Guide to NZ WWII Vehicles

I’m a Kiwi, and I like to game in both 15mm and 28mm scale. All of my main armies are New Zealand, whether they be the 2NZEF in Greece, Crete, North Africa and Italy, or the 3NZ Division in the Pacific. I’ve tried to keep my army lists as true to history as possible, and that means using AFVs that the Kiwis actually had in battle. With that in mind, here is a (as complete as possible) list of the vehicles that New Zealand used in WWII (including Tanks, Scout Cars, Carriers, Trucks and more), along with links of where to find each vehicle as a .stl file for printing.

This list is based on the excellent and very detailed NZEF Vehicles List sent to me David Brasting in the Bolt Action Australia/New Zealand facebook group. Please note that this list is a WIP and will be updated as new models are located, and formatted in tables when I have the time.

Tanks of C squadron, 20th New Zealand Armoured Regiment, in La Romola, Italy

New Zealand Armored Fighting Vehicles in WWII

2nd New Zealand Division (2NEF) in United Kingdom/Egypt (1940), Greece/Crete (1941) and North Africa (1940-1943)

Field Regiment

  • Canon de 75 modèle 1897 /75 mm Gun M1897 (Early UK) [1/56 – m_bergman $]
  • 25pdr and Morris C8 “Quad” [1/200 – m_bergman]

7th Anti-Tank Regiment

2nd Divisional Cavalry

  • M3 Stuart [1/100 – m_bergman][1/200 – m_bergman][1/100 – ThinkTanker]
  • M3 Stuart (Polly III – Command Tank)
  • Marmon Herrington A/Car (Greece) [1/100 – m_bergman][1/200 – dr_fil]
  • Vickers Light Tank MK VIb (UK & Early Desert)

Infantry Battalions

  • Bren Carrier (UK, Greece & Early Desert) [1/100 – m_bergman]
  • Universal Carrier [1/100 – m_bergman]
  • Universal Carrier Ambulance

Long Range Desert Group (1940-1943)

While not and official New Zealand unit, the majority of the original members of the Long Range Desert Group were volunteer New Zealanders (over half the division volunteered apparently) from the 2nd New Zealand Division stationed in North Africa and did fight alongside the 2NZEF during the Mareth Offensive.

  • Modified Canadian Military Pattern (CMP) Ford 15 cwt F15 truck
  • Modified Chevrolet 30 cwt wide-body (WB) [1/56 – deweycat][1/100 – m_bergman]
  • Modified Chevrolet 30 cwt wide-body (WB) portees [1/56 – deweycat][1/100 – m_bergman]
  • Modified CMP Ford 30 cwt F30
  • Modified Canadian Chevrolet 1533 X2 30 cwts
  • Modified Willys Jeep [1/100 – RumourNZ]

Other Vehicles used by all units

2nd New Zealand Division (2NEF) in Italy

Armoured Regiments (18th, 19th, 20th)

Field Regiments

7th Anti-Tank Regiment

28th Assault Squadron

  • Sherman Ark
  • Sherman AVRE [1/100 – TigerAce1945]
  • Sherman III Dozer
  • Sherman II Bolster/Fascine
  • Valentine Bridge layer
  • Churchill Ark

2nd Divisional Cavalry

Infantry Battalions

  • Universal Carrier [1/100 – m_bergman] [1/56 – deweycat]
  • Universal Carrier Ambulance

Other Vehicles used by all units

Armoured Units and Formations attached to the 2nd NZ Division

Greece

  • A13 Cruiser Tank (HQ Squadron 1st Armoured Brigade) – Supported rearguard[1/100 – TigerAce1945]

Crete

  • Matilda Mk III (7th Royal Tank Regiment) – Supported 22nd Battalion)[1/100 – m_bergman]
  • Vickers Light Tank MK VIb (3rd Kings Own Hussars) – Supporting 20th and 28th Battalion

Late North Africa

  • Sherman II Swallows (9th Armoured Brigade) – Attached 2nd NZ Division.

3rd New Zealand Division in the Pacific (1942-1944)

Armoured Regiments

Mounted Rifles (Recce)

3NZ Division Tank Squadron

Other Locally Produced Vehicles

Field Regiments

  • 25pdr and Morris C8 “Quad” [1/200 – m_bergman]

Infantry Battalions

Other Vehicles used by all units

* denotes a file that is only available on shapeways as print on demand
$ denotes a .STL file that is paid

Have we missed any vehicles used by New Zealand during WWII? Got a file that we should include? Let us know in the comments and we’ll update the listing accordingly.

Sources and further reading:

