The movement of 2 NZEF personnel between New Zealand and the Pacific Theatre of Operations during World War II were as follows: Scanned from Ray Munro's book.
30 August 1939
No.1 Platoon of A Company, NZ Regular Force, embarked on HMS LEANDER
at Auckland for Fanning Island where it was to guard the Cable Station.
This platoon was relieved by No.2 Platoon in March 1940 and No.2
Platoon
relieved by No.3 Platoon in October 1940. The garrison was increased in
April 1941 by the addition of No.45 Bat-tery, NZ Artillery. In May
1942
the 113 New Zealanders of the garrison were replaced by 150 US troops.
13-14 June 1940
The German raider ORION mined at night the entrance to the Hauraki
Gulf.
19 June 1940
The passenger vessel, NIAGARA, bound from Auckland to Suva and
Van-couver
was sunk by a mine between Bream Head and Mokohinau Island north of
Auckland.
20 August 1940
The German raider ORION sunk the steamer TURAKINA about 260 miles from
Cape Egmont, after a brief action.
11 November 1940
A Section of 8 Infantry Brigade Group, 2 NZEF (48 Officers and
852 ORs) embarked at Auckland for Fiji on RANGATIRA and MONOWAI,
they arrived at Lautoka on 14 November.
19 November 1940
A further section of 8 Infantry Brigade Group (54 Officers and
766 ORs) embarked at Auckland for Fiji on RANGATIRA and MONOWAI,
they arrived at Suva on 22 November.
25 November 1940
The German raider KOMET sunk the NZ steamer HOLMWOOD (546 tons)
near the Chatham Islands.
27 November, 1940
The German raider ORION sunk the steamer RANGITANE (16,172 tons) about
300 miles from East Cape.
8 December 1940
The German raider KOMET sunk the NZ steamer KOMATA (3900 tons) off
Nauru Island.
27 December 1940
The German raider KOMET shelled and wrecked the Phosphate Plant on
Nauru Island.
6 January 1941
Twentieth Field Company, NZ Engineers embarked on EMPRESS OF
RUSSIA at Auckland for Fiji. It relieved 18 Army Troop Com-pany, which
disembarked from AORANGI at Auckland on 14 January.
9 May 1941
No.1 special Company (16 Officers and 235 ORs) embarked at Auckland
for Australia.
20 May 1941
The first section of 1 Relief for 8 Brigade Group (34 officers
and 764 ORs) embarked on RANGATIRA at Auckland for Fiji. The troops
returning
from Fiji disembarked from RANGATIRA at Auck-land on 26 May.
26 May 1941
The second section of 1 Relief for 8 Brigade Group, 2 NZEF (33 Officers
and 883 ORs) embarked on RANGATIRA and MONOWAI at Auck-land for Fiji.
The
troops relieved in Fiji (36 officers and 705 ORs) disembarked from
RANGATIRA
at Auckland on 2 June.
25 June 1941
A small German ship, ADJUTANT, layed magnetic mines off the en-trances
to Wellington and Lyttelton harbours The mines did not work, their
presence
was only revealed by captured German documents four years later.
5 July 1941
No.2 special Company (5 officers and 235 ORs) embarked on AORANGI at
Auckland for training in Australia.
19 July 1941
22 ORs selected from 8 Brigade Group, 2 NZBE and 15 Wireless Operators
selected by the NZ Post and Telegraph Department in New Zealand
embarked
on VITI at Suva for coastwatching duties in the Gilbert and Ellice
Islands.
8-9 August 1941
The First Section of 2 Relief for 8 Brigade Group, 2 NZEF (33 Officers
and 504 ORs) embarked at Wellington and Lyttelton on RANGATIRA
for
Fiji. The returning troops (24 Officers and 51 ORs from Fiji
disembarked
frm RANGATIRA at Auckland on 24 August.
