BRIGADE COMMANDER

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 84, Issue 16, 19 January 1940, Page 4

BRIGADE COMMANDER

SERVICE IN GREAT WAR RAPID RISE TO HIGH RANK The militaiy record dating the* Great War of Colonel J. Hargest, who has been appointed commanding officer of the Fifth Infantry Brigade of the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force, was a distinguished one. Leaving the Dominion with the Main Body with the rank of secondTeutenant. to whic.i he was appointed on August 5. 1914. he rose to lieuten-ant-colonel in command of the 2nd. Battalion of the Otago Regiment at the early age of 26 years. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Order and the Mi’itary Ci *s.

Colonel Haigest was born in Gor and he spent his early life farming i the Mandeville district. On the ou’ break of the Great War he left th Dominion with the Otago Mounte Rifles. He served in Egypt and wg patrol officer to the regiment. At th Suvla Bay battle in August, 1915, h was wounded in the leg early m th action, but he carried through to h objective, and was the only officer c his squadron to survive the attack. H was invalided to Egypt and back t New Zealand late in 1915. Recognition of Work Leaving the Dominion again early i 1916, he rejoined the division in Egyp and transferred to the Otago Infanti Regiment. He was promoted captai just before the Battle of Summe i command of the 10th. (Norin Otago Company, and led it in two succes. ful attacks in that battk. He w; awarded the Military Cross and r» ceived rapid promotion to majoi, an was appointed second in command < the battalion. In the preparations for the Batt' of Messines in June, 1917. Major Hai gest was placed in charge of all th work in the forward area. v. .rich i undertook with marked success. I March. 1918, he was temporal iiy con mandmg the Ist. battalion Alien U division was ordered south from Yprc to assist in stemming the Geniun a' vance after it had crushed the Britis Uh. Army. Commander's Thanks Major Hargest commanded tiie bai talion at Bapaume and Harnincai Wood. At the former the battalio was personally thanked by the divi sional commander, General oir Am rew Russell, for its achievement: Major Hargest was then iranslerrc to the 2nd. Otago Battalion with th rank of lieutenant-colonel and led i until the end of the war. Returning to New Zealand Liei tenant-Colonel Hargest spent sever, months in hospital at Rotorua, an then purchased property at Rakat hauka, where he now lives. He coir manded the Southland Regiment fc about six years, and then the 3rd. Ii fantry Brigade for four years until h enteied Pailipment in 1931 as membe for Invercargill. He transferred to tl Awarua seat in 1935, and still repn sents it in Parliament.