NEW ZEALAND AT THE FRONT

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 252, 18 July 1919, Page 14

NEW ZEALAND AT THE FRONT

OUR QUOTA TO THE EMPIRE The dates of dispatch and tho strength :-.-of the? chief units that have left New .'XZealahd for the' front during tho war - are shown in tho following table. The .-■'fiscui-Bj given-do ■ not accountfor, all the "" I'.linen, who have left New Zealand, since "-.there have been many small parties sent ..,.'; away at various times, including .hospital :; ! orderlies, guards in' charge of prisoners, '•/ chaplains, staffs of horse transports, • ; medical officers and specialists of various ■■ : kinds. ?! 'M 4. , ''•' ' 41 Strength. ;.Main Body-October 15 ...'. 7,761 .••'; fct Reinforcements—October 15 ... 788 ..'.:■ 2nd Eeinforcemcnts— 14 1,971 : ;i wis. I'-JSrd Reinforcements—February 14 ... 1,713 ? '.':-4th Reinforcements—April 17 2,261 ";sth Reinforcements—June 13 2,411 •!'6th Eoinforcements—August 14 ... 2,364 '.:6th Reinforcemonts (balance)—Sep- :!-..! tember 19 ;'. .. S5 ':,: Advance.Parti, Ist and 2nd Batts. '■ : '•: Rifle Brigade-Sept. 19 102 "Ist and; 2nd x Batts. Riflo Brigade- .;•,« October 9, .......... 2,250 Eeinforcements—October 9 2,450 : ": Bth'-' r Eeinforceriients—November 14 2,576 ' ?;, "•";."'"■ ,1910. ■•■ ■'it Jii>'., ■ --~ S oth Eeinforcements and advance '~•". Party, 3rd and 4th Batts. Rifle '•'*. Brigade—January 8 -3,123 ' ~:8rd and 4th Batts. Rifle Brigade- '£ February 6-7 2,111. |:,Motli Reinforcements—March 4 1,762 T' llth Reinforcements-April 2 2*399.. . 12th Reinforcements (Ist draft)— ■'- v " "! ! 31ay. 1 : '. •••• 1.07* ■ .'•!". 12tlF Eeinforcements (2nd draft)— .•• '. -Miiy 6 ...'..:„...:. -..r...: 1.395 r"l3th Reinforcements-May 31 -.....; 2,107; "'l4th Reinforcements (exclusive of y:; ;Mounted Rifles)-June. 26...; 2,106 SiwthV Mounted Rifles-Jiily 13 107; . •;;15th Mounted Rifles-July 13 . 97 j<.'lsfh Reinforcement's (exclusive of • ;'-;! M.R,)-Jttlv 26 and 29 1,87» . Rifles-August 10 ... 105' ■ itMSth;;Heinforcements-August 20 .... 1,994 ■ -'" 'iflftli Reinforcements-Sept.'24 2,101: >£Tftn. Mounted'Rifles-October. 5 ... 11l r?,lßth Mounted Rifles-October .5 ... 93 frlßih'? Reinforcements—October 14 ... 1,945 ■ «Wth Reinforcements—Nor. 15-..;.... 1,808 vr 19th and oortion 20th Mounted I Rifles—December 6 ~..:........ 154 320 th Reinforcements, .first portion ' Vy.\ (N:55: Divisinnl-December 7 ... 692: ~2oth Mounted Rifles.! second por--31 tftfrPr-December 14 , 91 ;;.;'; 1917. -'20th Reinforcements,, second porZ Bon—January 2 .' US Eeinforcements—January 19 ... 1,991 ■•'-:2lst Mounted Rifles-Fobraary 8 ..-. 123 ■' ; .*22nd Mounted Riflos-Fobruary 15 122 '■ ;'22nd Reinforcements—Yeb.'l3-16 ... 1,965 •223 rd Reinforcements, first portion— !•'.» 'March 14 .•■••• -924 ~*23rd and 24th Mounted Rifles— . £' April 19 v '. 257 ;"23rd Reinforcements, second por- •'•* *tion-Aprirß : - 1,123 Reinforcements, first portion— £ April 6 .! 954 " '24th Reinforcements, second portion ■ . ~ -April 26 1.151 -.■2sth. Reinforcements-April 26,.::..;.2,052■■ -' L!2sth, J>jth, and portions'of. 27th •-> and- 28th Mounted Rifles-May : 'J. 31" ;..::...:..;........ ' 332 Z_'27th and 28th Mounted Rifles, (bal : . ance)—June 7 :„.......: ....: .179 :, '<"26th Reinforcements,, first'portion . -June 9 ;.......„..:.;„.;;.,.-1,220 •26th Reinforcements,-second'.- ; por-'. ■; tion, and 27th Reinforcements; :, -.:-- first portion-June 12 ..:......... 2,134; ?'.'2Bth Reinforcements, first,,portion . TM. ••••••• :■■-■■■■■■■ 1,121 ■ 27th Reinforcements, second por- . tioi-July ,10 ..:.....- ......-•'•• ' ■ 770' 58th Reinforcements;'.second .por-j. ■>'■ 1 ' tiqn-July,;26 :......:.:.:....:■.■.■■■■■ • .930 29th E«inforcements-4!ugu6t' 13-15 1,539 29th (balance), a-nd 30tb Reinforce-,',. .'; meiits—October \ 13 '..