New Zealand 2nd Division
Encyclopedia
The 2nd New Zealand Division was a formation of the New Zealand Military Forces (New Zealand's army) during World War II
. It was commanded for most of its existence by Lieutenant-General Sir Bernard Freyberg, and fought in Greece
, Crete
, the Western Desert
and Italy
. In the Western Desert Campaign, the division played a prominent role in the defeat of German and Italian forces in the Second Battle of El Alamein
and Eighth Army's advance to Tunisia. In late 1943 the division was moved to Italy
, taking part in Eighth Army's campaign on Italy's Adriatic coast which ground to a halt at the end of the year. In early 1944 the division formed the nucleus of the New Zealand Corps, fighting two battles attempting unsuccessfully to penetrate the Gustav Line at Monte Cassino
. The division saw further action on the Gothic Line
in Italy in 1944 and took part in the Allied 1945 Spring offensive
which led to the surrender of German forces in Italy in May. After returning to New Zealand, reorganised elements of the division formed part of the occupational forces in Japan
from 1945.
The division remained as part of the British Eighth Army to the end of World War II in 1945 during which it fought in the Battle of Greece
(March–April 1941), the Battle of Crete
(May 1941), Operation Crusader
(November–December 1941), Minqar Qaim (June 1942), Battle of El Alamein
(July–November 1942), Libya and Tunisia
(December 1942–May 1943), the Sangro (October–December 1943), Battle of Monte Cassino
(February–March 1944), Central Italy
(May–December 1944), and the Adriatic Coast
(April–May 1945).
, overwhelming the British and Commonwealth forces and forcing them to retreat to Crete and Egypt by 6 April. The last New Zealand troops had evacuated Greece by 25 April 1941, having sustained losses of 291 men killed, 387 seriously wounded, and 1,826 men captured in this campaign.
German paratroopers landed in May 1941, and gradually gained the upper hand over the Allied forces in the battle for the island
. Greece and Crete saw heavy casualties suffered by the New Zealanders.
By the end of the month, however, German soldiers had once again overwhelmed British and Commonwealth forces, and it was decided to evacuate the Division from the island, again without its heavy weapons. This evacuation was to Egypt, with the forces landing in Alexandria in June. The unit's ability to help itself to enemy—and Allied—heavy weapons and transport led to it being nicknamed "Freyberg's Forty Thousand Thieves". In the Battle for Crete, 671 New Zealanders were killed, 967 wounded and 2,180 captured. During the battle Charles Upham
was awarded the first of his two Victoria Cross
es.
over the next year and a half. On 18 November 1941, the New Zealand 2nd Division took part in Operation Crusader
. New Zealand troops crossed the Libyan frontier into Cyrenaica. Operation Crusader was an overall success for the British, and New Zealand troops withdrew to Syria to recover. The Operation Crusader campaign was the most costly the New Zealand 2nd Division fought in the Second World War, with 879 men killed, and 1,700 wounded.
The division played a prominent role in both Battles of El Alamein. During the First Battle of El Alamein
, in July 1942, the division put in a night attack against the Afrika Korps. As no armoured support was available to the Division after their night attack against the Germans at Ruweisat Ridge, 4th New Zealand Brigade was shattered, with the loss of around 3,000 men, during the fighting that resulted when German Panzer
s counter-attacked the New Zealand infantry the following morning. It was for his actions in this battle that Charles Upham was awarded the Bar
to his VC, becoming only the third man to be awarded the VC twice, and the first soldier in a combatant role. Also at Ruweisat, Sergeant Keith Elliott
of 22nd Battalion was awarded the VC for continuing to lead his company, despite wounds, in assaults which led to the destruction of five machine guns plus an anti-tank gun and the capture of 130 prisoners.
During the Second Battle of El Alamein
, the division broke through the German positions and got behind Rommel
's flank. During the night of 1–2 November 1942 the 9th Armoured Brigade was to have advanced in support of an attack by the Division. However, the Armoured Brigade was stopped in the minefield lanes by the 15th Panzer and 90th Light and the following morning, the armour continued to be attacked, suffering heavy losses. However the 9th Armoured Brigade's sacrifice had made the follow-up successes possible.
. At the Battle of El Agheila
the New Zealand Ddivision was brought forward with supporting tanks to conduct an outflanking movement while two divisions made a frontal attack. The battle started on the night of 11 December, looking to preserve his forces, Rommel commenced a withdrawal to Beurat on the 12th.
The division then formed the left flank of the advancing Eighth Army and on 16 December had an opportunity to trap the retreating Axis forces. However, the division's troops were strung out and without anti-tank guns. 15th Panzer Division was therefore able to punch through and secure the line of retreat.
A further unsuccessful attempt to get to the rear of the withdrawing Axis forces took place at Nofila The division then remained in reserve in the Nofilia area until early January when it was ordered forward to take part in the final push through Beurat and advance the remaining 200 miles to Tripoli. The operation began on 15 January and by 21 January Tripoli was less than 50 miles ahead. However, skilful delaying tactics allowed the Axis forces to withdraw in good order and when leading elements of Eighth Army entered Tunis in the early morning of 23 January its defenders had left.
Eighth Army arrived the Mareth defensive line
on the border with Tunisia shortly after the fall of Tunis. After an unsuccessful attempt
to break through the Axis defenses at Mareth, the New Zealand division was reinforced to form a New Zealand Corps to execute a left hook around the main Axis defenses through the Tebaga Gap. The attack was launched on 21 March and the entrance to the gap had been secured after four days fighting but no break through made. Further reinforcements from X Corps
were sent to the Tebaga Gap and overall control of the operation transferred to X Corps commander Brian Horrocks
. Operation 'Supercharge II'
was launched on 26 March and by 28 March the main Axis forces on the Mareth Line had been forced to withdraw by the flanking threat from the advancing 1st Armoured and New Zealand Divisions.
At the end of Supercharge II the New Zealand Corps was broken up and its elements allocated between X and XXX Corps. On 30 March, Montgomery sent the following message to Freyberg:
The division continued to fight with Eighth Army until Tunis fell to First Army on 7 May, prompting the surrender of the remaining Axis forces.
. The refit included the conversion of the 4th Infantry Brigade into an armoured formation. The division returned to battle in the Italian Campaign
in late 1943, rejoining the Eighth Army
. The division came into the front line in November and took part in the advance across the Sangro
at the end of the month. During December the division was involved in very heavy fighting during the Moro River Campaign at Orsogna. By the end of the year the deteriorating winter weather made movement of even tracked vehicles impossible except on metaled roads and severely impeded vital close air support operations. This, together with the failure to capture Orsogna led the Allies to call off the Adriatic coast offensive until spring brought better conditions in the skies and under foot.
