Calling all Kiwis

[Mark Foxe]

I am looking to determine whether a ‘skills transfer’ actually occurred between Kiwi Officer trench raid ‘experts’ from the New Zealand Division and Australian Brigades/Divisions in mid and late 1916, for the purpose of instructing the Aussies on the latest trench raiding tactics, techniques and procedures.

Some background to assist:

On 25 June 1916 Major General Russell of the New Zealand Division in responding to a request from the then Brigadier Monash (attached to 2nd Division from the 4th Division) for copies of recent trench raid orders wrote: “I will see that copies of orders for these raids completed are sent to you, and if you wish to send an officer over to go into details or would like one of the officers actually participating to come and see your people, I will arrange it gladly.”

Then on 3 December 1916, Monash now GOC 3rd Division, wrote to LTCOL Livesay, GSO1 of the New Zealand Division requesting: “… one or two experienced officers to help coaching our men; viz – 1 officer to help organizing and supervise the training of our first raiding party, also 1 good scout officer who will teach our Scout Officers the latest tricks of the trade and the methods of dealing with the problems encountered in NO MAN’S LAND.”

Here’s hoping that some Kiwis or New Zealand Division ‘buffs’ out there may be able to help me.

Mark

[ZackNZ]

Mark

This type of what you call "skill transfer" went on all the time. I think it will be impossible to "prove" one way of the other.

Zack