In late 1941, the American Legion, in Jonesboro, Arkansas, formed the “Slap-A-Jap Club”. The public was encouraged to join by purchasing one 25c Defense Stamp per week for the duration of the war. This card below is the membership card for that club.
This is a cap badge for the 4th Waikato Mounted Rifles.
The 4th (Waikato) Mounted Rifles was formed on March 17, 1911. They were mobilised during World War I and formed part of the Auckland Mounted Rifle Regiment, and served in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I and first saw action during the Battle of Gallipoli. As a part of the larger New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade (of the Anzac Mounted Division) they went on to serve in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign
This is a cap badge for the 6th Manawatu Mounted Rifles.
The 6th (Manawatu) Mounted Rifles was formed on March 17, 1911. They were mobilised during World War I as a squadron of the Wellington Mounted Rifle Regiment. They served in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I and first saw action during the Battle of Gallipoli. As a part of the larger New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade (of the Anzac Mounted Division) they went on to serve in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign
These are three identical patriotic tokens manufactured in New Zealand immediately after the outbreak of war in 1914. On the obverse is stamped “Patriotic New Zealand“. On the reverse is stamped “European War August 1914” and a quote from Nelson “England expects every man to do his duty“.
The New Zealand Regiment was formed in 1957. The infantry has always been the heart of the New Zealand Army and the New Zealnd Regiment was raised as an organisational formation to support the deployment of New Zealand soldiers in Malaya during the Emergency there. It was reformed and renamed in 1964 as NZ withdrew from Malaya and began the deployment into Vietnam.
This is a WW1 issue collar dog for the 3rd Auckland Mounted Rifles Regiment. The 3rd (Auckland) Mounted Rifles was formed on March 17, 1911. They were mobilised during World War I as a squadron of the Auckland Mounted Rilfe Regiment. They served in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I and first saw action during the Battle of Gallipoli. As a part of the larger New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade (of the Anzac Mounted Division) they went on to serve in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign.
This ia a collar dog for the 16th Waikato Infantry Regiment, dating to WW1. Raised in 1915 and sent to Egypt and then Gallipoli, the 16th Waikato was slaughtered at Chunik Bair.
Yeah that’s right, pride. Meh, jingoism dates poorly
These are a pair of WW1 era New Zealand Forces tunic buttons. One of these is an infantry button and one is from an artillery uniform. They are both manufactured by Gaunt of London.
This cap badge is for the 4th Otago Rifles. The badge has the battle honour “South Africa 1901-1902” making it a pre WW1 2nd pattern badge.
The history of the 4th Battalion (Otago and Southland) Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment can be traced back to February 1860 when the Dunedin and Invercargill Militia Battalions were established. The militiamen of the day were not volunteer soldiers as all males between the age of 18 and 60 were liable for military service at that time. In 1861 the Tokomairiro and Clutha Battalions were formed. Local enthusiasm was not enough to gain Government recognition so volunteer soldiering was conducted on a quasi-official manner for some time. The first officially recognised volunteer unit in the Otago and Southland provinces was the Otago Rifle Volunteers, which was gazetted as a Company on 5th February 1862. In 1898 the 1st Battalion Otago Rifle Volunteers was established. The formation of this unit apparently stimulated further public interest as by 1892 the Battalion consisted of fifteen Rifle Companies.
During World War I the provinces produced the Otago Regiment with companies from the 4th Otago, 8th Southland, 10th North Otago and 20th South Otago battalions. The Otago Regiment served with distinction in Gallipoli and France taking particularly heavy losses in the battle of Passchendaele. New Zealand’s most decorated soldier ever, Sgt Dick Travis earned his VC and other medals serving with the Otago Regiment.
These are the current issue New Zealand Army Logistics Corps Cap badge and Collar Dog set. These are not as awful as the Education Officers ones, ha bloody ha.
This patch is an official New Zealand Army distinguishing patch from the 1990’s. This was used on the Singapore extended deployment.
This token is very similar to this one here. However in this case, instead of a New Zealand flag there is a profile of a Maori warrior. In this example the date 1899-1900 is on the reverse. On the obverse are the words “British Transvaal War”.
These are the current collar badges for the New Zealand Army Educational Corps. They are also nasty cheap plastic. I weep at how the NZDF has turned into Walmart.
