The New Zealand Permanent Forces bell
- Height 597 mm
- Width 737 mm
- Weight 252.5 kg
- Note D
The New Zealand Permanent Forces Bell
Dedicated to the memory of all Officers,
Warrant Officers, N.C.O.’s and men of the
The New Zealand Permanent Military Forces
Who gave their lives for the Empire. 1914-18.
This bell was given in memory of the men of New Zealand’s Permanent Military Forces, as distinct from those who volunteered or were conscripted into the army for the duration of the First World War.
The Permanent Forces numbered only 578 at the beginning of the war (with an additional 25,000 men in the territorial force), and was made up of the New Zealand Staff Corps, the New Zealand Permanent Staff and the Permanent Regiment of the Royal New Zealand Artillery. (There was no permanent air force in New Zealand until 1923, and the Royal New Zealand Navy was only formed during the Second World War.) Since these men were already professionally trained, they were much in demand when putting together the New Zealand Expeditionary Force, and their recruitment was prioritised ahead of others in the rush of volunteers at the start of the war. The bell honours the sacrifice of the men of all ranks from the Permanent Forces who died during the war.
This bell was not named after a particular battle or place, unlike most of the bells in the Carillon.