major General Sir Alfred William Robin, (12 August 1860 – 2 June 1935) was a New Zealand military leader.
Born in Australia, Robin's family moved to New Zealand in 1861. A coachbuilder by trade, he was active in the local militia, before bec ...
commanded the New Zealand Military Forces at home throughout the war as
commandant
Commandant ( or ; ) is a title often given to the officer in charge of a military (or other uniformed service) training establishment or academy. This usage is common in English-speaking nations. In some countries it may be a military or police ...
, and was pivotal in ensuring the ongoing provision of reinforcements and support to the NZEF.
Major General
George Napier Johnston
Major-General George Napier Johnston, (20 August 1867 – 3 April 1947) was a senior officer of the British Army who served with the New Zealand Military Forces during the First World War.
Born in Canada in 1867, Johnston was commissioned in ...
CB CMG DSO (1867–1947) served with New Zealand forces during World War I as director of ordnance and commander of permanent artillery in the New Zealand Defence Force from the outset of World War I during 1914–1918.
New Zealand, like Australia, had a pre-war policy of compulsory military training, but, like Australia, New Zealand's Territorial Army could not be deployed overseas. Thus, the NZEF was initially composed solely of volunteers. Conscription was introduced on 1 August 1916 and by the end of the war 124,000 men—nearly half the eligible male population of 250,000—had served with the NZEF. Of these, about 100,000 had been sent overseas.
The NZEF was closely tied to the AIF for much of the war. When the
Gallipoli campaign began, the New Zealand contingent was insufficient to complete a
division of their own, so it was combined with the
Australian 4th Infantry Brigade to form the
New Zealand and Australian Division
The New Zealand and Australian Division was a composite army Division (military), division raised for service in the First World War under the command of Major General Alexander Godley. Consisting of several Mounted infantry, mounted and standard ...
under the command of General Godley. This division, along with the
Australian 1st Division, formed the famous
Australian and New Zealand Army Corps
The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) was originally a First World War army corps of the British Empire under the command of the Mediterranean Expeditionary Force. It was formed in Egypt in December 1914, and operated during the ...
(ANZAC) under the command of General
William Birdwood
Field marshal (United Kingdom), Field Marshal William Riddell Birdwood, 1st Baron Birdwood (13 September 1865 – 17 May 1951), was a British Army officer. He saw active service in the Second Boer War on the staff of Herbert Kitchener, 1st Earl ...
.
After the end of the Gallipoli campaign, the NZEF formed its own infantry division, the
New Zealand Division
The New Zealand Division was an infantry division of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force raised for service in the First World War. It was formed in Egypt in early 1916 when the New Zealand and Australian Division was renamed after the detachmen ...
, which served on the
Western Front for the rest of the war. General Godley was promoted to a
corps
Corps (; plural ''corps'' ; from French , from the Latin "body") is a term used for several different kinds of organization. A military innovation by Napoleon I, the formation was formally introduced March 1, 1800, when Napoleon ordered Gener ...
command and given
II ANZAC Corps
The II ANZAC Corps (Second Anzac Corps) was an Australian and New Zealand First World War army corps. Formed in early 1916 in Egypt in the wake of the failed Gallipoli campaign, it initially consisted of two Australian divisions, and was sent t ...
, which contained the New Zealand Division. From 1916 until the formation of the
Australian Corps
The Australian Corps was a World War I army corps that contained all five Australian infantry divisions serving on the Western Front. It was the largest corps fielded by the British Empire in France. At its peak the Australian Corps numbered 1 ...
in 1918 (made up of the five Australian divisions) there were always two "ANZAC" corps—
I ANZAC Corps
The I ANZAC Corps (First Anzac Corps) was a combined Australian and New Zealand army corps that served during World War I.
