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0 |
No members of the NZMR Brigade were awarded Britain's highest award for valour, The Victoria Cross Medal during World War One. However, during the South African "Boer War" a V.C. was awarded to Trooper William Hardman of the "Rough Riders" - Later Hardman landed at Gallipoli as an officer with the Wellington Mounted Rifles. |
1 |
Only one "Victoria Cross" Medal was awarded to a New Zealand soldier serving with the NZEF on Gallipoli during 1915. That was to signalman Corporal Cyril Royston Guyton Bassett. He was awarded the highest honour :
“For most conspicuous gallantry and devotion to duty on the Chunuk Bair ridge in the Gallipoli Peninsula on the 7th August, 1915. However New Zealanders serving with other units were awarded the V.C. for their adoptive Australian regiments. |
2 |
The NZMR Brigade served as mounted units in two campaigns in the Middle East. The Gallipoli Campaign during 1915 and then the Sinai-Palestine Campaign from 1916 until the end of the war in October 1918. |
3 |
The NZMR Brigade was made up from three regiments - The Auckland Mounted Rifles, The Wellington Mounted Rifles and the Canterbury Mounted Rifles. |
7 |
A total of 7 Medical Officers (Doctors) aboard the NZ Hospital ship "Maheno" 5282 tons. Also aboard a nursing staff of 59 other ranks (Orderlies) and 10 nurses. Capacity 340 cot cases. |
10 |
Transporter troop ships were sent from New Zealand with the Main Body at the outbreak of the Great War. They were the Steam Ships: "Maunganui" "Hawkes Bay" "Star of India" "Limerick" "Tahiti" "Arawa" "Athentic" "Orari" "Ruapehu" and "Waimana" |
11 |
The CanterburyMounteds left Palestine November 1918 at the end of the war to occupy Gallipoli–a proud distinction, though 11 men died there of sickness.(source: 1966 Encyclopaedia of New Zealand) |
12 |
H.M.N.Z.T. No. 12 was the S.S.Waimana of 10,389 tons, speed of 14 knots and when she departed with the Main Body in 1914 she carried the majority of the Auckland Auckland Mounted Rifles Regiment and 496 horses. |
15 |
Auckland Mounteds killed in the attack on Ayun Kara in Turkish Palestine. The A.M.R. lost heavily, 15 being killed, including the gallant Lieutenant J. D. Stewart, of the 3rd squadron; 74 wounded, including Lieutenant-Colonel McCarroll, Captain Twistleton, M.C., and Lieutenants K. J. Tait, M.C., S. C. Reid,G. L. King, C. G. R. Jackson, and E. A.H. Bisley. Captain Twistleton and Lieutenant King died of wounds. The W.M.R. lost 8 killed and 44 wounded; the C.M.R., one killed and six wounded; and the machine-gun squadron, eight killed and 18 wounded. (source "Two Campaigns") |
17 |
NZMR killed in the attack on Rafa. The New Zealand Brigade lost 17 killed and 92 wounded, the list for the A.M.R. being four killed, three died of wounds, and 41 wounded. The wounded included Major Whitehorn, Captain Aidred, and Captain Finlayson. (source "Two Campaigns") |
37 |
Mititary Medals for bravery awarded to black troops of the British West Indies Regiment, also awarded were 5 DSOs, 9 MCs, 2 MBEs, 8 DCMs, and 49 Mentions in Dispatches. |
38 |
Ships sailed from Albany, Western Australia, with the Main Body of ANZAC Troops for the Great War in Europe.The convoy reached Alexandria December 1914. |
72 |
In the desert heat after the Beersheba attack and the Auckland Mounted Rifles pre-attack on Saba Redoubt - it was recorded that one AMR horse had not had a drink of water for 72 hours and had lain down to die. The Cameleers had come up to support the Aucklanders and had brought only very little water with them, and could only spare 1 pint per man - "while the issue was being made, the old pack-horse struggled to his feet and over to the group -'Shout the old chap a pint' said a trooper" amazingly the horse recovered and with one other pint was able to march back to Beersheba. (source"Two Campaigns"). |
77 |
A loss of 700–800 horses on the voyage of the Main Body had been predicted; but only 77 died.(source: 1966 Encyclopaedia of New Zealand) |
