Mechanised Mobilisation: New Zealand’s Military Vehicle Expansion September 1939-March 1944

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Occasionally, photos emerge on various internet forums, capturing a striking scene: a vast lineup of vehicles at the Mangere Ordnance Sub Bulk Depot, freshly returned from New Zealand’s 3rd Division after its service in the Pacific. These images display Bren Gun Carriers, trucks, and tanks awaiting inspection, repair, redistribution, or disposal. However, these powerful visuals often come with little context, typically identified only as vehicles from the 3rd New Zealand Division with no connection to the broader motorisation of the New Zealand Military between 1939 and 1944.

This article delves into the remarkable expansion of New Zealand’s military vehicle fleet between 1939 and 1944—a fleet that grew from a mere 62 vehicles in September 1939 to a staggering 22,190 by March 1944. The vehicles captured in the Mangere photos represent about 11% of this massive expansion, marking a crucial chapter in New Zealand’s military history.

3 NZ Division vehicles parked at Main Ordnance Depot, Mangere Sub Bulk Depot on their Return from the Pacific in 1944 (Colourised). Alexander Turnbull Library

Prelude to War

A prevailing myth suggests that New Zealand allowed its military to shrink during the interwar period, leaving the country ill-prepared for the outbreak of war in 1939. Contemporary studies echo this sentiment, claiming that New Zealanders were no better equipped for war than their fathers had been during the First World War. While there is some truth to this narrative, a closer examination of the broader activities of the New Zealand Army from 1934 to 1939 reveals a more nuanced story.

Despite material and personnel deficiencies, the New Zealand Army demonstrated a keen awareness of global events and the changing nature of warfare. This awareness, combined with meticulous and thorough updates to military doctrines and preparations, ensured that New Zealand could swiftly mobilise the basic framework of an expeditionary force and the necessary resources to sustain it in the long term, should war break out. The Army’s profound understanding of the international situation provided a sense of security and confidence in its ability to respond effectively.

From the mid-1930s, the New Zealand military closely observed the mechanisation efforts of the British Army, which had been updating its doctrines throughout the decade. The British military had transformed into a mechanised force with some of the era’s most advanced weapons and equipment. The Field Service Regulations (FSR), the tactical bible of British Commonwealth armies, underwent several revisions, reflecting the British Army’s commitment to learning from past mistakes.[1] Following the British lead, the New Zealand Army endeavoured to stay abreast of these developments, demonstrating its commitment to strategic planning and learning from history.

Initial Mechanisation

When war was declared in September 1939, the New Zealand Military Forces possessed a total of 62 vehicles, consisting of:

  • Six motorcycles
  • Two cars
  • 54 trucks and tractors

These were not outdated relics from the First World War but the latest military models imported from the United Kingdom in the late 1930s. This modest re-equipment initiative, which began in 1934, aimed to align New Zealand’s military hardware with that of peer forces in the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.

With a clear understanding of the demands of mechanised warfare, a significant inventory of vehicles for impressment in times of national emergency was compiled in 1935. These vehicles were categorised by type, carrying capacity, and horsepower. A total of 20 types of vehicles were identified, including

  • 10,818 Fords,
  • 5,915 Chevrolets,
  • 1,654 Dodges, and
  • 1,466 Morris’s

culminating in a record of 26,839 trucks, trailers, tractors, and omnibuses. [2]

The Organisation of National Security (ONS) convened the Transport Industry (Supply) Subcommittee to organise and implement the impressment scheme. This subcommittee drafted the first version of the Motor-Vehicle Impressment Emergency Regulations in May 1939, followed by a second draft in August. Although these regulations were enacted on 4 September 1939, impressment did not commence immediately due to a lack of immediate need for a mobile home defence force. The Transport Legislation Emergency Regulations 1940 further allowed suspending any transport-related legislation necessary to prosecute the war.

