5th Infantry Brigade (New Zealand)
| 5th Infantry Brigade | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1940–45 |
| Country |
 New Zealand |
| Branch |
 New Zealand Military Forces |
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | Brigade |
| Part of | 2nd New Zealand Division |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
James Hargest Howard Kippenberger Keith Lindsay Stewart |
The 5th Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade formation of the New Zealand Military Forces, active during World War II as part of the 2nd New Zealand Division. It saw service during the Battle of Greece, the Battle of Crete, the North African Campaign and the Italian Campaign before being disbanded in late 1945.
History
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Shortly after the outbreak of the war, the New Zealand government authorised the formation of a 'Special Force', what would later be designed the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force, of 6,600 men for service overseas.[2] After consultation with the British government, it was decided that New Zealand's primary contribution to the war effort would be in the form of an infantry division.[3] The 5th Infantry Brigade was the second of the three echelons of the 2nd New Zealand Division. The brigade consisted of three infantry battalions, these being the 21st (with men drawn from the Auckland Military District), the 22nd (Central Military District), and the 23rd (South Island Military District).[4]
At various times during the war, the 28th Battalion was also attached to the brigade.
Notes
- Footnotes
- Citations
- ↑ Pugsley 2014, p. 55.
- ↑ Pugsley 2014, p. 16.
- ↑ Pugsley 2014, p. 19.
- ↑ Pugsley 2014, p. 22.
References
- McClymont, W. G. (1959). To Greece. Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War 1939–45. Wellington, New Zealand: War History Branch.
- Pugsley, Christopher (2014). A Bloody Road Home: World War Two and New Zealand's Heroic Second Division. Auckland, New Zealand: Penguin Books. ISBN 978-0-143-57189-6.