, Italy's central mountain spine, the U.S. Fifth Army had also been fighting its way north. By the end of January 1944, the Fifth Army's attacks against the Cassino massif had ground to a halt and the "Battle for Rome" had stalled. Army Group commander General Harold Alexander
and Fifth Army commander Lieutenant General Mark Clark
looked around for solutions to penetrate the defences, as their careers and reputations were irrevocably linked with success on this front, particularly due to Churchill’s insistence at this time, that Italy was the key to the ultimate success in the war. As part of the solution, Alexander withdrew the 2nd New Zealand Division from the 8th Army line to establish a small Army Group Reserve with a view to reinforcing the Fifth Army front. Alexander also withdrew the 4th Indian Infantry Division as well as the British 78th Infantry Division from Eighth Army to join this strategic reserve. This formation was initially known as "Spadger Force" to confuse German intelligence, with the commander, General Freyberg being known as "Spadger." The Corps later became known as the New Zealand Corps under command of the U.S. Fifth Army. The New Zealand Corps was not a true corps since it lacked a full staff and set of corps troops. It was more a temporary extension of the division. New Zealand simply did not have the resources to fully man a corps level formation.
Freyberg's plan initially included a wide flanking attack—differentiating it from the approach previously used by Keyes' II Corps. This flanking movement was eventually excluded from the final plan and Freyberg dictated that the attack be along the same unsuccessful lines as used by the Americans the month before. Major-General Francis Tuker
, commander of the 4th Indian Division voiced strong disapproval regarding the plan to Freyberg, his new Corps Commander—as his division was to lead the now, frontal assault. Tuker also expressed his concern over Freyberg's apparent obsession with reducing the monastery on Monte Cassino, arguing that (supported by General Juin) they were attempting to breach the strongest and most fortified point of the Gustav Line. As part of his plan, and encouraged by the complaints from Tucker, Freyberg insisted to Clark that the monastery should be flattened by bombing in the preparatory stage of the attack. Alexander, although expressing the opinion that it would be regrettable to destroy the Benedictine Order monastery built around AD 529—supported Freyberg's insistence that reducing the monastery be considered a military necessity.
The Allied planes dropped 442 tons of bombs on the Abbey and its immediate environs in two separate attacks on 15 February, one between 0930 and 1000 and the other between 1030 and 1330, but the infantry attack which was to commence directly after the second bombing mission was delayed due to differences regarding H-Hour between Freyberg and his 7th Brigade. Also, the division commanders were insisting that a preliminary high-point (Point 593) was to be captured first, as a prelude to the main attack.
The 4th Indian Division was to attack in an arc towards the south and south west, taking Point 593 and then moving south east, up the heights towards the Abbey. The Indian Division would only advance on the Abbey, once the NZ Division had attacked south and south east taking the town of Cassino. The main attack eventually commenced just after last light with the 28 (Maori) Battalion tasked to cross the Rapido River and to seize the station south of Cassino town, to establish a bridgehead for the corps armour to move into the town and to the foot of the Cassino massif—the attack starting at 2130. By dawn, German 10th Army artillery had stopped the 28th Battalion advance on the Rapido River bridgehead and the NZ Division were forced to use all their guns to fire smoke onto the bridge and railway station areas to mask the withdrawal of the 28th Battalion. The attack had failed, and so had the 4th Indian Division attack on Point 593.
and were under severe pressure from German forces. This third assault on Cassion was intended to not only penetrate the Gustav Line, but to draw away forces to reduce the pressure on the Americans at Anzio.
The bombing started at 0800 and continued till 1200—dropping an equivalent of four tons per acre. By 1230, an 890 gun artillery bombardment started, which would continue for eight hours. The 6th NZ Brigade lead the attack, assaulting Cassino town, supported by the tanks of the 19th Armoured Regiment and at the same time, the Indian Division was to advance on Hangman’s Hill after which they were to assault the Monastery. The next morning, the 4th NZ Armoured Brigade
was to take over from American tanks in the Liri Valley while the 7th Indian Brigade and small NZ tank groups were to advance up the Cavendish Road (built by Indian engineers) to clear any pockets of resistance on the Cassino slopes.
The advance into Cassino town by the 6th NZ Brigade went wrong from the start as the 19th Armoured tanks were unable to pass through the badly damaged roads, covered in rubble and bomb craters. The infantry, advancing without tanks came under severe fire from German paratroopers in the town, their fire further preventing armoured engineer bulldozers from clearing access routes for the tanks. Although the armour had been stopped, the NZ Infantry still held some parts of the town, including the strategic Castle Hill. Freyberg's orders had defined that the 4th Indian Division would only commence their advance on the Abbey, once Castle Hill had been secured, as they were to pass through the NZ lines on the hill as they progressed up the mountain. It took two hours to pass the message that the hill had been secured and as it was already dark, further delays were encountered by the Indian Division struggling to find Castle Hill. The Indian advance on Hangman’s Hill only commenced after midnight, further compounded by heavy rain.
The next morning, while concentrated German artillery fire and house to house fighting pinned the New Zealand Division in that portion of the town which they held, the Indian Division was making no progress up the mountain. The 20th Armoured Regiment which was to have supported them, considered the road too risky, as numerous hairpin bends had not been secured. German reinforcements continued to arrive, bolstering the defences in town, as well as on the Cassino massif. Attempts by the NZ Division to expand their perimeter in town continued on 16 March—the XIV Panzer Corps reported in this regard "…south of the town, the enemy [the NZ Division] fought our foremost posts to a standstill by weight of fire and then occupied the station after hand-to-hand fighting... [but] the centre of the town is still in our hands."
By the afternoon on 19 March, it was evident that no further progress would be made by the NZ Division in Cassino town—the German paratrooper line held firm, with machine gun, mortar and sniper fire and continued counter-attacks to reduce the NZ perimeter. By 20 March a company of Gurkhas overran Point 435 on Hangman’s Hill, 500 yards from the Abbey but were again driven back by German fire from unassailable positions. The NZ Division re-occupied the railway station and the botanical gardens in the town and the process of attack and counter attack continued until 23 March when Alexander decided to call off the offensive. The Monte Cassino Abbey, although totally destroyed by now, remained firmly in German hands.
and 8th Indian Infantry Division to take part in the XIII Corps attack in the centre of the front. When the New Zealand tanks returned from 8th Indian division in early June, Dudley Russell
, the Indian division's commander wrote to Freyberg saying: As the main attack advanced, X Corps with the New Zealand division moved forward to maintain protection of Eighth Army's right flank. After the fall of Rome in early June X Corps formed a pursuit force comprising 2nd New Zealand and 8th and 10th Indian Infantry Divisions. On 10 June elements of the division entered Avezzano and the division passed into army reserve to spend a period of rest and training,
In mid July the division joined XIII Corps at the Trasimene Line
as reinforcements ahead of a set piece offensive planned to carry an advance to Arrezzo. The New Zealand division acted as guard to the right flank of the corps. Arezzo was captured on 16 July and the advance was continued towards the River Arno
and Florence
. The New Zealand Division's capture of the eastern crests of the Pian dei Cerri hills at the start of August was the turning point of the battle for Florence. Florence was declared an open city and Allied troops entered on 4 August. Oliver Leese
, Eighth Army commander wrote:
Sidney Kirkman
, the Corps commander also wrote:
during Operation Olive, the offensive on the Gothic Line
. In November 1944 was then transferred to British V Corps. With one armoured and two infantry brigades, the division was well organised for mobile warfare as experienced in North Africa. In the mountainous terrain and difficult conditions underfoot found in Italy, however, tank mobility was very restricted and the division always found itself short of infantry. During the winter of 1944-45 the Divisional Cavalry and 22nd (Motor) Battalion were converted to infantry giving each infantry brigade a fourth battalion. By the spring of 1945 the machine gun battalion had also been converted to infantry and the division's infantry reorganised into three brigades each with three battalions. Manpower shortages in the division were also eased when New Zealand 3rd Division, then fighting in the Pacific Ocean Areas
against the Japanese, had been disbanded in October 1944 and 4,000 of its officers and men then transferred to the 2nd NZ Division.