Supported by this legislative framework, the New Zealand Military Forces implemented plans to requisition and purchase vehicles from New Zealand’s motor assembly factories and retailers. Between September 1939 and March 1944, 9,879 vehicles were put into service with the New Zealand Military Forces. These vehicles were then supplemented with additional purchases from New Zealand distributors and suppliers to ensure the expanding military forces were adequately equipped.[3]

Table 1 – Impressed and New MT Vehicles purchased in NZ from Distributors up to 31 March 1944
Chevrolet 4×4 truck used by the army circa 1940. Ref: 1/2-036839-F. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/22809745

Cooperation with Allies

With remarkable speed, New Zealand transitioned its economy from peacetime to wartime, focusing on ensuring it could support its deployed forces and contribute effectively to the global war effort. The Government implemented initiatives to provide security in international trade and commerce. In July 1940, the New Zealand Minister of Supply and a small delegation of officials engaged in talks with their Australian counterparts to strengthen cooperation between the two nations. [4]

In October 1940, the Eastern Group Conference convened in Delhi with the primary objective of coordinating a joint war supply policy for the United Kingdom, Australia, India, South Africa, New Zealand, and other territories including East Africa, Palestine, Ceylon, Burma, Malaya, and Hong Kong, with the Government of the Netherlands East Indies attending as observers. This conference led to the formation of the Eastern Group Supply Council (EGSC) in Delhi, tasked with coordinating and optimising the production and distribution of war materials across the British colonies and dominions in the Eastern Hemisphere. [5]

New Zealand contributed four Government officials and two officers from the New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps (NZAOC). Concurrently, in New Zealand, the War Cabinet approved the establishment of the New Zealand Defence Services Provision Officer (DSPO) to facilitate coordination between the EGSC and New Zealand.

In March 1941, the United States passed the Lend-Lease Act, under which New Zealand became eligible to trade in November 1941. A New Zealand Supply Mission was established in Washington, DC, to manage Lend-Lease agreements and cash requisitions. Upon the United States’ entry into the war, a Joint Purchasing Board was set up in New Zealand, streamlining processes and reducing delays by liaising directly with the New Zealand Commissioner of Supply and pre-screening eligibility and priority requirements through an Allied Committee in Washington, DC.

Full Military Mechanisation

As the war progressed, New Zealand’s motor industry proved its ability to adapt to wartime demands by shifting production to essential materials such as grenade bodies, mortars, and 560 Bren gun carriers manufactured by General Motors. This adaptability underscored New Zealand’s resourcefulness in times of conflict.

By March 1944, in addition to the vehicles impressed and purchased since 1939, an additional 15,097 different types of vehicles were acquired by cash purchases or through the Lend-Lease programme. While some arrived in New Zealand as complete vehicles, 11,797 were received as knocked-down kits to conserve shipping space and assembled locally.

Table 2 – MT Vehicles Assembled in New Zealand

Many vehicles arrived as bare chassis with specialist bodies to allow them to perform the vast array of functions required by the military. By 1940, the New Zealand Railway Workshops had constructed speciality Breakdown and Workshop bodies, with the broader New Zealand industrial base constructing 11,703 load-carrying and specialist bodies tailored to New Zealand’s needs by March 1944.

11,321 specialist bodies were manufactured for the Army, 275 for the RNZAF, one for the Navy, and 106 for the United States Forces.

Table 3 – Bodies built in New Zealand for MT Vehicles
Inside the factory of Standard Motors (probably Standard Motor Bodies Ltd), Wellington, during World War II, showing workers stretching sheet metal that will form bodywork on an army truck. Photograph taken between 1939 and 1945 by the National Publicity Studios. New Zealand. Ref: PAColl-0783-2-0431. Alexander Turnbull Library, Wellington, New Zealand. /records/23114774
Table 4 – Total purchases of new vehicles by manufacturer and country of origin up to 31 March 1944 (Includes new Vehicles purchased directly from distributors in NZ (5089) and from United States Forces (145)

Pacific Garrisons

From 1940, New Zealand established garrisons in Tonga, Fiji, and Norfolk Island. In 1943, the 3 (NZ) Division was deployed to New Caledonia, conducting amphibious operations in the Solomon Islands. These deployments included 3,630 vehicles, ranging from motorcycles to tanks. To address shortages, 145 vehicles were taken over from United States Forces. Over time, 730 vehicles were returned to New Zealand, 23 were transferred to the RNZAF, and 467 were sold to local forces. By March 1944, New Zealand forces in the Pacific retained 2,604 vehicles.

