Keith Lindsay Stewart

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Sir Keith Lindsay Stewart
First World War

Second World War

Awards
Mentioned in Despatches (2)
Officer of the Legion of Merit (United States)
Military Cross
(Greece)
Spouse(s)Rita

Second World Wars and was Chief of the General Staff
of the New Zealand Military Forces from 1949 to 1952.

Born in 1896 in

Korea to assist the United Nations during the Korean War. He retired from the military in 1954 and died in Kawakawa
, in 1972.

Early life

Keith Lindsay Stewart was born in

Wanganui Collegiate.[1]

Military career

In 1914, Stewart entered the Royal Military College, Duntroon in Australia, having passed its entrance exams. He graduated early to volunteer for the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) in 1916.[1]

First World War

Stewart did not embark for the Middle East until June 1917. Most of his war service was in Egypt, where he was the adjutant of the New Zealand Training Units and Depots there. He also spent a period of time with the headquarters of the

Member of the Order of the British Empire for his services. He returned to New Zealand in December 1919 and his service with the NZEF was terminated.[1]

Interwar period

After arriving back in New Zealand, Stewart joined the

South Island of New Zealand, until 1939.[1]

Second World War

Following the outbreak of the

Creforce as Freyberg's Brigadier General Staff.[1] His services on Crete were recognised with the Distinguished Service Order.[3]

Stewart returned to New Zealand in late 1941 to take up an appointment as deputy chief of staff, firstly under Major General

Japanese Empire. He remained in this position for 18 months before returning to the 2NZEF in August 1943 as commander of the 5th Infantry Brigade.[4]

Stewart commanded the brigade through the early stages of the

mentioned in despatches twice during the course of the war as well as being awarded the United States Legion of Merit and the Greek Military Cross.[1]

Postwar career

Stewart returned to New Zealand in July 1945, and was made a

Companion of the Order of the Bath in the 1947 New Year Honours.[6]

In April 1949, Stewart replaced Major General

Korea following the outbreak of the Korean War.[1]

Later life

Stewart retired from the military in 1954 but, in a break with convention, he was not rewarded with a knighthood for his services. This was most likely due to his previous clashes with Holland. He was knighted as a

Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire four years later by the newly elected Labour Government in the 1958 Queen's Birthday Honours.[4] He retired to Northland and died in the small town of Kawakawa on 13 November 1972. He was survived by his wife Rita, who he had married in 1922, and the couple's two children.[1] He is buried in the servicemen's section of Wellington's Karori Cemetery.[7]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i McGibbon, Ian. "Keith Lindsay Stewart". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 20 January 2012.
  2. ^ McClymont, 1959, p. 14
  3. ^ Haigh & Polaschek, 1993, p. 244
  4. ^ a b c McGibbon, 2000, pp. 512–513
  5. ^ Phillips, 1957, p. 63
  6. ^ "No. 37836". The London Gazette (Supplement). 1 January 1948. p. 31.
  7. ^ Fraser, Walter. "Warrior's Walk, Karori Cemetery" (PDF). Wellington City Council. Retrieved 13 July 2016.

References

Military offices
Preceded by
Major General Norman Weir
 Chief of the General Staff
April 1949 – March 1952 		Succeeded by
Major General William Gentry
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