New Zealand, as a self-governing Dominion within the British Empire, was automatically included in the British declaration of war on Germany and her allies. As a developing nation, New Zealand had begun to create the apparatus of a modern 20th century state. This included the creation of an army. In 1909, the government invited a British officer, Sir Alexander Godley, to submit a plan for a New Zealand army. He recommended that an army of 30,000 would be sufficient to defend a country of one million people, with provision for a quarter of this force to be available for overseas service if required. A secret clause of Godley's proposals warned the government to be prepared to accept casualties at a level to replace this force overseas for every year it was on military service. The government introduced compulsory military service for young men. This meant that by October 1914, New Zealand was able to raise a force of 8500 men to be sent as an expeditionary force to be placed at the disposal of the British. This Main Body was sent to Egypt to await the call to fight. It was combined with Australian forces to form the famous ANZAC - the Australian New Zealand Army Corps.
The New Zealanders' first major campaign was the ill-fated 1915 Gallipoli campaign. After this, the New Zealand force was expanded to a full division of about 20,000 men under the command of Major General Andrew Russell. In May 1916, the Division sailed to France, beginning its experience of trench warfare on the Western Front near Armentieres, close to the Belgian border. In September it took part in its first major battle, Flers-Courcellette on the Somme in September-October 1916. After this battle, the Division returned to the Armentieres area and then trained for the next major battle, the opening of the Third battle of Ypres. The New Zealand Division seized and held the key town of Messines in June 1917, and remained in the area, patrolling and raiding the German defences in the area. On 4 October, in the battle of Broodseinde, the Division seized key high ground east of Ypres. However, its attempt to capture the village of Passchendaele on 12 October led to disaster, with huge casualties. After a period of rest, reinforcement and training, the Division was rushed southwards back to the Somme in March 1918 to try to halt the German advance near the key French city of Amiens. Over two weeks hard fighting, the Division stopped the German advance, inflicting massive casualties on them with the help of the Australians. After consolidating their control of the area, the Division went onto the offensive in August 1918, seizing the important town of Bapaume. For the next three months, the Division formed the spearhead of the final British offensive against the Germans. Its final action was the seizure of the walled town of Les Quesnoy on 4 November 1918.
Participation in World War I cost New Zealand dearly. Of just over 100,000 men sent to fight in World War I (from a total population of just over one milliion), nearly 18,000 were to lose their lives during or immediately after the war. Nearly 40,000 others were wounded during the war - a massive 57% casualty rate. Today, many New Zealand people trace the development of a distinctive New Zealand identity from Gallipoli and the experience of World War I. Every city, town and many now-deserted country areas built memorials to honour those men who were killed in this war. Every Anzac Day, 25 April, tens of thousands of New Zealanders of all ages turn out to remember the service of men and women in all wars and modern peace-keeping activities.
Click on the links below to learn more about the New Zealand war effort in World War I.
The Battle of Flers-Courcellette
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