NEW ZEALAND'S TROOPS

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 42, 13 November 1918, Page 9

NEW ZEALAND'S TROOPS

MAIN BODY m REINFORCEMENTS AN UNBROKEN STREAM OF MEN. The dates of dispatch ami tho bircnglli of tho chief units that have left New Zealand for Hie front during tho war arc .shown in the following table. The figures givon do not account for all the men who have left New Zealand, since there have been many small parlies sent nwaj nt. various times, including hospital orderlies, guards in charge- of prisoners, chaplain!?, stall's of horse transports, medical officers and specialists of various kinds.' ' 1911. Strength. Main Body—October ,15 7,7fil Ist Reinforcements—October 15 738 2nd Reinforcements—December 14 1,1171

19'5. 3rd Reinforcements—Kebr-nvy H... 1,712 4th Reinforcements—April 17 2,201 sth eßinfovecnieuts—June 13 2,411 oth Reinforcements—August It ... 2,301 oth Reinforcements (bnlsince)~Sep- ' i ember 10 85 Advance Party, Ist and 2nd, Halts. Hi do Brigade—Sept. 1!) 102 Ist and 2nd. Balls. lliflo BrigadeOctober 9 .... 2,250 7th Reinforcements—October 9 2,'sft Bth Reinforcements—Nov. 14' 2,570 1910. 91 h Reinforcements and advance party, '3rd mid 4th Balis. Rillo Brigade—January 8 3,123 3rd and 4th-Halts, ififle Brigade— February 0-7 2,111 10th Reinforcements—March 1 1,702 11th Reinforcements—April 2 2,31)9 12th Reinforcements (Ist draft)— May 1 1,074 12th Reinforcements (2nd dial'!)— May 0 1,395 13th Reinforcements—'day 31 2,107 14th Reinforcements (exclusive of Mounted Rides)— June 211 ....... 2,10(> 14111 'Mounted Rifles—July 13 107 15th Mounted Rilles—July 13 97 15th Reinforcements (exclusive of M.R.l—July 2(1 and. 29. 1,875 llilh Mounted Rifles—August 10 ... 105 16th Reinforcements—August 20... 1,931 17th Reinforcements—Sept. 21 2,101 17th Mounted Rifles—October 5 11l 18th Mounted Rilles—October 5 93 18th Reinforcements—October 14 ... 1,945 19th-Reinforcements—Nov! I"i I,SOS 19th ond portion 201 h Mounted Rifles—December- (> 154 20th Reinforcements, first portion (Jv.Z. Division)—Deo. 7 092 20lh-Mounted Rifles, second portion—December 11 91 5 •'''■• • ■ ' '1917.: ' 20th Reinforcements, second por- . tion— January 2 418 21st Reinforcements--January 19... 1,991 21st-Mounted- RiHcs—February S ... 123 ■22nd.Mounted Rilles—February. 15 122 22nd Reinforcements—Fob. 13-i'(> ... 1,985 u3rd Reinforcements,- first portion— -March-14 921 23rd anil 21th Mounted RidesApril 19 257

23rd Reinforcements, second portion—April ;i 1,1-H 21th Ueinforeemcnts, first portion— A]iril (i 9" l ' 21th Reinforcements, second portion —April 2li Us' 25th Reinforcements—April 211 2,(1.>2 25th, 2Gth. and portion l ; 01'.271h anil 28th Mounted 'Rilies—May 01 ... H,'l2 27th iiiiil 2Sth Mounted iiilles (liul? twee)— June 7 ••'••• t'9 2GJi Jleinforcements, first porl:ou —.Inno II 2Gtli Ueiiiforccineuls, second. piirtion, - ami 27th lioimorc'incnl, first porlimi--June 12 2,i:!l 28lli Reinforcement, first portion —July li 1.121

