The New Zealand 2nd Division was that country's major land formation during much of World War II. Commanded for much of its existence by Lieutenant General Sir Bernard Freyberg. It fought in most of the major campaigns of the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean theatres from 1940 to 1945. World War II was a truly global conflict with many facets: immense human suffering, fierce indoctrination, and the use of new, extremely devastating weapons such as the atomic bomb. ... The Rt Hon. ... The Middle East Theatre of World War II Command Structure main article Middle East Command The British Middle East Command was based in Cairo with responsibility not just for British Empire and Dominions ( British Commonwealth) operations in the Middle East and North Africa, but also East Africa, Persia, and the... The Mediterranean region. ... Theater in military terms, is a geographic location used for military operations. ... 1940 (MCMXL) was a leap year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ... 1945 (MCMXLV) was a common year starting on Monday (link will take you to calendar). ...

Its first major operation was the abortive attempt to defend Greece from attack. Along with the British and Australian forces that formed the bulk of the rest of the British Empire forces in the country, it was unceremoniously bundled out of the mainland by the Germans. Freyberg was judged to have performed extremely well during the evacuation, and he was given command of all Allied forces on the island of Crete. Consequently, the 2nd Division temporarily lost him as its commander. However, the attempt to defend Crete was as doomed as that to defend Greece had been. German paratroopers landed, and gradually gained the upper hand over the Allied forces in the battle for the island. Greece and Crete saw some of the heaviest casualties suffered by the New Zealanders in the whole war. Once more the division was withdrawn without much of it's equipment. The unit's ability to help itself to enemy - and allies - heavy weapons and transport lead to it being nicknamed "Freyberg's Forty Thousand Theives". Greece and Crete Crete, sometimes spelled Krete (Greek Κρήτη / Kriti; see also List of traditional Greek place names) is the largest of the Greek islands and the fifth largest in the Mediterranean Sea. ... The Battle of Crete (German Luftlandeschlacht um Kreta; Greek Μάχη της Κρήτης) began on the morning of May 20, 1941, during World War II, when Germany launched an airborne invasion under the code-name Unternehmen Merkur (Operation Mercury). ...

Following the disasters in Europe, the division was then integrated into the regular order of battle of the Eighth Army. It fought in many of the critical battles in the North African Campaign over the next year and a half, including playing a prominent role in the Second Battle of El Alamein, breaking through the german positions and getting behind Rommel's flank. However due to failure of British armour to reinforce the Division following a successful night attack against the germans at Ruweisat Ridge, a full brigade (3000 men) was lost during the fighting that resulted when german Panzars counter attacked the NZ infantry the follwing morning. The Eighth Army was one of the best-known formations in World War II, fighting in the campaigns in North Africa and Italy. ... The North African Campaign, also known as the Desert War, of World War II took place in the North African desert during 1940-1943. ... Combatants Allies (mostly Commonwealth forces) Axis (mostly German) Commanders Bernard Montgomery Erwin Rommel Strength 200,000 men,1,000 tanks 100,000 men, 500 tanks Casualties 15,500 men dead and 710 tanks 12,000 men dead 25,000 captured and 355 tanks The Battle of Alamein, or more correctly...

The division's return to Europe was made during the Italian Campaign. Having taken no part in the Allied invasion of Sicily, due to being in refit at the time, the division joined battle again in late 1943. It took part in the Battle of Monte Cassino, ultimately failing in its attempt to capture the monastery and town. The Italian Campaign of World War II was the name of Allied operations in and around Italy, from 1943 to the end of the war. ... Husky was also the codename of Australian military support to Sierra Leone ending in February 2003. ... 1943 (MCMXLIII) is a common year starting on Friday. ... Combatants Allies (Free French, India, New Zealand, Poland, South Africa, USA, UK) Nazi Germany Commanders Harold Alexander Albert Kesselring Frido von Senger Richard Heidrich Strength  ?penis {{{strength2}}} Casualties ~54,000 casualties ~20,000 casualties The strategic position of Monte Cassino has made it the repeated scene of battles and sieges...

Several times during the campaign, a 'New Zealand Corps' was formed. This was not a true corps, with a full staff and set of corps troops. It was more a temporary extension of the division. New Zealand simply did not have the resources to fully man a corps level formation. The New Zealand 3rd Division, then fighting in the Pacific Ocean Areas against the Japanese, was demobilized with the bulk of its officers and men then transferred to the 2nd NZ Division in part to replace losses. With combat on the scale of WWII, a division was a small tactical unit in many situations, with the American's in particular leaving a Division in action until it was effectively destroyed before replacing it with a fresh Division. The New Zealand 3rd Division was the main New Zealand Army unit to see action in the Pacific Theatre of the Second World War. ... Pacific Ocean Areas was a major Allied military command during World War II. It was one of four major commands during the Pacific War, and one of two United States commands in the Pacific theatre of operations. ...

Following two assaults on Monte Casino, the NZ Division was employed as an Assault Division of the 8th Army during a series of difficult night crossings of major Italian rivers, along which the Germans had erected their defensive lines. The closing weeks of WW2 saw the NZ Division race to Trieste in northern Italy to confront Tito’s partisans, and prevent that city’s forced absorption into greater Yugoslavia. Location within Italy Trieste (Latin Tergeste, Italian Trieste,German and Friulian Triest, Slovenian and Croatian Trst) is a city in northeastern Italy, capital of Friuli-Venezia Giulia region and Trieste province, with a population of 211,184 (2001). ... Josip Broz Tito (May 7, 1892 - May 4, 1980) was the ruler of Yugoslavia between the end of World War II and his death in 1980. ... Yugoslavia (Jugoslavija in all south Slavic languages, in Cyrillic Југославија) is a term used for three separate but successive political entities that existed during most of the 20th century on the Balkan Peninsula in Europe. ...

Captain Charles Upham, VC and bar, NZ 2nd Division was the only British or Commonwealth serviceman to be awarded the Victoria Cross twice during WW2. Charles Upham Captain Charles Hazlitt Upham, VC and bar (September 21, 1908 - November 22, 1994) was a New Zealand soldier who won the Victoria Cross twice during World War II. Earning the Victoria Cross and Bar for outstanding gallantry and leadership in Crete in May 1941, and at Ruweisat Ridge...

By the end of the war, the New Zealand division had a reputation as a tough unit with good troops, as described within 5th Panzar Division intellegence reports. It had earned that reputation by fighting in many of the fiercest battles of the war, and it was well deserved.