Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment

• The North Auckland Regiment,
• The Auckland (Countess of Ranfurly's Own) Regiment,
• The Hauraki Regiment,
• The Taranaki Regiment,
• The Wellington West Coast Regiment,
• The Hawke's Bay Regiment,
• The Wellington (City of Wellington's Own) Regiment,
• The Nelson, Marlborough and West Coast Regiment,
• The Canterbury Regiment,
• The Otago Regiment,
• The Southland Regiment

• 2nd Battalion (1947–48, 1959–63 and 1964–2013), linked to 4 RNZIR
• 3rd Battalion (1947–48 and 1964–2013), linked to 6 RNZIR
• 4th Battalion (1964–2013), linked to 2 RNZIR
• 5th Battalion (1964–2013), linked to 7 RNZIR
• 6th Battalion (1964–2013), linked to 3 RNZIR
• 7th Battalion (1964–2013), linked to 5 RNZIR

The New Zealand Infantry Corps was formed on 9 January 1947, consisting of a single Regular infantry battalion, the New Zealand Regiment, and eleven Territorial Force(TF) Infantry Regiments.[1] However, The formation of the regular infantry battalion was only one in name and it was decided that the "1st New Zealand Regiment" should be held in abeyance until such a time that a "regular" battalion was raised. The New Zealand Infantry Corps was granted royal status in July 1947.[2]

In August 1947, the New Zealand Regiment was reorganised with the two infantry battalions in Jayforce joining the New Zealand Regiment, which led to the original regiment to be redesignated as the 1st Battalion. The Jayforce battalions (22nd and 27th Battalions, 2NZEF) were designated the 2nd and 3rd Battalion respectively.[3][4] The 2nd and 3rd Battalions were disbanded in 1948 following their return to New Zealand.[5][6] During 1948 amalgamations further reduced the TF infantry regiments to nine; with the Taranaki and Wellington West Coast regiments merging, alongside the Otago and Southland regiments being merged.

On 2 August 1957, official authority was granted to raise and train the first "regular" infantry battalion in New Zealand history. Under the command of Lt-Col W. R. K. Morrison DSO, the 1st New Zealand Regiment would be New Zealand's land force commitment to the British Commonwealth Far East Reserve. The 1st Battalion, The New Zealand Regiment was deployed to Malaya from October 1957 as part the 28th Commonwealth Infantry Brigade Group. Between 1958 and 1964 the NZ Regiment would rotate three battalions through Malaya.[7] The 1st Battalion, NZ Regiment, was deployed between the periods of 1957 to 1959 and 1961 to 1963, with the 2nd Battalion, NZ Regiment, was rotated in during 1959 to 1961 and 1963 to 1965; though the 1st Battalion Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment was formed on 1 May 1964.

This deployment would be unique in New Zealand military history, as it would be the first time that families would accompany a New Zealand overseas military deployment to an overseas location. In 1963, the 2nd Battalion now based in New Zealand was reorganised as a depot for the 1st Battalion (??-DB).[8]

On 1 April 1964, all units of the Royal New Zealand Infantry Corps were reorganised into the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment and re-designated as;[9]

• 1 RNZIR – 1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment (Regular)
• 2 RNZIR – 2nd Battalion, (Canterbury, and Nelson-Marlborough and West Coast), Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment
• 3 RNZIR – 3rd Battalion, (Auckland (Countess of Ranfurly's Own) and Northland), Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment
• 4 RNZIR – 4th Battalion, (Otago and Southland), Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment
• 5 RNZIR – 5th Battalion, (Wellington West Coast and Taranaki), Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment
• 6 RNZIR – 6th Battalion, (Hauraki), Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment
• 7 RNZIR – 7th Battalion, (Wellington (City of Wellington's Own) and Hawke's Bay), Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment

During the Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation which began on 20 January 1963, 1 RNZIR would be committed to the conflict from September 1964, seeing service in Mainland Malaysia and Borneo.

1 RNZIR would initially see action in September 1964 when Indonesian paratroopers landed in Johore, 1 RNZIR was one of the few Commonwealth units in the region and with the New Zealand government's permission hunted down the infiltrators. The following month, 52 Indonesian soldiers landed in Pontian on the Johore-Malacca border and were also captured by New Zealand soldiers. 1 RNZIR would later deploy to Borneo where they would combat Indonesian cross border infiltration. The Indonesia-Malaysia Confrontation officially ended in May 1966.

During the Vietnam War, 1 RNZIR which remained at Terendak Camp in Malaysia, would contribute a series of Rifle companies to serve with the 1st Australian Task Force (1 ATF) in South Vietnam.

Initially the first Victor Company served with various Australian regiments for six months in 1967. The subsequent Victor rotation and additional Whiskey Company were merged with an Australian Battalion to become the "ANZAC battalion" in March 1968. As each Australian and New Zealand rotation occurred a new "ANZAC battalion" was formed. New Zealand Assault pioneer and Mortar teams accompanied subsequent rotations.

Additionally, a troop of New Zealand Special Air Service arrived in 1968 and conducted operations with the Australian SAS. Subsequent NZSAS rotations served until February 1971.

RNZIR personnel served in many different roles at the 1ATF base and at the New Zealand Headquarters in Saigon. All New Zealand combat forces were withdrawn in December 1971.

Having been based at Terendak Camp since 1961, 1 RNZIR relocated to Nee Soon Barracks on Singapore in December 1969. In 1971 the 28th Commonwealth Infantry Brigade Group would be disestablished and 1 RNZIR would come under the command of ANZUK Force. In June 1971 1 RNZIR would relocate from Nee Soon to Dieppe Barracks. In 1974 ANZUK Force was disbanded and 1 RNZIR became the Infantry component of the New Zealand Force South East Asia which it would remain a part of until 1989 when 1 RNZIR was redeployed to Linton Camp in New Zealand.[10]

In 1973, the Regimental Depot in Burnham Camp was predesignated as the 2/1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Battalion, creating for the first time since 1948 a second regular infantry battalion in the New Zealand Army. Today, the RNZIR has two regular battalions: the 1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment, and the 2/1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment. An additional battalion, known as the 3/1st Battalion RNZIR, was occasionally formed as a composite battalion from the Territorial Battalions during exercises.[11]

In the first deployment of New Zealand combat troops to a war zone since the Vietnam War, 1 RNZIR contributed a rifle section to provide security for the New Zealand Supply Contingent in Somalia from July 1993. There would be two rotations with the final section departing Somalia in June 1994.[7]

Alongside troops from Queens Alexandra's Mounted Rifles (QAMR), 1 RNZIR and 2/ RNZIR would both contribute to the Mechanized Infantry Company Group that formed New Zealand's commitment to the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR). Serving as part of a British Battalion from 1994, two Company Group rotations would serve in the Former Yugoslavia.[7]

On 17 March 2013 the six TF battalions were amalgamated into the current three reserve battalions;

• 2nd/4th Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment (2/4 RNZIR), from the 2nd Battalion (Canterbury and Nelson-Marlborough and West Coast), RNZIR, and the 4th Battalion (Otago and Southland) RNZIR
• 3rd/6th Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment (3/6 RNZIR), from the 3rd Battalion (Auckland [Countess of Ranfurly's Own] and Northland), RNZIR, and the 6th Battalion (Hauraki) RNZIR
• 5th/7th Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment (5/7 RNZIR),[12] from the 5th Battalion (Wellington West Coast and Taranaki) RNZIR, and the 7th Battalion (Wellington [City of Wellington's Own], Hawkes Bay) RNZIR.