27fli lieinforeeinenls, second portion—July Hi 7"( i -Stii Keinlorceineuls, second por-tion-,lnly 2i; 9M -!lth li'cinloiceiuents—August 13-15 I,M!) 2'Jih l h-ilaiice.i and iilltli l.ciiil'orccinenti—October lii I.C.'H 291 Ii ami :illlli ' .Mounted liillcs— .November i:> SOL Ulst ami Ifcind Iteinlorceiuonts— Nnvi'inljci 17-22 2,.">!]!) 33rd KcinloiiemenU— December 31 1,075 ■ 1918. 3-llh lvuituorccmcnts— February 5... 952 35th am! illith .Mounted Knlos— I'elji n.'uv 21 2(!fl 35tii Ueinlorcenienls—Mali'li 3 SII2 Slit ii Hi-inlorueinents—April 23-24,' 1, U.'s :;rih Mounted Hides—April 2,1 J3I 37tli hoinioi'cements, first portion— May 3 021 37th Item forcemeats, second .portion—Jl a} Hi 251 38th Reinforcements—June 5 722 ,Ifitii Mounted Rifles—Jnno 13 115 .1!lth Keinforceinents—June 13 728 40th Ki-irt'oicejiicntJi—July 10 1,091 41st Heinfnrcements—July 28 !157 42nd Keinforceinents—August 2 ... 844, 39th Jlonnted Rifles—August 9 ... 131 43rd llemfoi'cemonts, iirst portion— Augu»t 13 11l

43rd Reinforcements, second portion —October S 552 40t.1i. list. 12nd, and 43rd Mounted Rifles—October 11. : 455 92,419 THE SAMOAN FORCE. Advance Parly—August 15, 1914 ... 1,419 Reinforcements and reliefs to October 18, 1918 C4B 2,0(17MAORI CONTINGENT. ' First Maoii draft—Februarv 14. 1915 '-...] 518 Second draft—September 19/1915 ... ' 311 Third draft—February G, 1.91.0 ...... tIC lieiiil'oh.cments to 'October 18, 1918 .1,287 2,232 , ISLAND TROOPS. Nine Inlanders—February C, 191IJ 148 Rarofougans, first draft—February . I!, 191(1 ; 50 Rarolonsans. second draft—November iC. 1911; .•. :...• 113 Rarotoiignns. third draft—June 13, 1918 115 •156 . THE TUNNKLLERS. Tunntiiing Company—December IS, '915 44S Reinfoicements to October 18, 1918 BG2 1,308 WIRELESS-TROOP. ' Wireless troop—Jlarch 4, .1918 fi2 Reinfoicements' to. October IS, 1918 IIG 178 ■ , , BRITISH SECTION. ' British .section, Expeditionary Forco -... .'. 240 ■ .FLYING CORPS. Flying cadets and officers to Octo- 1 liei' IS, 1913 1 0S

X.\VAT, PATROL. Royal Naval Auxiliary J'ntrol, to Octowi IS 11118 I 3" i m j > r, i; i a i ii; ros !■: n vi sts. Imperial Reservist.-) and Naval Killings ufi-t HOSI'ITAIi UNITS. No. I Stationary llospitn 1 left on May 31, 19)5, with n flfreiijilh of Hi), and No. I Hospital Ship on June 29, 1915, with 71 medical ollicers and men. No. 2 Hospiial Ship left on December C, 1915, and in .•ulditimi tn the medical tilalV le.ok medic,il reinforcements, total slrenylii 170. 'l'ho rccoiuiuissioniiig of the hospital

ships niiil tin; di-ipalch of medical reiiilurecnieiiw -lias brought Hit*, total number of men dispatched up to 771.

