Waikato Mounted Rifles

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Waikato Mounted Rifles
Active 1911-
Country New Zealand
Branch Army
Role Mounted Reconnaissance
Size one squadron
Garrison/HQ Rostrevor Street, Hamilton
Motto Libertas et Natale Solum - Liberty and Homeland
Engagements Gallipoli, Middle East 1917-18, Italy 1943-45

The Waikato Mounted Rifles is an armoured regiment of the New Zealand Army, part of the Royal New Zealand Armoured Corps. The unit is a single squadron within the Territorial Force that serves in the armoured reconnaissance role. Squadron Headquarters is located at 106 Rostrevor Street, PO Box 212, Hamilton. Ph 07 839 4603.

The current role of the unit is, "to provide general purpose medium reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition in order to support NZLAV mounted battalion operations. It is to provide trained personnel to top up and round out Queen Alexandra's Squadron." (Chief of Army, 3 November 2003)

Time line

  • 1911 - Waikato Mounted Rifles is descended from the 2nd and 4th Regiments Auckland Mounted Rifles, raised and trained by Lt.-Colonel Joseph Henry Banks, which were amalgamated in 1911 to form 4th (Waikato) Mounted Rifles.
  • WWI - provided 4th (Waikato) Squadron of Auckland Mounted Rifles Regiment New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade and provided reinforcements.
  • 1921 - renamed The Waikato Mounted Rifles.
  • 1942 - renamed 4th Light Armoured Fighting Vehicles Regiment (Waikato Mounted Rifles).
  • 1944 - amalgamated with 3rd Light Armoured Fighting Vehicles Regiment (Auckland Mounted Rifles), and 11th Light Armoured Fighting Vehicles Regiment (North Auckland Mounted Rifles), to form 1st Armoured Regiment.
  • 1950 - 1st Armoured Regiment (Waikato), RNZAC absorbed The Waikato Regiment.
  • 1953 - became part of 4th New Zealand Armoured Brigade[1]
  • 1962 - amalgamated with The Wellington East Coast Regiment (City of Hastings' Own), to form Waikato/Wellington East Coast Sqn, Queen Alexandra's Regiment.
  • 1999 - transferred to 6th Battalion (Hauraki), Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment.
  • 2002 - renamed Waikato Mounted Rifles.
  • 2012 - transferred to Queen Alexandra's Mounted Rifles Regiment (QAMR).

Battle honours

The battle honours of the Waikato Mounted Rifles stem from service in South Africa and the First World War. The Second World War (1939–1945) battle honours were inherited from the 18th Armoured Regiment. Altogether they are:

  • South Africa 1900-02
  • Anzac
  • Defence of Anzac
  • Hill 60 (Anzac)
  • Sari Bair
  • Gallipoli 1915
  • Rumani
  • Rafah
  • Egypt 1915-17
  • Gaza
  • Jerusalem
  • Jaffa
  • Jericho
  • Jordan
  • Megiddo
  • Nablus
  • Palestine 1917-18
  • The Sangro
  • Castel Frentano
  • Orsogna
  • Advance to Florence
  • San Michele
  • Paula Line
  • Celle
  • Pisciatello
  • The Senio
  • Santerno Crossing
  • Bologna
  • Idice Bridgehead
  • Italy 1943-45

References

  1. ↑ Damien Marc Fenton, 'A False Sense of Security: The Force Structure of the New Zealand Army 1946-1978,' Centre for Strategic Studies:New Zealand, 1998, 46, 62.
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