Otago and Southland Regiment
The Otago and Southland Regiment (1948-2012) was a Territorial Force unit of the New Zealand Army. It saw service from 1959 to 1963 during the Malayan Emergency.[1][2] In 1964 the unit was renamed the 4th Otago and Southland Battalion Group.[3] The Regiments motto was Kia Mate Toa (Fight unto Death) and Regimental Belt had the Mackenzie Tartan pattern of the Queen's Own Highlanders. The regimental badge uniquely contained a full Māori chief.[4][3]
Not to be confused with Otago Infantry Regiment (NZEF).The Otago and Southland Regiment
1948–2012
Infantry
- Pibroch O Donuil Dubh
- The Girl I Left Behind
- Invercargill
Infantry Day – 23 October
It was originally formed by the amalgamation of the Otago Regiment and Southland Regiment.[5] In turn, those two regiments were the heirs of the original 4th (Otago Rifles) Regiment, 10th (North Otago) Regiment, 8th (Southland Rifles) Regiment and 14th (South Otago) Regiment formed in the early 1900s.
The regiment become a TF battalion of the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment in 1964 during the reorganisation of the army. This was until the later reorganisation of 1999, which saw the TF battalions split from the RNZIR to become multi-function battalion groups. The Otago and Southland Regiment became the 4th Otago and Southland Battalion Group, with the following unit types:
In December 2012 4th Otago and Southland Battalion Group merged with 2nd Canterbury (Nelson, Marlborough, West Coast) Battalion Group to form 2/4 Battalion.[6]