It was formed in Egypt in February 1916 as part of the reorganisation and expansion of the Australian Imperial Force and ...
and II ANZAC Corps—despite the fact that there was only one New Zealand Division. During early 1916 the New Zealand Government supported the formation of an
Australian and New Zealand Army
In early 1916, the Australian and New Zealand governments proposed the formation of a new field army, to be named the Australian and New Zealand Army, including all of the existing divisions of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) and New Zealand ...
, but this did not occur.
The mounted arm of the NZEF was the
New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade
The New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade was a brigade of the New Zealand Army during the First World War. Raised in 1914 as part of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, it was one of the first New Zealand units to sail for service overseas.
T ...
. The brigade remained in Egypt and, combined with the 1st and 2nd
Australian Light Horse
Australian Light Horse were mounted troops with characteristics of both cavalry and mounted infantry, who served in the Second Boer War and World War I, World War I. During the inter-war years, a number of regiments were raised as part of A ...
Brigades, made up the
ANZAC Mounted Division which served through the
Sinai and
Palestine campaign
The Sinai and Palestine campaign was part of the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I, taking place between January 1915 and October 1918. The British Empire, the French Third Republic, and the Kingdom of Italy fought alongside the Arab Revolt ...
.
The New Zealand Expeditionary Force (later called the 1st NZEF) was finally disbanded on 31 December 1921.
Structure

New Zealand Expeditionary Force Order of Battle - 16 October 1914
* New Zealand Infantry Brigade
**
Auckland Battalion
The New Zealand Division was an infantry division of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force raised for service in the First World War. It was formed in Egypt in early 1916 when the New Zealand and Australian Division was renamed after the detachmen ...
: 4 Cos. raised from 3rd (Auckland),
6th (Hauraki),
15th (North Auckland), and
16th (Waikato) Territorial Regiments
**
Wellington Battalion: 4 Cos. raised from
7th (Wellington West Coast),
9th (Hawke's Bay),
11th (Taranaki), and
17th (Ruahine) Territorial Regiments
**
Canterbury Battalion: 4 Cos. raised from
1st (Canterbury),
2nd (South Canterbury),
12th (Nelson), and
13th (North Canterbury and Westland) Territorial Regiments
**
Otago Battalion: 4 Cos. raised from 4th (Otago), 8th (Southland), 10th (North Otago), and 14th (South Otago) Territorial Regiments
** 1st New Zealand Infantry Brigade Signal Co. (3 Sections)
** New Zealand Field Ambulance No. 1
* New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade
** Auckland Mounted Rifles: 3 raised from these territorial regiments:
3rd (Auckland) Mounted Rifles
The 3rd (Auckland) Mounted Rifles was formed on March 17, 1911. They were mobilised during the First World War as a squadron of the Auckland Mounted Rifles Regiment. They served in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I and first saw action ...
,
4th (Waikato) Mounted Rifles
The Waikato Mounted Rifles (WMR) is the New Zealand Army's only Territorial Force (Army Reserve) squadron of the Royal New Zealand Armoured Corps (RNZAC). The Squadron's origins can be traced back to 1869 when the first mounted unit was raised i ...
, and
11th (North Auckland) Mounted Rifles
The 11th (North Auckland) Mounted Rifles was formed on 17 March 1911. They were mobilised during World War I as a squadron of the Auckland Mounted Rifles Regiment. They served in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I and first saw action du ...
** Canterbury Mounted Rifles: 3 squadrons raised from these territorial regiments:
1st Mounted Rifles (Canterbury Yeomanry Cavalry),
8th (South Canterbury) Mounted Rifles
The 8th (South Canterbury) Mounted Rifles was formed on March 17, 1911. They were mobilised during World War I as a squadron of the Canterbury Mounted Rifles Regiment. They served in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I and first saw action ...
, and
10th (Nelson) Mounted Rifles
** Wellington Mounted Rifles: 3 squadrons raised from these territorial regiments:
2nd (Wellington West Coast) Mounted Rifles
Queen Alexandra's Mounted Rifles (QAMR) is an armoured warfare, armoured regiment of the New Zealand Army and forms part of the Royal New Zealand Armoured Corps. The regiment was formed in 1864 and is currently an armoured cavalry unit equipped ...