81 |
After the war 81 horses went with the Canterbury Mounted Rifles back to Gallipoli. The fate of the horse is unknown.(Devils on Horses) |
108 |
The highest number of horses killed in any one month in the NZMR on active service was 108 killed in the month of November 1917. Other high equine casualties were 41 killed April 1917, 57 killed April 1918 and 63 killed March 1918.(Devils on Horses- NZMRB files) |
127 |
On 16th May 1916 a troop of the 2nd Squadron Wellington MR reconnoitred towards the Sabhket El Bardawil - a low-lying stretch of land referred to by Milton as the "Serbonian Bog," which once formed the bed of an arm of the River Nile and ran past the ancient town of Pelusium. The heat on this day was abnormal, the thermometer in the hospital tent at Et Maler registered 127 degrees in the shade. (52.7 degrees celsius) (official WMR) |
185 |
185 British West Indies troops killed or died of wounds, 697 wounded and 1,071 died due to sickness in WWI. |
191 |
There was a total of one hundred and ninety-one sets of brothers who both perished on Gallipoli in a campaign that lasted just over eight months.(gallipoli Ass.) |
230 |
In six months 230 men were evacuated to hospital from the New Zealand Machine Gunners with Malaria, the equivelent of its entire strength. (Devils on Horses p394-Luxford) |
240 |
Other ranks and 6 Officers with the New Zealand Rarotongan Company. |
250 |
Beds established at the Aotea Home for convalescing troopers in the suburb of Heliopolis, Cairo by 1918. The rest home opened with 25 beds on the 25th November 1915. |
320 |
320 pounds or 150 Kilos was the weight carried by each Camel of the I.C.C. The equipment of this fine body of men included the ‘Dhurra’ bag carrying five days grain for the camel, and a cylindrical five-gallon tank holding the rider’s five days water supply. Food for five days and spare clothing, were carried in a canvas ‘‘Pikau’’ bag slung over the saddle. Strapped over all were blankets, overcoat, rifle and all, including the man. (nzsp) |
362 |
On July 30th 1915 The WMR Regiment at Anzac was, quote: "at this stage was still very weak numerically, the parade state being 24 officers and 338 other ranks fit for duty - nearly 200 short of full strength." (official WMR) |
476 |
The strength of the Wellington M.R. on landing at Anzac Cove was 25 officers and 451 other ranks.(official WMR) |
616 |
Horses in each of the three regiments in the Brigade. Additional horses were 321 mounts with the Machinegun Squadrons, 36 with the Signal Troop, 67 with the Field Troop, 127 with the Mounted Field Ambulance and 28 further horses with the Mobile Vet Section. |
644 |
New Zealand nurses served overseas during WWI. (AWNews) |
728 |
728 horses left NZ with the WMR on HMNZT Orari for Egypt 1914. (official WMR). |
820 |
Miles (or 1.300km) the distance of the Hejaz Railway. (sometimes spelt Hedjaz). Construction on the line began in 1900, and was meant to be laid from Damascus to the holy city of Mecca - however disruptions caused by WWI meant the track was only ever laid as far as south as Medina. Track gague 1050mm. The railway was noted for having many miles of track laid below sea level. (Hedjaz Railway, R. Tourret,) |
1,056 |
1,056 NZMR horses survived the desert campaign of the Sinai and well into the Palestine campaign of 1917. On June 17th a report was sent in to Divisional Headquarters showing the numbers of “original” horses still with the regiments.
These original horses were horses from Australia or New Zealand and which crossed the Canal in April, 1916, with the brigades. The return is as follows :— 1st L. H. Brigade, 671; 2nd L.H. Brigade, 742: N.Z.M.R. Brigade, 1056. All brigades had suffered much the same
The brigadiers concurred in that the ideal horse should be from 15 to 15.3 and as near 15 hands as possible and should be stout and cobby and if possible with plenty of blood.
