7 ▁New ▁Zealand ers ▁were ▁killed ▁and ▁ 4 1 , 3 1 7 ▁were ▁wounded ▁during ▁the ▁war — a ▁ 5 8 ▁percent ▁cas ual ty ▁rate . ▁Appro xim ately ▁a ▁further ▁thousand ▁men ▁died ▁within ▁five ▁years ▁of ▁the ▁war ' s ▁end , ▁as ▁a ▁result ▁of ▁inj uries ▁sust ained , ▁and ▁ 5 0 7 ▁died ▁whilst ▁training ▁in ▁New ▁Zealand ▁between ▁ 1 9 1 4 ▁and ▁ 1 9 1 8 . ▁New ▁Zealand ▁had ▁one ▁of ▁the ▁highest ▁cas ual ty — and ▁death — r ates ▁per ▁cap ita ▁of ▁any ▁country ▁involved ▁in ▁the ▁war . ▁ ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁ ▁In ▁World ▁War ▁II ▁the ▁ 2 nd ▁Division ▁fought ▁in ▁Greece , ▁Cre te , ▁the ▁Western ▁Des ert ▁Camp aign ▁and ▁the ▁Italian ▁Camp aign . ▁Among ▁its ▁units ▁was ▁the ▁f amed ▁ 2 8 th ▁M ā ori ▁Battalion . ▁Following ▁Japan ' s ▁entry ▁into ▁the ▁war , ▁ 3 rd ▁Division , ▁ 2 ▁N ZE F ▁IP ▁( in ▁Pacific ) ▁saw ▁action ▁in ▁the ▁Pacific , ▁se izing ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁islands ▁from ▁the ▁Japanese . ▁New ▁Zealand ers ▁contributed ▁to ▁various ▁Al lied ▁special ▁forces ▁units , ▁such ▁as ▁the ▁original ▁Long ▁Range ▁Des ert ▁Group ▁in ▁North ▁Africa ▁and ▁Z ▁Force ▁in ▁the ▁Pacific . ▁ ▁As ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁prepar ations ▁for ▁the ▁possible ▁out break ▁of ▁war ▁in ▁the ▁Pacific , ▁the ▁def ensive ▁forces ▁station ed ▁in