TERRITORIAL ARMY

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22350, 22 February 1936, Page 13

TERRITORIAL ARMY

NEW DIRECTOR-GENERAL SIR WALTER KIRKE'S POST British Wireless KUGBY, Feb. 20 Lieutenant-General Sir Walter Kirke has been appointed Director-General of the Territorial Army, in succession to Lieutenant-General Sir Charles Bon-ham-Carter, the new governor of Malta. In military circles the comment is made that the appointment of Sir Walter comes at a time when the Territorial Army is assuming ever-increas-ing responsibility for the defence of the country. Satisfaction is expressed that he brings to his new post an intimate knowledge of the Territorial Army, with which he has been closely associated during the three years in which he has been General Officer Commanding-in-Chief Western Command.

Lieutenant-General Sir Walter Kirke was born in January, 1877, son of the late Colonel St. George Kirke. He was educated at Haileybury, and at the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, and entered the Royal Artillery in 1896. He reached his present rank in 1931. He served all through the Great War and was mentioned in despatches six times.

Sir Walter was Deputy-Director of Military Operations, 1918-22; Colonel on the General Staff at Aldershot, 1922-24; head of the British naval, military and air force mission to Finland, i 924-25; president of the InterAllied Commission of Investigation for Hungary, and in 1926-29 deputy-chief of the General Staff in India. He was commander of the sth Division and Catterick area, 1929-31. Since 1933 Sir Walter has been General Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Western Command, and since 1934, Colonel Commandant of she Royal Artillery.