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Old 04-08-14, 08:56 AM
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atillathenunns atillathenunns is offline
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Default A, B, C & RDs of New Zealand Reinforcement Badges.

Today, the 4th of August 2014, is the 100 year anniversary of Great Britain declaring war on Germany.
Interestingly, New Zealand had already made the following commitment on the 31st July 1914. —
“If occasion arises and it may New Zealand Government will ask Parliament and the people of New Zealand to do their duty by offering services of Expeditionary Force to the Imperial Government.”

On Wednesday, 5th August 1914, at 12.15 pm New Zealand time, a “secret cypher telegram” was received by the Governor of New Zealand, which stated. —
“War has broken out with Germany.”
Two hours later at 3 pm, on the steps of Parliament in Wellington, the Governor Lord Liverpool and Prime Minister W. F. Massey announce to the New Zealand public the outbreak of war with Germany.
71 days later, on the 15th of October 1914, a NZ Expeditionary Force of 7,761 men and Reinforcements of 738 men embarked from New Zealand.

To honour such a significant event in New Zealand history, I thought I would take a crack at providing a better understanding of New Zealand Reinforcement badges.
I have loads of information to share, but unfortunately time is not so abundant, so it’s going to have to be a work in progress, as I can, when I can.

Just to start the ball rolling, and to help those who have no understanding of NZ Reinforcements, the following article was published in the Wellington Dominion Newspaper two days after the war ended on the 13th November 1918. —
"The announcement that war had begun reached the Dominion on August 5, 1914, and on that day the Prime Minister (Right Hon. W. F. Massey) moved in the House of Representatives:—
That in view of the fact that Great Britain has become involved in war with Germany, this House approves of the necessary steps being taken by the New Zealand Government to have in readiness an Expeditionary Force.
This motion was passed unanimously, and the Defence Department proceeded at once with the arrangements. Recruits were offering in thousands, and the authorities were able to make a selection, they gave preference first to members of the Territorial Force and then to men who had had previous military experience. Improvised camps Began to fill quickly, instructional staffs were arranged, and the provision of transport was undertaken.

The actual strength of the Main Body when it left New Zealand was 7761 men. It was accompanied by the First Reinforcement, numbering 738 men, so that the total strength of the force that left New Zealand on October 15, 1914, was 8499 men. The recruiting of the Main Body was based upon the Territorial organisation, each mounted rifle regiment providing a squadron and each infantry regiment a company. Thus each military district provided a mounted rifle regiment and an infantry battalion named after the district from which it was drawn. The Territorial organisation has 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 25, 1914, but they were ordered back to port. The German armed forces in the Pacific were a menace and the authorities did not consider that the escort then available was adequate. The troops resumed their training ashore until the arrival of the British cruise Minotaur and the Japanese cruiser Ibuki. Then the men were re-embarked on October 15, and early the next morning the transports put to sea. The destination of the troops was not known to the public of New Zealand at that time. It was learned later that the men had gone lo Egypt, where they continued their training and prepared for the great ordeal of Gallipoli. The Main Body, according to the promise made by the New Zealand Government, was to be reinforced regularly and adequately during the period of the war. The rate of reinforcement varied from time to lime, but it is a proud boast that the drafts never failed. There was a shortage of reinforcements in the early days on Gallipoli, when the casualties were outrunning all expectation and preparation. Big drafts were sent away to meet that position, and there was never a shortage of reinforcements for the New Zealand units at any other stage of the campaign.

The first big increase in the strength of the Expeditionary Force was 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. The 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, l916, and numbered 2111 men. The Rifle Brigade, like the Main Body, was to be reinforced monthly for the duration of the war."
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