MAJOR-GENERAL MEAD

Auckland Star, Volume LXXIII, Issue 177, 29 July 1942, Page 4

MAJOR-GENERAL MEAD

THE manner of the announcement that Major-General O. H. Mead and k . ,f u°i th u. ers a^ e missin g on an overseas flight unfortunately gives but slight hope that they will yet be found. New Zealanders generally will share the deep regret expressed by the Minister of Defence at the apparent loss of a senior officer who had given fine service to the Jjorrnnir,n. General Mead was one of the officers whose part it was during the long years of public indifference to the needs of defence to carry on with such funds and assistance as were available. Thev had l nsl f r . e that 'f and whenever war came again, necessitating a large and rapid expansion of the land defence forces, there would be a sound basis on which to build. War did come, and New Zealand's achievement on the military side in the last three years is sufficient ♦ n ? any of . the military needs were correctly foreseen and that the efforts to meet them were skilfully guided. The high point of Genera Mead s career came when, last February, he was appointed Geneial Officer Commanding the N.Z.E.F., Pacific Section. It was such an opprirtun ty as he would have wished, and when the full story can be told it will be found that he was equal to it. His loss at this time Is the more severe because senior officers cf his quality and experience cannot be made In a few months, or even years.