6th Infantry Brigade (New Zealand)
| 6th 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 |
Harold Barrowclough George Clifton William Gentry Graham Parkinson |
The 6th Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade of the New Zealand Military Forces, active during World War II as part of the 2nd New Zealand Division. It saw service during the North African Campaign and the Italian Campaign before being disbanded in late 1945.
The 6th Infantry Brigade was intended to be the last of the three echelons of the 2nd New Zealand Division, commanded by Major General Bernard Freyberg. The first two echelons had already departed for the Middle East when the 6th Brigade was formed in May 1940. However, the officers and non-commissioned officers of the brigade had received their training with the 5th Infantry Brigade, the second echelon of the division. Brigadier Harold Barrowclough, who was then in England where the second echelon had been diverted while in transit, was appointed commander of the brigade. The 6th Brigade consisted of three infantry battalions, these being the 24th (with men drawn from the Northern Military District), the 25th (Central Military District), and the 26th (Southern Military District).
There had been some initial reluctance by the New Zealand government to allow the departure of the brigade. There were fears that the Japanese Empire had hostile intentions towards British Commonwealth possessions in the Pacific and the brigade represented trained and equipped manpower that could be used in home defence. In the end, it was decided to retain a contingent of reinforcements intended for the first and second echelons for defence purposes in the Pacific. The brigade itself left for the Middle East in August 1940, and arrived in Egypt by the end of September. The 6th Brigade was located at the division's Maadi Camp where it would undergo training while the other major component of the division already in Egypt, the 4th Infantry Brigade, was on garrison duty in the Baggush Box.
...
Wikipedia