New Zealand Field Artillery

Page 2 – New Zealand Field Artillery Brigades

The New Zealand forces on Gallipoli initially included a single artillery brigade, with a second added in July 1915. Each brigade comprised three or four batteries, each of which had around 185 men operating three or four field guns. 

New Zealand Field Artillery, August 1914-June 1915

NZ Field Artillery Aug 1914 -June 1915

New Zealand Field Artillery, June 1915-March 1916

NZFA June 1915- March 1916

The NZEF reorganisation of early 1916 saw the artillery expanded to four brigades, including by the addition of three trench mortar batteries

New Zealand Field Artillery, March 1916-January 1917

NZ Field Artillery Jun 1915 - Mar 1916

The New Zealand artillery moved to the Western Front in April 1916 as part of the New Zealand Division. It served in the Somme campaign of 1916, for a time independently of the New Zealand Division. A January 1917 reorganisation saw the 4th Brigade disbanded and the 2nd Brigade detached from the New Zealand Division.

New Zealand Field Artillery, January 1917-November 1918

NZ Field Artillery Mar 1916 - Jan 1917

The New Zealand artillery served with the New Zealand Division on the Western Front for the rest of the war, fighting at Messines and Passchendaele in 1917, against the Spring Offensive and in the Advance to Victory in 1918.

In 1917 and 1918, the 2nd (Army) Brigade served as a movable artillery unit under British command. It fought at Messines (June 1917) and Nieuport (June–December 1917) before returning to the main action to oppose the German Spring Offensive (March–July 1918) and take part in the Advance to Victory (July–November 1918).

Headquarters of New Zealand Field Artillery

NameCampaignsStart and end datesFurther information
New Zealand Field Artillery HeadquartersGallipoli, 1915
Western Front:
Somme 1916;  
Messines 1917;
Passchendaele 1917;  
Spring Offensive and Advance to Victory 1918.
August 1914–March 1919Unit diaries at Archives New Zealand,
Unit diaries at Australian War Memorial

Brigades of the New Zealand Field Artillery, August 1914–November 1918

NameCampaignsStart and end datesFurther information
1st Brigade New Zealand Field Artillery (known as New Zealand Field Artillery Brigade, August 1914 – June 1915)Gallipoli, 1915
Western Front:
Somme 1916;  
Messines 1917;
Passchendaele 1917;  
Spring Offensive and Advance to Victory 1918.
August 1914–March 1919Unit diaries at Archives New Zealand,
Unit diaries at Australian War Memorial, No. 3 Battery
2nd Brigade New Zealand Field Artillery Brigade (known as 2nd New Zealand (Army) Field Artillery Brigade from January 1917)Gallipoli, 1915
Western Front:
Somme 1916;  
Messines 1917;
Nieuport, 1917 
Passchendaele 1917;  
Spring Offensive and Advance to Victory 1918.
June 1915–March 1919Unit diaries at Archives New Zealand
3rd Brigade New Zealand Field Artillery BrigadeWestern Front:
Somme 1916;  
Messines 1917;
Passchendaele 1917;  
Spring Offensive and Advance to Victory 1918.
March 1916–March 1919Unit diaries at Archives New Zealand
4th Brigade New Zealand Field Artillery Brigade (known as 4th New Zealand (Howitzer) Brigade, March – May 1916Western Front:
Somme 1916 
March 1916–January 1917Unit diaries at Archives New Zealand

