HIGH PROMOTION,

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 887, 5 August 1910, Page 5

HIGH PROMOTION,

■ ——»— —— IMPERIAL APPOINTMENT FOR : COL. DAVIES. TO-COMMANDI A BRIGADE. DIRECTOR OF MILITARY OPBa£'"''" v TIONS SELECTED. Several important military announces ments were made- by the 'Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward) in the House yesterday. Sir Joseph remarked first of all that Colonel R. H. Davies, C.8., InspectorGeneral of the New Zealand Defence Forces, had been offered ; an appointment" by the War Office to take charge of a-' brigade at Aldorshot, and the consent of . the Government of New Zealand had .... been given to enable him to accept tho * appointment. Ho.had no doubt but that members would be very pleased to hear that such an important position had been, offered to a New Zealander.. It must be a very encouraging fact. /In view of the circumstance that Colonel Davies was a soldier it was felt by the Government , that it would not be right to stand in I '' his way. ' Mr. Rhodes: Is it for a term of yearefo ... Sir Joseph: I don't know. ' '"'"" Sir Joseph Ward also announced that Captain J. T. • Burnett-Stuart, D,S.O. •—. (London Rifle Brigade)' had been appointed Director of Military Operations and Intelligence, and Lieut.-Colonel E. S. Heard, Northumberland •. Fusiliers, p had been ' appointed Director '•' of Military . Training. The selection of a Commandant of the Forces had not yet been made,-!;_. but efforts were being made to secure, a suitable man, and the name of one gentleman in particular was under consideration. '._■'.. •..0.7 Mr. Massev (Leader of the Opposition) - ' • 6aid that while it was : gratifying ' that Colonel Davies had secured such an important appointment a great majority of the people of the Country would be sorry ■ to lose him, because he was one of the very best officers this country had.everi',''.' had in connection with its Defence Department, .■■'-'. COLONEL DAVIES'S,CAREER, Colonel Richard Hutton- Davies, . C.8.,.., Inspector-General of' the New Zealand >"'•' Defence Forces, is a distinguished. Now Zealander. Originally trained as a surveyor, he made a hobby of volunteering, his first commission being" in the Hawera Mounted Rifles, being gazetted lieutenant: ',- in April, 1895, and captain two. months •' later. Ho was appointed Instructor :of Mounted Rifles for the North' Island in 1899, and in the same year ho volunteered for service in South , Africa, and, was; .. gazetted major in the New Zealand' '' Militia.. During three years' service-in Africa, ho took part. in tho relief of / Kimberley, the operations in the Orango Free State (February-May, 1900), actions at Houtnek,'Vet River/:,Zand ' River j.KJ operations in tho Transvaal (May, and June, 1900), including actions at Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Diamond Hill. He v was also present during the engagements in and around Colesburg (January 1February 7). His commands included- ■ the third N.Z.M.R. (May 20-Juno- 29, 1900); fourth N.Z.M.R. (June-July, 1901); eighth N.Z.M.R. (March-May,' 1902); and,later, a mobile field column. He...was. . twice mentioned in dispatches (Queen's medal, five clasps, and King's medal,"two clasps). He gained his lieutenantcolonelcy (N.Z.M.) in 1900, and in 1902 was l awarded a brevet, being gazetted colonel four years'later, upon his appointment as Inspector-General of; the ,New Zealand Forces. Colonel Davies, has , just concluded a period of twelve months' training in England, during which period ho has drawn full salary, DIRECTOR OF MILITARY <n " OPERATIONS; Captain J. T. Burnett-Stuart, . tlrß newly-appointed Director.,. of Military Operations, is at present on tho of the Fonrth Battalion of the Riflo Brigade(tho Prince Consort's Own),, now in Egypt. He is a graduate of the Staff College, and has aku qualified as an interpreter of French (second class). He saw service with his battalion in South s Africa, and was awarded a D.5.0., for .gallantry in the field. ..- , . •~. .