18th formation served initially infantry battalion armoured regiment second world war 2nd formed new_zealand september period training embarked middle_east greece 2nd participated later fighting crete evacuated crete fought suffered heavy losses brought strength battalion participated breakout 2nd june encircled german 21st division following month battalion fought battle october battalion converted armour designated 18th armoured regiment replace men lost personnel drawn tank brigade formed new_zealand regiment spent year egypt training tanks embarking italy october join rest 2nd participated fighting actions later regiment finished war remained weeks large numbers yugoslav partisans present city withdrew required service pacific theatre operations regiment late history formation training following outbreak second world war new_zealand government authorised formation 2nd service home abroad following consultation british government decided main new_zealand contribution war effort form infantry division 2nd command major general new division require battalions infantry consequently infantry battalions formed new_zealand volunteers formed september command lieutenant colonel infantry battalions designated 2nd destined overseas service personnel volunteers drawn took upper half new_zealand formed rifle companies designated corresponding bay plenty districts headquarters company included specialist support troops anti aircraft mortar pioneers transport administrative personnel period rudimentary training followed firstly confirmed battalion active service departed new_zealand orient liner middle_east january 2nd left public addressed commander lieutenant colonel destination convoy liners way arrived egypt battalion disembarked train ride cairo battalion arrived main base middle_east mid february battalion undertook training following italy entry war june moved newly established defensive position perform garrison duty remained months conducting regular patrols working improvement defensive positions time battalion suffered casualties war non fatal result italian air raids january defensive work completed battalion moved near cairo intensive large scale training greece early anticipated invasion greece germans decided send troops support greeks engaged italians albania 2nd number allied units dispatched greece early march new_zealand unit depart egypt sailed greece march aboard royal_navy cruisers 2nd tasked defence northern greece positioned northern manned left new_zealand section line 6th brigade took right complete unit line company positioned pass remainder started digging sector allocated april battalion defensive work completed april germans invaded greece advanced rapidly forces quickly threatened new_zealand positions april withdrawn began moving south pass 18th battalion positioned hills town right 19th battalion defending pass april mounted air raids new_zealand positions germans brought artillery bear days later ground forces approached artillery barrage april battalion suffered fatality war day 18th battalion initial attacks elements germans manage occupy despite battalions remained good defensive positions withdrawn days later new defensive position kilometres south pressure flanks walking foot cover night harassed artillery fire withdrawal smoothly having travel stage companies got lost making way safety rear waiting transportation clear pass battalion transport subjected air raids finally defensive position new defended 2nd held reserve 5th 6th manned lines april allies decided abandon greece battalion moved day rest 4th brigade intended rearguard originally battalion hold gorge units pass hours ended remaining days intervening period intended route battalion departure greece cut germans entire brigade way east athens battalion units 2nd shipped island crete total casualties campaign greece killed action wounded addition men personnel hospitals athens unable evade germans captured crete situated vital air sea lanes communication middle mediterranean crete considerable strategic importance sides conclusion campaign greece allies fully expected germans attempt invasion stationed reserve force area 18th battalion near newly established general hospital airborne invasion began battalion quickly dealt company landed near carried operations patrolled area days assisting 19th battalion attack established strong defensive position nearby despite heavy casualties initial attack germans able land reinforcements situation island quickly deteriorated allies brigade abandoned initial positions moved new location west eliminate threat separated 5th deal scale attack caused heavy casualties large portion battalion company captured despite reinforcements arriving best efforts gray rounding position breached township captured battalion personnel led gray bulk 23rd battalion participated attack briefly took township later abandoned fighting battalion withdrawn east order evacuate crete received making way allied ships taking troops beaches way subjected heavy air raids killed company commander captain member parliament electorate evacuation 4th brigade took place 18th battalion formed rearguard helping police maintain order battalion brigade taken casualties fighting crete heavy 18th battalion men killed missing taken prisoner north_africa base egypt ranks restored reinforcements arrived june battalion began intensive weapons training september moved occasion worked alongside tanks training exercises november battalion commanded lieutenant colonel gray hospitalised participated engaged offensive operations area night november tasked