THE TOTALS. Total number of men sent abroad to October IS, IMS '95.82 C Men iu camps oil October 18,1918 I'J.frrt Grand total ; 112,170 NEW ZEALAND'S PART. THE STORY IiUIEFLY TOLD. New Zealand's part in Hip war' hail boon played in many fields. It' has been played with vigour and determination, and it has absorbed for four ymirs a very larffo part of the* energy of (lie na- , yiou. The full extent of the effort made by New Zealand in connection with the war since .August 4, I9M, is not easily assessed, mul it cannot be more Ihan indicated within the cojnpass of a newspaper article. U has boon an effort that would have been regarded as absolutely impossible in tlio days before the war when (he capacity oi the .Dominion -for the waging of war had not been tested. Before thd war it was an axiom in the hiffhcst military circles in Europe' that the mobilisation of ten per* cent, oi tho population of a countrv was the maximum possible effort in (ink of war. Military writers in considering the ohancp.s ot .Imiropean warfare, based thoir calculations on 11m ivsrinwte that a country with a well-established conscription Law and wilh a. male population trained to service, would be able to put ten per cent, of its manhood into the field if necessary; New Zealand has done rather- belter than that, and tho Dominion started without tho trainod men and with only the nucleus of organisation. The actual numbers of men sent are shown in another column. The tonal strength of tho units and ininforoemonts sent abroad up ..(o October' IS, 1915,. was 99,822, and on that date them were 12,043, men in camp, a total contribution of 112,470. Tn 'addition, some 10,000 men who entered the forces were discharged from the training cami)* for medical njid other reasons before the departure of their units. The figures do not inc'lndo the men engaged-in home service within the Dominion ov the )nm- ™' ot New- Zonlandens who enlisted mi Australian and Imnerial Forces Jhe ttew Zealaml . Defence Department, under the direction of the present Minister of Defence (Sir. James Allen), had prepared a scheme for the .dispatch ot an expeditionary force of 8000 men 'in case ol need before the war. The scheme was part of Hie.- 'plan of TmI'erial organisation ■ that was bei"K discussed during ■ the. ... years preceding 1914. AVhen war appeared io bo imminent at the end of Jnlv, 18U, (lie New Zealand (iovermneiij; eaoTeil (o the I uiporiiCl authorities oii'eriiis: an. Expeditionary Force. The announcement that war had ljegiln reacltiid the Dominion on August 5, .1911, an J on Hist d.--\ the Prinio : Minister (Risltf Hon. AV llassey) moved in the Kouso of Ucpreeenlaiives:—

1 hat in view of Hie fact that Groat Britain has .become involved in war with Germany, this House approves ot the necessary steps baair' taken .by the New Zealand Government to have. in readiness an Expeditionary Force. ■

111 is motion'"'was passed unanimously, a/id the Defence Department proceeded at once with the arrangements. -Recruits wore offering- in thousands, and tho au-. thorities wero able to make a selection, 'lhey gave preference first to niemberu of the Territorial Force and then to mei. who had had .previous military experience. .Improvised camps Began to fill quickly, instructional staffs were arranged, and the provision of transport was undeitaken. A fact worth mentioning is that the Defonce authorities realised even at lhe. outset that it would be unwise lo allow all tho experienced officers ivntl non-commissioned officers to go to the front with tho lirst draft. Men had to be retained for instructional work. The arrangements that wore madt. in this respect had a far-reaching influence later, .since iNew Zealand never lacked skilled instructors for fne masses' of raw recruits who. were taken into the Expeditionary Force. Capture of Samoa,. The first force lo leave ~ew Zealand' was the Sftmoftn 'i'oice,' sailed Troiu iTi-IlinVtoii on'Aogtisi-k>, mi, tfeif