Military Hardware

NZ Army Equipment

The National Army Museum’s extensive NZ army equipment collection includes scout vehicles, tanks, trucks and field guns used by the New Zealand Army. Explore the history of a selection of our military hardware on display or currently in restoration at our unique museum.

• Universal Carrier
• M41 Walker Bulldog Tank
• Valentine Mark V Tank
• Ferret Scout Car
• 28th Maori Battalion Canteen Truck
• Breech Loading 5.5 Inch Medium Gun
• Ordnance, Quick Firing 25 Pound Mk II

 

Universal Carrier

Commonly referred to as Bren Gun Carriers the Universal Carrier was a small, fast, fully tracked general purpose vehicle developed by the British in 1936. These carriers were used by both the Divisional Cavalry and infantry and saw action in nearly every theatre of World War II and the Korean War.

The first examples used in New Zealand were imported from Britain in April 1939 and later from Australia, but as the war continued locally produced carriers were built by the New Zealand Railway Workshops in and around Wellington. They remained in service with the New Zealand Army until 1958.

FULL STORY

 

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M41 Walker Bulldog

M41A1 WALKER BULLDOG LIGHT TANK

Developed in the USA in 1950 as the Little Bulldog, the M41 Light Tank first saw action in the Korean War. The M41A1 Walker Bulldog first entered service with the New Zealand Army in 1960, where it replaced the World War II vintage Stuart and Valentine tanks. During the 1970′s and early 1980′s the Walker Bulldog was the New Zealand Army’s only tank and they were used in training exercises all over New Zealand. The Walker Bulldog was replaced in the mid 1980′s by the British Scorpion tracked reconnaissance vehicle.

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Valentine Mark V tank

VALENTINE MARK V

The first Valentines in New Zealand were equipped with a 2 pounder (37mm) gun which could only fire armour piercing rounds. Because the New Zealand Army wanted a close support tank to fight with infantry, eighteen of New Zealand’s 255 Valentines were converted to carry a 3 inch howitzer which could fire high explosive shells.

Of the 255 Valentine tanks, 100 were Mark II, 74 were Mark III and 81 were Mark V. There were also 11 Valentine bridge layers in service.

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Ferret Scout Car

DAIMLER FERRET MKI SCOUT CAR 4X4

The Ferret was a standard light reconnaissance vehicle developed shortly after World War II and used by both armour and infantry. It was to prove very successful, with over 35 armies throughout the world using the Ferret in service.

New Zealanders used British MKI Ferrets in both the Malaya Emergency and Confrontation for forward observation tasks. The MKI Ferret was withdrawn from New Zealand service in 1978.

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28th Maori Battalion Canteen Truck

Te Rau Aroha

During World War II Te Rau Aroha was driven and looked after throughout the North African and Italian Campaigns by the legendary canteen keeper Charlie Bennet MBE. Charlie, a Pakeha serviceman, was affectionately known by the soldiers as “Charlie Y.M.” (The Y.M. coming from the initials YMCA). The truck was a gift to the 28th Maori Battalion from children of the Native Schools of New Zealand. When the Maori community decided to send their men to war with a special gift, an appeal for funds went around the schools. The target was 850 pounds, (about $1700 at the time). The response was magnificent. In just six months the schools grew vegetables for sale and ran concerts and stalls; children also dug into their moneyboxes. The final total was 1000 pounds ($2000 at the time), a lot of money in those days.

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Breech Loading 5.5 Inch Medium Gun

The BL 5.5 inch Medium Gun, known in New Zealand as the 5-5 gun, was first developed during the early part of World War Two, but was only of 4.5 inch calibre. By 1941 the barrel had been ‘enlarged’ and the 5.5 inch gun was introduced into the British Artillery, where it first saw action in North Africa. At that time the New Zealand Divisional Artillery did not have a Medium Battery as part of its organisation, so it did not officially use the 5-5 gun during the Second World War. However during the assault across the Sangro River in Italy some New Zealand Gunners were attached to a British Medium Artillery Regiment firing 5.5in guns in support of the New Zealand infantry.

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Ordnance, Quick Firing 25 Pound Mk II

The 25 Pounder – as it is more commonly known – began its life on the drawing boards of the British Royal Artillery in 1936, however it did not go into production until the start of the Second World War. The first New Zealand Artillery unit to receive the 25 Pounder was 5 Field Regiment, RNZA, who gladly exchanged their World War One vintage 18 Pounders in England in August of 1940. With the 25 Pounder being mass-produced in England and Canada it very soon became the standard field gun of all of the British and Commonwealth forces. By the end of the Second World War over 12,000 had been manufactured.

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View some of the military equipment restoration projects being undertaken by the Army Museum with the assistance of a dedicated group of volunteers.

Discover National Army Museum’s extensive NZ army equipment collection and explore their unique history.