The Waikato Mounted Rifles is an armoured regiment of the New Zealand Army

New Zealand Army

The New Zealand Army , is the land component of the New Zealand Defence Force and comprises around 4,500 Regular Force personnel, 2,000 Territorial Force personnel and 500 civilians. Formerly the New Zealand Military Forces, the current name was adopted around 1946...

, part of the Royal New Zealand Armoured Corps

Royal New Zealand Armoured Corps

The Royal New Zealand Armoured Corps is the overall umbrella grouping of Regular Force and Territorial Force units equipped with armoured vehicles in the New Zealand Army. The corps was formed in 1942 as the New Zealand Armoured Corps, before being given the Royal prefix in 1947...

. The unit is a single squadron within the Territorial Force that serves in the armoured reconnaissance role. Squadron Headquarters is located at 106 Rostrevor Street, PO Box 212, Hamilton. Ph 07 839 4603.

The Current Role of the Unit is, "To provide general purpose medium reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition in order to support NZLAV mounted battalion operations. It is to provide trained personnel to top up and round out Queen Alexandra's Squadron

Queen Alexandra's Mounted Rifles

Queen Alexandra's Mounted Rifles is an armoured squadron of the New Zealand Army and forms part of the Royal New Zealand Armoured Corps. The squadron was formed in 1864 and is currently an armoured cavalry unit equipped with NZLAV.- History :...

."
(Chief of Army, 3 November 2003)

Time line

• 1911 - Waikato Mounted Rifles is descended from the 2nd and 4th Regiments Auckland Mounted Rifles, raised and trained by Lt.-Colonel Joseph Henry Banks, which were amalgamated in 1911 to form 4th (Waikato) Mounted Rifles
  4th (Waikato) Mounted Rifles
  The 4th Mounted Rifles was formed on March 17, 1911. They were mobilised during World War I and formed part of the Auckland Mounted Rifle Regiment, and served in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I and first saw action during the Battle of Gallipoli.As a part of the larger New Zealand...
  
  .
• WWI - Provided 4th (Waikato) Squadron of Auckland Mounted Rifles Regiment New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade and provided reinforcements.
• 1921 - renamed The Waikato Mounted Rifles.
• 1942 - renamed 4th Light Armoured Fighting Vehicles Regiment (Waikato Mounted Rifles).
• 1944 - amalgamated with 3rd Light Armoured Fighting Vehicles Regiment (Auckland Mounted Rifles), and 11th Light Armoured Fighting Vehicles Regiment (North Auckland Mounted Rifles), to form 1st Armoured Regiment.
• 1950 - 1st Armoured Regiment (Waikato), RNZAC absorbed The Waikato Regiment.
• 1962 - amalgamated with The Wellington East Coast Regiment (City of Hastings' Own), to form Waikato/Wellington East Coast Sqn, Queen Alexandra's Regiment.
• 1999 - transferred to 6th Battalion (Hauraki), Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment.
• 2002 - renamed Waikato Mounted Rifles.

Battle honours

The Battle Honours of the Waikato Mounted Rifles stem from service in South Africa and the First World War. The Second World War (1939–1945) Battle Honours were inherited from the 18th Armoured Regiment. Altogether they are:

• South Africa 1900-02
• Anzac
• Defence of Anzac
• Hill 60 (Anzac)
• Sari Bair
• Gallipoli 1915
• Rumani
• Rafah
• Egypt 1915-17
• Gaza
• Jerusalem
• Jaffa
• Jericho
• Jordan
• Megiddo
• Nablus
• Palestine 1917-18
• The Sangro
• Castel Frentano
• Orsogna
• Advance to Florence
• San Michele
• Paula Line
• Celle
• Pisciatello
• The Senio
• Santerno Crossing
• Bologna
• Idice Bridgehead
• Italy 1943-45

This page was last reviewed on 5 February 2008 and is current.

External links

• http://www.armyreserve.mil.nz/todays-reserve/units/6-hau/default.htm - official Army site