MILITARY FORCES

Camp News, Volume 3, Issue 106, 23 January 1942, Page 5

MILITARY FORCES

Brigadier Cunningham To Be Major-General

COMMAND IN FIJI

Senior Appointments And Promotions

The appointment of Brigadier W. H. Cunningham, C.8.E., D. 5.0., V.D., as general officer commanding in Fiji with the temporary rank of Major-General while "holding such appointment, is announced' m the Gazette published last evening He relinquishes- the appointment of Commander, Bth Brigade Group. The Gazette also contains a large Plumber of' othei;. military .appoint jnents affecting the higher ranks of "the Second -New Zealand Expeditionary Force.

Lieutenant-Colonel (temp. Brigadier) A. S. Wilder, D. 5.0., M.C., V.D.. Central Infantry', relinquishes ..command of N.Z. Training . Group, Maadi Camp, and is ippointed to command the sth N.Z. Infantry Brigade, vice Brigadier J. Hardest, D. 5.0.. M.C., V.D., reported as missing. !

Lieutenant-Colonel H. K. - Kippen tierget, I) 5.0., Southern Infantry, relinquishes command of the 20th N.Z. Battalion, is appointed to command N.Z Training Group, Maadi Camp. He holds he temporary rank of Brigadier while in command of the camp. /

Lieutenant-Colonel S. F. Allen, ,Gen tral Infantry, relinquishes command of Central Infantry Training Depot, and is appointed to command 21st N.Z. Bat tailion. vice Lieutenant-Colonel J. M Allen, killed in action. *-

Lieutenant-Colonel C. E. Weir, N.Z Artillery, relinquishes command of 6th N.Z. Field R giment, and is ’appointed C.R.A., N.Z Division, vice Brigadier R Miles, D. 5.0., M.C., posted as missing He is gi anted the- temporary rank of Colonel while acting as C.R.A.

Lieuteiiant-Cfilonel K. W. R.. Glasgow. N.Z. Artillery, relinquishes command of 14th N.Z. Light Anti-aircraft Regiment, and is appointed to command sth N.Z Field Regiment, vice- Lieutenant-Colonel K. W. Fraser, posted as missing. Lieutenant-Colonel C. L. Walter, N.Z Artillery, relinquishes command of N.Z Artillery Training Depot, and is appointed to command 6th N.Z. Field Re(p ment.

Major (temp. . Lieutenant-Colonel) S M. Satterthwaite,. Central Infantry, re linquishes the appointment of Gemral Spiff Officer^.( Duties), Headquar :ers. 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force, is appointed to command 26th N.Z Battalion,-—vice Lieutenant-Colonel J. R Page, posted as missing. Li' utenant-Colonel A. W. Grevihe. Central Infantry, relinquishes the appointment of second in command, 22nd N. Battalion, and is appointed to commaud 24th N.Z. Battalion, vice Lieuten-ant-Colonel C. Shuttleworth, posted as missing.

Major (temporary Lieutenant-Colonel) J. M. Mitchell. N.Z. Artillery, relinquishes! the appointment of second in command, 4th N.Z. Field Regiment, and is appointed to command 7th N.Z. Anti Tank Regiment, vice Lieutenant-Co>ne' T. 11. E. Oakes, M.C., killed in action. Lieutenant-Colonel J. T. Burrows South Infantry. relinquishes command of Southern Infantry Training Depot, and is appointed to command 20th N.Z. Battalion. Majdr G. J. O. Stewart. D.S.O, N.Z. Artillery, relinquishes the appointment of second in command, N.Z. Artillery Training Depot, and is appointed to com maud N.Z. Artillery Training Depot. Major I). A. Carty (temporary Lieu tenant-Colonel), N.Z. Artillery, relinquishes the appointment of second in command, 14th N.Z. Light Anti-aircraft Regiment, and is appointed to command 14th N-.Z. Light Anti-aircraft Regiment. Major .1. D. Armstrong, Central Infantry, relinquishes the appointment of Brigade Major. N.Z. Training Group Maadi Camp . is appointed Brigade Major, sth N.Z. Infantry Brigade, vice Captain (temporary Major) T. W. Straker, reported as missing.

Major T. C. V. Rabone. N.Z. Railway ruction and Maintenance Group, re linquishes command of 10th N.Z. Railway Construction Company, is appointed to command N.Z. Engineer and Ordnance Training Depot. ' - ;

The .promotion of Lieutenant-Colonel W. G. Gentry. N.Z. Engineers, General Staff Officer,'lst Grade, 2nd N.Z. Division. to the rank of colonel is also announced 11 .

Major J. N. Peart, Northern Infantry Major (temporary ' Lieutenant-Colonel) G. L. Agar. 0.8. E., N.Z. Divisional Sig nals, and Major (temp. Lieutenant-Col-olel) S. F. Hartnell. Central Infantry, are all promoted to the rank of lieuten-ant-colonel. Lieutenant-Colonel L. Potter. N.Z.S.C.. is granted the ' temporary rank of brigadier while holding the appointment of commander, 14th Infantry Brigade. . Lieutenant-Colonel L. G. Goss N.Z.S.C.. is appointed commander, Sth Infantry Brigade, and is granted the temporary rank of brigadier while hold • iitg such appointment. Major W. Murphy, M.C., N.Z.S.C., ispromoted lieutenant-colonel, and is ap I pointed General Staff Officer, Ist. Grad '-th Brigade Group. Major G. 11. Tomline, M.C., -is pro moted lieutenant-colonel, and is appoint ed' commanding officer, 35th Infantry (Mixed) Battalion. Major-General Cunningham is a wellknown Wellington lawyer, being a mem-j ber of the firm of Luke, Cunningham, and Clere. He had a distinguished career in the last 5 war. ’Educated at Wanganui College, he was admitted as a solicitor in 1907, and as a barrister in 1912. For some time he was in practice in Wanganui. -

On the outbreak., of war in 1914, he volunteered for service, and left New Zealand with the Main Body. He served throughout the war, being promoted in March. 1916, to the rank of lieut.-colonel, and to the command of the Second Battalion Wellington Regiment. He was wounded at Gallipoli, was four times mentioned in dispatches, and received the award of the Distinguished Service Order and the Order Of St. Stanislaus (Rus sian), Third .Class, for his war service.

Major-General Cunningham returned to New Zealand in January, 1919, and

was appointed Crown Solicitor in Wanganui shortly afterward, ! and continued as Crown solicitor till February, 1929, when he joined Mr. Arthur Luke in Wellington on the elevation of his partner, the lion. Mr. Justice Kennedy, to the Supreme Court Bench. He was appointed Crown Prosecutor in Wellington in 1936. He was a member of the council of the Wellington District Law Society for several years, and has served a term as president. He was an honorary aide-de-camp to Viscount Bledisloe during his period of office as Governor-General of New Zealand.