Part of the infantry of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force.
The New Zealand Rifle Brigade was created in April 1915 as a second New Zealand infantry brigade, to complement the brigade then serving at Gallipoli. Initially known as ‘the Trentham Regiment (Earl of Liverpool’s Own)’, its recruits were drawn from throughout the country. The 1st and 2nd Battalions arrived in Egypt in time to become the only New Zealand unit to participate in the Senussi Campaign.
In January 1916, New Zealand’s infantry was divided into three brigades. The Rifle Brigade was officially known as the 3rd New Zealand (Rifles) Brigade for the rest of the war (‘New Zealand Rifle Brigade’ also served as a regimental list or posting for its soldiers). It shifted to the Western Front in April 1916 and spent the rest of the war there.
Motto: Soyes ferme (Stand fast).
New Zealand Rifle Brigade Battalions
| Name | Unit attached to (dates) | Campaigns | Further information |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st Battalion | 3rd New Zealand (Rifles) Brigade (May 1915 -Feb 1919) | Senussi Campaign 1915–16 Western Front: Somme 1916; Messines 1917; Passchendaele 1917; Spring Offensive and Advance to Victory 1918 | Unit diaries at Archives New Zealand Unit diaries at Australian War Memorial |
| 2nd Battalion | 3rd New Zealand (Rifles) Brigade (May 1915 -Feb 1919) | Senussi Campaign 1915–16 Western Front: Somme 1916; Messines 1917; Passchendaele 1917; Spring Offensive and Advance to Victory 1918 | Unit diaries at Archives New Zealand |
| 3rd Battalion | 3rd New Zealand (Rifles) Brigade (Oct 1915 - Feb 1919) | Western Front: Somme 1916; Messines 1917; Passchendaele 1917; Spring Offensive and Advance to Victory 1918 | Unit diaries at Archives New Zealand |
| 4th Battalion | 3rd New Zealand (Rifles) Brigade (Oct 1915 - Feb 1919) | Western Front: Somme 1916; Messines 1917; Passchendaele 1917; Spring Offensive and Advance to Victory 1918 | Unit diaries at Archives New Zealand |
| NZ Rifle Brigade training/reserve battalion, (1916–19) | NZ Reserve Group/New Zealand Infantry (Reserve) Brigade/ New Zealand Rifle Brigade Reserve Depot - from September 1917. (1916 - 19) | Training unit based at Sling/ later Brocton Camps in England | Unit diaries at Archives New Zealand |
| NZ Rifle Brigade Reserve Depot | HQ NZEF UK (Sep 1917 - 1919 | Brocton, Staffordshire, England | Unit diaries at Archives NZ |
Cloth patches, shoulder titles and badges
Cap and collar badges: The crest of the Earl of Liverpool – a lion rampant holding a man-of-war’s church pennant on a chapeau above the regimental motto.
Shoulder titles worn by the New Zealand Rifle Brigade (the initials ‘ELO’ come from the unit’s earlier name, ‘Earl of Liverpool’s Own’).
Cloth patches for the Headquaters (top) and (l to r) 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th Battalions of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade.
Unlike the other infantry regiments, the Rifle Brigade used cloth patches to distinguish battalions. They were worn on the shoulder, just under the shoulder title, a practice unique to the Rifle Brigade. These are the patches of the four Rifle Brigade battalions, all of which served on the Western Front (the first two battalions also served in the Senussi Campaign). A fifth was a reserve battalion based in England, initially at Sling Camp and later at Brocton Camp.
Puggaree used by all infantry units. The puggaree was worn on the hat.
In this image of of NZRB officers having a picnic in German trench - you can see patches, shoulder titles and badges.
Further reading
- Austin, W.S., The official history of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade (the Earl of Liverpool’s Own): covering the period of service with New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the Great War from 1915 to 1919 (Wellington: Watkins, 1924; reprinted by John Douglas Publishing, Christchurch, 2013)
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