Batteries of the New Zealand Field Artillery, August 1914–November 1918

NameUnit attached toCampaignsDatesFurther information
1st Battery1st New Zealand Field Artillery BrigadeGallipoli, 1915
Western Front:
Somme 1916;  
Messines 1917;
Passchendaele 1917;  
Spring Offensive and Advance to Victory 1918.
August 1914–March 1919Unit diaries at Archives New Zealand
2nd Battery1st New Zealand Field Artillery Brigade, August 1914–June 1915; attached to 2nd Brigade, June 1915–March 1919Gallipoli, 1915
Western Front:
Somme 1916;  
Messines 1917;
Passchendaele 1917;  
Spring Offensive and Advance to Victory 1918.
August 1914–March 1919 Unit diaries at Archives New Zealand, 1914–15 and 1915–19
3rd Battery1st New Zealand Field Artillery BrigadeGallipoli, 1915
Western Front:
Somme 1916;  
Messines 1917;
Passchendaele 1917;  
Spring Offensive and Advance to Victory 1918.
August 1914–March 1919 Unit diaries at Archives New Zealand
4th (Howitzer) Battery1st New Zealand Field Artillery Brigade, April–June 1915; attached to 2nd New Zealand Field Artillery Brigade June 1915–March 1916; attached to 3rd Brigade March 1916–March 1919Gallipoli, 1915
Western Front:
Somme 1916;  
Messines 1917;
Passchendaele 1917;  
Spring Offensive and Advance to Victory 1918.
December 1914–March 1919 Unit diaries at Archives New Zealand, April–June 1915, June 1915–March 1916, March 1916–March 1919
5th Battery , June 1915–March 1916)1st New Zealand Field Artillery BrigadeGallipoli, 1915
Western Front:
Somme 1916;  
Messines 1917;
Passchendaele 1917;  
Spring Offensive and Advance to Victory 1918.
June 1915–March 1919Unit diaries at Archives New Zealand
6th (Howitzer) Battery2nd New Zealand Field Artillery Brigade, June 1915–March 1916; attached to 4th Brigade March 1916–March 1919Gallipoli, 1915
Western Front:
Somme 1916;  
Messines 1917;
Passchendaele 1917;  
Spring Offensive and Advance to Victory 1918.
June 1915–March 1919Unit diaries at Archives New Zealand, June 1915–March 1916, March 1916–March 1919
7th Battery1st New Zealand Field Artillery BrigadeWestern Front:
Somme 1916;  
Messines 1917;
Passchendaele 1917;  
Spring Offensive and Advance to Victory 1918
March 1916–March 1919Unit diaries at Archives New Zealand
8th Battery4th New Zealand Field Artillery BrigadeWestern Front:
Somme, 1916
March 1916–January 1917Unit diaries at Archives New Zealand
9th Battery2nd New Zealand Field Artillery BrigadeWestern Front:
Somme 1916;  
Messines 1917;
Passchendaele 1917;  
Spring Offensive and Advance to Victory 1918
March 1916–March 1919Unit diaries at Archives New Zealand
10th Battery3rd New Zealand Field Artillery Brigade, March–April 1916; attached to 4th Brigade April 1916–January 1917Western Front:
Somme 1916;  
Messines 1917;
Passchendaele 1917;  
Spring Offensive and Advance to Victory 1918
March 1916–January 1917Unit diaries at Archives New Zealand, March–April 1916, April 1916–January 1917
11th Battery3rd New Zealand Field Artillery BrigadeWestern Front:
Somme 1916;  
Messines 1917;
Passchendaele 1917;  
Spring Offensive and Advance to Victory 1918
March 1916–March 1919Unit diaries at Archives New Zealand
12th Battery3rd New Zealand Field Artillery BrigadeWestern Front:
Somme 1916;  
Messines 1917;
Passchendaele 1917;  
Spring Offensive and Advance to Victory 1918
March 1916–March 1919Unit diaries at Archives New Zealand
13th Battery3rd New Zealand Field Artillery BrigadeWestern Front:
Somme 1916;  
Messines 1917;
Passchendaele 1917;  
Spring Offensive and Advance to Victory 1918
March 1916–March 1919Unit diaries at Archives New Zealand
14th Battery2nd New Zealand Field Artillery Brigade, March–April 1916; attached to 4th Brigade, April 1916–January 1917Western Front:
Somme, 1916
March 1916–January 1917Unit diaries at Archives New Zealand, March–April 1916, April 1916–January 1917
15th (Howitzer) Battery4th New Zealand Field Artillery Brigade March–April 1916; attached to 1st Brigade April 1916–March 1919Western Front:
Somme 1916;  
Messines 1917;
Passchendaele 1917;  
Spring Offensive and Advance to Victory 1918
March 1916–March 1919Unit diaries at Archives New Zealand, March–April 1916, April 1916–March 1919
16th (Howitzer) BatteryNever deployedNever deployedc. January 1917 
NZ Field Artillery Reserve DepotHQ NZEF EnglandRoyton, later Ewshot, England1916–19 

Cloth patches, shoulder titles, badges and puggarees

Cloth patches worn by (l to r) the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Brigades of the New Zealand Field Artillery. Cloth patches sewn on the backs of uniform jackets from October 1916 identified which unit – or part of a unit – an individual belonged to.

NZFA badge

Cap badge: A gun surmounted by ‘NZ’ in a scroll, and a crown. Below, a scroll reading Quo fas et gloria ducunt (Where right and glory lead). Collar badges: a seven-flame grenade.

Shoulder title

Shoulder title worn by the New Zealand Field Artillery. 

The scarlet-on-dark blue puggaree (hatband) worn by all New Zealand Field Artillery units.

How to cite this page

'New Zealand Field Artillery Brigades', URL: https://nzhistory.govt.nz/war/new-zealand-artillery, (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 22-Mar-2017

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