Specialist Units of the NZEF

Page 2 – Engineers

New Zealand Engineers building bridge, 1918
New Zealand Engineers building bridge, 1918

The engineers were the army’s skilled tradesmen, maintaining communications, railways, roads, water supply, bridges and transport, as well as building fortifications and maintaining weapons. Their overall aim was to assist the movement of friendly forces and obstruct the movement of enemy forces.

In 1914 the NZEF included only an Engineers Field Troop attached to the Mounted Rifles Brigade. Three further ‘Field Companies’ were established between 1914 and 1916 to serve the rest of the New Zealand forces. The Field Troop was disbanded in January 1916 with the reorganisation of the New Zealand units, and the three Field Companies shifted to the Western Front with the rest of the New Zealand Division. The Mounted Brigade created its own Engineers Field Troop in July 1917 during the Palestine campaign. This worked as part of the 1st Field Squadron, Anzac Mounted Division.

NameUnit attached to (dates)CampaignsFurther information
Headquarters, New Zealand Engineers

New Zealand and Australian Division; New Zealand Division (Aug 1914 - Nov 1918)

Gallipoli, 1915
Western Front:
Somme 1916;  
Messines 1917;
Passchendaele 1917;  
Spring Offensive and Advance to Victory 1918.
Unit diaries at Archive New Zealand,
Unit diaries at Australian War Memorial
New Zealand Engineers Field Troop

New Zealand Mounted Rifles Brigade (Aug 1914 - Jan 1916)

Gallipoli, 1915Unit diaries at Archives New Zealand,
Unit diaries at Australian War Memorial
No. 1 New Zealand Engineers Field CompanyNew Zealand Engineers (Dec 1914 - Mar 1919)Gallipoli, 1915
Western Front
Unit diaries at Archives New Zealand,
Unit diaries at Australian War Memorial
No. 2 New Zealand Engineers Field CompanyNew Zealand Engineers (Apr 1915 - into action Jun 1915 – Mar 1919)Gallipoli, 1915
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
No. 3 New Zealand Engineers Field CompanyNew Zealand Engineers (Jan 1916–Mar 1919)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
No. 4 New Zealand Engineers Field CompanyNew Zealand Engineers (Mar 1917 - Feb 1918)Western Front:
Somme 1916;  
Messines 1917;
Passchendaele 1917;  
Spring Offensive and Advance to Victory 1918.
Unit diaries at Archives New Zealand
New Zealand Engineers Field Troop

Anzac Mounted Division (Mar 1917 - Jun 1919)

Palestine campaign, 1917–18Unit diaries at Archives New Zealand
New Zealand Engineers Reserve DepotHQ NZEF England (1916 - 19)Boscombe/ Christchurch, EnglandUnit diaries at Archives NZ

Badges, shoulder title and puggaree

NZ Engineers cap and collar badges

 

Cap badge: The initials ‘NZE’ in a circle bearing the motto Quo fas et gloria ducunt (Where right and glory lead) and surmounted by a crown and lion. Collar badge: small grenade.

NZ Engineers shoulder title

Shoulder title worn by the New Zealand Engineers.

Puggaree (hatband) worn by the New Zealand Engineers.

How to cite this page

'Engineers', URL: https://nzhistory.govt.nz/war/specialist-units/engineers, (Ministry for Culture and Heritage), updated 22-Mar-2017

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