SOUTH EAST ASIA VETERANS ASSOCIATION WELCOMES YOU
We are primarily a group who served in South East Asia; we are also advocate for and accept members who served with NZ Forces in Peace Keeping, Operations, Missions, Humanitarian efforts, whether overseas, in conflict or otherwise. Therefore, if you served with NZ Forces or supported them in other ways this Association is for you.
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Although New Zealand has had a military presence in South East Asia for most of the post WWII period, it was not until the disestablishment of the ANZUK Force in 1974, comprising Australian, New Zealand and United Kingdom military personnel, that New Zealand established a self-supporting national presence in the region.
Formally established on 30 January 1974, NZFORSEA was under the direct command of Ministry of Defence in New Zealand. Although NZFORSEA was based in Singapore, its normal area of operation, the territories of Malaysia and Singapore, was identical with its predecessor, the ANZUK Force.
With the Headquarters sited at the Stores Basin area adjacent to the current Sembawang Naval Basin, This was the last major foreign military presence based in Singapore. Total military strength at the time stood at 850 with some 700 dependants. NZFORSEA took over many of British married quarters, recreational and welfare facilities at Nee Soon, Sembawang and Woodlands.
Based at Dieppe Barracks, 1st Battalion Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment (1 RNZIR) was a light infantry battalion with a long history in South East Asia, Originally deployed to South East Asia in 1957, the battalion was first based at Taiping and then Terendak in Malaysia, Nee Soon Camp and Dieppe Barracks in Singapore
Although no Royal New Zealand Navy (RNZN) vessels were permanently based at Singapore, there were frequent deployments of RNZN vessels and a good number of individual RNZN personnel were posted to all of the NZFORSEA units.
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