27th Battalion (New Zealand)
| 27th Machine Gun Battalion | |
|---|---|
| Active | 1939–1948 |
| Country |
 New Zealand
|
| Branch | New Zealand Military Forces |
| Type | Infantry |
| Role | Sustained fire support |
| Size | ~ 700 personnel |
| Part of | 2nd New Zealand Division |
| Equipment | Vickers machine gun |
| Engagements | |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Lindsay Merritt Inglis |
The 27th Machine-Gun Battalion was a unit of the 2nd New Zealand Division during the Second World War. It served in the Greek Campaign, Western Desert Campaign, Tunisian Campaign, Italian Campaign and after the war took part in the Occupation of Japan. It was one of two New Zealand formations that served overseas longer than any other unit in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. The battalion was also one of the New Zealand units that supplied men for the Long Range Desert Group.
The 27th Machine-Gun Battalion was raised at Burnham, in New Zealand, on 3 October 1939. With an authorised strength of around 700 personnel and equipped with Vickers machine guns, the battalion consisted of four machine gun companies, designated No. 1 to No. 4, underneath a headquarters company which fulfilled various specialist functions including administration, signals, transport, and anti-aircraft defence. Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Lindsay Merritt Inglis, the battalion undertook training in New Zealand before being shipped to Egypt in January 1941.
Further training was undertaken at Maadi Camp, after which the 27th was one of the first units of the 2nd New Zealand Division to go into action in the Greek Campaign in April 1941. It took part in all the battles during the 300-mile (480 km) withdrawal to the Peloponnese, including the rearguard actions in the Battle of Vevi and the Battle of Mount Olympus. The battalion, together with the rest of the division, was withdrawn to Crete and took part in the battle of Crete during the German invasion, fighting at Maleme and Galatas.
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Wikipedia