In April 1945 the division moved to British XIII Corps
to perform, alongside 8th Indian Division, assault crossings of first the river Senio and then the river Santerno marking the start of the Allied spring 1945 offensive in Italy (Operation 'Grapeshot')
. The closing weeks of World War II saw the New Zealand Division race to Trieste
in northern Italy to confront Josip Broz Tito
’s partisans, and prevent that city’s forced absorption into greater Yugoslavia
.
) in which he described the New Zealand Division, along with the 9th Australian Division, as "formidable opponents." This view was repeated within the 5th Panzer Division intelligence reports. Rommel also paid tribute to the division in his memoirs:
General Bernard Montgomery, who commanded the Eighth Army and who would later command the land forces in the Normandy Invasion, was so impressed with the New Zealanders that he recommended that the division should be used in the invasion of Normandy, but it was fighting in the Battle of Monte Cassino
at the time.
Captain Charles Upham
, VC and Bar, of the New Zealand 2nd Division, was the only person to be awarded the Victoria Cross
twice during World War II. Other Victoria Crosses were awarded to John Hinton
, Alfred Hulme
, Keith Elliott
, and Moana-Nui-a-Kiwa Ngarimu
. Lance Sergeant Haane Manahi
of the Māori Battalion
was posthumously honoured in 2007 by representatives of the Queen after it was decided that his Distinguished Conduct Medal
, awarded for actions at Takrouna, was not to be upgraded to a Victoria Cross, despite recommendations from senior officers, including Brian Horrocks
.
Elements of the division, the 9th Brigade, were reorganised as the division disbanded to become J Force
(later 2 NZEF, Japan), the New Zealand contribution to the British Commonwealth Occupation Force
in Japan.
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. It was commanded for most of its existence by Lieutenant-General Sir Bernard Freyberg, and fought in Greece
Battle of Greece
The Battle of Greece is the common name for the invasion and conquest of Greece by Nazi Germany in April 1941. Greece was supported by British Commonwealth forces, while the Germans' Axis allies Italy and Bulgaria played secondary roles...
, Crete
Battle of Crete
The Battle of Crete was a battle during World War II on the Greek island of Crete. It began on the morning of 20 May 1941, when Nazi Germany launched an airborne invasion of Crete under the code-name Unternehmen Merkur...
, the Western Desert
Western Desert Campaign
The Western Desert Campaign, also known as the Desert War, was the initial stage of the North African Campaign during the Second World War. The campaign was heavily influenced by the availability of supplies and transport. The ability of the Allied forces, operating from besieged Malta, to...
and Italy
Italian Campaign (World War II)
The Italian Campaign of World War II was the name of Allied operations in and around Italy, from 1943 to the end of the war in Europe. Joint Allied Forces Headquarters AFHQ was operationally responsible for all Allied land forces in the Mediterranean theatre, and it planned and commanded the...
. In the Western Desert Campaign, the division played a prominent role in the defeat of German and Italian forces in the Second Battle of El Alamein
Second Battle of El Alamein
The Second Battle of El Alamein marked a major turning point in the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. The battle took place over 20 days from 23 October – 11 November 1942. The First Battle of El Alamein had stalled the Axis advance. Thereafter, Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery...
and Eighth Army's advance to Tunisia. In late 1943 the division was moved to Italy
Italian Campaign (World War II)
The Italian Campaign of World War II was the name of Allied operations in and around Italy, from 1943 to the end of the war in Europe. Joint Allied Forces Headquarters AFHQ was operationally responsible for all Allied land forces in the Mediterranean theatre, and it planned and commanded the...
, taking part in Eighth Army's campaign on Italy's Adriatic coast which ground to a halt at the end of the year. In early 1944 the division formed the nucleus of the New Zealand Corps, fighting two battles attempting unsuccessfully to penetrate the Gustav Line at Monte Cassino
Battle of Monte Cassino
The Battle of Monte Cassino was a costly series of four battles during World War II, fought by the Allies against Germans and Italians with the intention of breaking through the Winter Line and seizing Rome.In the beginning of 1944, the western half of the Winter Line was being anchored by Germans...
. The division saw further action on the Gothic Line
Gothic Line
The Gothic Line formed Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's last major line of defence in the final stages of World War II along the summits of the Apennines during the fighting retreat of German forces in Italy against the Allied Armies in Italy commanded by General Sir Harold Alexander.Adolf Hitler...
in Italy in 1944 and took part in the Allied 1945 Spring offensive
Spring 1945 offensive in Italy
The Spring 1945 offensive in Italy, codenamed Operation Grapeshot, was the Allied attack by Fifth United States Army and British 8th Army into the Lombardy Plain which started on 6 April 1945 and ended on 2 May with the surrender of German forces in Italy....
which led to the surrender of German forces in Italy in May. After returning to New Zealand, reorganised elements of the division formed part of the occupational forces in Japan
Surrender of Japan
The surrender of Japan in 1945 brought hostilities of World War II to a close. By the end of July 1945, the Imperial Japanese Navy was incapable of conducting operations and an Allied invasion of Japan was imminent...
from 1945.
Outbreak of war
At the outbreak of war in 1939 it was decided that New Zealand should provide an Expeditionary Force of one division, under then Major-General Bernard Freyberg. This force became known as 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force and the division, initially, as the New Zealand Division. 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.The division remained as part of the British Eighth Army to the end of World War II in 1945 during which it fought in the Battle of Greece
Battle of Greece
The Battle of Greece is the common name for the invasion and conquest of Greece by Nazi Germany in April 1941. Greece was supported by British Commonwealth forces, while the Germans' Axis allies Italy and Bulgaria played secondary roles...
(March–April 1941), the Battle of Crete
Battle of Crete
The Battle of Crete was a battle during World War II on the Greek island of Crete. It began on the morning of 20 May 1941, when Nazi Germany launched an airborne invasion of Crete under the code-name Unternehmen Merkur...
(May 1941), Operation Crusader
Operation Crusader
Operation Crusader was a military operation by the British Eighth Army between 18 November–30 December 1941. The operation successfully relieved the 1941 Siege of Tobruk....
(November–December 1941), Minqar Qaim (June 1942), Battle of El Alamein
Battle of El Alamein
There were two battles of El Alamein in World War II, both fought in 1942. The Battles occurred in Egypt in and around an area named after a railway stop called El Alamein at .* First Battle of El Alamein – 1–27 July 1942...
(July–November 1942), Libya and Tunisia
Tunisia Campaign
The Tunisia Campaign was a series of battles that took place in Tunisia during the North African Campaign of the Second World War, between Axis and Allied forces. The Allies consisted of British Imperial Forces, including Polish and Greek contingents, with American and French corps...