uSp after ITio iiews df'tlie declaration of winha<t~be*ettreccTveil. "This force.numbered 1-119 men, aiul was in' itself a complete unit, 'prepared to "(aife tile "field aeuinsl tho German'occupants or' Sain'oa, ~ The officers and men naturally liait been drawn from tTie - Territorla"l sineo there." was "110 time lo givo tnem additional traiiiTnc. The fbrco reached Samoa "oil Xvig,Tot 28, and complete*! the! oecunation or tlio German porCion of tho \ ishuTJ before the "end or tlie month. Tlicro was "no lighting, as events fell, but Kew Zeolahil liTitl tile honour ontfkinp;; tho first "bit of Geriiian colonial tefri.tory tuat changed hands during the war. Since then all the German colonies have been wrested from tho Huns, In the meantime the mobilisation of tli-i jMaiii Booy w.is proceeding. The com-1 position of this bony had neeii"planned uetorouand, and tne question ot organisation presented 110 dilficulties. 'It,was lo l)e self-contained, and its units wero as follow;' Headquarters. . .Mounted Kifies lirigado (;J Beginients). Mounted Brigade Field Ambulance..' Olngo Mounted fUlles ltgt. .{lndependent), • UllO Infantry Drig.uie (i Battalions). One Field Artillery Brigade (3 Batteries). ■ F.A; Brigade' Ammunition Column, Signal Company. : One Company Divisional Train. One .Field Ambulance. Veterinary,. Dental, l'ay, ltecord Units, •Chaplains; The actual strength of 'the Main Body when it left New Zealand was'77til men. It was accompanied by tho First Iteinforcement, numbering'73B men, so that the'total 1 strength of the force that letv Now Zealand 011 October 15, 1914, was 8M!) men. The recruiting of the; Main Body was based upon' the Territorial organisation, each .'mounted rille regiment providing a squadron and each infantry regiment. 11 company. "Thins each lnilitar.v district provided a'mounted riiln regiment and an "infantry battalion named after the district from which i>. was drawn. The Teii'ritoriril organisation lias been maintained throughout' the war. Hie exception being. Hie T(iHe 'Brigade, which was'a new ■ departure. The Main Body. " The' Main .Body first lel'j>. New- Zealand on September 21, .1!>1I 1 ' hut. they were ordered back to port.' The, German armcd' foj'ces in the' Pacific were' a. menace and the authorities did hoi consider that the escort then available was-adequate.' The troops resumed their training ashoru until the arrival of the British criiisw Alinotaur' and the ■ Japanese cruiser Ibuki. Then the men: were re-em banted on October 13, and early Iho next morning the transports put to sea. ::The'destination of the-troops was not known lo the public of New Zealand at Hint time; It was learned later lliat the men hail gone lo Egypt, where' they continued their training and prepared for I he great ordeal of Gallipoli. The Alain Body; according to the promise made by the New Zealand Govc-rnnienl, was to be' reinforced regularly and adequately during the period of the war. Tho late ol'-roin-forcemc'iit varied from time lo lime, but it is a proud boast that the drafts never failed. There was a " shortage of reinforcements in the'early days 011 Gallipoli. when the casualties- were outrunning all expectation and preparation. Big drafts were sent away to meet (lint position, and there was never a shortage of reinforcements for the New Zealand units at any other stago of tho cam r pa iff 11. • The first big increase in tho strength of (lie Expeditionary Force was made al this end. Tho GovermiieiU, in April, 11)15, decided upon (lie creation of (he . New Zealand KiHe Brigade, with some , additional artillery, including a howitzer battery. The organisation oi the Brigade went ahead rapidly, and the first two battalions sailed from New. Zealand on October I), liilS, with n strength of 2250 men. 'i'lu; 3rd and fth Battalions followed early in February, lllfi, and mtni-bt-red 2111 men. The Hide Brigade, like the Main Body, was to be reinforced monthly for the duration of the'war.

