SIR G. RICHARDSON

Wairarapa Times-Age, 13 June 1938, Page 7

SIR G. RICHARDSON

♦ SUDDEN DEATH ON SATURDAY END OF NOTABLE CAREER (By Telegraph—Press Association.) AUCKLAND, June 12. The death of Major-General Sir George Richardson, former General Officer in Charge of the Administration of the New Zealand Military Forces a former Administrator of Western Samoa, and deputy-mayor of Auckland occurred with tragic suddenness at his home at Remuera on Saturday afternoon. He was in his seventieth year. Until the day before his death Sir George was active in conducting the business of the city council. He attended a meeting of the council on Thursday night and on Friday afternoon he was associated with the town clerk, Mr J. Melting, at the Town Hall. He was in his normal state of health on Saturday’afternoon when he returned to rest upon a couch at his home, but a little later he was found dead, heart failure being the cause. He will be accorded a military and civic funeral from St Mary’s Cathedral on Tuesday afternoon. Sir George is survived by Lady Richardson, three sons, and two daughters.

“As far as the returned soldiers are concerned, we have lost our greatest friend,” said Mr J. W. Kendall, president of the Auckland Returned Soldiers’ Association. “It did not matter when he was called upon for either material assistance or advice, he was always willing to do everything he could for the returned men. Sir George has been our patron for several years, and every man holds him in the greatest esteem. Personally, I feel I have lost a great friend and a valued adviser. Our deep sympathy goes out to Lady Richardson and the family.”

Sir George Richardson’s career has been a notable one. Early in life he started on a commercial career at Northhampton, but this did not appeal to him, and at the age of 18 he commenced a life of adventure by enlisting in the Royal Garrison Artillery at Woolwich. For 16 years he served in the ranks, eventually rising to the position of master gunner, and, after serving with his regiment at Gibraltar, was recommended for special promotion. He returned to England and went through the “long course in gunnery” at Shoeburyness, where he passed top of his class, and shortly afterward was recommended to the New Zealand Government as a gunnery instructor. He arrived here in 1891. The term of his appointment was for three years, but at the end of that period he was reappointed, the artillery units having shown a marked improvement under his tuition. He was eventually promoteded from master gunner to a commission in the New Zealand Artillery, and his feet were on the upward rungs of promotion. In 1907, after 21 years’ service, he retired from the Imperial Army, and was appointed to the New Zealand Defence Force with the permanent rank of captain. Qualifying in 1911 for admission to the Camberley Staff College, he proceeded to England for further instruction, obtaining the Staff College certificate. While still in England he was promoted to major, and a few months before the commencement of the Great War he was appointed New Zealand representative at the War Office in succession to General Sir Alfred Robin. After hostilities had commenced Major Richardson was sent to organise a force of 25,000 men for the defence of Antwerp, and for this service was promoted lieutenant-colonel. He served for a while under General French, but was sent back to England to help in refitting the Naval Division for Gallipoli, and he sailed with that force as quarter-master-general. After further promotion he was transferred at the request of the New Zealand Government in 1917 to the position of General Officer Commanding the Dominion’s Forces in the United Kingdom, in which office he did conspicuous administrative work. After the war he returned to New Zealand as General Officer in Charge of Administration, a position which he occupied from 1919 to 1923.

After the demobilisation of the Expeditionary Force, Sir George was. in 1923, appointed Administrator of the mandated territory of Western Samoa for a term of three years, at the conclusion of which he was requested to continue in office for a further term. He left Samoa early in 1928 and represented New Zealand at the League of Nations in Geneva. He then returned to Auckland, where he interested himself in the welfare of the unemployed, and specially the ex-service men.