MAJOR-GENERAL SIR JOHN DUIGAN

Evening Post, Volume CXXX, Issue 10, 11 July 1940, Page 13

MAJOR-GENERAL SIR JOHN DUIGAN

The appointment of Chief of the General Staff in. New Zealand has been held by Major-General Sir John Duigan—the first New Zealahder to hold it—since March, 1937, when he succeeded Major-General Sir William Sinclair-Burgess, K.8.E., C.8., C.M.G., D.S.O. Sir John has had a distinguished career on active service and in the Permanent Defence Forces of the Dominion, and has had wide experience in almost every branch of Army work. He was born in New Zealand in 1883 and was educated at Wanganui. He was on active service in South Africa for two years in the ranks of the 2nd Brabant's Horse and 2nd Kitchener's Scouts. For three months he held a commission in the 10th N.Z. Contingent. Upon returning to New Zealand he joined the Permanent Forces and was appointed a cadet in January, 1903. He was granted a commission in 1905 and was promoted Captain four years later. He reached field rank in 1915 and from

October, 1918, -to, July, .1919, held...the temporary rank of Lieutenant-Colonel. He was confirmed in that rank in August, 1919, when he became Chief Staff Officer of the Northern Command. In 1930 he succeeded Colonel Potter as Officer Commanding the Northern Command.

Prior to the outbreak of the Great) War Sir John Duigan held various staff and instructional appointments in Wellington and Auckland. In December, 1915, he was appointed officer commanding the N.Z. Tunnelling Corps and served in that capacity until January, 1917. . He served, for a month as General Staff Officer (third grade) to the N.Z. Infantry Reserve Brigade, and for. the next three months was instructor at the N.Z.E.F. Senior Officers' School, Aldershot.' He was then appointed General Staff Officer (second grade) attached to the 6th Army Corps, British Armies in France. He held various other appointments Until early in 1918, when he. was assigned by the War Office to a special appointment for propaganda work in the United States in connection. with the Liberty Loan. He returned to New Zealand towards the end of 1918 and was appointed Chief Infantry Instructor at Featherston Camp. From July, 1919, until his appointment as Chief of the General Staff he was stationed in the Auckland Province. Sir John specialised in military engineering, which has become of great importance since the mechanisation of the Army, and for a period he attended the Staff College for special instruction' He also studied at Quetta m Baluchistan. He was awarded the. D.S.O. in 1919 and was mentioned in dispatches for his work in the field. In 1936 he was appointed Aide-ac-Camp (additional) to the King. Since the outbreak of the present war Sir John has given valuable service to the Dominion in the orgamsa-. tion of the defences of this country,, in the development of the mobilisation scheme,, and in the .general-fur-therance of the. military side, of New Zealand's war effort. . His appoint-, ment, which had already been extended for a year, expired in March last, but was again extended for a further twelve months.