Young Deputy Army Chief For N.Z.

Grey River Argus, 2 April 1948, Page 3

Young Deputy Army Chief For N.Z.

WELLINGTON, April 1 The appointment has been approved by the Minister of Deience, Mr F. Jones, of Colonel Leonard Whitmore, Thornton. N.Z.A., 0.H.L., to the position of Deputy Chief of the General Staff. He succeeds Colonel J. I. Brooke, who becomes director oi cadets and rifle clu£s. Colonel Thornton s rise to prominence in the army has been meteoric and at the age of 31 he is probably the youngest D.C.G.S. in the history of the New Zealand Army. Colonel Thornton was born in Christchurch and educated at the Christchurch Boys’ High Schoo). Awarded a cadetsnip at the Royal Military College, Duntroon, he gaineci the King’s Medal as the best cadet of his year on graduation in 1937. He was'eommissioned as a lieutenant in the Royal New Zealand lirtillery and on the outbreak of war in 1939 was seconded to I.h& Fifth Field Regiment, Second N.Z.E.F. He was second in command of the Twenty-sixth Battery, Fourth Field Regiment, during the campaign in Greece, and commanded the guns during ‘he notable rearguard action south of Peneios gorge on April 18, 194 L AT EL ALAM EIN At El Alamein he was second in command of the latter regiment, but during the landing in Itaiy ana the campaigns immeaiatcly following he was back with the Filth Field Regiment as commanding otlicer with tne rank of lieutenant-colonel. He subsequently held a number of staff appointments and on June 26, 1945, was appointed to the commana of the artillery of the Second N.Z.E.F., with the temporary rank of brigadier. While he was with the Second N.Z.E.F. he was awarded the 0.8. E. and also mentioned in aespatches. At the conclusion 01 the ..war Colonel Thornton was appointed commander of a 8.C.0.F. sub-area in Tokio and on his return to New Zealand he became director of operations and intelligence. While overseas, he married Miss Jan Sloman, who was then a member of the W.A.A.C., and they have two children.