1st Brigade (New Zealand)

1st Brigade
Active 1939–1940s
1946–1980s
2011–current
Country New Zealand
Branch New Zealand Army
Part of Land Component Commander
Headquarters Linton Military Camp

The 1st Brigade is currently the largest unit of the New Zealand Army, and contains most of the army's deployable units. The brigade was formed on 13 December 2011 by amalgamating the 2nd Land Force Group and 3rd Land Force Group. Its establishment formed part of the 'Army 2015' package of reforms.[1]

Previous 1st Brigades in the New Zealand Army since 1939 have included a home defence formation active during the Second World War (part of the North Island home defence 1st Division (New Zealand)), and a 1 Brigade / Integrated Expansion Force formed to direct three Territorial Force-formed battalions in the 1970s and 1980s.

History

Second World War

On 1 November 1941 the 1st Brigade became part of the newly formed Northern Division in the Northern Military District.[2] The division's two brigades were the 1st and 12th Brigade Groups.[3] Later the Northern Division became the 1st Division. The 1st Brigade Group had been formed prior to World War II, and the 12th Brigade Group was one of the new headquarters; both these units were part of the Territorial Force and were manned by part-time reservists.[4] During early 1942, camps were constructed for the 1st Brigade Group in South Auckland and the 12th Brigade Group at Kaikohe. The 1st Brigade subsequently moved to a camp near Warkworth.

In 1950 Northern Military District directed four subordinate Area Headquarters, being Area 1 (HQ Auckland), Area 2 (HQ Tauranga), Area 3 (HQ Whangarei), and Area 4 (HQ Hamilton).

Combat Brigade Group

In 1963, the Combat Brigade Group (1st Brigade) was established, based on the Northern Military District headquarters at Auckland.[5] Headquarters Northern Military District was disestablished in 1970 and the headquarters became home to Field Force Command.[6]

Current structure

In 2011 the 1st Brigade was reformed from the headquarters of the 2nd Land Force Group at Linton Camp.[7]

As of December 2011, the brigade comprised:[8]

Order of Battle

Correct as at 1 August 2012:

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Army Plan Takes Shape". Media releases. New Zealand Army. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
  2. ↑ "Barrowclough, Harold Eric". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage / Te Manatū Taonga. Retrieved 14 July 2012.
  3. ↑ Cooke (2011), pp. 262, 274
  4. ↑ Cooke (2011), p. 262
  5. ↑ Fenton, 1998, 113–117.
  6. ↑ National Archives, http://archway.archives.govt.nz/ViewFullAgencyHistory.do
  7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 "Army 2015 – Our Future in Focus" (PDF). Army News. October 2011. pp. 14–15. Retrieved 18 June 2012.
  8. ↑ "1 (NZ) Brigade Organisation Chart". New Zealand Army. Retrieved 26 December 2011.
  9. ↑ Lieutenant Colonel Matthewston (April 2012). "Refreshing the Regiment: 16th Field Regiment's Refocus" (PDF). Army News (New Zealand Army). p. 12. Retrieved 17 June 2012.

Notes

  1. ↑ Transitioning to light infantry, with this process to be completed by July 2012.[7]
  2. ↑ Being expanded to a unit-level cavalry formation equipped with NZLAVs. To move to Linton between July and December 2012.[7]
  3. ↑ The regiment's three batteries are transitioning to a structure where they are equipped with a mixture of mortars and guns. Each battery will be able to use up to six L119 Light Guns and twelve 81mm mortars.[9]

Further reading