Divisional insignia of the 2nd New Zealand Division
Active
1939–45
Disbanded
c.1945
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
Commanders
Notable commanders
Bernard C. Freyberg Lindsay Inglis (temporary) Howard Kippenberger (temporary) Graham Parkinson (temporary) Stephen Weir (temporary)
Military unit
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.
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Global Information
New Zealand