(December 1942–May 1943), the Sangro (October–December 1943), Battle of Monte Cassino
Battle of Monte Cassino
The Battle of Monte Cassino was a costly series of four battles during World War II, fought by the Allies against Germans and Italians with the intention of breaking through the Winter Line and seizing Rome.In the beginning of 1944, the western half of the Winter Line was being anchored by Germans...
(February–March 1944), Central Italy
Gothic Line
The Gothic Line formed Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's last major line of defence in the final stages of World War II along the summits of the Apennines during the fighting retreat of German forces in Italy against the Allied Armies in Italy commanded by General Sir Harold Alexander.Adolf Hitler...
(May–December 1944), and the Adriatic Coast
Spring 1945 offensive in Italy
The Spring 1945 offensive in Italy, codenamed Operation Grapeshot, was the Allied attack by Fifth United States Army and British 8th Army into the Lombardy Plain which started on 6 April 1945 and ended on 2 May with the surrender of German forces in Italy....
(April–May 1945).
Defence of Greece
In April 1941, the Division was deployed to Greece, to assist British and Australian forces in defending the country from the invading Germans. (The Second Echelon of the 2 NZEF had been diverted to the UK between June 1940 and January 1941, and had had an anti-invasion role with VII Corps.) The New Zealanders were combined with Australian and British forces as 'W' Force under Sir Henry Maitland Wilson. The immediate operational commander was Australian Lieutenant-General Thomas Blamey with his I Australian Corps headquarters, which was briefly renamed Anzac Corps. The Germans soon joined what became the Battle of GreeceBattle of Greece
The Battle of Greece is the common name for the invasion and conquest of Greece by Nazi Germany in April 1941. Greece was supported by British Commonwealth forces, while the Germans' Axis allies Italy and Bulgaria played secondary roles...
, overwhelming the British and Commonwealth forces and forcing them to retreat to Crete and Egypt by 6 April. The last New Zealand troops had evacuated Greece by 25 April 1941, having sustained losses of 291 men killed, 387 seriously wounded, and 1,826 men captured in this campaign.
Battle of Crete
Since most New Zealand 2nd Division troops had evacuated to Crete from Greece, they were very much involved in the defence of Crete against further German attacks. Freyberg was judged to have performed extremely well during the evacuation of Greece, and he was given command of all Allied forces for the defence of the island. Consequently, the New Zealand Division temporarily lost him as its commander. However, the attempt to defend Crete was as doomed as that to defend Greece had been.German paratroopers landed in May 1941, and gradually gained the upper hand over the Allied forces in the battle for the island
Battle of Crete
The Battle of Crete was a battle during World War II on the Greek island of Crete. It began on the morning of 20 May 1941, when Nazi Germany launched an airborne invasion of Crete under the code-name Unternehmen Merkur...
. Greece and Crete saw heavy casualties suffered by the New Zealanders.
By the end of the month, however, German soldiers had once again overwhelmed British and Commonwealth forces, and it was decided to evacuate the Division from the island, again without its heavy weapons. This evacuation was to Egypt, with the forces landing in Alexandria in June. The unit's ability to help itself to enemy—and Allied—heavy weapons and transport led to it being nicknamed "Freyberg's Forty Thousand Thieves". In the Battle for Crete, 671 New Zealanders were killed, 967 wounded and 2,180 captured. During the battle Charles Upham
Charles Upham
Captain Charles Hazlitt Upham VC and Bar was a New Zealand soldier who earned the Victoria Cross twice during the Second World War: in Crete in May 1941, and at Ruweisat Ridge, Egypt, in July 1942...
was awarded the first of his two Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
es.
Operation Crusader
Following the disasters in Europe, the division was then integrated into the regular order of battle of the Eighth Army. It fought in many of the critical battles in the North African CampaignNorth African campaign
During the Second World War, the North African Campaign took place in North Africa from 10 June 1940 to 13 May 1943. It included campaigns fought in the Libyan and Egyptian deserts and in Morocco and Algeria and Tunisia .The campaign was fought between the Allies and Axis powers, many of whom had...
over the next year and a half. On 18 November 1941, the New Zealand 2nd Division took part in Operation Crusader
Operation Crusader
Operation Crusader was a military operation by the British Eighth Army between 18 November–30 December 1941. The operation successfully relieved the 1941 Siege of Tobruk....
. New Zealand troops crossed the Libyan frontier into Cyrenaica. Operation Crusader was an overall success for the British, and New Zealand troops withdrew to Syria to recover. The Operation Crusader campaign was the most costly the New Zealand 2nd Division fought in the Second World War, with 879 men killed, and 1,700 wounded.
El Alamein
The Division was originally known as the 'New Zealand Division'; it only became known as 2nd New Zealand Division from June 1942, following the adoption of the 'Cascade' deception scheme and the 'formation' of Maadi Camp, the division's base area in Egypt, as "6th NZ Division".The division played a prominent role in both Battles of El Alamein. During the First Battle of El Alamein
First Battle of El Alamein
The First Battle of El Alamein was a battle of the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War, fought between Axis forces of the Panzer Army Africa commanded by Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, and Allied forces The First Battle of El Alamein (1–27 July 1942) was a battle of the Western Desert...
, in July 1942, the division put in a night attack against the Afrika Korps. As no armoured support was available to the Division after their night attack against the Germans at Ruweisat Ridge, 4th New Zealand Brigade was shattered, with the loss of around 3,000 men, during the fighting that resulted when German Panzer
Panzer
A Panzer is a German language word that, when used as a noun, means "tank". When it is used as an adjective, it means either tank or "armoured" .- Etymology :...
s counter-attacked the New Zealand infantry the following morning. It was for his actions in this battle that Charles Upham was awarded the Bar
Medal bar
A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...
to his VC, becoming only the third man to be awarded the VC twice, and the first soldier in a combatant role. Also at Ruweisat, Sergeant Keith Elliott
Keith Elliott
Keith Elliott VC was a soldier in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, and recipient of the Victoria Cross, during the Second World War.-Biography:Elliott was born in Apiti, New Zealand...
of 22nd Battalion was awarded the VC for continuing to lead his company, despite wounds, in assaults which led to the destruction of five machine guns plus an anti-tank gun and the capture of 130 prisoners.
During the Second Battle of El Alamein
Second Battle of El Alamein
The Second Battle of El Alamein marked a major turning point in the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. The battle took place over 20 days from 23 October – 11 November 1942. The First Battle of El Alamein had stalled the Axis advance. Thereafter, Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery...
, the division broke through the German positions and got behind Rommel
Rommel
Erwin Rommel was a German World War II field marshal.Rommel may also refer to:*Rommel *Rommel Adducul , Filipino basketball player*Rommel Fernández , first Panamanian footballer to play in Europe...
's flank. During the night of 1–2 November 1942 the 9th Armoured Brigade was to have advanced in support of an attack by the Division. However, the Armoured Brigade was stopped in the minefield lanes by the 15th Panzer and 90th Light and the following morning, the armour continued to be attacked, suffering heavy losses. However the 9th Armoured Brigade's sacrifice had made the follow-up successes possible.
