National Military Reserve (New Zealand)

The National Military Reserve was a reserve force of the New Zealand Military Forces. It was formed just prior to the Second World War and intended to provide a reserve pool of manpower to supplement the Territorial Force. The National Military Reserve consisted of a number of independent infantry companies and battalions, as well as independent Mounted rifle squadrons. In 1942 the New Zealand Government rationalised the reserve system. The National Military Reserve was disbanded and most of the constituent units were transferred to the Territorial Force.

National Military Reserve
No. 3 Independent Mounted Rifles Squadron
Active1939–1942
Country New Zealand
BranchNew Zealand Military Forces
TypeReserve Force

History

By 1939, the New Zealand Government was becoming increasingly concerned about the likelihood of war in Europe. It was therefore decided to expand the New Zealand Military Forces and in May 1939 a major reorganisation was undertaken. The territorial forces were expanded and a new reserve force called the National Military Reserve was formed. The National Military Reserve was to act as a pool of manpower for the Territorial Force in the event of war and also provide a force of less able men for menial work. Recruits were designated into three classes:[1][2]

  • Class I: men aged 20–35 with two years experience in the territorial force
  • Class II: men aged 35–55 with regular or NZEF experience
  • Class III: any other men aged 33–55

With the out break of war on 3 September 1939, the National Military Reserve was activated. The majority of men in class I were immediately transferred to the Territorial Force, while the roughly 11,000 class II men were called up to provide garrison troops to defend ports and other key points in New Zealand.[3] In July 1940, the National Military Reserve was organised into independent squadrons of mounted rifles, independent companies and battalions of infantry. Further units were raised throughout 1940 and 1941 and by January 1942 the establishment of the National Military Reserve was 21,261. New Zealand was suffering from manpower shortages and such a large force could not be maintained. Consequently, 12 of the independent companies were disbanded, however a larger change soon followed. At the beginning of 1942 the New Zealand Home defence forces consisted of three organisations: the Territorial force, the National Military Reserve and the Home Guard. The government felt that this was too complicated and decided to simplify the home defence forces into two lines: the first line (i.e. the Territorial Force) of fitter men and the second line (i.e. the Home Guard). Consequently, the NMR was disbanded and its units transferred to the Territorial Force.[4] The Territorial force itself was stood down in 1943 and by April 1944 all the former National Military Reserve units had been disbanded.[5]

List of units of the National Military reserve

Mounted Rifle Squadrons

All 9 independent mounted rifles companies were formed on 1 July 1940. They were transferred to the Territorial Force on 10 January 1942 and later attached to the Home Guard in May 1943.[6]

Company Location
1st Northland
2nd Kaipara
3rd Hauraki
4th East Coast
5th Tararua
6th Marlborough
7th Nelson
8th Ellesmere
9th Taieri

Independent Infantry Companies

A total of 21 independent infantry companies were formed, of which 12 were disbanded on 1 January 1942, and the remainder transferred to the territorial force on 2 February 1942[7]

Company Location Date formed Fate
1st Whanagarei 1 July 1940 Attached to North Auckland Regiment
2nd Russell 1 July 1940 Disbanded
3rd Whangaroa 1 July 1940 Disbanded
4th Tauranga 1 July 1940 Disbanded
5th Thames 23 September 1940 Attached to Hauraki Regiment
6th Hamilton 23 September 1940 Disbanded
7th Wairoa 23 September 1940 Attached to Hawkes Bay Regiment
8th Gisborne 1 July 1940 Attached to Hawkes Bay Regiment
9th Napier 1 July 1940 Disbanded
10th New Plymouth 1 July 1940 Disbanded
11th Wanganui 1 July 1940 Disbanded
12th Palmerston North 23 September 1940 Disbanded
13th Hastings 23 September 1940 Disbanded
14th Paekakariki/Porirua 23 September 1940 Disbanded
15th Nelson 1 July 1940 Attached to Nelson, Marlborough and West Coast Regiment
16th Blenheim/Picton 1 July 1940 Disbanded
17th Greymouth/Westport 1 July 1940 Attached to Nelson, Marlborough and West Coast Regiment
18th Timaru 1 July 1940 Disbanded
19th Oamaru 1 July 1940 Attached to Otago Regiment
20th Bluff 1 July 1940 Attached to Otago Regiment
21st Westport 1 November 1941 Attached to Nelson, Marlborough and West Coast Regiment

Infantry Battalions

A total of 22 infantry battalions were formed and were transferred to the territorial force on 2 February 1942[6]

Battalion Location Date formed Redesignated as
1st Auckland 1 July 1940 4th Battalion, Auckland Regiment
2nd Wellington 1 July 1940 3rd Battalion, Wellington Regiment
3rd Christchurch 1 July 1940 3rd Battalion, Canterbury Regiment
4th Dunedin 1 July 1940 2nd Battalion, Otago Regiment
5th Auckland 1 November 1941 5th Battalion, Auckland Regiment
6th Whangarei 1 November 1941 2nd Battalion, North Auckland Regiment
7th Bay of Islands 1 November 1941 3rd Battalion, North Auckland Regiment[Note 1]
8th Bay of Islands 1 November 1941 4th Battalion, North Auckland Regiment
9th Hamilton 1 November 1941 2nd Battalion, Waikato Regiment
10th Tauranga 1 November 1941 2nd Battalion, Hauraki Regiment
11th Wellington 1 November 1941 4th Battalion, Wellington Regiment
12th Napier 1 November 1941 2nd Battalion, Hawke's Bay Regiment
13th Wanganui 1 November 1941 2nd Battalion, Wellington West Coast Regiment
14th New Plymouth 1 November 1941 2nd Battalion, Taranaki Regiment
15th Christchurch 1 November 1941 4th Battalion, Canterbury Regiment
16th Christchurch 1 November 1941 5th Battalion, Canterbury Regiment
17th Dunedin 1 November 1941 3rd Battalion, Otago Regiment
18th Palmerston North 1 November 1941 3rd Battalion, Wellington West Coast Regiment
19th Blenheim 1 November 1941 2nd Battalion, Nelson, Marlborough and West Coast Regiment
20th Timaru 1 November 1941 7th Battalion, Canterbury Regiment
21st Blenheim 1 November 1941 3rd Battalion, Nelson, Marlborough and West Coast Regiment
22nd Christchurch 1 November 1941 6th Battalion, Canterbury Regiment

Notes

Footnotes
  1. redesignated as 2nd Māori Battalion in June 1942
Citations
  1. Cooke & Crawford 2011, pp. 238–239.
  2. "Military Forces of New Zealand". Appendix to the Journal of the House of Representatives. 1939.
  3. Cooke & Crawford 2011, pp. 247–248.
  4. Cooke 2016, pp. 309–310.
  5. Cooke & Crawford 2011, pp. 280–281.
  6. Cooke 2016, p. 842.
  7. Cooke 2016, p. 841.
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, John (2011). The Territorials. Auckland: Random House. ISBN 978-1-86979-446-0.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.