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27 (MACHINE GUN) BATTALION
The NZETC epub Edition
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About the electronic version
27 (Machine Gun) Battalion
Author: Kay, Robin
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Illustrations have been included from the original source.
About the print version
Author: Kay, Robin
War History Branch, Department Of Internal Affairs, 1958 Wellington, New Zealand
Source copy consulted: Defence Force Library, New Zealand
Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War 193945
Encoding
Prepared for the New Zealand Electronic Text Centre as part of the Official WarHistory project.
The digital edition of this book was sponsored by Mary Weston, daughter of GeneralSir Howard Kippenberger who served as one of the Editors-in-Chief of the OfficialHistory of New Zealand in the Second World War.
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Revisions to the electronic version
3 November 2004 Colin Doig Added name tags around various names of people, places, and organisations.
31 August 2004
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Contents
[covers]27 (Machine Gun) Battalion p. i[frontispiece] p. ii[title page] p. iii[excuse] p. ivForeword p. vPreface p. viiContents p. ixList of Illustrations p. xiList of Maps p. xv
CHAPTER 1 Going Overseas p. 1CHAPTER 2 Egypt p. 12CHAPTER 3 The First Encounter p. 28CHAPTER 4 Withdrawal from Greece p. 51CHAPTER 5 Crete p. 84CHAPTER 6 Sidi Rezegh p. 118CHAPTER 7 Sidi Azeiz and Gazala p. 164CHAPTER 8 The Bekaa Valley p. 192CHAPTER 9 Minqar Qaim p. 202CHAPTER 10 Ruweisat Ridge p. 219CHAPTER 11 El Mreir p. 245CHAPTER 12 The New Zealand Box p. 256CHAPTER 13 The Battle of Alamein p. 275CHAPTER 14 The Pursuit p. 298CHAPTER 15 Tebaga Gap p. 320CHAPTER 16 Victory in Africa p. 338CHAPTER 17 The Sangro River p. 354CHAPTER 18 Orsogna p. 369CHAPTER 19 Cassino p. 387CHAPTER 20 Cardito, Terelle, Balsorano p. 404

CHAPTER 21 Florence p. 419CHAPTER 22 The Romagna p. 437CHAPTER 23 Machine-gunners into Riflemen p. 463CHAPTER 24 The Sillaro and Gaiana p. 467CHAPTER 25 The End of the War p. 492
APPENDIX The Vickers Gun in the Second World War p. 515Roll of Honour p. 519Summary of Casualties p. 524Honours and Awards p. 525Commanding Officers p. 526Index p. 527[backmatter] p. 544

Contents
[covers]
27 (Machine Gun) Battalion p. i
[frontispiece] p. ii
[title page] p. iii
[excuse] p. iv
Foreword p. v
Preface p. vii
Contents p. ix
List of Illustrations p. xi
List of Maps p. xv

[COVERS]

The authors of the volumes in this series of histories prepared under thesupervision of the War History Branch of the Department of Internal Affairs have
been given full access to official documents. They and the Editor-in-Chief areresponsible for the statements made and the views expressed by them.
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[FRONTISPIECE]
Minqar Qaim, 27 June 1942

[TITLE PAGE]
Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War 193945
ROBIN KAY
WAR HISTORY BRANCH DEPARTMENT OF INTERNAL AFFAIRS WELLINGTON, NEW ZEALAND 1958
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[EXCUSE]
I humbly pray them to admit the excuse Of time, of numbers, and due course of things, Which cannot, in their huge andproper life Be here presented.
Shakespeare, King Henry V
set up, printed and bound in new zealand by
coulls somerville wilkie ltd. dunedin
and distributed by whitcombe and tombs ltd.

FOREWORD
Foreword
windsor castle
By Lieutenant-General the Lord Freyberg, vc, gcmg, kcb, kbe, dso
I feel it an honour to be asked to write a foreword to the War History of thisexcellent Battalion, which had a most distinguished record. It was engaged in everybattle in which the Division fought, and shared with the Divisional Cavalry the recordof serving overseas longer than any other unit in the 2 NZEF.
The 27th (Machine Gun) Battalion was one of the first units of the New ZealandDivision to go into action in the Greek Campaign in April 1941. It was a grimexperience. Right from the start we were in a very hazardous position, and it wasdue in no small measure to the fighting qualities of the Division that we were able tofight the rearguard actions that started at Vevi and Mt Olympus and continued backfor three hundred miles to the beaches in the Peloponnese.
Then followed Crete, where the Battalion fought at Maleme and Galatas. It alsoserved with great distinction in the battles in the Western Desert, including the 1941offensive in Cyrenaica, at Minqar Qaim, and later shared in the disasters at Ruweisatand El Mreir, and finally contributed in active roles in winning the victory at Alameinand the campaign in Tunisia.
In Italy a company of the 27th Battalion was the first New Zealand unit to gointo position across the Sangro River, and during the fighting from the Sangro to theSenio the Battalion was continually in the forefront of the advance and fired nearly
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nine million rounds of ammunition.
For the last campaign the 27th Battalion was converted into Infantry early in1945. Its first major engagement as an Infantry Battalion was the crossing of theSillaro River. The Battalion fought a gallant action at the Gaiana Canal, andcontinued in a key position till the finish of the war, and particularly in the advancewhich led to the capture and occupation of Trieste. Subsequently it served with theNew Zealand occupation forces in Japan.
The 27th (Machine Gun) Battalion was fortunate in having as its firstcommanding officer Lieutenant-Colonel Inglis,

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