night time capture hill adjacent companies leading battalion portion advance objective captured bayonet charge wounded attack remained command battalion held hill days swapped positions 20th battalion november 15th surrounded attacked 20th battalion effectively destroyed 18th battalion managed evacuate time reached manned lines gray command german attacks december withdrawn period near cairo february 2nd dispatched syria defend possible attack turkey middle_east germans rest 4th brigade 18th battalion worked defences north damascus division recalled libya june following attack line army africa initially based fall forces division ordered june establish defensive positions temporarily detached rest 4th brigade act main infantry component divisional reserve june division defensive positions encircled battalion lead units subsequent breakout night battalion withdrawn line brief period recovery box commanded lieutenant colonel gray promoted brigadier given command served security divisional headquarters late june early july entire division relocated times period evening july battalion parent brigade attack held enemy italian caused battalion fashion advanced western end ridge taking prisoners way german counterattack afternoon july overwhelmed 19th 20th battalions caused heavy losses 18th battalion including lynch men able return allied lines following effective destruction 19th 20th battalions 18th battalion remained field attached supported attack 6th brigade supported armour attack proved failure battalion escaped relatively casualties remained line august september having reduced personnel withdrawn rejoin conversion armour previously decided form armoured brigade provide tank support 2nd result 1st formed brigade undergoing training new_zealand september decided convert 4th brigade armour instead creating personnel transferred tank brigade new_zealand bring strength constituent units brigade officially designated 18th armoured regiment squadrons tanks october squadron equipped squadrons operating regiment spend year training command lieutenant colonel taken command death lynch personnel active duty years majority men returned new_zealand close north african campaign attention turned european theatre operations despite preference sections new_zealand government 2nd pacific theatre operations fight japanese decided division remain europe continue service accordingly october division transferred italy italy 18th armoured regiment disembarked taranto october gradually travelled north duly crossed december following weeks regiment supported 5th 6th brigades attack infantry gains german defences strong attack soon faded stalemate number forth actions winter set led regiment tanks stuck ground offensive operations ceased late december new withdrew area january following withdrawal area 2nd number divisions transferred engaged western overall strategy breach break italian supporting british american artillery division formed lieutenant general command corps moved defenders resisted american forces weeks 18th armoured regiment play supporting role forthcoming attack infantry 5th 6th brigades bearing battle attack began march regiment initially held reserve ready exploit breakthrough infantry infantry struggled progress face determined resistance regiment tanks artillery support weeks squadron rotated day position overlooking town mid april squadron detached remain squadrons withdrawn training regiment remained fragmented training completed squadron detached sent man tanks effectively set end regiment reunited strength supported infantry brigades 2nd advanced florence duly entering city august division transferred advanced october involved action brigade attack 18th armoured regiment right flank primarily tank action contrast previous battles armour supported infantry attack success pushed germans progress slower expected poor weather muddy conditions new advanced anticipation crossing instead supported attack river december operation tanks 18th regiment fired shells single day attacked supporting infantry division positioned months worst winter period regiment spent time lines short spells relieved polish unit march regiment returned lines early april period rest series advances retreating german rearguard 2nd entered german garrison quickly surrendered necessary deal elements refused surrender new yugoslav partisans present city partisans reluctant allow germans surrender new regiment remained weeks large numbers yugoslav partisans present city withdrew required service pacific theatre operations regiment december war 18th battalion successor 18th lost nearly officers men killed action later died wounds exactly personnel prisoners war men died captivity honours seven members battalion including commanders awarded member appointed officer order british empire second member order officers awarded received soldiers received distinguished conduct medal military medal soldiers received awards bronze medals successor 18th armoured regiment awarded following battle honours greece crete 42nd street withdrawal middle_east defence line north_africa advance florence italy commanding officers following officers served commanding officer 18th battalion lieutenant colonel september july august november march june lieutenant colonel july august november march lieutenant colonel june july lieutenant colonel july december january march lieutenant colonel december january july january lieutenant colonel march july march december lieutenant colonel february march lieutenant colonel march lieutenant colonel june december
18th Battalion (New Zealand)