19th Battalion (New Zealand)

The 19th Battalion was formed in New Zealand in 1939 under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Frederick Varnham, a veteran who had commanded an infantry company during the First World War, and was the second of three infantry battalions making up the 4th Infantry Brigade.[Note 1] Its personnel were drawn from the lower half of the North Island of New Zealand and formed into Wellington, Wellington/West Coast, Hawke's Bay and Taranaki companies. Most of the personnel entered Trentham Camp on 3 October, with officers and non-commissioned officers of the battalion having commenced their training the previous week.[3][4]

After completing their initial training, the battalion departed on the liner RMS Strathaird for the Middle East on 5 January 1940 as part of the 4th Infantry Brigade, 2nd New Zealand Division.[1] The battalion arrived at its base in Maadi, Egypt on 14 February,[5] and was involved in training and garrison duty at Baggush for most of the next 12 months.[6]

The British Government anticipated an invasion of Greece by the Germans in 1941 and decided to send troops to support the Greeks, who were already engaged against the Italians in Albania. The 2nd New Zealand Division was one of a number of Allied units dispatched to Greece in early March.[7] The 4th Infantry Brigade was tasked with the defence of the Aliakmon Line in northern Greece with the New Zealand Division positioned on the northern side of Mount Olympus. The 19th Battalion was the reserve for 4th Brigade and spent most of its time from late March to early April preparing roading and defensive positions.[8] On 6 April, the Germans invaded Greece and advanced so rapidly that their forces quickly threatened the Florina Gap. The 4th Infantry Brigade was withdrawn to the Servia Pass.[9]

The 19th Battalion was tasked with holding the mouth of the pass and spent the next few days digging in.[10] On 13 April, German Stukas bombed the battalion causing its first casualties of the war. The following day, German armour reached the Servia Pass.[11] The positions of the battalion's Wellington and Hawkes' Bay companies were the subject of an attack on the night of 14–15 April. The Germans were resolutely defended and at dawn, 120 of them were prisoners of war and another 150 or so were killed, while two men of the battalion were killed.[12] During the action, the battalion's commander, Varnham, was wounded and evacuated with its second-in-command, Major Blackburn, taking over for the next two months.[13] Despite artillery and bombing, the brigade continued to hold up the Germans for three days before being withdrawn.{{sfn|Sinclair|1954|pp=87–88)) Its new position was at Molos, near Thermopylae, which was reached after a bombing raid killed more personnel.[14] The battalion was charged with monitoring the coast for the new few days although one company was detached during this time and sent to Thermopylae to man defensive positions there.[15]

On 24 April, the 4th Brigade was moved to Kriekouki Pass through which the entire 2nd New Zealand Division was to withdraw. The 19th Battalion was in reserve. Again a company was detached for defensive duties, this time at Corinth Canal.[16] In the early hours of 27 April, after contact with a German convoy of 100 vehicles, the brigade withdrew again,[17] this time through Athens to Port Rafti, from where it was to be evacuated. Once in position, the 19th Battalion was held in reserve on the road, just a mile from the beach.[18] In the meantime, the company at the Corinth Canal was caught in a German attack and cut off; most became prisoners of war.[19] Over the night of 29/30 April, the brigade was evacuated with the battalion being the last unit to embark from Porto Rafti.[20] The campaign in Greece resulted in 24 men of the battalion being killed, with 20 wounded. Nearly 150 were made prisoners of war.[21]

From Greece, the 19th Battalion was shipped to the island of Crete where it arrived on 28 April with 475 personnel.[22] Designated as the reserve battalion for 4th Brigade, it was stationed just to the east of Galatas.[23][24] By mid-May it was increasingly apparent that the Germans would mount an invasion of Crete.[25] The airborne invasion by the Germans commenced in the morning of 20 May, while many of the battalion's soldiers were eating breakfast. Most of the descending paratroopers over the area were shot as they parachuted down and their equipment integrated into the defences.[26]

A field hospital in the 18th Battalion's sector was captured by paratroopers and about 500 wounded soldiers and medical staff were made prisoners of war. When the Germans left the area, they took their prisoners. Elements of 19th Battalion came across them and after a short engagement killed the guards and freed their captives although some had inadvertently received friendly fire.[27][28] By the afternoon, it, like the neighbouring 18th Battalion, was in control of its area of responsibility and had killed or captured around 150 paratroopers.[26][29] However, a prison to the southwest was in the hands of the Germans. That evening, two companies of the battalion mounted a counter-attack after a report that the paratroopers at the prison were clearing an airfield. Although supported by some light tanks, the New Zealanders became lost and the next morning were ordered to return to their defensive positions.[30]

In the afternoon of 25 May, the Germans attacked along the road from the prison, towards Galatas. After defending for two hours,[31] the 4th Brigade withdrew, with 19th Battalion temporarily being attached to 5th Brigade, positioned to the west of Chania.[32] Two day later, while manning a rearguard defensive line at Chania, it supported a counterattack mounted by Australian and New Zealand forces in an action later known as the Battle of 42nd Street, following an advance by the 141st Mountain Regiment. The Germans were routed.[33]

It was eventually evacuated from Crete.[34] Its casualties during the fighting on Crete amounted to just over 60 dead, around 70 wounded and 80 made prisoners of war.[35]

Four members of the battalion, including three of its commanders,[Note 2] were awarded the Distinguished Service Order while a member of the YMCA who was attached to the battalion for a portion of its service overseas was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire. Twelve officers were awarded the Military Cross while two others received the United States Bronze Star and the Greek Military Cross respectively. One soldier received the Distinguished Conduct Medal and 20 others the Military Medal. Numerous men, including the founding commander of the battalion, were mentioned in dispatches.[48]

The following officers served as commanding officer of the 19th Battalion:[49]

• Lieutenant Colonel F. S. Varnham (October 1939–April 1941; June–October 1941);[Note 3]
• Major C. A. D'A. Blackburn (April–June 1941);
• Lieutenant Colonel S. F. Hartnell (October 1941–April 1943);[Note 4]
• Lieutenant Colonel R. L. McGaffin (April 1943–August 1944);
• Lieutenant Colonel A. M. Everist (August–November 1944; March–December 1945;
• Lieutenant Colonel H. H. Parata (November 1944–March 1945).

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