Ex-Servicemen's Corner The Birth Of A Division

Auckland Star, Volume LXXI, Issue 23, 27 January 1940, Page 3 (Supplement)

Ex-Servicemen's Corner The Birth Of A Division

... no division in France built for itself a finer reputation, whether for the gallantry of its conduct in battle or for the excellence of its behaviour out of the line. Its record does honour to the land from which it came, and to the Empire for which it fought. In these words Ficld-M(V."slial Sir Douglas H«ig wrote of the Xcw Zealand Division in August, 1910; and they are typical of many sueh comments, by friends and foes alike.

By "TROOPER"

To-day, with a second New Zealand Division being born, these words ring out as encouragement; yes, even more than this—a challenge. They are a challenge, not only to the young men, but to all of us. "For man's freedom and vast future man must depend on man. It is ours together, or no one's, and it shall be ours." The concentration of troops in January, 191(5, in the Sues Canal zone was so great that many difficulties arose in dealing with their reorganisation and distribution. Equipment of all sorts was lacking, or in short supply. The difficulties of the supply units were manifold. But these only remained lor such time as it was necessary to clear congestion (;ii the railways and build adequate accommodation for storage; for, be it remembered, this new concentration was at Ismailia, where buildings and other facilities were not as at Zeitoun. The task confronting those charged with it was little short of stupendous; but the fact that the bulk of the troops

concerned were held in reserve made ii easier. Indeed there were so many men to be dealt with that makeshift unit<> were created for disciplinary purposes. All this reorganisation was not brought about without some heartburning. Men who had enlisted for mounted work found themselves arbitrarily transferred to other than horse units; while others were similarly transferred from units of their choice. Much of this was inevitable, and accepted very well indeed. Promising n.c.o.'s who had come over with the recent reinforcements were not only transferred, but lost their stripe* at the same time. Commissioned rank?, suffering little or no reduction in rank, however, found themselves transferred to other units, or held in reserve somewhere. All this, of course, created certain dissatisfaction, and some biting comment, not only amongst the later arrivals, but amongst the old hands, and not without some justification in these latter cases. The whole matter was fraught with difficulty, but it is ft fact that no n.c.o. can be legitimately disrated against his will unless he has been court-martialls i and found guilty of a crime, or for incompetence. Nevertheless, old hands, with actual fighting experience, found themselves denied of a claim to promotion, not only as n.c.o.'s, but to commit sioncd rank. Actual service on the battlefield finds the real leaders. In the interests of all it should be worth while to take advantage of this proving. Drafts for overseas might be sent away with the minimum of officers and n.c.o.'s. The problems of time were overcome, in due course. Out of it all was born "The New Zealand Division"; the authority for the assumption of its national dignity being dated March 1. 11)10. The New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade was not absorbed in the new

division, with the exception of the Otago Regiment, one squadron of which went with it as divisional mounted troop.', the other two being disbanded. The N.Z.M.R. were attached to the Ist 2nd and 3rd Australian Light Horse Brigades—the whole officially known as the Australian and New Zealand Mounted Division, but better known as the "Anzac Mounteds"—under the command of Major-Gcneral (later Sir Harry) Chauvel. Thus on the sands, by the waters of Suez, was bora the division, so weil spoken of by Field-Marshal Haig; and an equally famous mounted division, perpetuating the name of Anzac. Meanwhile, the Turkish defeat at Erzerum compelled the Porte to withdraw some of the troops intended for the fresh attempt at invasion of Egypt. This allowed the famous 20th and other divisions to be released from Egypt for the Western Front, where Germany was about to launch her attack at Verdun, and which, in time, indirectly caused the New Zealand Division to follow. During the interval the New Zealand troops were occupied in defence of the Canal zone. The contrast between tintactics now and a year previously would surely have gladdened Lord Kitchener, who had stated then that the troops were there to defend the Canal, not the Canal to defend the troops. Railways and roads were pushed out into Sinai, on the way to meet an oncoming, though reduced, Turkish force. The laying o: pipes for water was pushed on. Sinai is not as waterless as it appears on first sight, but it is not of good drinki.ig quality. And so we will leave the division, growing up, as it were, finding its feet, until the time comes for it to leave for the Western Front.