%-. l;83i 29th and 80th' Mounted- Rifles- ; : November,'l3::.;...'... 801 81st and . 32nd-"Reinforcements- ;•■■•■•■ November 1742 ;„.;!,:- ".':"." 2,599 SSrd Reinforcements—December 31 1,075 > wis}""' ' .- ■ 84th Reinforcements— i?ebmary 8 ... 95a 85th and 36th. Mounted Rifles— -■-'. February 2LV...;,....UW..'.4-».'!-260 35th Eoinforcements—March 3 ..:... 892 36th Eeinforcements— April 23-24... 1.40J 87th Mounted Rifles-April '23 -134 87th Eeinforcements, first portionMar 9 921 37th Reinforcoments, second- por-'. . tion-May 16 •-. 251 88th Eeinforcements—June 5 723 38th Mounted Rifles-June 13 ......;. ...14a S?th Reinforcements—June 13 .728 40th Reinforcements-July 10 ..1,091 41st Reinforcements-July 28 957 -••'-' 42nd Reinforcements—August"-2 ... 844 89th Mounted. Rifles-August 9 ... 13» 4Srd Reinforcements, first portionAugust 18 411 43rd Reinforcements, second portion » -October 8 ■ 552 40th, 41st, 42nd, and 43rd .Mounted Rifles-October 11 .: 455 •"'..■.'. 92,419 • ,\ The Samoan Force. Advance Party—August 15, 1914... 1,419 RaWdioements and reJiefs.to Octo; ber 18, 1918 ...-..;....:.....■ C 4» ! '' 2,06? ■.;■' Maori Contingent. ' First Maori draft—February 14, ■ 1915 ...'. ■ •••■• 518 V Second draft-September 19, 1915 ... 311 Third draft-February 6, 1916 116 Reinforcements to October 18, 1918 1,287 ' 2,235 f"r..J.."V . Island.Troops. Niue "Islanders-February 6, 1916 148 ■Barotongans, first draft—February :;. 6, 1916 •■ sl > : Rarotongans, second draft—Novem- ■ •.. ber 16, 1916 US " Rarotongans, third draft—June 13, ,-■;■:■ 1918 lto HI, - | '].. . 45D I': Thß Tunnellers. { funnelling tCompany—December 18, j« 1915 *$ ' Eeinforcements' to October 18, 1918 862 ■■ . ' 1,308 ~; Wireless Trpop. Wirol* 63 troop—March 4, 1916 ...... 62 ; Reinforcements to October 18, 1918 116 ' J"..,' 178 . H s British Section. . ; British section, Espeditionaiy Force . 210 ;-.;: Flying Corps. ■ ,-' ■ • Flying cadets and officers to Octo- >■ ! . ■". ber 18, 1918 168 ■; tj Naval 'Patrol, • Royal Naval Auxiliary i'atrol, to ' } V: October 18, 1918 .190 Imperial Reservists, 'lijiperial Reservists and Naval •■ ? gßatings 561 : p! "" The Totals. ; 3?otal number of men sent abroad : -to October 18, 1918 /... 09,822 ,licn inseamps on October 12.« iS !! Z Grand total 112,470 ).* IN jimlields ; -New -Zealand's. part in. the war had "beeii played in many fields. ~!t has .been piayed with vigour .-.ud determinatioß, - - and-it- has absorbed for four years a very large part of the Aergy of the naThe full extont of tho effort made £ fey..Now.Zealand in connection with..the ;* wi;£ since August 4, 3914, is not easily « assessed, and it cannot be 'Bore than in- [', dicated'within the compass of this article. ;'; It;hftS?beeii'. an effort that would havo jj been regarded as absolutely impossible \i in the days before tho war w'heu tho !; capacity of tho Dominion for tho waging ;, of war had not been tested. . Before the war it was an axiom in % tha.hig'hest military circles in Europo j; that tho mobilisation of ten per cent, of -■] tha population of a country was tho mnxi- \. mum possible effort in time of war. Mili- "• tary writers in considering tho dinners ' of European warfare, based their calculations on the; estimate that a cqunfcry ;;. with it well-established ■■onscripticd law ; and with a male population trained to '.■■ military service, would be able to put ten ~ per cent, of its manhood into tho field •' if necessary. New Zealand has done i rathor hotter than that, ind the Do- " minion started without tho trained men ;■ and with only the nucleus of organisai. tion. "The actual numbers cf men sent , are shown in another column. The total ;. strength of the units and reinforcements 1 ■'- eeiS-fcbroad "av to Ootober 18, 1918, was.

