New Zealand and Australian Division

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The New Zealand and Australian Division was a combat unit of the Australian Army and the New Zealand Army in the First World War .

history

The British Dominions of Australia and New Zealand declared war on the German Empire in 1914. Since the New Zealand troops could not set up their own larger units in Europe at that time, a joint unit with the Australians was set up in Egypt from December 1914 . The newly established unit belonged to the ANZAC , its commander was General Alexander Godley . The division consisted mainly of infantry and cavalry . However, these were not trained for use in coastal regions or in hilly areas.

In April 1915, the division took part in the Battle of Gallipoli . After an amphibious landing, there was heavy fighting with the Turkish defenders. In the heavy fighting in the following months, the New Zealand Infantry Brigade in particular was able to assert itself in the Second Battle of Krithia and in the fighting for Chunuk Bair. The New Zealand corporal Cyril Bassett was later awarded the Victoria Cross because he had kept the telephone connection of the units during the fighting. The division also fought at the Battle of Sarı Baır and Chunuk Bair (August 6-19 , 1915). The New Zealanders were able to occupy the local height 971, but were driven out by the Turks a little later. The division played a special role in the fighting at Height 60 , with the Australians and New Zealanders leading the way. They could cling to the height, but not conquer it. As a result of the fire, numerous cases of dysentery and only a lack of reinforcement, the division and its allies lost 2,500 men. The operation was finally canceled on August 29, 1915, and the survivors evacuated from the Gallipoli peninsula.

After the unsuccessful battle, the division, whose sub-units had suffered heavy losses, was finally disbanded in December 1915. The brigades were freshened up and then taken on further missions.

structure

New Zealand Infantry Brigade
Australian 4th Infantry Regiment
  • 13th Battalion
  • 14th Battalion
  • 15th Battalion
  • 16th Battalion
1st Light Horse Brigade
  • 1st Light Horse Regiment
  • 2nd Light Horse Regiment
  • 3rd Light Horse Regiment
New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade
  • Auckland Mounted Rifles Regiment
  • Canterbury Mounted Rifles Regiment
  • Wellington Mounted Rifles Regiment
  • New Zealand ( Māori ) Pioneer Battalion
New Zealand and Australian Division Artillery
  • New Zealand 1st Field Artillery Brigade
  • New Zealand 2nd Field Artillery Brigade
New Zealand and Australian Division Engineers
  • 1st New Zealand Field Company
  • 2nd New Zealand Field Company
  • 5th Field Company
  • New Zealand and Australian Division Signals Company
New Zealand and Australian Division Medical Services
  • 4th Field Ambulance
  • New Zealand and Australian Field Ambulance
  • New Zealand Mounted Field Ambulance
New Zealand and Australian Division Train
  • 5th Australian Army Service Corps Company
  • 7th Australian Army Service Corps Company
  • 12th Australian Army Service Corps Company
  • 1st New Zealand Army Service Corps Company
New Zealand and Australian Mobile Veterinary Section

literature

  • CEW Bean: Official History of Australia in the War of 1914-1918. Volume II: The Story of ANZAC from May 4, 1915, to the evacuation of the Gallipoli Peninsula. 11th edition. 1941. (online)

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ^ Trumbull Higgins: Winston Churchill and the Dardanelles . London: 1963.
  2. ↑ Corporal Cyril Bassett on gallipoli.au