Custard, guns and battle honours

27 (Machine Gun) Battalion, 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force, was raised in Burnham on October 1939 and consisted of four machine gun companies, totaling around 700 personnel equipped with Vickers machine guns.

The Battalion’s last known surviving member, Mr Reid joined the New Zealand Army in 1941 as a 19-year-old.

“At that time the government of the day wanted all boys who were 19 and whose birthdays were in May and June to join the forces in preparation to go to war. I was just put into the Territorial Army and was trained on the guns.

“We were trained on the Vickers machine guns as part of Support Company, along with hundreds of others all over New Zealand doing the same thing, and then we waited for the call up.

“In 1942, when I was 20, I was called up, and sent to Papakura to join the overseas forces. We did some training and then we were shipped off to Egypt in 1943,” he said.

They were sent on the Dutch troop ship the Nieuw Amsterdam, which was used to transport personnel during the Second World War. In just over six years of service, she carried close to 380,000 troops.

After a brief stop in Darwin, Australia, the ship went straight to Egypt and the troops into Maadi Military Camp. Mr Reid turned 21 on the journey.

One memory of his time on the ship that has stayed with him for more than 80 years, is custard.

“We were a custard ship. We ate custard every bloody night on the way to Egypt. I wouldn’t eat custard when I got home and I wouldn’t let my wife make custard for the children. I couldn’t stand it.”

During the Italian campaign the 27 (Machine Gun) Battalion fired nearly nine million rounds of ammunition and they were one of the first units to cross the Sangro River in 1943.

“Going into Italy we fought all the way up the coast, and arrived at Monte Cassino. All I can remember is that we’d never been able to conquer it - the Germans were sitting on the big hill overlooking the whole land.

“The powers that be decided the only way was to bomb the show. So 100 bombers came in. We had a terrible time getting up the hill making sure we didn’t encounter Germans, but we knew they were there.”

During their service in the war 27 (Machine Gun) Battalion lost 182 soldiers, 508 were wounded and a further 257 captured.

Mr Reid was one of the wounded at the Battle of Monte Cassino.   

“I got wounded just before Rome fell, both my legs had shrapnel in them. I still have some of the shells in my leg today.

“I was only out of the fight for a month. I can remember going back, there was a group of us wounded boys who went back to the city of Bari after we’d been in hospital.

“As soon as you were right, you were sent back to the front line. They patched you up, and sent you on your way, unless you were badly injured of course,” he said.

When the war was officially over on 8 May 1945, the Battalion packed up and returned to New Zealand in January 1946. 27 (Machine Gun) Battalion was officially disbanded in 1948.

“I did find it hard getting back to the civvy (civilian) way of life, a lot of the boys did too, it took a while to settle back in,” he recalled.

Following the war he bought a milkbar (dairy) and was in business until he retired. 

He remembers fondly the reunions with his fellow comrades after the war.

“The best thing was the reunions, we would have them every two years, for all the boys that could come. I loved it.”

In 2009 the 27 (Machine Gun) Battalion held its 70^th and final national reunion.

In the same year, Burnham’s 2^nd/1^st Battalion, Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment (2/1 RNZIR) officially took custodianship of the Battalion’s regimental traditions and legacy.

When 2/1 RNZIR receives its new King’s Colour later this month it will also receive a new Regimental Colour with eight new battle honours emblazoned. 

Six of those new battle honours have never previously been emblazoned on any New Zealand Infantry colour, including two honours inherited from 27 (Machine Gun) Battalion. They are VEVE (1941), a battle in Greece, and SILLARO CROSSING (1945), a battle in Italy.

Mr Reid will be proudly representing 27 (Machine Gun) Battalion and his old comrades at the official parade and presentation at Burnham Military Camp later this month.

He still can’t quite believe that he is likely the only one left from the Battalion.

“I lost a lot of good mates, we had so many good and bad memories from our time. What can you say about war? I made some really great mates in the Battalion.”

He said the emblazonment of the two 27 (Machine Gun) Battalion battle honours onto the Regimental Colour of 2/1 RNZIR is wonderful.

“The main point is that we are being recognised as a Battalion, a good Battalion, with the machine guns, and we did a lot of good things.

“I think the boys would be really thrilled to be honoured like this.”

His still recalls clearly the Battalion coming under fire for the first time in Italy.

“That was the first time we were under gunfire. We had just got to the Sangro River, the order was given to dig in and all of a sudden shells were coming in. That was our first definite war effort there.

“We gave covering fire overhead when the infantry was going in. If there was a barrage going down with the 25 pounders (artillery shells) we’d be firing into it and lifting every 500 yards,” he said.

Mr Reid still proudly owns a flag that he had made in 1943 when he arrived in Egypt, which remains in perfect condition.

“I had it made in 1943 as a souvenir with the guns on it when we first arrived, I have looked after it with pride.” 

Mr Reid now lives in the Ranfurly Veterans Home & Hospital in Auckland where he has been since early 2023.

Her Excellency, The Rt Hon Dame Cindy Kiro, GNZM, QSO, Governor-General of New Zealand, will present the colours on behalf of His Majesty King Charles III, on 31 October 2024 at Burnham Military Camp, 1.30pm.

Mr Reid will be attending alongside his son, and grandson.

Read more about 2/1 RNZIR Colours.(external link)