Royal New Zealand Armoured Corps

{{Infobox military unit

|unit_name=Royal New Zealand Armoured Corps

|image=RNZAC Badge.jpg

|image_size=150px

|caption=

|allegiance=

|country={{NZL}}

|branch=New Zealand Army

|dates=1 January 1942— present

|specialization=

|command_structure=

|size=

|current_commander=

|garrison=

|ceremonial_chief=

|ceremonial_chief_label=Captain-General

|colonel_of_the_regiment=Lieutenant General(Rtd.)Richard Rhys Jones CNZM

|colonel_of_the_regiment_label=Colonel Commandant

|nickname=

|motto=

|colors=Brown, Red and Green

|march=

|mascot=

|battles=Battle Honours are awarded to individual RNZAC units

|notable_commanders=

|anniversaries=Cambrai Day 20 November

|identification_symbol=

|identification_symbol_label=

|identification_symbol_2=

|identification_symbol_2_label=

}}

The Royal New Zealand Armoured Corps (RNZAC) is the overall umbrella grouping of Regular Force and Territorial Force units equipped with armoured vehicles in the New Zealand Army. The corps was formed in 1942 as the New Zealand Armoured Corps, before being given the Royal prefix in 1947. The RNZAC is second in seniority of corps within the New Zealand Army.

The Divisional Cavalry Regiment and the 4th Armoured BrigadePlowman, Jeffrey & Thomas, Michael. (2000). 4th New Zealand Armoured Brigade in Italy. Kiwi Armour. {{ISBN|978-0-473-06534-8}} were among the foremost NZ armoured units during World War II, though at home the 1st Army Tank Brigade was also established.

Although the RNZAC did not deploy one of its own units to the Vietnam War, from 1965-1971 RNZAC personnel served within other New Zealand and Australian units including artillery, infantry, command and support, and logistics. Several members served as tank crew with the 3rd Cavalry Regiment of the Royal Australian Armoured Corps,{{cite web|url=http://www.vietnamwar.govt.nz/unit/540 |title=3 Cav Veterans|work=VietnamWar.govt.nz, New Zealand and the Vietnam War|access-date=2014-08-05}} and 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment (U.S Army.){{cite web|url=http://www.vietnamwar.govt.nz/sites/default/files/documents/honours-awards/chippindale-bsv.pdf|title=United States Bronze Star with V Device Brian David Chippindale 822606. Captain Royal NZ Armoured Corps Attached 1st Squadron, 4th Cavalry, US Army|work=The Vietnam List – NZ in Vietnam 1964–75|publisher=New Zealand Government|access-date=15 May 2016}} Two RNZAC pilots served with the Australian 161st (Independent) Reconnaissance Flight.{{Cite web |url=https://vietnamwar.govt.nz/veteran/capt-ead-brooker |title=Capt Edwin Allerton Donald Brooker | VietnamWar.govt.nz, New Zealand and the Vietnam War |access-date=2020-03-18 |archive-date=2020-02-02 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200202014027/https://vietnamwar.govt.nz/veteran/capt-ead-brooker |url-status=dead }}

During the 1990s, corps personnel contributed to the deployment of a mechanized infantry company group to Bosnia-Hercegovina for UNPROFOR as part of the NZDF Operation Radian.

Among the surviving Territorial Force units at the end of the 20th Century was the Wai/WEC Squadron, later the Waikato Mounted Rifles in Hamilton, and the fast-diminishing New Zealand Scottish Regiment, also at squadron size technically but actually dwindling into single figures, in the South Island. The New Zealand Scots were finally disbanded in 2016.[https://www.odt.co.nz/lifestyle/magazine/scottish-ties-still-strong Scottish Ties Still Strong], Otago Daily Times.

Current units

RNZAC personnel serve in:

Regular Force

Queen Alexandra's Mounted Rifles (QAMR)
Combat School

Territorial Force

4th Waikato Mounted Rifles - Armoured Reconnaissance

Equipment

Image:QAMR vehicle.JPG

The RNZAC is primarily equipped with two types of vehicle:

NZLAV - the NZLAV armoured fighting vehicle (AFV) is a variant of the General Dynamics LAV III.
Pinzgauer - the Army's Light Operational Vehicle (LOV) with command and control, general service, and armoured variants.

Alliances

Lineage of units

The units of the Royal New Zealand Armoured Corps have a complicated and intermingled heritage. The following table shows the relationship between units since 1944. Titles in bold denote regiments, while non-bold titles are individual squadrons.{{cite book|last1=Plowman|first1=Jeffrey|last2=Thomas|first2=Malcolm|title=Royal New Zealand Armoured Corps|work=Kiwi Armour|volume=6|year=2004|pages=4–44|publisher=Jeffrey Plowman |isbn=095823504X}}{{cite book|last=Stowers|first=Richard|title=Waikato Troopers, History of the Waikato Mounted Rifles|publisher=Richard Stowers|location=Hamilton|year=2008|isbn=9780473131463|pages=308–310}}{{cite web|last=Pierce|first=Brett|title=End of an Era – Laying up of the New Zealand Scottish Regiment Colours|page=30|work=The Red Hackle|year=2016|url=https://theblackwatch.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/RHNov2016.pdf|series=162}}