[ 99,822, and on that date (here v/ere 12,648, ! men in camp, making a. kital eontribiiV' tion of 112,170. In addition, some 10,000 | men who entered tho lorces were discharged, from the training crimps for medical and other reasons before the departure, of their units, '..'he ligurA do lipt 'iiiuludo tho nic-u engaged m luuiie survice within the Doiiiiiiiuii or the hundreds of ISew /imliiniters who' eiilistal with the Australian and Imperial-Forces. The Now Zealand'.Defence Department, under the direction cf the present Minister ol Defence. (Sir James Allen), had prepared a scheme -for tho dispatch of an expeditionary force of fcOOO men. in caso of need 'before tho war. The schemo was part of the plan of Imperial organisation that was being discussed during the year preceding 1914. When ivar appeared "to bo imminent at tho end of July, 1914, tho New Zealand (Jovernment cabled to tho Imperial authorities offerin;? an Expeditionary i'orce. The announcement that war had begun reached tho Dominion on August 5, 1911, and on that day the Prime Minister (Kight Hon. W. ]•'. Jlassey) moved in the Mouse of Representatives: That in, view of the fact (hat Great 'Britain has become involved iji war with Germany, this House > pproves of the necessary steps being taken by 'jhe New Zca'lund Government to have, in vw.diness an KxpeditionanvForce. This motion was passed unanimously. • Capture of ! The first force., to leave New Zealand | was the Sanioan Force, which 'sailed from | Wellington t ori-August 15,.,.1911,; ten days j after the iiews of the declaration of war j had, been received. This force numbered 1419 men, .and'-was in it-self'a-comnlete I unit,, prepared-to take ■, the field against i the German occupants of, Samoa. The officers and men Wurallv had been drawn from the Territorial Force, since there'wiis no time to'give- them additional training.,'. The force? reached Sampa on August.2B, and completed the occupation of the German portion of (he island, before the. end, of the month. There was no fighting, .as;evqnts fell, but New .Zealand had the .honour-of taking 'the first',, bit of Gemian..co!6nial territory that, changed, hands'during the war. I Since then nil.the German.colonies have been, wrested from, the. Huns! The Main Body. ' I '■ In the meantime' the mobilisation of the Main Body was.proceeding. Tho com- ! position of this body, had-been-, planned and the question of. organisation presented no'difficulties. It was to.be self-contained, and its units w«rc as follow:—. . ....... ~■ , Headquarters.'./. -. Mounted Rifles Brigade (3 J?c»iments). Mounted Brigade -Field 'Ambuhuicc. Otago Mounted Rifles RgtV (liidepe. ..ent). One Infantry Brigade (4 -Battalk-.iisj. ' i One Field Artillery Brigade (3 : Batteries).': ! F.A, Brigade Ammunitioii Column, Signal Company. j One Company Divisional Train. ! One Field Ambulance. j Veterinary, Dental,. Fay,- Record Units,. Chaplains. ■ • . The actual strength of the Main.- Body when it left New' Zealand was 7761' men! It was accompanied by the First Eeihforcement, numbering -738 menj .so that the total'strength of the'force that leftNew Zealand on October, 15, 1914, was 5499 men. The recruiting of .the -Main i Body was' based upon ■ the Territorial j organisation, each mounted ' .rifle regi-' inent providing a ; squadron.and each in!fantry. regiment a company.. Thus eafch military district provided, a moiintedrilln regiment and ah infantry battalion i.nmed' 'after' the district- from, which it was drawn. The' Territorial organisation -lias been maintained' throughout the war, the exception being the ■ Rifle. Brigade,which was a new departure. The Main Body first left-New Zealand on September 24, 1914, but, they were ordered' back to. port. The Cieriiia'u armed forces in the Pacific were a menace, and the authorities.did not consider that the escort then available was adequate. Me troops resumed their training ashori! .until the arrival of the' British cruiser Minotaur andthe Japanese'eruiser lbuki. Then the men'.were re-em barked on October 15, and early the next morning the transports put to-sea. The. destination of the-troops w'as : not known to the pubhe of New Zealand at that time. It was learned later that the men - had gone to Egypt, where they continued their training and prepared for the'greet ordeal of Gallipoli. The, Main .Body, According to