13th (North Canterbury and Westland) Regiment
The 13th (North Canterbury and Westland) Regiment was a territorial infantry regiment of the New Zealand Military Forces. It was formed in 1911 from various volunteer corps raised during the second half of the nineteenth century. Men from the regiment saw combat in the First World War as part of the Canterbury Infantry Regiment. It was amalgamated with the 12th (Nelson and Marlborough) Regiment to form the 2nd Battalion, Canterbury Regiment in 1921, which was redesignated as the 1st Battalion, Nelson, Marlborough and West Coast Regiment in 1923. History In 1859 the Governor of New Zealand defined the Christchurch Military district and by 1861 six companies had been formed in the district. Over the course of the following five decades a large number of volunteer corps were raised and disbanded in Canterbury. In 1886 the Canterbury-based corps were grouped together into the 1st Battalion, Canterbury Rifle Volunteers, although the battalion was disestablished 2 years later. The battalion organisation returned in 1895, this time called the Canterbury Battalion of Infantry Volunteers, which was retitled as the North Canterbury Battalion of Infantry Volunteers in 1897, when the South Canterbury corps were detached and formed their own battalion. Men from the North Canterbury