19 August 1941
The Second Section of 2 Relief for 8 Brigade Group, 2 NZEF (20 Officers
and 677 ORs) embarked on RANGATIRA for Fiji. The Re-turning troops (27
officers and 601 ORs) from Fiji disembarked from RANGATIRA at Auckland
on 24 August.
10 December 1941
The Japanese invaded Luzon in the Philippines - their aircraft
sunk battlecruisers HMS REPULSE and HMS PRINCE OF WALES off
Kuantan,
north coast Malaya.
15 - 23 December 1941
Two drafts (50 Officers and 721 ORs) of 2 NZEF, of 2 Relief for 8
Brigade
Group embarked at Auckland for Fiji, the first on WAHINE and MATUA on
15
December, and the second on WAHINE on 23 December.
19 December 1941
The anti-submarine minesweeper HMNZS SOUTH SEAS was sunk in
Wel-lington
harbour as a result of a collision with the Inter Island steamer
WAHINE.
2 January 1942
A Section of B Force Expansion of 2 NZEF (85 Officers and 1668 Ors)
embarked on RANGATIRA and MATUA for Lautoka, and on MONOWAI and
for
Suva. The group arrived at destinations on 6 January.
10 January 1942
B Section of B Force Extension of 2 NZEF (83 Officers and 1459 ORs)
embarked at Auckland on WAHINE, MONOWAI, RANGATIRA and PORT MONT-REAL
for
Fiji, arriving there on 14 January.
12 January 1942
C Section of B Force Extension of 2 NZEF (20 Officers and 607 ORs)
embarked at Auckland for Fiji on TAROONA.
16 January 1942
The steamer MONOWAI was attacked by a submarine as it left Suva
Harbour.
Several shots were exchanged but MONOWAI, escaped undamaged.
8 March 1942
An aircraft from a Japanese submarine made a reconnaissance flight
over Wellington.
9 March 1942
A draft of 2 NZEF personnel (27 Officers and 1005 ORs) embarked at
Napier for Fiji on RANGATIRA and MONOWAI.
13 March 1942
An aircraft from a Japanese submarine made a reconnaissance flight
over Auckland.
12 July 1942
The NZ steamer HAURAKI (7113 tons) was captured by a Japanese raider
24 July 1942
Troops of 2 NZEF (132 Officers and 2216 ORs) returned from Fiji on
PRESIDENT COOLIDGE, disembarking at Auckland.
7 October 1942
A Section of N Force of 2 NZEF (32 Officers and 709 ORs) embarked at
Auckland on WAHINE and MONOWAI for Norfolk Island. An advan-ced party
of
20 personnel had embarked on WAIPORI five days earlier, arriving at
their
destination on 9 October.
12 October 1942
B Section of N Force of 2 NZEF (30 Officers and 693 ORs)
embarked on WAHINE and MONOWAI at Auckland for Norfolk Island, arriving
there on 14 October.
22 October 1942
T Force of 2 NZEF (41 Officers and 702 ORs) embarked on the US
Transport
PRESIDENT JACKSON at Wellington for Tonga, ar-riving there on 27
October.
A small advanced party had em-barked on PRESIDENT HAYES five days
earlier.
4 November 1942
The First Section of Kiwi Force of 2 NZEF (97 Officers and 1819 ORs)
embarked on Maui at Wellington for New Caledonia, arriving at Noumea on
11 November.
22 November 1942
The Second Section of Kiwi Force of 2 NZEF (37 Officers and 828 ORs)
embarked on BRASTAGI at Wellington for New Caledonia, disembarking
there
on 30 November.
3—5 December 1942
The Third Section of Kiwi Force of 2 NZEF (86 Officers and 1546 ORs)
embarked at Wellington on PRESIDENT MONROE on 3 December for New
Caledonia.
One Officer and 21 ORs of this group embark-ed at Wellington for New
Caledonia
on 5 December.