,
6th (Manawatu) Mounted Rifles
The 6th (Manawatu) Mounted Rifles was formed on March 17, 1911. They were mobilised during World War I as a squadron of the Wellington Mounted Rifles Regiment. They served in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I and first saw action during ...
,
9th (Wellington East Coast) Mounted Rifles
The 9th (Wellington East Coast) Mounted Rifles Regiment was officially raised on March 17, 1911. It was one of 12 regionally based mounted rifles regiments formed as part of the new Territorial Force (TF) organisation that came into existence on ...
** New Zealand Engineers Field Troop
** New Zealand Mounted Signal Troop
** New Zealand Mounted Rifles Field Ambulance
* Divisional cavalry
** Otago Mounted Rifles: 3 squadrons raised from these territorial regiments: 5th (Otago Hussars), 7th (Southland), 12th (Otago)
* New Zealand Field Artillery Brigade
** 1st Field Battery
** 2nd Field Battery
** 3rd Field Battery
** 1st Brigade Ammunition Column
2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force
Formation
At the outbreak of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
in September 1939, the New Zealand Government declared war on Germany. Within a few days, the government pronounced the assembly of what would be an
Expeditionary Force, which become known as the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force (2NZEF), for service in the war. After consulting with the British Government, it was decided to raise an infantry division. This, the
2nd New Zealand Division
The 2nd New Zealand Division, initially the New Zealand Division, was an infantry division of the New Zealand Military Forces (New Zealand's army) during the Second World War. The division was commanded for most of its existence by Lieutenant-G ...
, would be commanded by
Major-General Bernard Freyberg
Lieutenant-general (United Kingdom), Lieutenant-General Bernard Cyril Freyberg, 1st Baron Freyberg, (21 March 1889 – 4 July 1963) was a United Kingdom, British-born New Zealand soldier and Victoria Cross recipient, who served as the List of g ...
, a
British Army
The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
officer who had spent his early years in New Zealand and won a
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross (VC) is the highest and most prestigious decoration of the Orders, decorations, and medals of the United Kingdom, British decorations system. It is awarded for valour "in the presence of the enemy" to members of the British ...
in the First World War, ending it as a brigadier general, who had offered his services to the New Zealand Government. Freyberg would also be the commander of the 2NZEF.
Service in Africa and Europe
The first echelon of 2NZEF Headquarters and a Brigade Group landed in Egypt in February 1940. The second echelon, also a Brigade Group, was diverted to Britain on Italy's entry into the war and did not reach Egypt until March 1941. The third echelon arrived in Egypt in September 1940 and concentration of the division was completed just before it was
deployed to northern Greece in March 1941.
This force remained as part of the
British Eighth Army
The Eighth Army was a field army of the British Army during the Second World War. It was formed as the Western Army on 10 September 1941, in Egypt, before being renamed the Army of the Nile and then the Eighth Army on 26 September. It was cr ...
to the end of World War II in 1945 during which it fought in the
Battle of Greece
The German invasion of Greece or Operation Marita (), were the attacks on Greece by Italy and Germany during World War II. The Italian invasion in October 1940, which is usually known as the Greco-Italian War, was followed by the German invasi ...
(March–April 1941), the
Battle of Crete
The Battle of Crete (, ), codenamed Operation Mercury (), was a major Axis Powers, Axis Airborne forces, airborne and amphibious assault, amphibious operation during World War II to capture the island of Crete. It began on the morning of 20 May ...
(May),
Operation Crusader
Operation Crusader (18 November – 30 December 1941) was a military operation of the Western Desert campaign during World War II by the British Eighth Army (with Commonwealth, Indian and Allied contingents) against the Axis forces (German and ...
