ARMY CHANGES

Camp News, Volume 3, Issue 112, 6 March 1942, Page 5

ARMY CHANGES

Brigadier O. H. Mead To Be Major-General COMMAND IN FIJI Representatives Abroad Important Army promotions an appointments were announced last evening by the Minister of Defence, Mr. Jones. He also announced that 57. officers and 62 non-com-missioned officers of all arms from the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the Middle East, including some senior officers, were on their way. to New Zealand and would be employed at schools of instruction and in units where their recent experience of modern war would be of the greatest value in the defence of the country. Brigadier O. 11. Mead, C.8.E., D.S 0., relinquishes the appointment of Officer Commanding, Southern Military District, and is promoted to

the temporary rank of Major-General, and will relieve Major-General W. 11. Cunningham, C.8.E., D.S 0., V.D., in command of the land forces in Fiji. General Cunningham; who has had a long period of service in Fiji, returns to New Zealand on leave. Colonel N. A. Row, D. 5.0., re-, linquishes command of an infantry brigade in New Zealand and is appointed to command a brigade in Fiji with the temporary rank of- Brigadier, in place of Brigadier L. G Goss, who is appointed Liaison Officer for special duties in connexion with operations in the, Anzac Area. Colonel E. T. Rowllings relinquishes command of an infantry brigade in New Zealand and is appointed temporarily to command the Southern District, with the temporary rank of Brigadier. Colonel It. S. Park is appointed New Zealand Army Representative on the Joint Planning Staff, London, in addition to his present duties as Army Liaison Officer, London, and is granted the temporary rank of Brigadier. He will be assisted in his liaison duties by Lieutenant-Colonel R. S. Halliwell from the Quartermaster-General’s branch. Army Headquarters • Colonel A B Williams, D. 5.0., is granted the temporary lank of Briga-

ilier and appointed Army representative on the Combined British and American Staff at Washington. Commenting on these appointments, Mr. Jones said that the .change in command in Fiji had been made because General Cunningham had had a long period of service in a tropical climate and it was considered unwise to run the risk of his health deteriorating by keeping him there for a‘further period. Fiji had been strongly reinforced and the consequent reorganization had been completed. General Cunningham had had a heavy task in organizing the forces and defences in Fiji and had done excellent work, entitling him to a well-deserved rest. The appointments of Army representatives abroad were made to give New Zealand direct Army representation in London, Washington and Australia, 1 where matters of high strategy would be discussed. It was one of the steps toward complete co-operation and coi ordination in the Allied conduct of 1 the war as a whole.