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Formed at HopuHopu Camp as part of 6 Infantry Brigade, Third Echelon, 2NZEF, on 31 January 1940. Moved in May 1940 to Papakura Camp. Sailed from Wellington, 27 August 1940 on Mauretania; transferred to Ormonde at Bombay. Onboard conditions were so bad there was a mutiny, eventually reconciled by tossing tainted meat overboard and allowing men to sleep on deck. Arrived Maadi Camp September 1940. When leaving for Greece, the Regiment consisted of 29 Battery (A, B, C Troops) and 30 Battery (D, E, F Troops) but this was reorganised into a three-battery structure in August 1941 following the Greece and Crete campaigns. The Sixth Field Regiment took part in every campaign from Greece to Trieste, usually in support of 6 Brigade. The Regiment was disbanded on 28 January 1946.

Commanding Officers:

LtCol CE Weir	Jan 1940 - Dec 1941
LtCol CL Walter	Dec 1941 - Nov 1943
LtCol HE Gilbert	Nov 1943 - Apr 1944
LtCol ET Kensington	Apr 1944 - Aug 1944
LtCol WD Philp	Aug 1944 - Nov 1944
LtCol GP Cade	Nov 1944 - Mar 1945
LtCol SW Nicholson	Mar 1945 - May 1945
LtCol AA Angell	May 1945 - Jan 1946

Original RSM: WO1 L Mossong
Original strength: 661

Main engagements: Egypt Greece Crete Syria Minqar Qaim Tripoli Alamein Italy Tunisia

E Tp 30 Bty 6 Fd Regt Command Post Staff, October 1944 Gnrs Higgins, Hunter, Troy, Sgt Webster, Lt Baron, Lt Wright (GPO)

Personal accounts:

• Under fire at Sidi Rezegh by Robin Wait
• With 6 Field Regiment at Sidi Rezegh by Robin Wait
• A Gunner Subaltern's Recollections of the Italian Campaign, April 44 - May 45 by LW Wright

Regimental Progress:

The following pages chart the progress of the Sixth Field Regiment, New Zealand Artillery, from its formation in 1940 to its move from Aleppo to Laboue. Written by members of the 6th Field, this account is reproduced here with permission from the Unit Historian, Mr ITY Johnston. You can move between the pages using the text links or by clicking on the green arrows, and , and return to this page using .

• Formation of the Regiment
• The Regiment leaves for War
• Life on Board
• Maadi Camp, Egypt
• Helwan Camp, Egypt
• Training in Egypt, January '41
• Training in Egypt, February '41
• 6th Field Regiment gets its Guns
• To be continued.

Ref:
"Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War"
"The Trail of the Black Diamond" by RD Munro
Brig LW Wright

NZ Artillery Units  |   NZ Artillery of WW2  |   Tales from the Trails, (other personal accounts)
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