Tunisia
Following the victory at Alamein Eighth Army advanced west through Libya to El Agheila. For much of this time Montgomery was obliged to maintain a relatively small forward force because of the difficulties of caused by a very extended supply line and the New Zealand division was therefore held in reserve at BardiaBardia
Bardia is a geographic region in the Democratic Republic of Nepal.Bardia comprises a portion of the Terai, or lowland hills and valleys of southern Nepal. The Terai is over 1,000 feet in elevation, and extends all along the Indian border...
. At the Battle of El Agheila
Battle of El Agheila
The Battle of El Agheila was a minor engagement in North Africa during the Second World War. It took place in December 1942 between Allied forces led by Bernard Law Montgomery and Axis forces led by Erwin Rommel, during the Axis' long withdrawal from El Alamein to Tunis...
the New Zealand Ddivision was brought forward with supporting tanks to conduct an outflanking movement while two divisions made a frontal attack. The battle started on the night of 11 December, looking to preserve his forces, Rommel commenced a withdrawal to Beurat on the 12th.
The division then formed the left flank of the advancing Eighth Army and on 16 December had an opportunity to trap the retreating Axis forces. However, the division's troops were strung out and without anti-tank guns. 15th Panzer Division was therefore able to punch through and secure the line of retreat.
A further unsuccessful attempt to get to the rear of the withdrawing Axis forces took place at Nofila The division then remained in reserve in the Nofilia area until early January when it was ordered forward to take part in the final push through Beurat and advance the remaining 200 miles to Tripoli. The operation began on 15 January and by 21 January Tripoli was less than 50 miles ahead. However, skilful delaying tactics allowed the Axis forces to withdraw in good order and when leading elements of Eighth Army entered Tunis in the early morning of 23 January its defenders had left.
Eighth Army arrived the Mareth defensive line
Mareth Line
The Mareth Line was a system of fortifications built by the French between the towns of Medenine and Gabès in southern Tunisia, prior to World War II...
on the border with Tunisia shortly after the fall of Tunis. After an unsuccessful attempt
Operation Pugilist
Operation Pugilist was an Allied operation in Tunisia during the Second World War. In his General Plan, General Bernard Montgomery stated "...the object of operation Pugilist is to destroy the enemy now opposing Eighth Army in the Mareth position, and to advance and capture Sfax." Pugilist itself...
to break through the Axis defenses at Mareth, the New Zealand division was reinforced to form a New Zealand Corps to execute a left hook around the main Axis defenses through the Tebaga Gap. The attack was launched on 21 March and the entrance to the gap had been secured after four days fighting but no break through made. Further reinforcements from X Corps
X Corps (United Kingdom)
The X Corps was a British Army formation in the First World War and was later reformed in 1942 during the North African campaign of the Second World War as part of the Eighth Army.- First World War :...
were sent to the Tebaga Gap and overall control of the operation transferred to X Corps commander Brian Horrocks
Brian Horrocks
Lieutenant-General Sir Brian Gwynne Horrocks, KCB, KBE, DSO, MC was a British Army officer. He is chiefly remembered as the commander of XXX Corps in Operation Market Garden and other operations during the Second World War...
. Operation 'Supercharge II'
Operation Pugilist
Operation Pugilist was an Allied operation in Tunisia during the Second World War. In his General Plan, General Bernard Montgomery stated "...the object of operation Pugilist is to destroy the enemy now opposing Eighth Army in the Mareth position, and to advance and capture Sfax." Pugilist itself...
was launched on 26 March and by 28 March the main Axis forces on the Mareth Line had been forced to withdraw by the flanking threat from the advancing 1st Armoured and New Zealand Divisions.
At the end of Supercharge II the New Zealand Corps was broken up and its elements allocated between X and XXX Corps. On 30 March, Montgomery sent the following message to Freyberg:
The division continued to fight with Eighth Army until Tunis fell to First Army on 7 May, prompting the surrender of the remaining Axis forces.
Italian Campaign
Following the Axis surrender in Tunisia the 2nd New Zealand division was withdrawn to refit and therefore took no part in the Allied Invasion of SicilyAllied invasion of Sicily
The Allied invasion of Sicily, codenamed Operation Husky, was a major World War II campaign, in which the Allies took Sicily from the Axis . It was a large scale amphibious and airborne operation, followed by six weeks of land combat. It launched the Italian Campaign.Husky began on the night of...
. The refit included the conversion of the 4th Infantry Brigade into an armoured formation. The division returned to battle in the Italian Campaign
Italian Campaign (World War II)
The Italian Campaign of World War II was the name of Allied operations in and around Italy, from 1943 to the end of the war in Europe. Joint Allied Forces Headquarters AFHQ was operationally responsible for all Allied land forces in the Mediterranean theatre, and it planned and commanded the...
in late 1943, rejoining the Eighth Army
Eighth Army (United Kingdom)
The Eighth Army was one of the best-known formations of the British Army during World War II, fighting in the North African and Italian campaigns....
. The division came into the front line in November and took part in the advance across the Sangro
Bernhardt Line
The Bernhardt Line was a German defensive line in Italy during World War II. Having reached the Bernhardt Line at the start of December 1943, it took until mid-January 1944 for U.S. 5th Army to fight their way to the next line of defenses, the Gustav Line. The line was defended by XIV Panzer Corps...
at the end of the month. During December the division was involved in very heavy fighting during the Moro River Campaign at Orsogna. By the end of the year the deteriorating winter weather made movement of even tracked vehicles impossible except on metaled roads and severely impeded vital close air support operations. This, together with the failure to capture Orsogna led the Allies to call off the Adriatic coast offensive until spring brought better conditions in the skies and under foot.
Monte Cassino
Meanwhile, to the west of the Eighth Army on the other side of the Apennine mountainsApennine mountains
The Apennines or Apennine Mountains or Greek oros but just as often used alone as a noun. The ancient Greeks and Romans typically but not always used "mountain" in the singular to mean one or a range; thus, "the Apennine mountain" refers to the entire chain and is translated "the Apennine...
, Italy's central mountain spine, the U.S. Fifth Army had also been fighting its way north. By the end of January 1944, the Fifth Army's attacks against the Cassino massif had ground to a halt and the "Battle for Rome" had stalled. Army Group commander General Harold Alexander
Harold Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis
Field Marshal Harold Rupert Leofric George Alexander, 1st Earl Alexander of Tunis was a British military commander and field marshal of Anglo-Irish descent who served with distinction in both world wars and, afterwards, as Governor General of Canada, the 17th since Canadian...
and Fifth Army commander Lieutenant General Mark Clark
Mark Wayne Clark
Mark Wayne Clark was an American general during World War II and the Korean War and was the youngest lieutenant general in the U.S. Army...
looked around for solutions to penetrate the defences, as their careers and reputations were irrevocably linked with success on this front, particularly due to Churchill’s insistence at this time, that Italy was the key to the ultimate success in the war. As part of the solution, Alexander withdrew the 2nd New Zealand Division from the 8th Army line to establish a small Army Group Reserve with a view to reinforcing the Fifth Army front. Alexander also withdrew the 4th Indian Infantry Division as well as the British 78th Infantry Division from Eighth Army to join this strategic reserve. This formation was initially known as "Spadger Force" to confuse German intelligence, with the commander, General Freyberg being known as "Spadger." The Corps later became known as the New Zealand Corps under command of the U.S. Fifth Army. The New Zealand Corps was not a true corps since it lacked a full staff and set of corps troops. It was more a temporary extension of the division. New Zealand simply did not have the resources to fully man a corps level formation.
