New Zealand troops sent to the South African War
- When
- 1899–1902
- Reach
- Nationwide
The first overseas war New Zealand fought as a country: around 6,500 men and 8,000 horses, and 230 deaths.
New Zealand was the first British colony to offer troops, and the enthusiasm at the docks was genuine. The mounted rifles did well in a mobile war that suited colonial horsemanship. The conflict also introduced New Zealanders to concentration camps and scorched-earth tactics used against Boer civilians, which troubled some of them, and it set the template of eager imperial loyalty that carried into 1914.
Regions affected
Sources
Written for this project from these references rather than copied from them. Follow a link to check the account against the original.
Related
New Zealand enters the First World War
About 100,000 served overseas from a population of just over a million. Around 18,000 died and 41,000 were wounded — proportionally among the heaviest losses of any country.
The Gallipoli landing
New Zealand troops landed on the Gallipoli peninsula on 25 April. Of about 14,000 who served there, 2,779 died. The date became the country’s day of remembrance.
Passchendaele — the worst day
An attack on Bellevue Spur in Flanders mud, against uncut wire and without effective artillery support, killed around 845 New Zealanders in a few hours.
New Zealand declares war on Germany
‘Where she goes, we go’ — 140,000 served overseas and nearly 12,000 died, from a population of 1.6 million.