The New Zealand Veterinary Corps sent three veterinarians to Egypt with the Main Body in October 1914. They were not attached to any particular unit. In late 1914 two ‘Veterinary Sections’ were formed. These were 115-man hospital units, one each for the infantry and the mounted rifles. Two 28-man ‘Mobile Veterinary Sections were also formed in New Zealand. These units were sent to Egypt to join the rest of the forces in December, and served as part of the New Zealand forces at Gallipoli.
In January 1916 the two Veterinary Sections (hospital units) were disbanded and absorbed into the two Mobile Veterinary Sections. No. 1 New Zealand Mobile Veterinary Section served with the New Zealand Division on the Western Front, while No. 2 served in Sinai and Palestine with the Mounted Brigade.
| Name | Unit attached to | Campaigns | Further information |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st New Zealand Veterinary Section | New Zealand Infantry Brigade (Dec 1914 - Jan 1916) | Gallipoli, 1915 | |
| 2nd New Zealand Veterinary Section | New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade (Dec 1914 - Jan 1916) | Gallipoli, 1915 | |
| New Zealand Mobile Veterinary Section No. 1 | New Zealand Division (Jan 1916 - Feb 1919) | Western Front: Somme 1916 Messines 1917; Passchendaele 1917; Spring Offensive and Advance to Victory 1918. | Unit diaries at Archives New Zealand |
| New Zealand Mobile Veterinary Section No. 2 | New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade (Jan 1916 - Jun 1919) | Sinai, 1916 Palestine, 1917–18 | Unit diaries at Archives New Zealand; Unit diaries at Archives New Zealand |
Badge and shoulder title
Cap and collar badges: The monogram ‘NZVC’ enclosed within an oak leaf wreath, surmounted by a crown.
New Zealand Veterinary Corps shoulder title.
Further reading
Reakes, C.J., ‘New Zealand Veterinary Corps’, in H.T.B. Drew (ed.), The war effort of New Zealand, pp. 149–62 (Auckland: Whitcombe & Tombs, 1923)
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