(November–December),
Minqar Qaim (June 1942), the
First
First most commonly refers to:
* First, the ordinal form of the number 1
First or 1st may also refer to:
Acronyms
* Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array
* Far Infrared a ...
(July) and
Second Battles of El Alamein (October–November),
Libya
Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya border, the east, Sudan to Libya–Sudan border, the southeast, Chad to Chad–L ...
and
Tunisia
Tunisia, officially the Republic of Tunisia, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It is bordered by Algeria to the west and southwest, Libya to the southeast, and the Mediterranean Sea to the north and east. Tunisia also shares m ...
(December–May 1943), the
Sangro
The Sangro is a river in eastern central Italy, known in ancient times as Sagrus from the Greek ''Sagros'' or ''Isagros'', ''Ισαγρος''.
It rises in the middle of Abruzzo National Park near Pescasseroli in the Apennine Mountains. It fl ...
(October–December), the
Battle of Monte Cassino
The Battle of Monte Cassino, also known as the Battle for Rome, was a series of four military assaults by the Allies of World War II, Allies against Nazi Germany, German forces in Kingdom of Italy, Italy during the Italian Campaign (World War ...
(February–March 1944), the
Central Italy
Central Italy ( or ) is one of the five official statistical regions of Italy used by the National Institute of Statistics (ISTAT), a first-level NUTS region with code ITI, and a European Parliament constituency. It has 11,704,312 inhabita ...
(May–December), and the
Adriatic Coast
The Adriatic Sea () is a body of water separating the Italian Peninsula from the Balkan Peninsula. The Adriatic is the northernmost arm of the Mediterranean Sea, extending from the Strait of Otranto (where it connects to the Ionian Sea) to ...
(April–May 1945).
Under the command of Major-General
William Stevens, the 2NZEF began demobilising in late 1945, a process that was largely completed by mid-1946. Lt. Gen
John C. H. Lee
John Clifford Hodges Lee (1 August 1887 – 30 August 1958) was a career US Army engineer, who rose to the rank of lieutenant general (United States), lieutenant general and commanded the Communications Zone (ComZ) in the European Theater of Oper ...
, Deputy Theater Commander of the Mediterranean Theater at this time, noted in his diary attending the termination ceremony of the New Zealand Force at Caserta, Italy on 3 September 1946.
Service in the Pacific
The 2NZEF also had a ''Pacific Section'', which was initially responsible for the defence of
Fiji
Fiji, officially the Republic of Fiji, is an island country in Melanesia, part of Oceania in the South Pacific Ocean. It lies about north-northeast of New Zealand. Fiji consists of an archipelago of more than 330 islands—of which about ...
. The basis for the Pacific Section was initially an infantry brigade—the
8th Infantry Brigade—which arrived on
Viti Levu
Viti Levu (pronounced ; ) is the largest island in Fiji. It is the site of the country's capital and largest city, Suva, and home to a large majority of Fiji's population.
Geology
Fiji lies in a plate tectonics, tectonically complex area betwe ...
, the main island of Fiji, in November 1940.
[Gillespie, 1952, p. 26] Following the entry of the
Japanese Empire
The Empire of Japan, also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was the Japanese nation state that existed from the Meiji Restoration on January 3, 1868, until the Constitution of Japan took effect on May 3, 1947. From 1910 to ...
into the war, in early 1942, the 2NZEF contingent in Fiji was expanded to two brigades, and formally designated ''Pacific Section, 2NZEF''.
[Gillespie, 1952, p. 45] Under the command of Major General
Owen Mead
Major General Owen Herbert Mead, (24 January 1892 – 25 July 1942) was an officer in the New Zealand Military Forces who served during the First and Second World Wars.
Mead joined the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) following the outbr ...
, the Pacific Section was withdrawn from Fiji back to New Zealand when the United States
37th Division took over defence responsibility.