Egypt, Gallipoli, and Franco. The story nf New Zealand's first cainpnißii, extending fl'oiii the lnndiny on Onllipoli on April 1915, io the ovneuiilion on Deeemhcr lit, 1915, need not Ito told here, The i)|)ic is fresh in llio minds ol' llio nation. After the-arrival of the

Main Body in Egypt it was associate*! witli (hp (Hi Australian Infantry liriyade in the New Zealand anil Australian Division, which was a part ol' tho Australian and Now Zealand Ariny 'Corps— Ihp Anzacs. It was after the evacuation that tho Australian III) Brigade was withdrawn for incorporation in Australian forces, lis lihico was taken by the New Zealand Kilie Brigade. There was then a AW Zealand division of Hirer brigades, consist ing of the Infantry Brigade, the Mounted Rifle Brigade, ami the liillo Brigade. jin I: the mounted men were wanted for work in Egypt, ami Inter in Palestine, while tho infantry Hero going lo Prance. It was considered necessary that the -New Zealanders should have a complete division in France, in order lhal their organisation might be self-contained and tliey might lake their place hpside the other divisions on the West front. The authorities had accumulated reinforcements at hand, and tho 3rd New Zealand Infantry. Brigade wns formed, wilh ils artillery;'-am-bulance, and army corps units. A Pioneer Battalion was also formed, ami tho New Zealand Division was ready for service in February, 1916. The composition of the division was as follows:— Divisional Headquarters. Cyclist Company. ...Divisional Field Arlillcry (Headquarters, three Field Artillery Brigades, one Howitzer Brigade, trench' mortar bat-v-:.':es, and., divisional ammunition column). Divisional Engineers. (Headquarters, three Field Companies, one .Signal Company). ~ i . Machmfc-gun Corps (three companies). Infantry (three brigades of four battalions each, cud Pioneer Battalion),. Divisional Train. Medical Corps (three Field Ambulances, one Sanitary Section). Veterinary Section. ~ Records and Pay Staffs, Chaplains, etc. ' . The division had a total strength of 20,(100 officers and men. . Thine included' 1.1,000 bayonels (infantry), and in artillery 54 IS-pounder guns and lS'l.oin. howitzers.. v The Maxi'muiv Effort. I The forces maintained by New Zeaj land in the field reached a..strength of, roughly, 23,! XV) in March, ..1111(1. This, j. total comprised the division of 20,000 officers and men, the Mounted' Hifle Brigade of 1350 men, two companies of the Imperial Camel Corps in Sinai, the Wireless Troop in Mesopotamia, the Tunnelling Corps' in France, nnd the Samoan garrison. The nominal rate ;of reinforcement required to maintain thesp forces -was 2ioo men pev month. This quota was provided, and, fortunately, it proved larger than actual requirements." ' The reinforcements accumulated, nnd when an urgent call was made for more men in the early part of 191! the Governir.e-it agreed to the formation of a 'Ith New Zealand Infantry Brigade from the officei's and men then avf.siibie in England. This new brigade, which was attached to the Now Zealand Division, was not to he reinforced, and there was a clear understanding that it was to be broken up whenever tho men composing it woo required lo reinforce the division. The total establishment of tho New Zealand Arnij abroad was then L'8,01)0. The Hli Brigade was disbanded in the concluding months of 191", after taking a distinguished part in some of tho heavy lighting of that year. 'The rate of reinforcement- was then reduced, but tho Defence Department stood ready always lo send more 'men if they were required for the support of the division. A call came ir. April, after the great German push towards the Channel ports, and tho rate of -reinforcement was increased -again., whj'lo at the same time a New Zealand Tank Corps of 700 men was formed from reinforcements available in 'England. The close of the war found tho New Zealand Army at full strength, wilh reserves behind it and with over. 12,00(1 men in tho training camps in New Zealand. Great Names. The story of the achievements of the New Zealand Army in the'held cannot be told here. Ureni names suggest tliemselvej—uallipoli, Egypt, Palestine, the Soinnie, Fiefs, Messines, JJapnmno, Fresnov. No division in the whole British Army has n better record. The talo of New Zealand's battles will be told later in official and unofficial publica- | tions, and in tho meantime a mere sketch would not do justice to the subject. But some, brief mention should bo made here of other phases of New Zealand's effort. Tho Dominion sent over (10,000 men abroad without conscription. But the fad; that tho New Zealand Division was able to strike its heaviest blows i during throe, months' almost continuous, lighting right' nt the end of a four years' I war must be attributed to the military service law which the National Governj ment put ink operation before the short-, ago of volunteers had begun to starve the reinforcements. ' , Military Service Act. . T'lio compilation of tho National liegister in 1915 was the first step. The mcr. -of military age in New Zealand wero asked to give particulars about .themselves and to state whether or-not the; were prepared to serve in the Army if their services were required. . They replied in the affirmative by an overwhelm-, ing majority. The Military Service Actwas passed m the following year, and tin, first ballot was taken in November, 19111. On tuat occasion 4000 men wero .draw, from the First Division (unmarried men) of the' Expeditionary Force Reserve. The • last large draw upon the First Division, was' m.ido in ..October, 1917. The total number • of. First Division' reservists ilrawfl was over 82,000. Then came the • turn (if the married men. The .first ballot in Class. A (without children) was taken in November, 1917, and since then over oi',ooo married men have been called for service.. The operation of-the military servico law required the creation of some important new Departments, in.eluding .tho .Government, Statistician's Ballot .Branch and the Recruiting; Brand:. Tin! successful operation of these branches, w-liich started' without experience or precedent to guide theiii, ij one "o? the features of New Zealand's war effort.

Then there were Hie transport service?, the . hospital ' ships, the great trainin;; .vamps here'am! in Britain ami Ji'riuice, the. !iolit ana base hospitals, and a dozen other phases' of New Zealand's war activity. The'-'crliiser I'hilomel, maaned by...Noii' Zcalttiiders and maintained by tiie J)omini6n, performed notable services that have jet to be rccordcd. • 2sew Zealand's mercantile marine played ■ u great part. In fact the ramifications of tli'e : Dominion's wnr effort are so many a/id.uespreftd that.their mere muihierauoii would occupy the 6pace of iv newspaper article.