Second Battle for Cassino
On 8 February, Clarke conceded to Alexander that the US II Corps would not succeed with any further attacks and he "allowed" the British (and Dominions) to attempt to strike the final blow against the Axis line at Cassino. Alexander advised Freyberg to ready the NZ Corps to take over from the US II Corps, also advising him that enemy reinforcements had arrived and that even greater resistance could be expected.Freyberg's plan initially included a wide flanking attack—differentiating it from the approach previously used by Keyes' II Corps. This flanking movement was eventually excluded from the final plan and Freyberg dictated that the attack be along the same unsuccessful lines as used by the Americans the month before. Major-General Francis Tuker
Francis Tuker
Lieutenant General Sir Francis Ivan Simms Tuker KCIE CB DSO OBE was a British Indian Army officer.-Military career:...
, commander of the 4th Indian Division voiced strong disapproval regarding the plan to Freyberg, his new Corps Commander—as his division was to lead the now, frontal assault. Tuker also expressed his concern over Freyberg's apparent obsession with reducing the monastery on Monte Cassino, arguing that (supported by General Juin) they were attempting to breach the strongest and most fortified point of the Gustav Line. As part of his plan, and encouraged by the complaints from Tucker, Freyberg insisted to Clark that the monastery should be flattened by bombing in the preparatory stage of the attack. Alexander, although expressing the opinion that it would be regrettable to destroy the Benedictine Order monastery built around AD 529—supported Freyberg's insistence that reducing the monastery be considered a military necessity.
The Allied planes dropped 442 tons of bombs on the Abbey and its immediate environs in two separate attacks on 15 February, one between 0930 and 1000 and the other between 1030 and 1330, but the infantry attack which was to commence directly after the second bombing mission was delayed due to differences regarding H-Hour between Freyberg and his 7th Brigade. Also, the division commanders were insisting that a preliminary high-point (Point 593) was to be captured first, as a prelude to the main attack.
The 4th Indian Division was to attack in an arc towards the south and south west, taking Point 593 and then moving south east, up the heights towards the Abbey. The Indian Division would only advance on the Abbey, once the NZ Division had attacked south and south east taking the town of Cassino. The main attack eventually commenced just after last light with the 28 (Maori) Battalion tasked to cross the Rapido River and to seize the station south of Cassino town, to establish a bridgehead for the corps armour to move into the town and to the foot of the Cassino massif—the attack starting at 2130. By dawn, German 10th Army artillery had stopped the 28th Battalion advance on the Rapido River bridgehead and the NZ Division were forced to use all their guns to fire smoke onto the bridge and railway station areas to mask the withdrawal of the 28th Battalion. The attack had failed, and so had the 4th Indian Division attack on Point 593.
The Third Battle
On the evening of 14 March, the battalions of the NZ Corps were alerted that Operation Bradman, the bombing of Cassino, was approved for the next day. In a third attempt to penetrate the Gustav Line, the Corps was again launched against Cassino town and the massif. By this time, the US VI Corps had landed at AnzioAnzio
Anzio is a city and comune on the coast of the Lazio region of Italy, about south of Rome.Well known for its seaside harbour setting, it is a fishing port and a departure point for ferries and hydroplanes to the Pontine Islands of Ponza, Palmarola and Ventotene...
and were under severe pressure from German forces. This third assault on Cassion was intended to not only penetrate the Gustav Line, but to draw away forces to reduce the pressure on the Americans at Anzio.
The bombing started at 0800 and continued till 1200—dropping an equivalent of four tons per acre. By 1230, an 890 gun artillery bombardment started, which would continue for eight hours. The 6th NZ Brigade lead the attack, assaulting Cassino town, supported by the tanks of the 19th Armoured Regiment and at the same time, the Indian Division was to advance on Hangman’s Hill after which they were to assault the Monastery. The next morning, the 4th NZ Armoured Brigade
4th New Zealand Armoured Brigade
The 4th New Zealand Armoured Brigade was formed in October 1942 from the remnants of the 4th New Zealand Infantry Brigade. They were part of the 2nd New Zealand Division, which had already seen action in the Battle of Greece the Battle of Crete and in the North African Campaign, having a leading...
was to take over from American tanks in the Liri Valley while the 7th Indian Brigade and small NZ tank groups were to advance up the Cavendish Road (built by Indian engineers) to clear any pockets of resistance on the Cassino slopes.
The advance into Cassino town by the 6th NZ Brigade went wrong from the start as the 19th Armoured tanks were unable to pass through the badly damaged roads, covered in rubble and bomb craters. The infantry, advancing without tanks came under severe fire from German paratroopers in the town, their fire further preventing armoured engineer bulldozers from clearing access routes for the tanks. Although the armour had been stopped, the NZ Infantry still held some parts of the town, including the strategic Castle Hill. Freyberg's orders had defined that the 4th Indian Division would only commence their advance on the Abbey, once Castle Hill had been secured, as they were to pass through the NZ lines on the hill as they progressed up the mountain. It took two hours to pass the message that the hill had been secured and as it was already dark, further delays were encountered by the Indian Division struggling to find Castle Hill. The Indian advance on Hangman’s Hill only commenced after midnight, further compounded by heavy rain.
The next morning, while concentrated German artillery fire and house to house fighting pinned the New Zealand Division in that portion of the town which they held, the Indian Division was making no progress up the mountain. The 20th Armoured Regiment which was to have supported them, considered the road too risky, as numerous hairpin bends had not been secured. German reinforcements continued to arrive, bolstering the defences in town, as well as on the Cassino massif. Attempts by the NZ Division to expand their perimeter in town continued on 16 March—the XIV Panzer Corps reported in this regard "…south of the town, the enemy [the NZ Division] fought our foremost posts to a standstill by weight of fire and then occupied the station after hand-to-hand fighting... [but] the centre of the town is still in our hands."
By the afternoon on 19 March, it was evident that no further progress would be made by the NZ Division in Cassino town—the German paratrooper line held firm, with machine gun, mortar and sniper fire and continued counter-attacks to reduce the NZ perimeter. By 20 March a company of Gurkhas overran Point 435 on Hangman’s Hill, 500 yards from the Abbey but were again driven back by German fire from unassailable positions. The NZ Division re-occupied the railway station and the botanical gardens in the town and the process of attack and counter attack continued until 23 March when Alexander decided to call off the offensive. The Monte Cassino Abbey, although totally destroyed by now, remained firmly in German hands.
