The 25th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the New Zealand Military Forces, which served during the Second World War as part of the 6th Infantry Brigade, 2nd New Zealand Division.
The 25th Battalion was formed in New Zealand in 1940 and after a period of training, it, along with the rest of the 6th Brigade, embarked for the Middle East where it joined up with the 2nd New Zealand Division. Moved to Greece to help defend against a German invasion, the battalion participated in the Battle of Greece but was evacuated at the conclusion of the fighting in the country. It then fought in the North African Campaign and suffered heavy losses during Operation Crusader, when it was effectively destroyed by the 15th Panzer Division. From December 1941 to February 1942 the battalion was brought back up to strength before being transferred to Syria. It returned to Egypt in March 1942 and suffered heavy casualties during the First Battle of El Alamein.
After the fighting in North Africa ceased in 1943, the 25th Battalion participated in the Italian Campaign, fighting in actions at Orsogna and later at Cassino. It finished the war in Trieste, and remained there to counter the presence of Yugoslav partisans that had entered the city. After the withdrawal of the partisans several weeks later, the battalion moved to Florence while its long-serving personnel began returning to New Zealand. Not required for service in the Pacific theatre of operations, the battalion was disestablished in late 1945.
Formation
Following the outbreak of the Second World War, the New Zealand government authorised the formation of the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force (2NZEF), for service at home and abroad. Following consultation with the British government, it was decided that the main New Zealand contribution to the war effort would be in the form of an infantry division, the 2nd New Zealand Division, which would require nine battalions of infantry. Consequently, several infantry battalions were formed from 1939 to 1940 with New Zealand volunteers.
The 25th Battalion was the eighth such unit raised for the 2NZEF and was formed on 15 May 1940 at Trentham Military Camp with personnel drawn largely from Wellington, Hawke's Bay and the Taranaki region. With an establishment of around 780 men, it was organised into four rifle companies, a headquarters company consisting of specialised personnel such as signals and a battalion headquarters. It was one of three infantry battalions that were part of what was initially known as the Third Echelon of the 2NZEF and which would later be designated the 6th Infantry Brigade, one of three infantry brigades of the 2nd New Zealand Division.
Under the command of Lieutenant Colonel Allan Wilder, who had served with the Wellington Mounted Rifles during the First World War, the battalion embarked for active service aboard the Cunard liner RMS Mauretania on 27 August 1940. After transferring to the Orient liner SS Ormonde at Bombay, the battalion arrived in the Middle East on 29 September and immediately commenced intensive training at Maadi Camp, the 2NZEF base near the town of Maadi, in Egypt.
Greece
The British Government anticipated an invasion of Greece by the Germans in 1941 and decided to send troops to support the Greeks, who were already engaged against the Italians in Albania. The 2nd New Zealand Division was one of a number of Allied units dispatched to Greece in early March. The 6th Infantry Brigade was tasked with the defence of the coastal portion of the Aliakmon Line in northern Greece, with the 25th Battalion preparing and manning the defences around Agios Ilias.
On 6 April, the Germans invaded Greece and their advance was so rapid that it quickly threatened to outflank the Aliakmon Line. The brigade had to abandon its positions and was withdrawn to the Olympus Pass on 9 April. This marked the beginning of a gradual retreat down the country, during which a series of rearguard actions were fought by elements of the division. The battalion fought off a sharp attack by the German 5th Panzer Division on its positions around Thermopylae on 24 April, its only major engagement of the campaign in Greece, before it successfully disengaged later that day. It was evacuated from Greece on 29 April along with the rest of the 6th Brigade, the 4th and 5th Brigades having been taken off beaches to the east of Athens. While the latter brigades disembarked at Crete, the 6th Brigade continued onto Egypt.