This is the cap badge of the New Zealand Women’s Royal Army Corp. The New Zealand Women’s Royal Army Corps (NZWRAC) had its beginnings in the New Zealand Women’s Army Auxiliary Corps (NZWAAC) which was established as part of the New Zealand Defence Force in July 1942. Prior to this the first detachment of women of the Women’s War Service Auxiliary (WWSA), who became known as the “Tuis” sailed for the Middle East in September 1941.
They were attached to the New Zealand Forces Club, Cairo where they carried out welfare duties. NZWAAC became a regular corps of the New Zealand Army in April 1948 and the name was changed to New Zealand Women’s Army Corps. The Corps was granted the title ‘Royal’ in July 1952. In 1977 the Corps was deactivated. The NZWRAC Depot in Burnham Military Camp was established in 1948 for the training of all new recruits, non-commissioned officers, and later on officers also. The Depot was closed on deactivation of the Corps.
In the 1980’s the plonkers at the NZDF procurement office decided to save a penny on metal polish by contracting with the dreaded StayBrite badge company to provide the cap badges for the Infantry Regiments. They were complete crap. They are easy to distinguish as the lugs will be snapped off the back. Instead of being made of real metal alloys like brass they were made from brittle anodised aluminium. We all hated them.
This is a WW1 period cap badge for the 10th North Otago Rifles Regiment. This regiment was raised in 1911, served in Gallipoli and France and was disbanded in 1921. There were no collar dogs for this regiment, the cap badge was used on the collar.
This is the final issue cap badge for the Royal New Zealand Army Corps of Transport. As Mark says below, they sold them all out and bought a bus with the money in 1998.
These are the current issue New Zealand Artillery collar badges. I am saddened by the cheap and nasty quality standards that have slipped in the NZ Army procurement system.
In 1919 a series of athletic competitions were held in France between soldiers of the Allied Armies. These were known as the Inter-Allied Games or Pershing Games. This is a rowing medallion dated 27th April 1919. Although the games officially ran from June 22nd – July 6th, a rowing competition was held in the last week of April. New Zealand was the winner, beating the United States in this unofficial competition.
These are WW1 era cap and collar badges for the 11th North Auckland Mounted Rifles. These are either right hand collar badges or cap badges as they were made facing the same way. The left hand collar badge faces the other direction. This makes these ones twice as common as the left hand one if you get my drift.
I am drawn to these badges primarily because my maternal grandfather served in this regiment.
The 11th (North Auckland) Mounted Rifles was formed on 17 March 1911. They were mobilised during World War I as a squadron of the Auckland Mounted Rifle Regiment. They served in the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I and first saw action during the Battle of Gallipoli. As a part of the larger New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade (of the Anzac Mounted Division) they went on to serve in the Sinai and Palestine Campaign
This is a patriotic token dated 1899-1900. The words on the reverse are “Success To The New Zealand Contingent”. On the obverse, around Victorias head are the words “British Transvaal War”,
This is the cap badge for the New Zealand Women’s Land Service.
The Women’s Land Service was formed to supply labour to keep New Zealand agriculture going during the War. From 1940, city girls from the age of seventeen were sent to assist on sheep, cattle, dairy, orchard and poultry properties. Many had the experience of arriving at a remote destination late at night and starting work the next morning as a farm-hand, when they had never been close-up to a sheep. They learned to ride horses, train and whistle up dogs, muster and shear sheep, plough and harvest crops, and to master all the myriad tasks of rural industries, often without electricity.
This is the miniature medal for this medal here. What is a little odd is the ribbon. My Danish contact Sune tells me the device is absolutely non-official. As well the ribbon appears to be that used on the Order of Dannebrog.
These are the current issue New Zealand Infantry Collar Badge pair. Makes me all stabby.
These three shoulder titles are from the New Zealand Mounted Rifles. They probably date from WW1.
The New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade, consisting usually of four units of mounted infantry, fought in World War I and World War II. Initially a milita, under the instruction of Lieutenant Colonel Joseph Henry Banks they formed the core of the New Zealand Army following successful service in the Boer Wars. During World War I, it was a part of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) during the Gallipoli Campaign serving in the New Zealand and Australian Division.
The brigade also served in the Anzac Mounted Division during the Sinai and Palestine Campaign. Throughout this campaign the New Zealand Mounted Rifle Brigade consisted of the Auckland Mounted Rifle, the Canterbury Mounted Rifle and the Wellington Mounted Rifle Regiments. The Otago Mounted Rifle Regiment was sent to Europe and served on the Western Front before the Sinai and Palestine Campaign began. After World War I demobilisation the brigade ceased to exist in 1944 when individual units were absorbed into other regiments.
Kiwi Medals 