Advance to the Gothic Line
Following the two assaults at Monte Cassino, the New Zealand Division was withdrawn and when redeployed found itself in the high Apennine sector north east of Cassino under Eighth Army's X Corps. When in May 1944 the Allies launched their final and successful offensive on the Cassino front, X Corps was employed in a holding role making diversionary feints and anchoring the right flank of the Eighth Army attack. Some of the division's armoured elements were detached however and placed under command of British 4th Infantry Division4th Infantry Division (United Kingdom)
The 4th Infantry Division is a regular British Army division with a long history having been present at the Peninsular War the Crimean War , the First World War , and during the Second World War.- Napoleonic Wars :...
and 8th Indian Infantry Division to take part in the XIII Corps attack in the centre of the front. When the New Zealand tanks returned from 8th Indian division in early June, Dudley Russell
Dudley Russell
Lieutenant-General Sir Dudley Russell KBE, CB, DSO, MC was an officer in the British and Indian Armies during World War I and World War II.-Early career:...
, the Indian division's commander wrote to Freyberg saying: As the main attack advanced, X Corps with the New Zealand division moved forward to maintain protection of Eighth Army's right flank. After the fall of Rome in early June X Corps formed a pursuit force comprising 2nd New Zealand and 8th and 10th Indian Infantry Divisions. On 10 June elements of the division entered Avezzano and the division passed into army reserve to spend a period of rest and training,
In mid July the division joined XIII Corps at the Trasimene Line
Trasimene Line
The Trasimene Line was a German defensive line during the Italian Campaign of World War II. It was also sometimes known as the Albert Line...
as reinforcements ahead of a set piece offensive planned to carry an advance to Arrezzo. The New Zealand division acted as guard to the right flank of the corps. Arezzo was captured on 16 July and the advance was continued towards the River Arno
Arno
The Arno is a river in the Tuscany region of Italy. It is the most important river of central Italy after the Tiber.- Source and route :The river originates on Mount Falterona in the Casentino area of the Apennines, and initially takes a southward curve...
and Florence
Florence
Florence is the capital city of the Italian region of Tuscany and of the province of Florence. It is the most populous city in Tuscany, with approximately 370,000 inhabitants, expanding to over 1.5 million in the metropolitan area....
. The New Zealand Division's capture of the eastern crests of the Pian dei Cerri hills at the start of August was the turning point of the battle for Florence. Florence was declared an open city and Allied troops entered on 4 August. Oliver Leese
Oliver Leese
Lieutenant-General Sir Oliver William Hargreaves Leese, 3rd Baronet, KCB, CBE, DSO was a British general during World War II.-Early years:...
, Eighth Army commander wrote:
Sidney Kirkman
Sidney Kirkman
General Sir Sidney Chevalier Kirkman GCB, KBE, MC was a general in the British Armed Forces from 1944 to 1950 and Director General of Civil Defence in the Civil Defence Department from 1954 to 1960.-Biography:...
, the Corps commander also wrote:
Gothic Line and the race to Trieste
In the autumn of 1944 the division fought as part of I Canadian CorpsI Canadian Corps
I Canadian Corps was one of the two corps fielded by the Canadian Army during World War II. From December 24, 1940 until the formation of the First Canadian Army in April 1942, there was a single unnumbered Canadian Corps...
during Operation Olive, the offensive on the Gothic Line
Gothic Line
The Gothic Line formed Field Marshal Albert Kesselring's last major line of defence in the final stages of World War II along the summits of the Apennines during the fighting retreat of German forces in Italy against the Allied Armies in Italy commanded by General Sir Harold Alexander.Adolf Hitler...
. In November 1944 was then transferred to British V Corps. With one armoured and two infantry brigades, the division was well organised for mobile warfare as experienced in North Africa. In the mountainous terrain and difficult conditions underfoot found in Italy, however, tank mobility was very restricted and the division always found itself short of infantry. During the winter of 1944-45 the Divisional Cavalry and 22nd (Motor) Battalion were converted to infantry giving each infantry brigade a fourth battalion. By the spring of 1945 the machine gun battalion had also been converted to infantry and the division's infantry reorganised into three brigades each with three battalions. Manpower shortages in the division were also eased when New Zealand 3rd Division, then fighting in the Pacific Ocean Areas
Pacific Ocean Areas
Pacific Ocean Areas was a major Allied military command in the Pacific Ocean theater of World War II. It was one of four major Allied commands during the Pacific War, and one of two United States commands in the Pacific Theater of Operations. Admiral Chester W. Nimitz of the U.S...
against the Japanese, had been disbanded in October 1944 and 4,000 of its officers and men then transferred to the 2nd NZ Division.
In April 1945 the division moved to British XIII Corps
XIII Corps (United Kingdom)
XIII Corps was a British infantry corps during World War I and World War II.-World War I:XIII Corps was formed in France on 15 November 1915 under Lieutenant-General Walter Congreve to be part of Fourth Army. It was first seriously engaged during the Battle of the Somme in 1916. On the First day on...
to perform, alongside 8th Indian Division, assault crossings of first the river Senio and then the river Santerno marking the start of the Allied spring 1945 offensive in Italy (Operation 'Grapeshot')
Spring 1945 offensive in Italy
The Spring 1945 offensive in Italy, codenamed Operation Grapeshot, was the Allied attack by Fifth United States Army and British 8th Army into the Lombardy Plain which started on 6 April 1945 and ended on 2 May with the surrender of German forces in Italy....
. The closing weeks of World War II saw the New Zealand Division race to Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
in northern Italy to confront Josip Broz Tito
Josip Broz Tito
Marshal Josip Broz Tito – 4 May 1980) was a Yugoslav revolutionary and statesman. While his presidency has been criticized as authoritarian, Tito was a popular public figure both in Yugoslavia and abroad, viewed as a unifying symbol for the nations of the Yugoslav federation...
’s partisans, and prevent that city’s forced absorption into greater Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
.
Aftermath
By the end of the war, the New Zealand Division had a reputation as a tough unit with good troops. This opinion was expressed by Rommel in his report to the OKH on 21 July 1942 (at the end of the Second Battle of El AlameinSecond Battle of El Alamein
The Second Battle of El Alamein marked a major turning point in the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. The battle took place over 20 days from 23 October – 11 November 1942. The First Battle of El Alamein had stalled the Axis advance. Thereafter, Lieutenant-General Bernard Montgomery...
) in which he described the New Zealand Division, along with the 9th Australian Division, as "formidable opponents." This view was repeated within the 5th Panzer Division intelligence reports. Rommel also paid tribute to the division in his memoirs:
General Bernard Montgomery, who commanded the Eighth Army and who would later command the land forces in the Normandy Invasion, was so impressed with the New Zealanders that he recommended that the division should be used in the invasion of Normandy, but it was fighting in the Battle of Monte Cassino
Battle of Monte Cassino
The Battle of Monte Cassino was a costly series of four battles during World War II, fought by the Allies against Germans and Italians with the intention of breaking through the Winter Line and seizing Rome.In the beginning of 1944, the western half of the Winter Line was being anchored by Germans...
at the time.
Captain Charles Upham
Charles Upham
Captain Charles Hazlitt Upham VC and Bar was a New Zealand soldier who earned the Victoria Cross twice during the Second World War: in Crete in May 1941, and at Ruweisat Ridge, Egypt, in July 1942...