Table 5 – MT Vehicles supplied to, received by and on hand with 3 NZ Division 31 March 1944
Table 6 – MT Vehicles supplied to, received by and on hand with Tonga Force, 31 March 1944
Table 7 – MT Vehicles supplied to, received by and on hand with Fiji Force, 31 March 1944
Table 8 – MT Vehicles supplied to, received by and on hand with Norfolk Force, 31 March 1944

Between 1939 and 1944, the vehicles received by the New Zealand Army at home and in the Pacific were not exclusively retained. By March 1944, 8,108 vehicles had either been transferred to the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the Middle East, RNZAF, and Navy or sold to the United States Forces, foreign governments, other government departments, or private owners. Surprisingly, only 83 vehicles were written off charge.

Table 9- Schedule showing all transactions in MT Vehicles – Sept 1939 to 31 March 1944

The Mechanical Transport Branch

Recognising the urgent need to expand and manage the Army’s Mechanical Transport fleet, the Quartermaster General (QMG) Colonel Henry Esau Avery established a separate Mechanical Transport Branch (MT Branch). This move allowed the NZAOC to focus on its core responsibilities, with the MT Branch managing and maintaining the multitude of purchased or impressed vehicles required by the military. Drawing from the Royal Army Ordnance Corps (RAOC) experience in the United Kingdom, the MT Branch wisely recruited extensively from New Zealand’s motor industry into the New Zealand Temporary Staff (NZTS), ensuring a wealth of specialised knowledge and experience was brought to the forefront of this critical military function.

In December 1942, the MT Branch consisted of:

MT Workshops:

  • 1 MT Workshop, Trentham
  • 2 MT Workshop, Waiouru
  • 3 MT Workshop, Papakura
  • 4 MT Workshop, Whangarei
  • 5 MT Workshop, Palmerston North
  • 6 MT Workshop, Wellington
  • 7 MT Workshop, Blenheim
  • 8 MT Workshop, Burnham
  • 9 MT Workshop, Dunedin

MT Depots, which provided pools of vehicles:

  • 1 MT Depot, Auckland
  • 2 MT Depot, Hamilton
  • 3 MT Depot, Napier
  • 4 MT Depot, Wanganui
  • 5 MT Depot, Christchurch

MT Stores Depots, supplying MT spares, tools, and equipment for MT Workshops and Depots:

  • 1 Base MT Stores Depot, Wellington
  • 2 MT Stores Depot, Auckland
  • 3 MT Stores Depot, Wellington
  • 4 MT Stores Depot, Christchurch
  • 7 MT Stores Depot, Blenheim

By March 1944, with reduced military activity in New Zealand and the demobilisation of home defence units established in 1941/42 to counter potential invasion, the MT Branch underwent reorganisation into a streamlined structure, which included Stores and Equipment Sections, Workshops, Vehicle Holding Parks, and Vehicle Reception Depots. However, wartime personnel shortages meant that the MT Branch could only muster 1,255 officers and soldiers, approximately 75% of its authorised capacity of 1,674 officers and soldiers.

Parts and Spares

Up to 31 March 1944, the MT Stores Depots had handled the following quantities of tyres and MT Parts and spares:

Tyres

  • 180 different sizes of tyres
  • Purchased from overseas – 83,174
  • Purchased in New Zealand – 12,534
  • Total Purchased – 95,708
  • Transferred to Supply Department – 11,018
  • Other issues – 28,700
  • In stock 31/3/1944 – 55,990
  • Used tyres recapped and re-treaded – 9,983
  • Reconditioned tyres reissued – 7,301
  • Reconditioned tyres in stock 31 March 1944 – 2,682

MT Parts (Not including body-building material)

