The
Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment is the main combat unit in the regular
New Zealand ArmyThe New Zealand Army , is the land component of the New Zealand Defence Force and comprises around 4,500 Regular Force personnel, 2,000 Territorial Force personnel and 500 civilians. Formerly the New Zealand Military Forces, the current name was adopted around 1946...
. It was formed 9 January 1947 as the
New Zealand Regiment with a single
infantryInfantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
battalionA battalion is a military unit of around 300–1,200 soldiers usually consisting of between two and seven companies and typically commanded by either a Lieutenant Colonel or a Colonel...
as part of the newly created infantry corps.
By 1 August 1947 the regiment was augmented by the reorganisation of the Jayforce (the occupation force of
JapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
):
- 1st Battalion – redesignation of original regiment
- 2nd Battalion – redesignation of 22nd Battalion, NZEF
- 3rd Battalion – redesignation of 27th Battalion, NZEF
The 2nd and 3rd Battalions were disbanded in 1948 following their return to New Zealand. The honours and traditions of the 22nd Battalion, NZEF were then perpetuated through the
Wellington (City of Wellington's Own) RegimentThe Wellington and Hawke's Bay Regiment is a Territorial Force unit of the New Zealand Army. It was formed in 1964 during the reorganisation of the army by the amalgamation of two separate regiments:*5th Wellington Regiment...
, the
Hawke's Bay RegimentThe Wellington and Hawke's Bay Regiment is a Territorial Force unit of the New Zealand Army. It was formed in 1964 during the reorganisation of the army by the amalgamation of two separate regiments:*5th Wellington Regiment...
and the
Wellington West Coast and Taranaki RegimentThe Wellington West Coast and Taranaki Regiment is a Territorial Force unit of the New Zealand Army. It was originally formed in 1948 by the amalgamation of two separate regiments:...
. The 2nd Battalion was raised again in 1959 and saw service in
MalayaThe Federation of Malaya is the name given to a federation of 11 states that existed from 31 January 1948 until 16 September 1963. The Federation became independent on 31 August 1957...
before converting to a depot for the 1st Battalion in 1963. The regiment received its present name on 1 April 1964, when all of the
Territorial Force battalions were absorbed into its structure, receiving battalion numbers:
- 1st Battalion – regulars
- 2nd Battalion – Canterbury, and Nelson-Marlborough and West Coast Regiment
The Canterbury, and Nelson-Marlborough and West Coast Regiment is a Territorial Force unit of the New Zealand Army. It was formed in 1964 during the reorganisation of the army by the amalgamation of two separate regiments:...
- 3rd Battalion – Auckland (Countess of Ranfurly's Own) and Northland Regiment
The 3rd Battalion, and Northland Regiment is a Territorial Force Battalion of the New Zealand Army, one of three of the 1st Infantry Combat Brigade Group with Headquarters in Arch Hill Auckland Army Centre...
- 4th Battalion – Otago and Southland Regiment
The Otago and Southland Regiment is a Territorial Force unit of the New Zealand Army. It was originally formed in 1948 by the amalgamation of two separate regiments:*Otago Regiment*Southland Regiment...
- 5th Battalion – Wellington West Coast and Taranaki Regiment
The Wellington West Coast and Taranaki Regiment is a Territorial Force unit of the New Zealand Army. It was originally formed in 1948 by the amalgamation of two separate regiments:...
- 6th Battalion – Hauraki Regiment
The Hauraki Regiment is a Territorial Force unit of the New Zealand Army. The regiment is unique among the TF units in that it has never been amalgamated, and thus can trace its history directly back to its formation in 1898. The regiment was formed as the 2nd Battalion, Auckland Rifle Volunteers...
- 7th Battalion – Wellington (City of Wellington's Own) and Hawke's Bay Regiment
The Wellington and Hawke's Bay Regiment is a Territorial Force unit of the New Zealand Army. It was formed in 1964 during the reorganisation of the army by the amalgamation of two separate regiments:*5th Wellington Regiment...
In 1973, the regiment gained an additional regular battalion, when the Regimental Depot was redesignated as 2/1st Battalion, RNZIR. This structure was in place until 1999, when the TF regiments resumed their separate identities following the re-organisation of the army structure. Today, the RNZIR has two battalions:
- 1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment (mechanised infantry) – the original battalion formed in 1947.
- 2/1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment (light infantry) – originally the 2nd Battalion, this was given its current name in 1973.
The 3/1st Battalion, RNZIR was a planned TF mobilisation unit, a concept which arose during 1990s reorganisation planning which did not go beyond 'paper' status. Previously, under the three-battalion plan, upon mobilisation of TF infantry units from the six battalion groups, each of the regular battalions would be augmented by a
companyA company is a military unit, typically consisting of 80–225 soldiers and usually commanded by a Captain, Major or Commandant. Most companies are formed of three to five platoons although the exact number may vary by country, unit type, and structure...
, while the remaining four would be used to form 3/1st Battalion.
In addition, the RNZIR contributed two companies to the ANZAC Battalion in
VietnamThe Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
between 1968 and 1971. It is this that has provided the RNZIR with its only battle honour thus far, which is the only battle honour awarded to a New Zealand unit since World War II.
