BRITISH GENERAL’S DEATH.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 December 1922, Page 5

BRITISH GENERAL’S DEATH.

LINK WITH NEW ZEALAND. ADMIRATION FOR “THE DIGGIERS.” By Telegraph.—Press Aasn.—Copyright. Received Dec. 17, 5.5 p.m. London, Dec. 15. The death has occurred of General Sir George Montagu Harper, whose New Zealand division captured Bapaume in August, 1918. He was killed while motoring at Sherborne, Dorsetshire, and his wife was severely injured. His car skidded into an embankment and turned over, pinning General Harper and his wife underneath.—Aus.-N.Z. Cable Association. The late Major-General Harper possessed great admiration for the New Zealand Division, which joined the 4th Army Corps, commanded by him, when they went down to the Somme in 1918 to assist in stemming the German advance, while they also served under his command in some of the bigger battles during the Allied advance in August. His desire to keep the New Zealanders was said at the time to be such that, when the Division came out of the line to rest, he would not let them pass beyond the Corps area into the G.H.Q. reserve, for fear that they might be transferred elsewhere. When the Division did finally leave his command, General Harper issued a special order in which he spoke of the New Zealanders as “a very gallant division, second to none in the British Army,” while he also mentioned the services of a number of officers and non-commis-sioned officer* by name in the body of the order, an honor rarely accorded. General Harper was born on January 11. 1865, and entered the army in 1884, being promoted to the rank of captain in 1892, lieutenant-colonel in 1907 and colonel in 1911. He served in the South African War m 1899-1900, where he was four times mentioned in despatches and received the Queen’s medal and four clasps and the D.S.O. For hi* services in the Great War from 1914 to 1918, General Harper was again mentioned in despatches, appointed a C.B. and a K.C.B. and promoted to the rank which he held at his death, while he was also made a commander of the Legion of Honor. Since 1919 the deceased officer was in charge of the Southern Command in England, with headquarter* at Salisbury.