  • Received from overseas (Total of 9,182 Tons)
  • Wheeled vehicles, parts- 20,472 Packages
  • Tracked vehicles and parts – 39,408 Packages
  • Tracked vehicles, tracks – 8,280 Bundled
  • Packages broken down and binned – 23,895
  • Packages transferred to United States Forces – 1,050
  • Packages in Bulk Store – 43,215

Shipments of MT Parts and Tyres to the Pacific

  • 3 Division – 1,149 Tons
  • Fiji – 406 Tons
  • Tonga – 112 Tons
  • Norfolk – 30 Tons

Conclusion and Lessons Learned

This article explores the dramatic expansion of New Zealand’s military vehicle fleet during World War II, highlighting the country’s transition from a small force with only 62 vehicles in 1939 to an impressive 22,190 vehicles by 1944. This growth was crucial to New Zealand’s military preparedness and response during the war, reflecting a strategic adaptation to the demands of mechanised warfare.

A common misconception persists that New Zealand was ill-prepared for World War II due to the neglect of military readiness during the interwar period. However, this article argues that the New Zealand military was, in fact, acutely aware of global military developments and took proactive steps to modernise its forces in anticipation of potential conflict. By closely following the mechanisation efforts of the British Army, New Zealand updated its doctrines and prepared for the rapid mobilisation of resources.

At the outbreak of war, the New Zealand Military Forces possessed a modest but modern fleet of vehicles, which was quickly expanded through impressment (the requisition of civilian vehicles) and new purchases. A comprehensive inventory of potential impressment vehicles was compiled in the mid-1930s, and by 1939, regulations were in place to facilitate the requisition of vehicles as needed.

Cooperative efforts between New Zealand and its allies, primarily through the Eastern Group Supply Council and the Lend-Lease Act, allowed the country to acquire additional vehicles and equipment. New Zealand’s motor industry also adapted to wartime demands, producing essential military vehicles and parts, including 560 Bren gun carriers.

By 1944, New Zealand’s military vehicle fleet had grown substantially, with vehicles serving both at home and in various Pacific garrisons. This expansion was managed by the MT Branch, a specialised unit within the military that oversaw the maintenance and distribution of vehicles. Despite challenges such as personnel shortages, the branch effectively supported New Zealand’s military operations throughout the war.

Lessons Learned:

Strategic foresight and adaptation played a pivotal role in the New Zealand military’s preparedness and effectiveness during World War II, as it anticipated and responded to the demands of mechanised warfare through meticulous strategic planning and doctrinal updates.

The establishment of the MT Branch, alongside a comprehensive logistical framework, ensured that the military could efficiently manage and sustain its rapidly expanded vehicle fleet. New Zealand’s success in acquiring and managing military vehicles was further bolstered by close cooperation with allies, mainly through initiatives like the Lend-Lease Act and the Eastern Group Supply Council.

The adaptability of New Zealand’s motor industry to wartime production needs highlights the critical importance of a robust domestic industrial base in supporting military efforts. Additionally, pre-emptive planning and detailed inventory management, including a comprehensive record of potential impressment vehicles, enabled New Zealand to mobilise and sustain its military forces rapidly. The effective distribution and redistribution of vehicles across different operational theatres underscored the importance of flexibility in resource allocation during wartime.

In conclusion, the mechanisation of New Zealand’s military during World War II was a significant achievement that contributed to the country’s wartime efforts and provided valuable lessons for contemporary military logistics and strategic planning.

Table 11 – MT Vehicles by type in possession of Army in New Zealand and Pacific – 31 March 1944

Notes

[2] “Supply – Munitions and Equipment – Supply of defence vehicles from local sources,” Archives New Zealand Item No R18872527  (1934-1945).

[3] “Appendices to Report on QMG (Quartermaster-General’s) Branch,” Archives New Zealand Item No R25541151  (30 June 1944), .

[4] “Unity in War Effort,” Evening Star, Issue 23622, 8 July 1940, https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/ESD19400708.2.42.

[5] Bertram Stevens, “The Eastern Group Supply Council,” The Australian Quarterly 13, no. 3 (1941),https://doi.org/10.2307/20630952, http://www.jstor.org.ezproxy.massey.ac.nz/stable/20630952.