GALLANTRY AND LEADERSHIP

Press, Volume LXXV, Issue 22876, 24 November 1939, Page 8

GALLANTRY AND LEADERSHIP

GENERAL FREYBERG*S FEATS BRILLIANT CAREER IN ‘ ARMY METEORIC RISE FROM RANKS Conspicuous for his feats of gal. lantry and his leadership ih the Great War, Major-General Bernard C. Freyberg, V.C.. -who has been appointed to command the New Zealand Special Force overseas, has had a brilliant army career. He holds two records—that of the youngest officer to be made a general, and that of reaching a generalship in 18 years. Although not a New Zealander by birth, the commander of the Special Force is a New Zealander by upbringing and education. All his military experience, except for a short time with the revolutionary General Villa in the fighting in Mexico before the Great War, has been with the British Army. For conspicuous gallantry and brilliant leading as battalion commander of the Howe Naval Brigade on the Somme, Major-General Freyberg (then lieutenant-colonel) was awarded the Victoria Cross, the highest honour to be won in the field. By splendid personal gallantry, he carried the initial attack straight through the enemy’s front system of trenches. Owing to mist and heavy fire of all descriptions, his command was much disorganised. After the capture of the first objective, he personally rallied and formed his men. including.men of other units who became intermixed, and inspired all with his own contempt of danger, the official report stated. Attacked Though Wounded At the appointed time, he led the men in a successful assault on this second objective, capturing many prisoners, Duripg the advance he‘ was twice wounded, yet’ he again rallied and reformed the soldiers with him, although tmsupported, in a very advanced position. He held the conquered ground for the remainder of the day and throughout the night in spite of heavy artillery and machine-gun fire. When reinforced in the morning he organised an attack on a stronger fortified village and showed a fine example of dash, personally leading the assault and capturing the village and 500 prisoners. Later in the afternoon he was again severely wounded, but he refused to leave the front line until he had issued final instructions. , ‘•The personality, valour, 'ana utter contempt of danger on the part of this single, officer,” the dispatch announcing the award of the Victoria Cross said, “enabled a lodgment in the most advanced objective of the corps to be permanently held and on this point the line waa «nHjC tually formed.” A Famous Swim ' A feat at the Dardanelles. whenJMk won the Distinguished; Service Oreo;,? had earlier distinguished Major-(R»* eral Freyberg as a very daring soldier. It is perhaps even bettor remembered than the bravery which wot Dim the Victoria Cross. On a frosty, night at Gallipoli, he swam away with' a raft from a destroyer. Naked ane. painted black, he landed near the. Bulair line and lighted flares to mislead the Turks into the belief that an attack was to be made there, whereM the real landing was being staged a* Anzac Cove. < i. He succeeded in drawing the Turkish fire and. showing all those exceptional qualities which have in 25 year* raised him from a ranker to be ins carrier of a general’s baton, he rw>n* noitred the Turkish lines, getting » near to the. enemy lines during m» fearless enterprise that he could hear the Turks talking. . ' Only such a ' notable swimmer as “Tiny” Freyberg was, and so brave* man, could have carried out the expedition successfully. The ruse wß* m _ entire success, the enemy remauuni in the position in which it was intenflJO and hoped by the British and Am»B, commands that they should. MajorGeneral Freyberg was at that time in command of the Howe Naval Brigade, with which he gained higher fame on the Ancre. It was shortly after me famous swim, in which the gallant so*: dier remained in the water for several hours before, being picked up W 1 destroyer, that Colonel the Hon. n. Heaton Rhodes, of “Otahuna. Tai Tapu, lunched with him at Helles. A Dentist Turned Soldier From his boyhood. Major-General Freyberg was. a swimming champion. He was the champion of Wellington College and in 1906 he won the -1“® yards, 440 yards, 880 yards, and one mile national championships of Hew Zealand at Nelson. Four years !*«»- he again won the 100 yards champWw c ship. A dentist by profession, he wa* practising at Levin before going » the United States for further study, ana. while there he was attracted to U» fighting in Mexico. When the Greaj War broke out he w&rt to England a®* joined the West Surrey Regiment, ww*. which he saw service at Antwerp ne- ; fore going to Gallipoli with the Nav« Brigade. His brother. Oscar, who a well-known New Zealand yacht** , man, was killed while mine-sweepiß* at the Dardanelles. _ , _ - After the. war, Major-General xTey berg remained in the Army, in whtc he had a distinguished and meteoric career. Although severely wounncu . in France, he lost none of- his keennraa , for adventure and in 1925 and I" 28 .?, i unsuccessfully attempted to swim English Channel. On his first attexnptj he swam to within 400 yards of m English shore, and war wounds cause® him to give up_ffie_secondjenori-^^ the passing taxpayer., I would Uke know what is going to be done w , the Government building, that Stan as a rusty skeleton in Jean batplace in Auckland, Just off street. Is it to be started again, an filled with officialdom, and then ■ second giant enterprise started,_or the radio station’s influence suflto®“ to supersede everything? These a£|Aa portant questions, not to be “® B ‘‘lt laughable to find the ’ of commercial broadcasting mm*" flying to his own defence, and that because the stations are maiu«* ; some money, then the listeners paying. The profits of the stations _ : from the listeners’ pockets, and m pockets have to be protected. the public pays heavily for ‘ JE* vice it gets, and will pay for this ia^ ; piece of unwarranted extravagance^ "This is not a subject that be allowed to pass by default, eluded Mr Hamilton. “It should p® ■ I viewed by the Government at tnc ; liest possible moment.”