Organisation
In the
New Zealand ArmyThe New Zealand Army , is the land component of the New Zealand Defence Force and comprises around 4,500 Regular Force personnel, 2,000 Territorial Force personnel and 500 civilians. Formerly the New Zealand Military Forces, the current name was adopted around 1946...
, an Infantry
PlatoonA platoon is a military unit typically composed of two to four sections or squads and containing 16 to 50 soldiers. Platoons are organized into a company, which typically consists of three, four or five platoons. A platoon is typically the smallest military unit led by a commissioned officer—the...
is commanded by a 2nd Lieutenant or a
LieutenantA lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
with a Platoon Sergeant (holding the rank of
SergeantSergeant is a rank used in some form by most militaries, police forces, and other uniformed organizations around the world. Its origins are the Latin serviens, "one who serves", through the French term Sergent....
), a Platoon Signaller and a medic (where relevant) comprising the Platoon Headquarters. The Platoon is sub-divided into three section of between 7–10 soldiers, each commanded by a
CorporalCorporal is a rank in use in some form by most militaries and by some police forces or other uniformed organizations. It is usually equivalent to NATO Rank Code OR-4....
with a Lance-Corporal as the Section second-in-command (Section 2iC). Each section can be sub-divided into two fire-teams, commanded by the Section Commander and 2iC respectively, as well as normal two man Scout, Rifle and Gun Teams.
There are three platoons in a Rifle Company, which is commanded by a
MajorMajor is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
, and three rifle companies within an infantry battalion, which is commanded by a
Lieutenant ColonelLieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
. An infantry battalion will also contain an organic Support Company (mortars, machine-guns etc.) and a Logistics Company (transport and stores).
Battle honours
Because it is recruited on a nationwide basis, and has no specific regional links, the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment claims descent from, as well as the old New Zealand Regiment and all previous Territorial Infantry Regiments of the New Zealand Army. As a consequence, it is permitted to display a selection of 105 battle honours awarded to ten separate regiments:
- New Zealand, South Africa 1900–02
- The Great War: Somme 1916 '18, Messines 1917, Ypres 1917, Polygon Wood, Passchendaele, Arras 1918, Hindenburg Line, France and Flanders 1916–18, Anzac, Gallipoli 1915
- The Second World War: Greece 1941, Crete, Minqar Qaim, El Alamein, Takrouna, North Africa 1940–43, Cassino I, The Senio, Italy 1943–44, South Pacific 1942–44
- South Vietnam 1967–70only battle honour awarded to a New Zealand unit since 1945.
Current deployments
- Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment personnel along with other New Zealand defence personnel are attached to the New Zealand Provincial Reconstruction Team
A Provincial Reconstruction Team is a unit introduced by the United States government, consisting of military officers, diplomats, and reconstruction subject matter experts, working to support reconstruction efforts in unstable states. PRTs were first established in Afghanistan in late 2001 or...
in Bamyan Province, AfghanistanAfghanistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, is a landlocked country located in the centre of Asia, forming South Asia, Central Asia and the Middle East. With a population of about 29 million, it has an area of , making it the 42nd most populous and 41st largest nation in the world...
.
- One company from the 2/1st Battalion is currently deployed on overseas operations in conjunction with Australian forces – stationed in East Timor/Timor Leste
The Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, commonly known as East Timor , is a state in Southeast Asia. It comprises the eastern half of the island of Timor, the nearby islands of Atauro and Jaco, and Oecusse, an exclave on the northwestern side of the island, within Indonesian West Timor...
- One platoon from 3 Auck North Regiment is in the Solomon Islands
Solomon Islands is a sovereign state in Oceania, east of Papua New Guinea, consisting of nearly one thousand islands. It covers a land mass of . The capital, Honiara, is located on the island of Guadalcanal...
. This is a rotational operation, called Op Rata, and involves a rotation of Territorial troops from throughout New Zealand, usually alternating between North Island and South Island units.
Alliances
– The Royal Highland Fusiliers –
The RiflesThe Rifles is the largest regiment of the British Army. Formed in 2007, it consists of five regular and two territorial battalions, plus a number of companies in other TA battalions, Each battalion of the Rifles was formerly an individual battalion of one of the two large regiments of the Light...
–
Royal Australian RegimentThe Royal Australian Regiment is the parent regiment for regular infantry battalions of the Australian Army and is the senior infantry regiment of the Royal Australian Infantry Corps...
–
Brigade of GurkhasThe Brigade of Gurkhas is the collective term for units of the current British Army that are composed of Nepalese soldiers. The brigade, which is 3,640 strong, draws its heritage from Gurkha units that originally served in the British Indian Army prior to Indian independence, and prior to that of...
– 7th Battalion,
Royal Malay RegimentThe Royal Malay Regiment is the premier unit of the Malaysian Army's two infantry regiments. At its largest, the Malay Regiment comprised 27 battalions. At present, two battalions are parachute trained and form part of the Malaysian Army Rapid Deployment Force...
–
1st Commando BattalionThe Singapore Armed Forces Commando Formation is an elite branch of the Singapore Armed Forces . An offensive unit, it specialises in pre-emptive operations involving small groups of specially trained soldiers in enemy territory...