The Wellington Mounted Rifles Regiment was one of four regional mounted rifles regiments raised to serve overseas in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) during the First World War (the others were the Auckland, Canterbury and Otago mounted regiments).
It served as part of the New Zealand and Australian Division on Gallipoli in 1915, and in Sinai and Palestine as part of the Australian and New Zealand Mounted Division from 1916 to 1918.
After the armistice with the Ottoman Turks in October 1918 the WMR remained in Palestine until March 1919, when it was sent back to Egypt to help suppress nationalist riots. The regiment was disbanded in June, when most of its officers and men embarked on the troop transport Ulimaroa for the return voyage to New Zealand.
| Unit attached to | Campaigns | Dates | Further information |
|---|---|---|---|
| New Zealand and Australian Division | Gallipoli, 1915 | August 1914–March 1916 | Unit diaries at Archives New Zealand; Unit diaries at Australian War Memorial; Unit diary extracts on NZHistory |
| Anzac Mounted Division | Sinai campaign, 1916 Palestine campaign, 1917–18 | April 1916–November 1918 | Unit diaries at Archives New Zealand; Unit diaries at Australian War Memorial; Unit diary extracts on NZHistory |
Cloth patches, shoulder titles and badges
Cloth patch for the Wellington Mounted Rifles Regiment, worn on both sides of a soldier’s puggaree (hatband) from October 1917.
Shoulder title worn by all mounted rifles units.
The green-on-kahki puggaree (hatband) worn by all mounted rifles units.
Wellington Mounted Rifles squadrons
The Wellington Mounted Rifles Regiment comprised three squadrons, each with about 180 men. Here are their badges:
2nd (Wellington West Coast) Squadron. Cap and collar badges: A punga tree encircled by garter bearing the words ‘Queen Alexandra’s 2nd W.W.C. Mtd Rifles’ over the motto. Motto: Ake ake kia kaha (For ever and ever be strong)
.
6th (Manawatu) Squadron. Cap and collar badges: The number of the Regiment ‘6’ within a wreath of laurel leaves, surmounted by a crown with a scroll below bearing ‘Manawatu Mounted Rifles. Motto: He kawau maro (Unyielding as the shag)
.
9th (Wellington East Coast) Squadron. Cap badge: A horse forcene over a scroll with the regimental motto. Collar badges: Smaller version of the cap badge. Motto: Fortes fortuna juvat (Fortune favours the brave).
Formation of squadrons
These squadron designations were intended to represent each of the three Territorial Force mounted rifles regiments from which the WMR drew its personnel. As far as possible, each squadron drew its recruits from its geographical region until September 1917. From then on, men were sent overseas as generic mounted rifles reinforcements but were still generally assigned to their region’s unit.
Further reading
Kinloch, Terry, Devils on horses: in the words of the Anzacs in the Middle East 1916–19 (Wellington: Exisle Publishing, 2007)
Kinloch, Terry, Echoes of Gallipoli: in the words of New Zealand’s mounted riflemen (Wellington: Exisle Publishing, 2005)
Moore, A. Briscoe, The mounted riflemen in Sinai and Palestine: the story of New Zealand’s crusaders (Wellington: Whitcombe & Tombs, 1920; reprinted by Naval & Military Press, Uckfield, East Sussex, 2003)
Powles, C.G., The New Zealanders in Sinai and Palestine (Wellington: Whitcombe & Tombs, 1922)
Wilkie, A.H., Official war history of the Wellington Mounted Rifles Regiment, 1914–1919 (Naval & Military Press, Uckfield, East Sussex, 2003)