the. promise made 'by-rlic- New' Zealand Government, was to be reinforced regularly and adequately during the .period .of the war. Iho rate "of reinforcement varied from time to time, but it is a proud bdast that the drafts never failed. The first big increase in. the strength of the Expeditionary Force ttas made at this end. The Government, in April, 1915, decided upon the creation of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade, with some' additional, artillery, including a howitzer battery. Tho organisation of the brigade went ahead rapidly, and the first-two battalions sailed from New Zealand on October 9, 1915, with a strength of 2250" men. The 3rd and 4th Battalions followed early in February, 1916. and numbered 2111 men. The Rifle Brigade, : likfi' the Main Body, was to be reinforced monthly for the duration of the war. Egypt, Gallipoli, and France. ' Tho story of New Zealand's first campaign, extending from the landing on Galipoli on April 25, 1915, to the evacuation on December. 19. 1915, lieed not he told here. The : epic is fresh in the minds, of tho nation. After : the arrival of the Main Body in Egypt it was associated with the 4th Australian Infantry Brigade in the New Zealand and Australian Division, which was a • part of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps—the Anzacs. It was after the evacuation that the Australian .4th- Brigade was .withdrawn for incorporation in Australian forces. Its place was taken ,by the New Zealand Rifle Brigade. There was then' a Now Zealand division of three brigades, consisting of the Infantry Brigade, the Mounted Rifle Brigade, and the Rifle Brigade. But the mounted men were wanted for work .in Egypt, and later in Palestine, while the infantry wore going to France. It was considered necessary that the New Zealanders should have a complete division in France, in order that their organisation might be self-contained and they might take their place beside- the other divisions on the West front. Tho authorities had accumulated reinforceni'ent3 at hand, and the 3rd New Zealand Infantry Brigade was. 'formed, with its artillory, ambulance, and Army Corps units. -A Pioneer Battalion was also formed, and the New Zealand Division was ready for service in February, 1916. v Our Maximum Effort, The forces maintained by New. Zenland in tho field reached a strength of, roughly, 23,000 in March, 1916. This total comprised the division of 20,000 officers and. men, the Mounted Rifle Brigndo of 1350 men, two companios of the Imperial Camel Corps in Sinai, tho Wire-. les3 Troop in Mesopotamia, the Tunnelling Corps in France, and the; Samoan garrison. Tho nominal rate of ' reinforcement required to maintain the'sa forces was 2500 mon per month. This quota was provided, and, fortunately, it proved larger than actual require, ments. Tho reinforcements accumulated, and when an urgent,call was made, for moro men in tho early part of 1917. tho Government agreed to the formation of a ith New Zealand Infantry Urigado from the officers and men then available in England. This now bri- j gade, which was attached to tho New Zealand Division, was not to' lie roinforc. j ed, and there was a clear understanding that it was to be broken up whenevev tho men composing it wero required to roinforco the division. The total establishment of the New Zealand Army abroad was then 28,000. .The 4th Brigade w.i 9 disbanded' in tin concluding months of 1917, after .taking a distinguished part in some of tho heavy fighting of that year. Tho rato of reinforcement Wits then reduced,.but.the Defence Department stood.ready always to send more men if they were required for tho support of the' division. A call came in April, after tho great Gorman pijsh to. wards the Channel ports, and the. rate of reinforcement was increased again, while at tho same time a New Zealand Tank Corps of 700 men was formed from reinforcements availablo in England. Tho close of the war found the New Zealand Army at full strength, with reserves behind it and with over 12,000 men in tho training camps in New Zenland. Tho story of the achievements of. the New Zealn'nd Army in the field cannot lie told here. Great names suggest thomselves-Gatlipoli, Egypt, Palestine, the Soinme, Flers, Poziercs, Messines, Bapaume, I.e Quesnoy, Passchcndaole, No division in tho whole British Armr I has a better record. ''