The 3rd Brigade was known as the Rifle Brigade and consisted of four rifle battalions.

The battalions were organised on regional lines consisted of the Auckland, Wellington, Canterbury and Otago Infantry regiments. It consisted of three brigades of four battalions each with supporting artillery and ancillary units.

Alongside the formation of the fighting Division a whole infrastructure to support the Division was established in England consisted of camps, training centres, hospitals and headquarters.īy April 1916 the New Zealand Division was formed. It would act as a formation used by a Corps of the British Expeditionary Force. The Otago Mounted Rifles was detached and sent to France as Divisional cavalry, it would not serve alongside the Division. It joined the ANZAC Mounted Division alongside the Australian Light Horse Regiments and fought in the desert and through Palestine until the Armistice in October 1918. The New Zealand Mounted Rifle Brigade was reunited with its horses. Given their experience they had an advantage on the British New Army Divisions appearing on the front lines.

In February 1916 it was decided that Australian and New Zealand infantry divisions would be required for the Western Front. New Zealand Division on the Western FrontĪfter the evacuation of Gallipoli in December 1915 the New Zealand forces were returned to Egypt to recover and be reinforced from new drafts from home.

Largest tank battle western front