Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment - History

History

The regiment was formed on 9 January 1947 as the New Zealand Regiment with a single infantry battalion as part of the newly created infantry corps. By 1 August 1947 the regiment was augmented by the reorganisation of the Jayforce (the New Zealand occupation force in Japan):

• 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) Regiment, the Hawke's Bay Regiment and the Wellington West Coast and Taranaki Regiment.

The 2nd Battalion was raised again in 1959 and saw service in Malaya 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
• 3rd Battalion – Auckland (Countess of Ranfurly's Own) and Northland Regiment
• 4th Battalion – Otago and Southland Regiment
• 5th Battalion – Wellington West Coast and Taranaki Regiment
• 6th Battalion – Hauraki Regiment
• 7th Battalion – Wellington (City of Wellington's Own) and Hawke's Bay 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 regular battalions:

• 1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment (light infantry) – the original battalion formed in 1947, assumed the High Readiness Capability (HRC) role for Army and will change its role from mechanised infantry to light infantry in 2012.
• 2/1st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment (light infantry) – originally the 2nd Battalion, this was given its current name in 1973. In 1989 the 2/1st Battalion designated A Company as Ranger Company and trained in several specialist fields, being cliff assault, boat assault, helo rappelling, and parachuting this was in effect for less than 1 year and reverted to A Company in 1990 although training in the above courses was still undertaken as late as 1995. Officially A Company or POE Company (Point of Entry Company) was staffed exclusively by Parachute Trained volunteer's (manned at approximately 120 soldiers, Company strength trained at Parachute Training School Unit based in Wheneuapai, Auckland staffed by RNZAF) exchanges took place between other parachute allied countries (Exercise Long look) including the Parachute Regiment and Commandos of the United Kingdom and 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (3 RAR) until in 1997 this role was also stripped from A Company which then reverted to a normal infantry company.

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 company, while the remaining four would be used to form 3/1st Battalion.

In addition, the RNZIR contributed two companies to the ANZAC Battalion in Vietnam 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.