5th Division (New Zealand)
| 5th Division (New Zealand) | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1941–1944 |
| Country |
 New Zealand |
| Size | Division |
| Part of | New Zealand Military Forces |
| Insignia | |
| Identification symbol | White kea head on a black background |
The 5th Division, New Zealand Military Forces, was raised in the Southern Military District during the Second World War. It consisted of 3rd and 10th Brigades and 11th Brigade Group.[1] It was disbanded after the danger of invasion from Japan receded. It appears to have been raised on 1 November 1941,[2] and disbanded on 1 April 1944.[3]
Infantry units included the 1st and 2nd Battalions of the Canterbury Regiment, 1st and 3rd Battalions of the Nelson, Marlborough & West Coast Regiment, 2nd Battalion New Zealand Scots (Westerfield, Sept 42 – July 1943) 1st Battalion Southland Regiment, and 3rd Battalion, Nelson Marlborough West Coast Regiment (Blenheim, January–June 1942).[4]
In mid-1942, the division comprised:[5]
- 11th Brigade Group: (around Blenheim)
- 10th LAFV (NMMR)
- 1st Battalion, NMWC Regiment
- 3rd Battalion, NMWC Regiment
- Troop of 130 Medium Battery, 19 Field Regiment NZA, 20 Anti-Tank Battery, 33 Field Company NZE, and ASC, 9 Res MT Company, and 11 Field Ambulance.
- 3rd Brigade: (Burnham Camp(?))
- 1st Battalion, Canterbury Regiment
- 1st Battalion, Otago Regiment
- 1st Battalion, Southland Regiment.
- 10th Brigade: (Ashburton)
- 2nd Battalion, Canterbury Regiment
- 2nd Battalion, New Zealand Scots
- Divisional Troops: Canterbury Yeomanry Cavalry (Ashburton), 103 Hy Bty, 130 Med Bty, 3 Field Regiment, 18 Field Regiment, 21 and 24 Anti-Tank Batteries, 3 & 32 Field Companies NZE, 40 Field Park Company NZE, 5 Divisional Signals.
- Divisional Combat Service Support: Army Service Corps, 3 & 8 Reserve MT Companies, 3 & 15 Field Ambulance, 24 Mobile Workshop, 3 Provost Company.
No. 22 Squadron RNZAF flew in support of the division in the army cooperation role.[6]
References
- ↑ Malcolm Thomas and Cliff Lord, 'New Zealand Army Distinguishing Patches 1911–1991,' 1995, Part One, Appendix I, p.158
- ↑ Cooke and Crawford 2011, 262
- ↑ Cooke and Crawford 2011, 281.
- ↑ Thomas and Lord, 1995, Part One, Appendices VI and VII, p.165, 170–171
- ↑ Cooke and Crawford, 2011, 275.
- ↑ http://www.thescale.info/news/publish/Hawker-Hind-RNZAF.shtml
Further reading
- Cooke, Peter; Crawford, John (2011). The Territorials : The History of the Territorial and Volunteer Forces of New Zealand. Auckland: Random House. ISBN 9781869794460.