[2] The 26th Battalion was formed at Burnham Camp in Christchurch in May 1940, with volunteers drawn from the Southern Military District, which took in the entirety of the South Island.

[7] In the meantime, the 2nd Echelon, which while in transit to the Middle East had been diverted to England to temporarily strengthen that country's defences, arrived in Egypt to finally complete the 2nd New Zealand Division.

[8] The British Government anticipated an invasion of Greece by the Germans in 1941 and decided to send troops to support the Greeks, who were already engaged against the Italians in Albania.

The 2nd New Zealand Division, now at its full complement, was one of a number of Allied units dispatched to Greece in Operation Lustre during early March.

[9] The 6th Infantry Brigade was tasked with the defence of the coastal portion of the Aliakmon Line in northern Greece, with the 26th Battalion, apart from one company, based at Mount Olympus as the divisional reserve.

[14] The battalion, faced with transportation issues, had to dump much of its supplies[15] and had to march south to rejoin 6th Brigade, which was acting as the rearguard for the 2nd New Zealand Division.

[22] By late May, and after a period of training and refitting at Helwan, the 26th Battalion was back up to full strength and moved to Ismailia, near the Suez Canal.

[25] The battalion continued to train, carrying out exercises involving travelling desert formation, and it received new equipment, including radios, bren carriers and trucks.

Large scale exercises involving several battalions moving in desert formation and practicing attacks on enemy positions.

[26] All this work was in preparation for the 2nd New Zealand Division's role in the upcoming Operation Crusader, which was planned to lift the siege of Tobruk.

While looking for the headquarters of 25th Battalion, Page, traveling in a Bren carrier encountered a German tank and staff car and opened fire.

[40] A period of rebuilding followed the withdrawal of 26th Battalion to Baggush, and Lieutenant Colonel S. Satterthwaite was appointed to take command from the wounded Page on 8 December.

The Allied high command was concerned that the Middle East was at risk from an invasion by the Germans and the New Zealanders were part of the force tasked with blocking their likely route from the Caucasus.

[46] In mid-April, the battalion shifted south to Bekaa Valley, where it worked on defensive positions alongside the rest of 6th Brigade.

The 6th Brigade, now commanded by Brigadier George Clifton, was initially held in reserve before being ordered to man the Kaponga Box at Bab el Qattara.

[51] In the meantime, the Panzer Army Africa had withdrawn to the Mareth Line in Tunisia[52] and following a failed attack by the Germans on the 8th Army at Medenine in early March, the Allied response was for the New Zealanders, along with British and Free French forces, to drive forward to the Tebaga Gap, south of the Mareth Line.

[57] It was not required for the next phase of fighting, a successful attack on the Wadi Akarit Line by 30 Corps, and spent several days resting at Gabes.

[61] The fighting in Tunisia ceased with the formal surrender of the Afrika Korps on 12 May 1943, and the New Zealanders shortly afterwards began returning to Egypt.

[62] On 1 June, they arrived back at Maadi Camp and were greeted with news of the implementation of furlough leave for long serving personnel.

The first draft of 162 men, mostly experienced commissioned and non-commissioned officers and making up nearly a fifth of the battalion's full complement, left for New Zealand on 14 June.

[63] After a period of rest, training resumed in mid-July and this helped newly arrived reinforcements, bringing the battalion up to 780 personnel, integrate with the experienced soldiers.

[70] On 27 November, after a period of poor weather, the brigade forded the river on foot with the 26th Battalion on the left flank, the 25th in the centre, and the 24th on the right.

[71] Although the battalion failed to all of its objectives, Fountaine was satisfied with his command's progress into the hills on the far side of the river, and they had taken 30 prisoners of war, mostly Polish and Russian conscripts from the 65th Infantry Division.

One man received the United States Bronze Star and numerous personnel, including the original commander of the battalion, were mentioned in dispatches.

[76] The 26th Battalion was awarded the following battle honours: Mount Olympus, Servia Pass, Olympus Pass, Molos, Greece 1941, Crete, Maleme, Galatas, 42nd Street, Withdrawal to Sphakia, Middle East 1941–44, Tobruk 1941, Sidi Rezegh 1941, Sidi Azeiz, Belhamed, Alam Hamza, Mersa Matruh, Minqar Qaim, Defence of Alamein Line, Ruweisat Ridge, El Mreir, Alam el Halfa, El Alamein, El Agheila, Nofilia, Medinine, Tebaga Gap, Point 201 (Roman Wall), El Hamma, Enfidaville, Takrouna, Dejbel Terhouna, Djebel es Stafi, Djebibina, North Africa 1940–43, The Sangro, Castel Frentano, Orsogna, Cassino I, Cassino Railway Station, Arezzo, Advance to Florence, Cerbala, San Michele, Paula Line, Celle, Faenza Pocket, Rio Fontanaccia, St. Angelo in Salute, Pisciatello, The Senio, Santerno Crossing, Bologna, Sillaro Crossing, Idice Bridgehead, Italy 1943–45.