Auckland Regiment 1914-1918, The

A good general history of a regiment raised in one of New Zealand’s largest cities to take part in the Great War. The author - who won the Military Medal and the French Medaille D’Honneur for his military exploits, - has written a fluent and readable account. The three battalions of the Auckland Regiment trained in Egypt for the coming Gallipoli campaign in 1915. They assembled at Lemnos, took part in the landing and fighting at Cape Helles and Sari Bair, sustaining severe losses, and were then evacuated back to Egypt. They were first stationed at Armentieres, before seeing action on the Somme in 1916; wintering near Ploegsteert Wood, and then being deployed for the Battle of Messines in June 1917. They took part in the third battle of Ypres and wintered in the Salient, before returning to the Somme front in 1918, where they were stationed at Mailly and fought at Roissignol Wood and Bapaume. They took part in the Allied advance in the summer and autumn of 1918 and ended the war in the Le Quesnoy sector. After the armistice they were on garrison duty in Germany before returning home down under. The history has nine sketch maps and 12 portraits of personalities, but lacks battle photos. There are appendices on badges, chronology of events, honors and awards and a Roll of Honor.