24—28 December 1942
The Fourth Section of Kiwi. Force of 2 NZEF embarked on WEST
POINT at Wellington on 24 December and at Auckland on 27 and
28 December (a total of 438 Officers and 6039 ORs) for New
Caledonia, arriving at Noumea on 31 December.
30 December 1942
The Fifth Section of Kiwi Force of 2 NZEF (4 Officers and 245 ORs)
embarked on MORMACPORT at Wellington for New Caledonia, arriving at
Noumea
on 6 January.
6 January 1943
The Sixth Section of Kiwi Force of 2 NZEF (3 Officers and 229 ORs)
embarked on TALAMANCA at Auckland for New Caledonia, ar-riving at
Noumea
three days later.
29-30 January 1943
The corvettes HMNZS KIWI and MOA destroyed the Japanese
submarine I-1 near Guadalcanal and HMNZS MOA and TUI sank two Japanese
landing craft off Cape Esperance. HMNZS KIWI was damaged when ramming
the
submarine.
2 February 1943
The Seventh Section of Kiwi Force of 2 NZEF (21 Officers and 941 ORs)
embarked from Wellington on FULLER for New Caledonia, ar-riving at
Noumea
on 5 February.
7 February 1943
The Eighth Section of Kiwi Force of 2 NZEF (5 Officers and 170
ORs) embarked at Wellington on MONOWAI for New Caledonia, arriv-ing
at Noumea on 10 February.
9 February 1943
The Advanced Party for T Force of 2 NZEF (13 Officers and 12 ORs)
embarked
on MATUA at Auckland for Tonga.
17 February 1943
The First Section of T Force of 2 NZEF (110 Officers and 644 ORs)
embarked
at Wellington on WAHINE and MONOWAI for Tonga.
2 March 1943
The Second Section of T Force of 2 NZEF (37 Officers and 738 ORs)
embarked
on WAHINE and MONOWAI at Lyttelton for Tonga.
4 March 1943
The Ninth Section of Kiwi Force of 2 NZEF (42 Officers and 205 ORs)
embarked on TRYON at Auckland for New Caledonia.
8 March 1943
34 Battalion embarked on MONOWAI and WAHINE for New Caledonia from
Tonga; it was replaced at Tonga by 6 Battalion of the Can-terbury
Regiment.
34 Battalion disembarked at Noumea on 13 March.
5 April 1943
The Second Section of N Force of 2 NZEF (28 Officers and 602 ORs)
embarked
on WAHINE at Auckland for Norfolk Island, arriving there 2 days later.
7 April 1943
During a Japanese attack on Allied shipping in the vicinity of
Guadalcanal
the antisubmarine trawler HMNZS MOA was sunk. 36 Battalion
embarked
on WAHINE at Norfolk Island for New Caledonia.
15 April 1943
1 Battalion (including 18 Officers and 6 NCOs of 2 NZEF) of the Fiji
Infantry Brigade and 1 Commando Fiji Guerrillas (including 4 Officers
and
35 NCOs from 2 NZEF) sailed from Suva on PRES-IDENT HAYES for the
Solomon Islands where they were to serve witb the US Forces against the
Japanese. The Group arrived at Guadalcanal on 19 April.
26 April 1943
The NZ motor vessel LIMERICK (8724 tons) was torpedoed and sunk off
Sandy Cape, Queensland.
12 13 July 1943
HMNZS LEANDER was badly damaged by a torpedo in a night action
between a US Task Force and a Japanese Naval Force in the Kula Gulf,
New
Georgia. The cruiser went to the United States for repairs and
rearming,
and subsequently reverted to the ROYAL NAVY.
18 August 1943
14 Brigade of 3 NZ Division, 2 NZEF sailed from Noumea in three combat
teams round 30, 35 and 37 Battalions. The Group embarked on PRESIDENT
ADAMS,
PRESIDENT HAYES and PRESIDENT JACKSON for Efate Island in the New
Hebrides
to carry out amphibious exercises before proceeding to Guadalcanal,
arriving
there on 27 August.