  • Dyer, Phillip. “Sherman Turret Changes”, Military Modelling, v. 30, no. 8, 2000.
  • Fletcher, David. Universal Carrier 1936-48 The ‘Bren Gun Carrier’ Story, Osprey Publications, UK, 2008.
  • Fletcher, David. British Light Tanks 1927-45 Mark I-VI, Osprey Publications, UK, 2014.
  • Fletcher, David. Tanks in Camera. Archive Photographs from the Tank Museum, Sutton Publishing Ltd, UK, 1998.
  • Forty, George. M4 Sherman, Blandford Press, UK, 1987.
  • Grant, Neil. British Tank Crewman 1939-45, Osprey Publications, UK, 2017.
  • Harms, Norm E., Clayton, Steve. British Armour in Action, Squadron/Signal Publications Inc, USA, 1974.
  • Jantzen, Thomas L., Tank Combat in North Africa. The opening Rounds, Operations Sonnenblume, Brevity, Skorpion and Battleaxe February 1941 – June 1941, Schaffer Military History, USA, 1998.
  • Newell, Reg. Pacific Star: 3NZ Division in the South Pacific in World War II, Exisle Publishing,
  • Newsome, Bruce Oliver. Valentine Infantry Tank 1938 – 45, Osprey Publications, UK, 2016.
  • Oliver, Dennis. Codename Swallow British Sherman Tanks at Alamein, Mushroom Model Publications, UK, 2006.
  • Perpetual, Bryan. Allied Tank Destroyers, Osprey Publications, UK, 2001.
  • Plowman, Jeffrey. Armor Camouflage & Markings of the 2nd New Zealand Division, Part 1: Greece & North Africa, Model Centrum Progres, Poland, 2006.
  • Plowman, Jeffrey. Armor Camouflage & Markings of the 2nd New Zealand Division, Part 2: Italy, Model Centrum Progres, Poland, 2007.
  • Plowman, Jeffrey. Armor Camouflage & Markings of the Shermans in New Zealand Division Service, Model Centrum Progres, Poland, 2008.
  • Plowman, Jeffrey. Armor Camouflage & Markings of the Stuarts in New Zealand Division Service, Model Centrum Progres, Poland, 2010.
  • Plowman, Jeffrey. Armor Camouflage & Markings of the Valentines in New Zealand Division Service, Model Centrum Progres, Poland, 2012.
  • Plowman, Jeffrey. Armor Camouflage & Markings of Commonwealth and Greek Armor in the Balkans Campaign April – May 1941, Model Centrum Progres, Poland, 2016.
  • Plowman, Jeffrey. Armoured Fighting Vehicles of New Zealand 1939-59, JEP Publications, New Zealand, 1985.
  • Plowman, Jeffrey. Images of War, War in the Balkans, The Battle for Greece and Crete 1940-1941, Rare Photographs from Wartime Archives, Pen & Sword Books Ltd, UK, 2013.
  • Plowman, Jeffrey,Thomas, Malcolm. Kiwi Armour 1, 4th New Zealand Armoured Brigade in Italy, Kiwi Armour, New Zealand, 2000.
  • Plowman, Jeffrey,Thomas, Malcolm. Kiwi Armour 2, New Zealand Armour in the Pacific 1939-45, Kiwi Armour, New Zealand, 2001.
  • Plowman, Jeffrey,Thomas, Malcolm Kiwi Armour 3, 2nd New Zealand Divisional Cavalry Regiment in the Mediterranean, Kiwi Armour, New Zealand, 2002.
  • Plowman, Jeffrey. Kiwi Armour 4, Armoured Fighting Vehicles of New Zealand 1939-59, Kiwi Armour, New Zealand, 2003.
  • Plowman, Jeffrey,Thomas, Malcolm. Kiwi Armour 5, Peace-Keeping Armour of New Zealand, Kiwi Armour, New Zealand, 2004.
  • Plowman, Jeffrey,Thomas, Malcolm. Kiwi Armour 6, Royal New Zealand Armoured Corps, Kiwi Armour, New Zealand, 2004.
  • Plowman, Jeffrey, Orsogna New Zealand’s First Italian Battle, Willsonscott Publishing International Ltd, New Zealand, 2010.
  • Plowman, Jeffrey, Rampant Dragons, New Zealand in Armour in World War II, Kiwi Armour, New Zealand, 2002.
  • Plowman, Jeffrey, Kiwi in Armour, May 2003 to Mar 2018 http://kiwisinarmour.hobbyvista.com/.
  • Starmer, Mike. Desert Colours; The Caunter Scheme 1940-41, Mike Starmer, UK, 2014.
  • Starmer, Mike. Desert Colours; Alamein and After 1942-43, Mike Starmer, UK, 2012.
  • Starmer, Mike. British Middle East Colours; Tunisia, Sicily and Italy 1943-45, Mike Starmer, UK, 2010.
  • Starmer, Mike. British Army Colours & Disruptive Camouflage in the United Kingdom, France and NW Europe 1936-45, Mike Starmer, UK, 2014.
  • Taylor, Dick. Into the Vally, The Valentine Tank and Derivatives 1938 – 1960, Mushroom Model Publications, UK, 2012.
  • White, Brian T. British Tank Markings and Names. The Unit markings, individual names and paint colours of British armoured fighting vehicles, 1914 – 1945, Arms &Armour Press, UK, 1978.
  • Zaloga, Steven J. Staghound Armoured Car 1942-62, Osprey Publications, UK, 2009.
  • Zaloga, Steven J. Sherman Medium Tank 1942 – 1945, Osprey Publications, UK, 1997.
  • -,-. Universal Carries Service Instruction Book for Carrier, Universal, Mks I & II, The War Office, 1943, Amendments 1944. Partisan Press Reprint 2015.
  • -,-. Carries, Machine Gun, No. 1 Mark I and No. 2, Mark I; Bren, No. 1 and No. 2, mark I and II; Cavalry, Mark I; Scout Mark I, The War Office, 1939. Partisan Press Reprint 2015.

One thought on “Guide to NZ WWII Vehicles

  1. Sharon says:

    Hi’
    Dont no if your interest but my mum told me that the nz army commondared my grandfather’s Ford pickup truck. He was living in thames at the time. Mum passed now so that’s all the information I have.

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