Māori Reinforcements getting ready to leave Rotorua 1944.

Embarkation and disembarkation dates of Māori reinforcements overseas

Ships chartered as transports by the New Zealand Government for the purpose of conveying the 2NZEF overseas 1939-45

The 2nd NZEF was made up of three echelons of roughly 6000 troops each.  The Second Echelon included the original members of the 28th (Māori) Battalion who were known as the Main Body.  The first Māori troops sent overseas to reinforce the Main Body were known as the Fourth Māori Reinforcements.  The last troops to embark for overseas duty with the Māori Battalion were the Fifteenth Māori Reinforcements.

Main Body

• 2 May 1940
  As part of the 2nd Echelon, 681 personnel of the Main Body of the 28th (i.e. 39 officers and 642 other ranks), sailed from Wellington for the Middle East in the His Majesty's Troopship (HMT) Aquitania. Course changed en route and troops taken via South Africa to England.  Troops disembarked in Gourock, Scotland on 16 June 1940.

• 16 December 1940
  The advance party of the 2nd Echelon including 85 members of the Main Body sailed from Liverpool, England for the Middle East.  Disembarked at Alexandria on 20 February 1941

• 4 January 1941
  The Main Body sailed from Liverpool, England on Athlone Castle.  Disembarked at Port Tewfik on 3 March 1941 and went into camp at Helwan.

Fourth Māori Reinforcements
300 Māori reinforcements sailed from Wellington for the Middle East in HMT Batory on 8 November 1940.  The troops were transferred to HMT Orion at Sydney.  Disembarked at Port Tewfik, Egypt on 12 December 1940.

Campaigns in Greece & Crete:

• 25 March 1941
  750 men of Main Body and Fourth Māori reinforcements sailed from Alexandria, Egypt for Greece in Cameronia.  Disembarked at Piraeus on 27 March 1941.

• 25 April 1941
  Bulk of Main Body and Fourth Māori reinforcements (about 570 men, the Battalion having suffered 110 casualties) sailed from Athens for Crete in Glengyle.  Disembarked at Suda Bay same afternoon.  Some 70 Māori troops, who lost contact with the Māori Battalion, returned from Greece directly to Egypt via various transports.

• 31 May-1 June 1941
  230 personnel of Main Body and Fourth Māori Reinforcements evacuated from Sphakia, Crete to Egypt.  That is, 210 including Lieutenant-Colonel George Dittmer embarked on HMS Nizam and 34 under Major George Bertrand on HMS Napier.  Disembarked at Alexandria on 1 June 1941.  A small number of Māori ‘walking wounded' evacuated between 28 and 30 May.  150 personnel who formed rearguard under Major Humphrey Dyer plus 13 walking wounded evacuated from Sphakia, Crete to Egypt on 1 June 1941.  Disembarked at Alexandria on later that day.

Fifth Māori Reinforcements
Six officers and 250 other ranks of Fifth Māori Reinforcements sailed from Wellington for the Middle East in HMT Mauretania on 7 April 1941.  The troops were transferred to HMT Orion at Sydney.  Disembarked at Port Tewfik, Egypt on 15 May 1941.

Sixth Māori Reinforcements
Sailed from Wellington for the Middle East in HMT Aquitania on 27 June 1941.  Disembarked at Port Tewfik, Egypt on 29 July 1941.

Seventh Māori Reinforcements
Sailed from Wellington for the Middle East in HMT Aquitania on 15 September 1941.  Disembarked at Port Tewfik, Egypt on 19 October 1941.

Eighth Māori Reinforcements
Two officers and 56 other ranks of Eighth Māori Reinforcements sailed from Wellington for the Middle East in HMT Aquitania on 10 December 1942.  Disembarked at Port Tewfik, Egypt on 5 January 1943.

Ninth Māori Reinforcements
Sailed from Wellington for the Middle East in the Dominion Monarch on 14 May 1943.  Disembarked at Port Tewfik, Egypt on 11 June 1943.

Tenth Māori Reinforcements
Sailed from Wellington for the Middle East in the Nieuw Amsterdam on 21 July 1943.  Disembarked at Port Tewfik on 14 August 1943.

Eleventh Māori Reinforcements
First draft sailed from Wellington for the Middle East in HMT Mooltan on 12 January 1944.  Disembarked at Port Tewfik on 20 February 1944. Second draft sailed from Wellington for the Middle East in HMT Ruys on 31 March 1944.  Disembarked at Port Tewfik, Egypt on 23 May 1944.

Twelfth Māori Reinforcements
Consisting of 400 personnel, they sailed from Wellington for the Middle East in the HMT Highland Princess on 29 June 1944.  Disembarked at Port Tewfik, Egypt on 2 August 1944.

Thirteenth Māori Reinforcements
Sailed from Wellington for the Middle East in HMT Dunottar Castle on 28 September 1944.  Disembarked at Port Tewfik, Egypt on 5 November 1944.

Fourteenth Māori Reinforcements
150 personnel of Fourteenth Māori Reinforcements sailed from Wellington for the Middle East in HMT Empress of Scotland on 5 January 1945.  Disembarked at Port Tewfik, Egypt on 29 January 1945.

Fifteenth Māori Reinforcements
Sailed from Wellington for the Middle East in HMT Empress of Scotland on 20 April 1945.  They were on the Indian Ocean when the news came of Germany's capitulation (7 May 1945). Disembarked at Port Tewfik, Egypt on 12 May 1945.