2nd Division (New Zealand)
| New Zealand Division 2nd New Zealand Division |
|
|---|---|
| Active | 1939–45 |
| Country |
 New Zealand
|
| Branch |
 New Zealand Military Forces
|
| Type | Infantry |
| Size | Division |
| Part of | British Eighth Army |
| Garrison/HQ | Maadi Camp, Egypt (1940–c.1943) |
| Engagements | North African Campaign, Italy 1943–45 |
| Disbanded | c.1945 |
| Commanders | |
| Notable commanders |
Bernard C. Freyberg Lindsay Inglis (temporary) Howard Kippenberger (temporary) Graham Parkinson (temporary) Stephen Weir (temporary) |
The 2nd New Zealand Division, initially the New Zealand Division, was an infantry division of the New Zealand Military Forces (New Zealand's army) during the Second World War. The division was commanded for most of its existence by Lieutenant-General Bernard C. Freyberg. It fought in Greece, Crete, the Western Desert and Italy. In the Western Desert Campaign, the division played a prominent role in the defeat of German and Italian forces in the Second Battle of El Alamein and the British Eighth Army's advance to Tunisia.
In late 1943 the division was moved to Italy, taking part in the Eighth Army's campaign on Italy's Adriatic coast which ground to a halt at the end of the year. In early 1944 the division formed the nucleus of the New Zealand Corps, fighting two battles attempting unsuccessfully to penetrate the Gustav Line at Monte Cassino. The division saw further action on the Gothic Line in Italy in 1944 and took part in the Allied 1945 Spring offensive which led to the surrender of German forces in Italy in May. After returning to New Zealand, reorganised elements of the division formed part of the occupational forces in Japan from 1945.
At the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939 it was decided that New Zealand should provide an Expeditionary Force of one division, under then Major-General Bernard C. Freyberg. This force became known as 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force and the division, initially, as the New Zealand Division. The first echelon of 2NZEF Headquarters and a Brigade Group landed in Egypt in February 1940. The second echelon, also a Brigade Group, was diverted to Britain on Italy's entry into the war, joining British VII Corps and did not reach Egypt until March 1941. The third echelon arrived in Egypt in September 1940 and concentration of the division was completed just before it was deployed to northern Greece in March 1941.
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