Territorial Force Amalgamation Parade

E nga mana, e nga reo, nga mātā-a-waka o nga iwi katoa huri noa o Aotearoa piki mai, kake mai nau mai haere mai.  Nga rangatira o Te Ope Kātua o Aotearoa, nga apiha me nga toa o Ngāti Tumatauenga, tēnei aku mihi māhana ki a koutou, kia ora tātou katoa. 

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen from throughout New Zealand welcome.  To the leaders of the New Zealand Defence Force, officers and soldiers of the New Zealand Army, I extend very warm greetings and good health to you all.

I specifically acknowledge: Lt General Rhys Jones, Chief of the Defence Force; Major General Dave Gawn, Chief of the Army; Brigadier Sean Trengrove, Director-General Reserve Forces; and Helene Quilter, Secretary of Defence - tēnā koutou katoa.

It is a great honour for me as Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief to host this Territorial Force Amalgamation Parade here at Government House to mark the merger of the six Army reserve battalions to three.

It is with mixed emotions that we gather here today.  They are mixed because this day’s events have been coming for a long time.  Today, we recall with pride the spirit displayed by men and women in the six Territorial Force infantry battalions over the past 50 years.  We celebrate their contribution in the present day, and look to the future.  And yet, now that this day has arrived, there is a touch of sadness in seeing the closure of the six Territorial Force battalions that have been a fundamental part of the New Zealand Army’s order of battle since its last major reorganisation in 1964. 

Every military unit has its own character and proud history.  New Zealand’s infantry battalions can rightly boast a heritage that stretches back to the very beginnings of our military history.  The service of voluntary militias, on which New Zealand’s colonial society was built, laid the foundation for our modern fighting units.  Since 1845, and especially since the Defence Act of 1909, there have been territorially based units.  It was predominantly from Territorial Force units that New Zealanders have gone to war.

I do not intend to attempt to list the battle honours and illustrious histories of the six battalions.  There are many to mention, and selecting a few would run the risk of dishonouring their example.  The honours, emblazoned on each battalion’s colours, are poignant reminders of our past.  They commemorate the gallant deeds performed by individuals and each unit as a whole.  

The battle honours record service in New Zealand, and South Africa during the Boer War; in Gallipoli, Egypt and the major battles of the Western Front in the First World War; and in Greece, Crete, North Africa and Italy as well as service in the Solomon Islands in the Second World War. 

The honours accorded to individuals over that time include many awards for gallantry, including our highest military honour, the Victoria Cross.  They include the VC awarded to my predecessor as Governor-General, Lt General Lord Bernard Freyberg VC, who commanded 2NZEF in the Second World War.  They also include the only VC and Bar awarded to an infantryman – Captain Charles Hazlitt Upham.

In more recent times, as New Zealand has increased its commitment to peacekeeping, the Territorial Force has complemented the Regular Force as the Army’s Reserve.  New Zealand’s intervention alongside other United Nations forces in Timor-Leste saw some 600 Territorial Force soldiers (Territorials) fill positions within Regular Force units.  Their work, and that of all the New Zealanders who have served there, has helped build a strong bond of friendship between our two nations. 

Successive units made up primarily of Territorials took up the responsibility for New Zealand’s commitment to the Regional Assistance Mission to the Solomon Islands.  Most famously the historic 2006 rotation was the first Territorial Force-led deployment since the Second World War.

As the Army’s reserve force, Territorials or Reservists have volunteered for other overseas missions, taking time off from their civilian jobs to serve as part of New Zealand’s commitment to regional stability and international peace support missions.  Reservists have served in Korea, Pakistan, Bougainville, Bosnia, the Sinai, Lebanon and Afghanistan, and elsewhere.

And when, in February 2011, Christchurch was devastated by the worst natural disaster to hit our country since 1931, 80 soldiers from the four North Island units joined 200 South Island Reservists and set to work performing a variety of tasks, ranging from cordon duties and engineering, to security and helping clear liquefaction.

The story of our army reservists is one of ordinary New Zealanders who have stepped forward to do their duty.  Their voluntary service gives real meaning to the values of the Army and the Defence Force - courage, comradeship, commitment and integrity.  They are men and women who have served our nation at its times of greatest need, whether it was the threat of tyranny abroad or a disaster at home.  Their service has been marked by professionalism, distinguished gallantry and humility. 

The Territorial Force – the Army’s Reserve – has made, and continues to make, a significant contribution to New Zealand’s civil and national defence, and promotion of our strategic interests abroad.  Moreover, the voluntary part-time service of reservists in all three Services enables the New Zealand Defence Force to maintain credible military capabilities across the spectrum of conflict.  New Zealand is fortunate to have women and men of excellent calibre prepared to serve in our reserve forces.  They make a remarkable commitment to their citizenship responsibility.

Today sees the six Territorial Force infantry battalions become three.  It marks the start of change and adjustment.  With the exception of the Haurakis, all of the battalions have experienced mergers before.  As with past reorganisations, I’m sure the “Battalions” - the men and women - of 2nd Canterbury, Nelson, Marlborough, West Coast and 4th Otago, Southland – the new 2/4 Battalion; and 3rd Auckland (Countess of Ranfurly’s Own) and Northland and 6th Hauraki’ – the new 3/6 Battalion; and 5th Wellington, West Coast and Taranaki and 7th Wellington (City of Wellington’s Own) and Hawkes Bay – the new 5/7 Battalion will forge new traits, new traditions and new experiences.  However, the legacy of honourable and loyal service of the soldiers and officers who served previously in the “Battalions” remains, and adds to the fabric of inheritance that the new battalions acquire. 

As Governor-General and Commander-in-Chief, on behalf of our Queen and on behalf of all New Zealanders, I thank you for your service: past, current and future.  I wish you all well in the new arrangements - Onward.  Kia kaha, ki a manawanui, kia ora tātou katoa.