11th Coast Regiment, Royal New Zealand Artillery

The 11th Coast Regiment, Royal New Zealand Artillery was a territorial coastal artillery regiment of the New Zealand Army based at Godley Head. The regiment was formed in 1940 as 11th Heavy Regiment, New Zealand Artillery and controlled the coastal defence batteries around Lyttleton Harbour.[1] The regiment was progressively expanded and by the end of the war had batteries all over the upper North Island.[2] The regiment was reduced to a cadre in 1957 and disbanded in 1967, along with the other coastal artillery regiments (9th and 10th).[3][4]

11th Coast Regiment, Royal New Zealand Artillery
Cap badge of the Royal New Zealand Artillery
Active1940-1967
CountryNew Zealand
BranchArmy
TypeArtillery
RoleCoastal Artillery
SizeOne regiment
Part ofRoyal Regiment of New Zealand Artillery
Garrison/HQGodley Head
Motto(s)Ubique (Everywhere) (Latin)
MarchQuick — The Right of the Line
Slow — The Duchess of Kent
Commanders
Captain GeneralHM The Queen

History

Since the First World War, the coastal defences of Lyttleton had come under a single battery, 23 Heavy Battery (23 Coast Battery prior to 1934). In March 1940, 23 Heavy Battery was broken up into three batteries and the overall force increased in manpower. The 11th Heavy Regiment was formed in July 1940 to command the Lyttleton defence batteries, which included both coastal artillery and anti-aircraft artillery. In 1941, the regiment was expanded to include the coastal artillery batteries which covered other ports in the South Island, however in May 1943, 82, 141 and 142 batteries were detached and become 13th Coast Regiment. These batteries returned in December when 13th Coast Regiment was disbanded. At its peak size in 1943, the regiment consisted of nine batteries:[5][2]

The name of the regiment was changed to 11th Coast Regiment in October 1944[6] and in the same year, the coastal defences were effectively mothballed. After the war it was decided that only the defences at Lyttleton should be kept in an operational state by a small peacetime garrison.[7] In 1948 the territorial force was reorganised. All the New Zealand Artillery became part of the Royal New Zealand Artillery[8] and the batteries were renumbered as:[9]

  • 111 Battery (Battery point)
  • 112 Battery (Godley Point)
  • 113 Battery (Battery point)

It was decided in 1957 that the coastal artillery regiments were no longer necessary. The armament and equipment were placed on a care and maintenance basis, while the regiment was reduced to a cadre. Over the coming years, the equipment was scrapped and much of the facilities and land were sold off. The regiment eventually dropped to a single quartermaster sergeant, but continued to exist on paper until it was formally disbanded in 1967.[3][4]

Affiliations

Notes
Citations
  1. Henderson, Green & Cooke 2008, p. 318.
  2. "NZ Coastal Artillery Units of World War 2". Royal New Zealand Artillery Association. Archived from the original on 15 October 2008. Retrieved 2022-03-10.
  3. Cooke & Crawford 2011, pp. 322–323.
  4. Cooke 2016, pp. 822–823.
  5. Cooke 2016, pp. 275–277.
  6. Cooke 2020, p. 77.
  7. Henderson, Green & Cooke 2008, p. 365.
  8. Cooke & Crawford 2011, pp. 287–288.
  9. Henderson, Green & Cooke 2008, p. 369.
References
  • Cooke, Peter (2016). Defending New Zealand: Ramparts on the Seas 1840-1950s. Wellington: Defence of New Zealand Study Group. ISBN 0-473-06833-8.
  • Cooke, Peter; Crawford, J. (2011). The Territorials. Auckland: Random House. ISBN 978-1-86979-446-0.
  • Henderson, Alan; Green, David; Cooke, Peter D. F. (2008). The Gunners: A History of New Zealand Artillery. Auckland: Reed Publishing. ISBN 978-07900-1141-7.
  • Cooke, Peter (2020). Wrights Hill: New Zealand's 9.2-inch Coast Defence Batteries. Wellington: Defence of New Zealand Study Group. ISBN 978-0-473-50506-6.
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