, VC and Bar, of the New Zealand 2nd Division, was the only person to be awarded the Victoria Cross
Victoria Cross
The Victoria Cross is the highest military decoration awarded for valour "in the face of the enemy" to members of the armed forces of various Commonwealth countries, and previous British Empire territories....
twice during World War II. Other Victoria Crosses were awarded to John Hinton
Jack Hinton
John Daniel 'Jack' Hinton VC was a New Zealander, a World War II soldier in 2NZEF who was awarded the Victoria Cross for leading an assault in Greece in 1941. The Victoria Cross, is the highest and most prestigious award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and...
, Alfred Hulme
Alfred Hulme
Alfred Clive Hulme VC was a New Zealand recipient of the Victoria Cross, the highest award for gallantry in the face of the enemy that can be awarded to British and Commonwealth forces....
, Keith Elliott
Keith Elliott
Keith Elliott VC was a soldier in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, and recipient of the Victoria Cross, during the Second World War.-Biography:Elliott was born in Apiti, New Zealand...
, and Moana-Nui-a-Kiwa Ngarimu
Moana-Nui-a-Kiwa Ngarimu
Moana-Nui-a-Kiwa Ngarimu VC was a New Zealand soldier and posthumous recipient of the Victoria Cross. A Māori of Ngati Porou and Te Whanau-a-Apanui descent, he grew up in Ruatoria, where he attended Hiruharama School.-Details:...
. Lance Sergeant Haane Manahi
Haane Manahi
Haane Manahi was a member of the Māori Battalion from New Zealand in World War II who was nominated for a Victoria Cross, but eventually received a special citation for bravery from the Queen....
of the Māori Battalion
Maori Battalion
The 28th Battalion, more commonly known as the Māori Battalion, was an infantry battalion of the New Zealand Army that served during the Second World War. It was formed following pressure on the Labour government by some Māori MPs and Māori organisations throughout the country wanting a full Māori...
was posthumously honoured in 2007 by representatives of the Queen after it was decided that his Distinguished Conduct Medal
Distinguished Conduct Medal
The Distinguished Conduct Medal was an extremely high level award for bravery. It was a second level military decoration awarded to other ranks of the British Army and formerly also to non-commissioned personnel of other Commonwealth countries.The medal was instituted in 1854, during the Crimean...
, awarded for actions at Takrouna, was not to be upgraded to a Victoria Cross, despite recommendations from senior officers, including Brian Horrocks
Brian Horrocks
Lieutenant-General Sir Brian Gwynne Horrocks, KCB, KBE, DSO, MC was a British Army officer. He is chiefly remembered as the commander of XXX Corps in Operation Market Garden and other operations during the Second World War...
.
Elements of the division, the 9th Brigade, were reorganised as the division disbanded to become J Force
J Force
J Force was the name given to the New Zealand forces that were allocated to the British Commonwealth Occupation Force which occupied Japan following the end of the Second World War...
(later 2 NZEF, Japan), the New Zealand contribution to the British Commonwealth Occupation Force
British Commonwealth Occupation Force
The British Commonwealth Occupation Force , was the name of the joint Australian, Canadian, British, Indian and New Zealand military forces in occupied Japan, from 21 February 1946 until the end of occupation in 1952...
in Japan.
Initial composition, 1940–41
Headquarters New Zealand Division- Divisional Cavalry Regiment
- HQ Divisional Artillery
- 4 Field Regiment
- 5 Field Regiment
- 6 Field Regiment
- 7 Anti-Tank Regiment
- 1 Survey Troop
- 14 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment
- HQ Divisional Engineers
- 5,6,7,8 Companies
- Divisional Signals
- HQ 4 Infantry Brigade — 4th New Zealand Armoured Brigade4th New Zealand Armoured BrigadeThe 4th New Zealand Armoured Brigade was formed in October 1942 from the remnants of the 4th New Zealand Infantry Brigade. They were part of the 2nd New Zealand Division, which had already seen action in the Battle of Greece the Battle of Crete and in the North African Campaign, having a leading...
from 1943- 18 Battalion
- 19 Battalion
- 20 Battalion
- HQ 5 Infantry Brigade
- 21 Battalion
- 22 Battalion22nd Battalion (New Zealand)The 22nd Battalion, also known as the "Wellington Battalion", was an infantry battalion of the New Zealand Military Forces, which served during the Second World War. Formed in November 1939, it was part of the 5th Brigade, 2nd Division of the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force. After undertaking...
- 23 Battalion23rd Battalion (New Zealand)The 23rd Battalion, also known as the Canterbury-Otago Battalion, was a infantry battalion of the New Zealand Military Forces during the Second World War. Formed in November 1939 as part of the 5th Brigade, 2nd Division of the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force. After undertaking training at...
- HQ 6 Infantry Brigade
- 24 Battalion
- 25 Battalion
- 26 Battalion
- 27th Machine-Gun Battalion27th Machine-Gun Battalion (New Zealand)The 27th Machine-Gun Battalion was a unit of the 2nd New Zealand Division during the Second World War. It served in the Greek Campaign, Western Desert Campaign, Tunisian Campaign, Italian Campaign and after the war took part in the Occupation of Japan. It was one of two New Zealand formations that...
- 28 (Māori) BattalionMaori BattalionThe 28th Battalion, more commonly known as the Māori Battalion, was an infantry battalion of the New Zealand Army that served during the Second World War. It was formed following pressure on the Labour government by some Māori MPs and Māori organisations throughout the country wanting a full Māori...
- HQ Divisional Army Service Corps
- Divisional Ammunition Company
- Divisional Petrol Company
- Divisional Supply Column
- Reserve MT Company
- 4, 5, 6 Field Ambulances
- 4 Field Hygiene Section
- Divisional Provost Company
- Divisional Intelligence Section
- Divisional Postal Unit
- Divisional Employment Platoon
- Other service support units — LAD, Bath, salvage etc.
Order of Battle as at 11 May 1944
Order of battle taken from the New Zealand Official History.- HQ 2 NZ Division
- 2 NZ Divisional Cavalry
- HQ 4 Armoured Brigade4th New Zealand Armoured BrigadeThe 4th New Zealand Armoured Brigade was formed in October 1942 from the remnants of the 4th New Zealand Infantry Brigade. They were part of the 2nd New Zealand Division, which had already seen action in the Battle of Greece the Battle of Crete and in the North African Campaign, having a leading...
- 4 Squadron, 2 NZ Divisional Signals
- 18 Armoured Regiment
- 19 Armoured Regiment
- 20 Armoured Regiment
- 22 (Motor) Battalion
- HQ 2 NZ Divisional Artillery
- 4 Field Regiment
- 5 Field Regiment
- 6 Field Regiment
- 7 Anti-Tank Regiment
- 14 Light And-Aircraft Regiment
- 36 Survey Battery
- HQ 2 NZ Divisional Engineers
- 5 Field Park Company
- 6 Field Company
- 7 Field Company
- HQ 5 Infantry Brigade
- 5 Infantry Brigade Defence Platoon
- 21 Battalion
- 23 Battalion
- 28 (Maori) Battalion
- HQ 6 Infantry Brigade
- 6 Infantry Brigade Defence Platoon
- 24 Battalion
- 25 Battalion
- 26 Battalion
- 27 (Machine Gun) Battalion
- HQ Command NZ Army Service Corps