Order of Battle of 2 New Zealand Division

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Order of battle for 2 New Zealand Division during WW2. The organisations are primarily based on Phillips (1957, p. 27), Doherty (1999), and Plowman, J. and Thomas, M. (2000, 2002). I have ignored HQ (unless it included armoured vehicles), transport, support, administration, and band elements.

El Alamein, 23 Oct 1942

  • Divisional Artillery
    • 4 NZ Field Regiment
      • 25 Field Battery: 2 x Troops: 4 x 25-pounder guns
        26 Field Battery
        46 Field Battery
    • 5 NZ Field Regiment
      • 27 Field Battery
        28 Field Battery
        47 Field Battery
    • 6 NZ Field Regiment
      • 29 Field Battery
        30 Field Battery
        48 Field Battery
    • 7 NZ Anti-Tank Regiment
    • 14 NZ Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment
      • 41 LAA Battery
        42 LAA Battery
        43 LAA Battery
  • 2 NZ Div Engineers
    • 6 Field Company
      7 Field Company
      8 Field Company
  • 2 NZ Div Cavalry
  • 27 NZ (MG) Battalion
  • 4 NZ Infantry Brigade
    • 18 NZ Battalion (Auckland)
      19 NZ Battalion (Wellington)
      20 NZ Battalion (Canterbury-Otago)
  • 5 NZ Infantry Brigade
    • 21 NZ Battalion (Auckland)
      22 NZ Battalion (Wellington)
      23 NZ Battalion (Canterbury-Otago)
      28 NZ (Maori) Battalion
  • 6 NZ Infantry Brigade
    • 24 NZ Battalion
      25 NZ Battalion
      26 NZ Battalion
  • 9 Armoured Brigade (attached)
    • 3 Hussars
      Royal Wiltshire Yeomanry
      Warwickshire Yeomanry

2 NZ Div Cavalry

Greece

  • 2 NZ Div Cavalry
    • RHQ
      • 4 x Marmon Herrington Mk II
        2 x Universal Carrier
    • Headquarters Squadron
      • SHQ: Office Truck
        Motorcycle Troop: 41 Motorcycles
    • 3 x Squadron (A, B, C)
      • SHQ:
        • 2 x Marmon Herrington Mk II
          2 x Universal Carrier
      • 2 x Troop: 3 x Marmon Herrington Mk II
        4 x Troop: 3 x Universal and/or Bren Carrier

Italy

  • 2 NZ Div Cavalry
    • RHQ
      • 5 x Staghound Mk I
        1 x Lynx Scout Car
        1 x White Scout Car
    • Headquarters Squadron
    • 3 x Squadron (A, B, C)
      • SHQ:
        • 2 x Staghound Mk I
          1 x Lynx Scout Car
          2 x White Scout Car
      • 5 x Troop:
        • 1 x Staghound Mk II
          2 x Staghound Mk I
      • 1 x Troop: 3 x Lynx Scout Car

The Staghound Mk I had a 37mm Gun. The Staghound Mk II was a Kiwi adaptation with a 3″ Howitzer in place of the 37mm.

Italy, 1943

Major change is the conversion of 4 NZ Infantry Brigade to armour (and the loss of the attached British Armoured Brigade). 22 NZ Battalion joined 4 NZ Armoured Brigade as the Motorised Battalion.

  • Divisional Artillery (as above)
    2 NZ Div Engineers (as above)
    2 NZ Div Cavalry
    27 NZ (MG) Battalion
  • 4 NZ Armoured Brigade
    • 18 NZ Armoured Regiment
      19 NZ Armoured Regiment
      20 NZ Armoured Regiment
      22 NZ Motorised Battalion
  • 5 NZ Infantry Brigade
    • 21 NZ Battalion
      23 NZ Battalion
      28 NZ (Maori) Battalion
  • 6 NZ Infantry Brigade (as above)

‘Armcav’, Italy, 25 Jul – ??, 1944

‘Armcav’ was an adhoc force comprising (Plowman & Thomas, 2002):

  • C Squadron, 2 NZ Div Cavalry
    Tanks from 19 NZ Armoured Regiment
    Infantry from 22 NZ Battalion
    M10s from 31 Anti-tank Battery
    Engineers
    Signallers

Italy, 1945

Major change is the creation of 9 NZ Infantry Brigade comprising 22 NZ Battalion, transferred from 4 NZ Armoured Brigade, plus 27 NZ (MG) Battalion and 2 NZ Div Cavalry, both converted to infantry.

  • Divisional Artillery (as above)
    2 NZ Div Engineers (as above)
  • 4 NZ Armoured Brigade
    • 18 NZ Armoured Regiment
      19 NZ Armoured Regiment
      20 NZ Armoured Regiment
  • 5 NZ Infantry Brigade (as above)
    6 NZ Infantry Brigade (as above)
  • 9 NZ Infantry Brigade
    • 22 NZ Battalion
      2 NZ Divisional Cavalry Battalion
      27 NZ (MG) Battalion

Unit names

Units went by a variety of names, both official and unofficial (Ross, 1959). As an example the 23rd (Canterbury-Otago) Battalion was known as:

  • 23rd (Canterbury-Otago) Battalion – official name throughout the war.
  • ‘23 Canto’ – official abbreviation authorised 8 Apr 1940.
  • ‘Cant-Otago’ – a more popular official abbreviation authorised on 30 Apr 1940.
  • 23rd New Zealand Battalion – as a result of the order of 29 Aug 1941 which mandated the words ‘New Zealand’ or the abbreviation ‘NZ’ to form part of the designation of all units in the NZEF.
  • ‘23 Battalion’ – unofficial name adopted because not all the South Island men were from Canterbury-Otago.
  • ‘The Twenty-third’ – unofficial name adopted for the same reason.
  • 23rd Rifle Battalion’ – unofficial name adopted in routine orders once the unit left NZ.

References

Doherty, R. (1999). A Noble Crusade: The history of the Eighth Army 1941-45. Spellmount.

Phillips, N. C. (1957). Italy (Vol. 1): The Sangro to Cassino. War History Branch, Department of Internal Affairs. New Zealand.

Plowman, J. and Thomas, M. (2002). 2nd New Zealand Divisional Cavalry Regiment in the Mediterranean. Kiwi Armour 3.

Plowman, J. and Thomas, M. (2000). 4th New Zealand Armoured Brigade in Italy. Kiwi Armour 1.

Ross, A. (1959). 23 Battalion. On-line http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2-23Ba.html. War History Branch, Department of Internal Affairs. New Zealand.

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