[Gillespie, 1952, pp. 55–56]
The Pacific Section later became the
3rd Division, the main unit of the 2NZEF in the Pacific.
[Gillespie, 1952, p. 56] After of period of training in New Zealand, it fought in the
Solomon Islands campaign
The Solomon Islands campaign was a major military campaign, campaign of the Pacific War during World War II. The campaign began with the Empire of Japan, Japanese seizure of several areas in the British Solomon Islands and Bougainville Island, B ...
during 1943–1944, participating in the Battles of
Vella Lavella
Vella Lavella is an island in the Western Province (Solomon Islands), Western Province of Solomon Islands. It lies to the west of New Georgia, but is considered one of the New Georgia Islands, New Georgia Group. To its west are the Treasury Isla ...
, the
Treasury Islands
Treasury Islands () are a small group of islands a few kilometres to the south of Bougainville and from the Shortland Islands. They form part of the Western Province of the country of Solomon Islands. The two largest islands in the Treasurie ...
and the
Green Islands,
[Gillespie, 1952, p. 194] although never as a full division.
In early 1944, the New Zealand Government faced a manpower crisis caused by the demands of maintaining two divisions overseas while simultaneously maintaining agricultural and industrial production to meet the needs of the Allied countries. In order to cope with this crisis the New Zealand Government saw no option other than to disband one of the country's two infantry divisions. The decision to disband the 3rd Division was made after consulting with the British and United States Governments, who were of the view that the 2nd Division's contribution to the campaign in Italy was of greater importance than the 3rd Division's contribution in the Pacific.
[Gillespie, 1952, pp. 195–198]
The 3rd Division was withdrawn to
New Caledonia
New Caledonia ( ; ) is a group of islands in the southwest Pacific Ocean, southwest of Vanuatu and east of Australia. Located from Metropolitan France, it forms a Overseas France#Sui generis collectivity, ''sui generis'' collectivity of t ...
in June 1944 and returned to New Zealand in August. The Division was rapidly downsized and was formally disbanded on 20 October 1944. About 4,000 veterans of the 3rd NZ Division were dispatched to Italy to reinforce the 2nd Division with the remaining men of the division returning to civilian employment.
[Gillespie, 1952, pp. 201–203]
3rd New Zealand Expeditionary Force
From 1950 onwards a division-sized force, reserves (Territorial Force) maintained by conscription, formed the principal striking force of the New Zealand Army. The division was alternatively known as 3NZEF.
[Damien Marc Fenton, 'A False Sense of Security,' Centre for Strategic Studies: New Zealand, 1998, p.12] It disbanded in 1961.
See also
*
Military history of New Zealand in World War I
*
Māori Battalion
The 28th (Māori) Battalion, more commonly known as the Māori Battalion (), was a light infantry battalion of the New Zealand Army that served during the Second World War.
The battalion was formed following pressure on the Labour government ...
*
New Zealand Forces Club The New Zealand Forces Club was a series of leave centres instigated for the benefit of the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force in Egypt, Britain and Italy during World War II. General Bernard Freyberg had a deep concern for the wellbeing of his ...
*
New Zealand Tunnelling Company
The New Zealand Tunnelling Company (also ''New Zealand Engineers Tunnelling Company'') was a tunnel warfare unit of the Royal New Zealand Engineers during World War I which specialised in sapping and mining. The tunnelling companies were occupied ...
*
Buttes New British Cemetery (New Zealand) Memorial
The Buttes New British Cemetery (New Zealand) Memorial is a World War I memorial, located in Buttes New British Cemetery, near the town of Zonnebeke, Belgium. It commemorates 378 officers and men of the New Zealand Division who were killed in t ...
Notes
References
*
*
Further reading
;Books
*
*
;Websites
*
*
*
*
{{New Zealand Great War Mounted Regiments
Military units and formations of the New Zealand Army
New Zealand in World War I
Military history of New Zealand during World War II
Expeditionary units and formations