1902 - 1919 Imperial Training & World War I

1902 - 1919 Imperial Training and WW1 (AW-06-1208-3).
1902
15 October
The Permanent Militia was re-designated the Permanent Force, a formal title that was to remain until 1950. The artillery and engineers were redesignated the Royal New Zealand Artillery and the Royal New Zealand Engineers respectively the first time that the title “Royal” was granted to New Zealand Army units.
1913
3 November
Wellington
A clash between striking 'wharfies' and specially enlisted mounted constables occurred during a riot at Buckle Street in Wellington, where Army Headquarters was located. Two civilians and a Permanent Force officer were wounded by gunfire.
1914
5 August
New Zealand joined Britain and declared war on the German Empire.
1914
29 August
Samoa
A force of 1382 New Zealand volunteers and four guns occupied German Samoa after an unopposed landing.
1914
16 October
Middle East
The main body of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force sailed for the Middle East. It comprised 8417 men (all volunteers) and was the largest single body of men ever to leave New Zealand arriving in Egypt on 03 December.
1915
3 February
Suez Canal
New Zealanders saw their first combat of the war when they helped to repulse a Turkish attack across the Suez Canal south of Ismailia. Private William Ham from Motueka died of his wounds the next day the first New Zealander to die in action during World War I.
1915
25 April
Gallipoli
The Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) landed at what became known as Anzac Cove on the Turkish peninsula of Gallipoli.
1915
5 May
Gallipoli
The New Zealand Infantry Brigade was deployed south to Cape Helles on 5 May 1915.
1915
8 May
Gallipoli
On 8 May 1915 the New Zealand Infantry Brigade made two charges across the ‘Daisy Patch’ to attack entrenched Turkish positions. It attacked on its own in daylight and suffered 835 casualties for no gain. After 14 days on the peninsula, the Brigade had already sustained more than 2000 casualties.
1915
24 May
Gallipoli
An armistice was declared at Anzac Cove on 24 May 1915. Australians, New Zealanders, and Turks spent five hours burying hundreds of bodies in no man’s land between their trenches.
1915
7-8 August
Gallipoli
The battle for Chunuk Bair. On 8 August 1915 the Wellington Battalion captured the hill of Chunuk Bair and for the first and only time in the campaign Allied troops could see their original objective the Dardanelles. After hours of what can only be described as heroic fighting, the Wellingtons were driven off by massive Turkish counter-attacks and suffered appalling losses.
1915
23 October
Mediterranean
The troopship MARQUETTE was sunk on its way to Salonika by a German U-boat on 23 October 1915. Among the drowned were 32 New Zealanders, including 10 nurses.
1915
19-20 December
Gallipoli
The evacuation of Suvla and Anzac Cove. This was a surprisingly successful operation during which no New Zealand casualties were sustained. Of the 8556 New Zealanders who served on Gallipoli, 2721 died and 4752 were wounded an 87 per cent casualty rate.
1916
April
Western Front
The New Zealand Division arrived in northern France after a voyage via Marseilles from Egypt.
1916
12 May
Sinai
The New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade started the first of its ‘long patrols’ into the Sinai desert on 12 May 1916. Reconnaissance patrols were to be a way of life for the next two and a half years.
1916
13 May
Western Front
On 13 May 1916 the New Zealand Division moved into front-line trenches for the first time a six and a half kilometre long sector in the Armentières area.
1916
15 September
Western Front
At 0620 hours 15 September 1916 the New Zealand Division took part in its first major action near Flers, as part of the Somme offensive. In 23 days of constant fighting 1560 New Zealanders were killed and 5440 were wounded.
1917
9 January
Sinai
At 0600 hours the Auckland Mounted Rifles enter Palestine. The New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade occupied Rafa, after fierce fighting. The Turks had been cleared from the Sinai after a campaign lasting one year.
1917
26 March
Palestine
The first battle for Gaza failed due to the arrival of heavy Turkish reinforcements.
1917
16 April
Palestine
The second battle for Gaza began on 16 April 1917. The town fell after three days of heavy fighting.
1917
7 June
Western Front
At 1510 hours on 7 June 1917 the New Zealand Division went over the top at Messines and, in two days of fighting, took all of its initial objectives. The battle continued until 30 June 1917.
1917
27 July
Western Front
The 1st Brigade attacked and captured the village of La Basse Ville on 27 July 1917, but was driven out again by an enemy counter-attack. This was followed by a second, and completely successful, attack on La Basse Ville on 31 July 1917.
1917
September
Western Front
Battle for Polygon Wood.
1917
4 October
Western Front
After a period of training out of the line, the New Zealanders returned to take part in the closing stages of the Ypres battle. They attacked the Gravenstafel Spur at Passchendaele before dawn on 4 October 1917 and suffered 1707 casualties.
1917
12 October
Passchendaele
On 12 October 1917 in just two hours, more than 2,800 New Zealand soldiers were killed, wounded or listed as missing - the most disastrous day in New Zealand’s military history.
1917
31 October
Palestine
The Turkish line at Beersheba was broken.
1917
16 November
Palestine
The coastal town of Jaffa was surrendered to the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade.
1918
17 February
Palestine
The New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade occupied Bethlehem on 17 February 1918.
1918
19 February
Palestine
The battle for Jericho began on 19 February 1918. The town was taken the following day by the New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade. It was found to be full of dead or dying Turks suffering from typhus.
1918
21 March
Western Front
A massive German attack by about 60 infantry divisions over an 80 kilometre front took the Allies by surprise. At points the Germans advanced 14 kilometres in two days a great distance by World War I standards. On 25 March 1918 the New Zealanders found themselves fighting to hold the enemy near Serre, in trench systems that they had used two years previously during the Somme battle. Along with Australian efforts at nearby Hébuterne, they successfully helped fill a dangerous gap that had developed between two British corps.
1918
21 August
Western Front
The start of the 10 day battle for Bapaume; the beginning of the end of World War I.
1918
25 September
Palestine
Anzac Mounted Division captured Amman.
1918
28 September
Palestine
On 28 September 1918, the Turkish IV Army surrendered to the Anzacs at Kastal.
1918
31 October
Palestine
The Turkish armies had by now ceased to exist as fighting formations. An armistice came into effect at noon.
1918
4 November
Western Front
Using scaling ladders, New Zealanders attacked the 18‑metres high ramparts of the fortress town of Le Quesnoy and captured it from the Germans on 4 November 1918. It was the last major action of the war for the New Zealand Division and one in which it captured nearly 2000 prisoners and 60 field guns.
1918
11 November
Western Front
The armistice came into effect at 1100 hours on 11 November 1918.
1918
20 December
Germany
On 20 December 1918, the first New Zealand formation, the 2nd Brigade, crossed the Rhine River into Cologne as part of the Allied Army of Occupation.
1919
25 March
Europe
On 25 March 1919, the New Zealand Division, which had become known as the Silent Division , was disbanded after spending three years on the Western Front. The final draft of New Zealand troops left Germany for England on this date.

This page was last reviewed on 30 April 2010 and is current.

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