{{chart|year| |NZS | |Wa | |1AR | |2AR | | | | | |3AR |NZS=New Zealand Scottish Regiment
(Infantry Corps)|Wa=Waikato Regiment
(Infantry Corps)|1AR=1st Armoured Regiment|2AR=2nd Armoured Regiment|3AR=3rd Armoured Regiment|year=1944}}

{{chart|year| |1DV | | |!| | | |!| | | |!| | | | | | | |!| |1DV=1st Divisional Regiment (New Zealand Scottish)|year=1948}}

{{chart|year| |1AC | | |!| | | |!| | | |!| | | | | | | |!| |1AC=1st Armoured Car Regiment (New Zealand Scottish)|year=1950}}

{{chart|year| | |!| | | |`|-|-|1AR | | |!| | | | | | | |!| |1AR=1st Armoured Regiment (Waikato)|year=1951 }}

{{chart|year| | |!| | | | | | | |!| | | |)|-|-|DR | | |!| |DR=Divisional Regiment|year=1953}}

{{chart|year| | |!| | | | | | | |!| | |SA | |4AR | |SA |4AR=4th Armoured Regiment|SA=Suspended animation|year=1956}}

{{chart|year| | |!| | | | | | | |!| | |2AR | | |!| | | |!| |2AR=2nd Armoured Regiment|year=1958}}

{{chart|year| | |!| | | | | | | |!| | |QAR | | |!| | | |!| |QAR=Queen Alexandra's Armoured Regiment|year=1958}}

{{chart|year| | |!| | | | | | |Wa | |QAR | |WEC | | |!| |QAR=Queen Alexandra's Regiment|WEC=Wellington East Coast Regiment (City of Hasting's Own)|Wa=Waikato Regiment|year=1959}}

{{chart|year| | |)|-|-|-|.| | |Wai | |QA | |WEC | | |!| |QA=1st Armoured Regiment
Queen Alexandra's Squadron|WEC=1st Armoured Regiment
Wellington East Coast Squadron|Wai=1st Armoured Regiment
Waikato Squadron|year=1960}}

{{chart|year| |1NZS | |2NZS | |2AS | |1AS |-|-|'| | | |!| |1NZS=1st Reconnaissance Squadron (New Zealand Scottish)|2NZS=2nd Reconnaissance Squadron (New Zealand Scottish)|1AS=1st Armoured Squadron (Queen Alexandra's)|2AS=2nd Armoured Squadron (Waikato)|year=1963}}

{{chart|year| | |!| | | |!| | | |!| | | |!| | | | | | |dis |dis=Disbanded|year=1965}}

{{chart|year| |1NZS | |2NZS | | |`|-|-|QA | | | | | | | | |1NZS=1st Squadron (New Zealand Scottish)|2NZS=2nd Squadron (New Zealand Scottish)|QA=Queen Alexandra's (Waikato/Wellington East Coast) Squadron|year=1970}}

{{chart|year| | |!| | | |!| | |WaWEC| |QA |-|-|.| | | | | |QA=Queen Alexandra's Squadron|WaWEC=Waikato/Wellington East Coast Squadron|year=1982}}

{{chart|year| |dis | |NZS | |WaWEC| |AS | |BS | | | | |dis=Disbanded|NZS=1st Armoured Group
New Zealand Scottish Squadron|AS=1st Armoured Group
A Squadron|BS=1st Armoured Group
B Squadron|WaWEC=1st Armoured Group
Waikato/Wellington East Coast Squadron|year=1990}}

{{chart|year| | | | | |NZS | |WaWEC| |AS | |BS | | | | |NZS=Queen Alexandra's Mounted Rifles
New Zealand Scottish Squadron|AS=Queen Alexandra's Mounted Rifles
A Squadron|BS=Queen Alexandra's Mounted Rifles
B Squadron|WaWEC=Queen Alexandra's Mounted Rifles
Waikato/Wellington East Coast Squadron|year=1993}}

{{chart|year| | | | | |NZS | |WaWEC| |AS | |BS | | | | |NZS=4th Otago and Southland Battalion Group
New Zealand Scottish Squadron|AS=Queen Alexandra's Mounted Rifles
A Squadron|BS=Queen Alexandra's Mounted Rifles
B Squadron|WaWEC=6th Hauraki Battalion Group
Waikato/Wellington East Coast Squadron|year=1999}}

{{chart|year| | | | | | |!| | |WMR | | |!| | | |!| | | | | |WMR=6th Hauraki Battalion Group
Waikato Mounted Rifles Squadron|year=2003}}

{{chart|year| | | | | | |!| | | |!| | |QAMR |-|-|'| | | | | |QAMR=Queen Alexandra's Mounted Rifles|year=2004}}

{{chart|year| | | | | | |f|~|~|~|t|~|~|NZS | |WEC | | | | |NZS=Queen Alexandra's Mounted Rifles
New Zealand Scottish Squadron|WEC=Queen Alexandra's Mounted Rifles
Wellington East Coast Squadron|year=2011}}

{{chart|year| | | | | | |!| | |WMR | | |!| | | |!| | | | | |WMR=Queen Alexandra's Mounted Rifles
Waikato Mounted Rifles Squadron|year=2012}}

{{chart|year| | | | | |dis | | |!| | | |!| | | |!| | | | | |dis=Disbanded|year=2013}}

{{chart|year| | | | | | | | | | |!| | | |!| | | |!| | | | | |year={{CURRENTYEAR}}}}