24 August 1943
Divisional Troops Group of 3 NZ Division, 2 NZEF sailed from Noumea
in the US ships FULLER and HUNTER LIGGET for amphibious exercises at
Efate
Island before proceeding to Guadalcanal, ar- riving there on 3
September.
4 September 1943
8 Brigade of 3 NZ Division, 2 NZEF sailed from Noumea in three combat
teams around 29, 34 and 36 Battalions. The Group em-barked on PRESIDENT
ADAMS, PRESIDENT HAYES and PRESIDENT JACK-SON for Efate Island in the
New
Hebrides for amphibious exer-cises before proceeding to Guadalcanal.
18 November 1943
2 Commando Fiji Guerrillas (136 Fijians and 36 New Zealanders) embarked
at Lautoka for the Solomon Islands on MORMACSEA.
8 December 1943
The 2 NZEF garrison is withdrawn from Norfolk Island; 16 Office and
410 ORs disembark from WAHINE at Auckland two days later.
30 December 1943
As a result of a reduction in the garrison (123 Officers and 104
ORs) of 2 NZEF returning from Tonga disembark at Wellington from
DAVID SHANKS.
14 February 1944
The Tonga Defence Force began to function when when Brigadier F.L.Hunt
and his staff of 16 Brigade Group depart for New Zealand on TRYON.
24 April 1944
Disintegration of 3 NZ Division in the Pacific theatre began with the
departure of about 1800 from Green Island in WHARTON for return to New
Zealand.
26 April 1944
About 1700 men of 8 Brigade, 3 NZ Division left Treasury Island
on PRESIDENT MONROE for absorption into essential industry in NZ.
15 May 1944
8 Brigade of 3 NZ Division left the Treasury Islands on TRYON for New
Caledonia, arriving there on 19 May.
29-30 May 1944
Troops of 3 NZ Division left Green Island for New Caledonia on NAOS
on 29th and on MINTAKA the next day.
8—15 June 1944
Altogether 134 Officers and 5113 ORs of 2 NZEF returning from the
Pacific
theatre for absorption into essential industry or for other reasons
disembark
at Auckland from ROCHAMBEAU on 8 June, TRYON on 9 June, TALAMANCA on 12
June and PINKNEY on 15 June.
15 June 1944
The Main Body of HQ, 3 NZ Division’s staff sailed from Green Island
for New Caledonia on ROTANIN.
4—17 July 1944
Altogether 240 Officers and 4669 ORs of 2 NZEF returning from the
Pacific
theatre for absorption into essential industry and other reasons arrive
at Auckland on TRYON on 4 July, CARLOS CARILLO ON 14 July, PINKNEY on
14
July, TALANANCA on 15 July and LINDLEY M.GARRISON on 17 July.
26 July 1944
1 Battalion of the Fiji Infantry Brigade sailed on ALTNITAH from
Bougainville
for Fiji, arriving there on 3 August.
12—22 August 1944
Altogether 430 Officers and 2826 ORs of 2 NZEF returning from the
Pacific
theatre disembark at Auckland from TALAMANCA on 12 August, TORRENS on
17
August and BRASTAGI on 22 August.
23 August 1944
3 Battalion of the Fiji Infantry Brigade sailed on ALTNITAH from
Bougainville,
reaching FIji on 6 September.
17-28 September 1944
Altogether 81 Officers and 1400 ORs of 2 NZEF returning from the
Pacific
theatre disembark at Auckland from TALAMANCA on 17 Sep-tember, ILKAID
on
25 September and CRANSTON VICTORY on 28 Sep-tember.
11 October 1944
HQ, 2 NZEF in Pacific closes at New Caledonia when the last mem-bers
of the Force (480 men) embark on TALAMANCA for New Zealand, arriving at
Auckland on 4 October 1944.