raised and equipped with armour in New Zealand and the first New Zealand armoured unit to be deployed operationally overseas. War correspondent and 2NZEF staff officer Geoffrey Cox described the men of the Div Cav he saw fighting in Crete like this: "They were mostly farmers, brown-faced, weather-beaten men, sinewy and fit, with at their head the huge figure of their commander, Major John Russell. Had the 2nd New Zealand Division run to an elite force the Divisional Cavalry would have been a candidate for that title." The Div Cav provided many of the original volunteers for what was to become the Long Range Desert Group, amongst whom was at least one former WMR trooper. Back in New Zealand in November 1941 it was decided that the mounted rifles regiments were to be reconstituted as armoured units and organised along the lines of a divisional cavalry unit, with armoured cars, Bren carriers and lorries. Much to the chagrin of those concerned, they were redesignated as 'Light Armoured Fighting Vehicle Regiments'. WMR thus became the 4th Light Armoured Fighting Vehicle (4 LAFV) regiment, based at Ngāruawāhia Camp near Hamilton. With the entry of the Japanese into the war in December 1941, the TF was mobilised for home defence. The New Zealand Armoured Corps was formed on 1 January 1942 (the ‘Royal’ prefix was not granted until 12 July 1947). The first Stuart tanks, 24 in all, arrived in New Zealand in June 1942. The following month personnel from each LAFV regiment were sent to the New Zealand Armoured Fighting Vehicle School at Waiouru Military Camp to take part in training on the new tanks, more of which arrived in October. In November further developments took place with each unit being designated as either an armoured regiment with a mix of Stuart and valentine tanks, or a reconnaissance regiment with Stuart tanks, Beaverette armoured cars and carriers. In the process, and much to their satisfaction, the units regained their old titles. It took until 1943 to implement these changes. From April 1943 onwards the mounted rifles regiments were called upon to provide personnel for the reinforcement drafts for units overseas, mainly being the 18th, 19th and 20th Armoured Regiments that were equipped with M4 Sherman tanks in the 4th New Zealand Armoured Brigade in Italy. This service was recognised at the end of the war when the Auckland, Waikato and North Auckland