except from "The New Zealanders in Sinai and Palestine" Powles. |
1,282 |
Prisioners captured after the fall of Magdabah 20th December 1916. This included 43 Officers. Also taken: 10,000 rounds of S.A.A., 1052 rifles, 40 Horses, 50 Camels, 4 machineguns and various other supplies including precious water. (nzsp) |
1,491 |
Mounted Riflemen arrived back in Egypt from the failed Gallipoli Campaign on December 26th 1915. Comprising of 62 Officers and 1329 other ranks of the brigade. |
1,700 |
The New Zealand Mounted Rifles suffered some 1,700 casualties in all, including over 500 dead during the Sinai Campaign.(source: 1966 Encyclopaedia of New Zealand) |
2,701 |
New Zealand soldiers killed during the Gallipoli campaign 1915. |
3,815 |
3,815 horses departed NZ with the Main Body, as it was later called. They sailed from Wellington in 10 transports on 16 October, linked with an even larger Australian contingent, and at sea were redirected to Egypt. A loss of 700–800 horses on the voyage had been predicted; but only 77 died..(source: 1966 Encyclopaedia of New Zealand) |
4,044 |
Australian troops were taken prisoner of war, of which 397 died while captive. Sources: The War Office, Statistics of the Military Effort of the British Empire During the Great War, 1914-1920, (London 1922)
AWM133 Nominal Roll of the AIF abroad
AWM144 Roll of Honour Cards, First World War |
5,400 |
Light horsemen from Australia, New Zealand Mounted Riflemen, the Cameleers and Army Nurses raised £5,400 to create the "ANZAC Memorial" for those fallen in Sinai and Palestine.(Kia Ora Coo-ee 1918) |
6,495 |
The number of troops in action from New Zealand during the Boer War 1899 - 1902 |
9,000 |
Turkish and German troops either killed, wounded or taken prisoner out of a force of 18000 in action during the Battle of Romani. |
9,000 |
"At six o'clock next morning the convoy of fourteen ships sailed away in single file for an unknown destination, conveying 9,000 trained and equipped men as New Zealand's first contribution to assist the Motherland in the fight for freedom…"(official WMR) |
12,234 |
Tons was the size of the largest troop Transporter sent from New Zealand with the Main Body. She was the S.S. Athenic, designated H.M.N.Z.T.11, she departed Lytelton with members of the Canterbury Mounted Rifles. |
17,723 |
To keep the NZMR Brigade up to strength throughout the war a total of 17,723 all ranks left New Zealand. (nzsp) |
33,020 |
tons and 640 feet long, H.M.S. Queen Elizabeth was the only modern warship to participate during the actions at Gallipoli in 1915. Launched in 1913, Her 4 x 15inch and 12 x 6 inch guns supplied valuable support during the landings. She was initially the flagship of General Sir Ian Hamilton on the 25th March 1915, but after the sinking of H.M.S. Goliath on May 12th by a Turkish torpedo boat she was withdrawn to a safer position. |
61,720 |
Australians died (all causes) during the Great War. Sources: The War Office, Statistics of the Military Effort of the British Empire During the Great War, 1914-1920, (London 1922)
AWM133 Nominal Roll of the AIF abroad
AWM144 Roll of Honour Cards, First World War |
73,000 |
New Zealand soldiers were casualties during WWI. This figure made up of 18,000 killed and 55,000 wounded out of a total of 110,000 men mobilised or 66%. |
112,452 |
Australians who registered for Military service stated they were 'Tradesmen', the largest number. Second where 'Labourers' at 99,252. Followed by Country Callings at 57,430. Clerical at 24,340. Professional at 15,719. Miscellaneous 14,122. Seafaring 6,562 and Nurses 2,063. source:The Official History of Australia in the War of 1914-1918 Vol XI. |
158,000 |
The volume of Military Statistics gives the total strength of the British Expeditionary Forces in Egypt and Palestine on 1st February, 1917, as over 158,000, including 7,500 Indians. Upwards of 50 per cent. of the total were infantry. Not all of these, of course, were up on the Palestine Front; at the second Battle of Gaza, three British infantry divisions and two mounted divisions were in action. “Official History of the War” (Military Operations, Egypt and Palestine), Vol. I, p. 280. (David lloyd George Memoirs) |
211,000 |
Australian casualities during WWI. This figure made up of 59,000 killed and 152,000 wounded out of 331,000 men mobilised or 64%. |
331,000 |
Australians enlisted and served overseas 1914-18. Sources: The War Office, Statistics of the Military Effort of the British Empire During the Great War, 1914-1920, (London 1922)
AWM133 Nominal Roll of the AIF abroad
AWM144 Roll of Honour Cards, First World War |
416,809 |
Australians enlisted in the AIF (includes AFC) -- 13.43 percent of the white male population and probably about half the eligible men.Sources: The War Office, Statistics of the Military Effort of the British Empire During the Great War, 1914-1920, (London 1922)
AWM133 Nominal Roll of the AIF abroad
AWM144 Roll of Honour Cards, First World War |
587,338 |
Rounds of S.A.A. (small arms ammunition) "expended" by Chaytor Force on the advance of Amman. |
736,000 |
Turkish casualties during WWI. This figure made up of 336,000 killed and 400,000 wounded out of 1,600,000 men mobilised or 46%. |
1,178,000 |
German casualties during WWI. This figure made up of 1,718,000 killed and 4,234,000 wounded out of 11,000,000 men mobilised or 54% |
2,367,000 |
Great Britian casualties during WWI. This figure made up of 703,000 killed and 1,663,000 wounded out of 5,397,000 men mobilised or 44% |
8,000,000 |
Over eight million horses died in WW1. (source "Animals in War" and British War Office records) |
