Browsing by Author "Mawdsley, Shaun"

Now showing 1 - 2 of 2
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    'Fighting reputations' : combat effectiveness in the Western Desert campaign : a comparison of the 9th Australian and 2nd New Zealand Divisions, 1941-1942 : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in History at Massey University, Albany, New Zealand. EMBARGOED to 19 January 2026.
    (Massey University, 2022) Mawdsley, Shaun
    Few Second World War campaigns have garnered the attention of the Western Desert campaign of 1940-1942, and it has spawned hundreds of publications. The international composition of the British Eighth Army was a distinguishing feature of the campaign, and Australia and New Zealand’s participation received great interest both during the conflict and in the decades since its end. Much of this has centred upon the 9th Australian and 2nd New Zealand Divisions, which played critical roles in famous battles, like Tobruk, Sidi Rezegh, and El Alamein. Despite this, there has been a distinct lack of transnational analysis concerning both Australian and New Zealand performances in the campaign. In a similar vein, there exists many combat effectiveness studies, however their focus remains broad and covers both historical and contemporary topics for historical and predictive purposes. No study has utilised combat effectiveness as the main discursive methodological tool of analysis in the Western Desert campaign, and still none have assessed combat effectiveness at the divisional-level. This thesis identifies the major themes that governed combat effectiveness in the Western Desert by canvassing primary and secondary sources and combines various approaches to create a holistic framework and definition of divisional-level combat effectiveness in the campaign. It employs the 9th Australian and 2nd New Zealand Divisions as vehicles for analysis across environmental, operational, organisational, and intangible elements of combat spanning seven case studies –– Tobruk, Operation Crusader, Minqar Qaim, First Alamein, and Second Alamein, with the last two separated into Australian and New Zealand chapters. The research reveals that despite similar origins, the two Divisions underwent divergent combat experiences. Their different operational roles coincided with the dissimilar character of the Divisions’ commanders, both of whom influenced their respective formation’s organisational learning abilities. Nevertheless, the thesis found that common elements remained crucial to determining combat effectiveness at the divisional-level, however it also challenges long-held ideas of how and why the two Divisions adapted to battlefield conditions, and just how successful (or not) they were in doing so. It results in a more accurate analysis of the two Divisions’ capabilities, and ultimately, their fighting reputations.
  • Thumbnail Image
    Item
    'With the utmost precision and team play' : the 3rd New Zealand Division and Operation 'Squarepeg' : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts i(Defence & Strategic Studies)
    (Massey University, 2013) Mawdsley, Shaun
    This thesis examines the influences and course of the 3rd New Zealand (NZ) Division’s preparations for Operation ‘Squarepeg’ in the Green Islands, in February 1944. It argues that as the largest New Zealand amphibious operation of the Second World War, ‘Squarepeg’ holds a key place in identifying the development of amphibious and jungle warfare doctrine within the New Zealand Army during the war. As such, it can indicate the abilities of the 3rd NZ Division to conduct combat operations in the South Pacific in 1944. The thesis shows that the New Zealand Army was unprepared for operations in the South Pacific, as it had neglected relevant inter-war developments. The hasty formation of the 3rd NZ Division in 1942, as a response to Japanese expansion in the South Pacific, served to highlight the challenges that the division and its commander, Major-General Harold Barrowclough, had to overcome. The studying of foreign doctrine to supplement the dearth of New Zealand material was vital for the 3rd NZ Division’s preparations for deployment. The thesis finds that matters were compounded by the influence of British military organisational standards despite the division operating in an American-run theatre of war. It provides details of the manner in which members of the division approached these issues while coordinating operations with the United States Navy. The importance of thorough training, a combined planning process, and stable relationships between commanders of all forces are identified as decisive factors to the outcome of operations in joint-combined theatres. The thesis concludes that the 3rd NZ Division’s preparations for Operation ‘Squarepeg’ were part of an incremental process of operational learning. This process, which was mostly successful, was unable to be properly tested on account of the division’s reliance on foreign assistance, lack of resources, and a lack of domestic support. These findings may prove an important source of information for a region which will become of increasing military importance.