War Establishments

I haven't got the 36th Survey Battery my notes say March 1941 HQ Troop, X Troop & Y Troop then. OCTBER 1942 Battery HQ, A Troop (SURVEY) (OLD 1ST SURVEY TROOP) (Later Renamed X Troop) ,S Troop (FLASH-SPOTING) & R Troop (SOUND RANGING) To Italy 284 all ranks.
hill

 

Just on the 1st Survey troop I have 1 captain,2 sub-lt,1 QM Sergeant ,2 Sergeants, 2 lance - Sergeant,3 Bombardier, 3 lance- Bombardier, 30 gunners =44 3 Motorcycles, 8 2seat cars, 1 4seat car, 4 3ton lorry's (8 pistols, 23 rifles,13 SMG , 1 at Rifle, 1lmg) This predated the Survey Battery

I have not looked at 2NZEF field Engineers file yet, only got home defence WE.

NZ Divisional Signals 1942 & 1943

also, found a NZ Headquarters of Divisional Artillery 2NZEF 1944.

NZ Headquarters of An Infantry Brigade January 1945 only one of the 2nzef I got.

Hill

 

Hi
NZASC, the NZ Water Issue Section NZASC in Italy would be 21 Other Ranks.
Hill

 

NZMC and Dental ones
hill

 

I only have Ordnance Depot 1944; I know there are 1941 & 42 but have not got them. same with the Armoured Troops Recovery Unit
hill

 

I Do not Have the NZ Censor Section but note say 2 officers, 4 Privets, 1 clerk NZASC,1 batman=8 2 pistols and 6 rifles. the Port Detachments were 18 to 30 all ranks, Port Detachments at Suez, Port Said, Alexandria, Benghazi, Tripoli, later Taranto, Bari, Ancona, Naples
hill

 

New Zealand 2 Echelon 2NZEF 1943
hill

 

Hello Hill,

Thank you very much for posting those up, it's really very good of you. I think all the 2NZEF WEs were printed up in theatre, so perhaps what's available depends on what papers Staff Duties actually took back home with them! Also seems some armies were very good at destroying superseded WE type tables. I always liked that Aus and NZ WEs kept the small arms issue, and ammunition scales.

Gary

 

hi Gary.
last ones on your list I got for that time (1943) I realise doing this how many I have not got, some I thought I had and do not have, looking at them a lot are home defence.
any way back to WE the Public Relations Services I do not have, I looked at the file 2NZEF - War Establishments - NZ Public Relations Service R20107616 1941 – 1946 but this is another file I think they got mixed up as only had New Zealand 2 Echelon 2NZEF in it. notes (Public Relations Services, Public Relations Officer (1 officer and Batman) War Correspondents (?), Broadcasting Unit (3 to 6 all ranks? 1 10-ton 6x4) Cinema Units (?) Still Photographers (?), Official Artist (1 officer and Batman), Newspaper (?), Archivist (2 officers 14 other ranks 1943). Chaplains Dept. chaplains 50 officer, Church Army 2NZEF 4 Officer and 6 Other ranks. I will upload a list of what I have looked at in last 10 years. (I started to keep records, before this I did not. I don't know what files some of them are from)

Hill

 

hi
Here are some NZASC I Have finished forgive my spelling mistakes etc., the NZ Tank Transporter Company NZASC is interesting as it had in Italy 7 platoons, 2 light, 2 heavy transporter and 3 General transport platoons under a small HQ (so had extra HQ and platoon and 90 3ton lorry's)
Hildaren

 

hi all
I know you have these Gary, But some one may be Interested in them NZ Armoured Corps.

The NZ Armoured Depot 1945 WE for Sherman’s was 14 but Jeff Plowman in his book says 40 including 2 Firefly’s IC and 1 Sherman IB (105mm).

The NZ Independent Army Tank Squadron Group 1942 and NZ Light Armoured Fighting Vehicle Regiment 1942 are Pacific and Home Defence but i put them in anyway as someone might be Interested.

Hill

 

Thanks very much for posting this -has not been easy trying to get info on NZ EME Inf Bde Workshops section in Italy. The old problem of no official history. Cooke's book makes an effort but section on Italian campaign focuses on Armour repair maintenance and recovery - nothing re the PBI and their EME support troops - the ones who where up their butts in mud recovering stuck or busted carriers, fixing broken kit etc. My first posting this forum so hope I have followed the appropriate style and form. But thanks again for these establishments saves me a trip to Wellington Achives. Vic

 

There is a lot of knowledge and archives on this forum. You will find a wealth of information Vic.

 

Attached is a clean retyped establishment for a New Zealand Infantry Brigade Workshops section. Original photographs attached in the most helpful post by hildaren Carter haenga, Mar 12, 2023 were hard to read -black ink on a grey background Attached is in tabular format replacing original typed spacing. Note previous establishment had 1 Offr 25 OR. By date of new 1944 establishment breakdown trucks in 5th Inf Bde Wksp Sec included 3 ton 6x4 Leyland breakdown gantry lorries (for light towing), 30cwt 6x4, Morris-Commercial CDSW wrecker and Diamond T 969 6x6 wrecker for heavy towing. OC of unit in the desert was Capt. Stan Betts MBE (died 2008), who I knew, then in Italy Capt EC Suttcliffe until Aug 45.

 

Hi Vic

Thanks for that, Did Capt. Stan Betts wright a book? I remember reading one 10 or 15 years ago. About the sections in the desert, the 1945 establishments drop back down to 1 officer and 20 OR., it’s not as good as your one (I will try and find the File reference at archives for the source), my PC was broken so try to look for things and setting up software at the moment,

Hildaren

 

Yes Stan wrote "Desert Wheels." It was self-published - just 100 copies printed. He did the photocopying himself.
Regarding War Establishments, Phillips. NC, Italy, Vol 1, 'The Sangro to Cassino', 1957, Official History of NZ in the Second World War 1939-45, facing page 7, includes an 'organisational chart, Chain of Command and war establishment by units of 2NZEF.' This shows 5 and 6 Inf Bde Wksp Sections as 'WE 1 25.'