Chief of Army (New Zealand)

Summary

Chief of Army (CA) is the effective commander of the New Zealand Army, responsible to the Chief of Defence Force (CDF) for raising, training and sustaining those forces necessary to meet agreed government outputs. The CA acts as principal advisor to the CDF on Army matters, though for operations the Army's combat units fall under the command of the Land Component Commander, Joint Forces New Zealand. The rank associated with the position is major general, and CAs are generally appointed on a three-year term.[1]

Chief of Army
Incumbent
John Boswell
since 1 September 2018
 New Zealand Army
StyleMajor General
AbbreviationCA
Member ofNew Zealand Defence Force
Reports toChief of Defence Force
Term lengthThree years,
renewable
Formation7 December 1910
First holderMaj Gen Sir Alexander Godley

The position was originally formed as Commandant and General Officer Commanding the New Zealand Military Forces in 1910, changing to Chief of the General Staff in 1937 and, finally, CA in 2002.[2] Major General John Boswell, the incumbent CA, has held the post since 1 September 2018.[3]

Appointees edit

The below indicated * (asterisk) indicates that the individual was subsequently promoted to lieutenant general and appointed Chief of Defence Force.

The following list chronologically records those who have held the post of Chief of Army or its preceding positions, with rank and honours as at the completion of the individual's term.[2]

No. Portrait Name Postnominals Took office Left office
Commandant and General Officer Commanding the New Zealand Military Forces
1   Major General

Sir Alexander John Godley (1867 - 1957)

KCMG 7 December 1910 10 September 1914
2 Major General

Sir Alfred William Robin (1860 - 1935)

KCMG, CB 11 September 1914 9 December 1919
3   Major General

Sir Edward Walter Clervaux Chaytor (1868 - 1939)

KCMG, KCVO, CB 10 December 1919 31 April 1924
4   Major General

Charles William Melvill (1878 - 1925)

CB, CMG, DSO 1 May 1924 6 December 1925
5   Major General

Robert Young (1877 - 1953)

CB, CMG, DSO 7 December 1925 31 March 1931
6   Major General

Sir William Livingston Hatchwell Sinclair-Burgess (1880 - 1964)

KBE, CB, CMG, DSO 1 April 1931 31 March 1937
Chief of the General Staff
1   Major General

Sir John Evelyn Duigan (1883 - 1950)

KBE, CB, DSO 1 April 1937 31 May 1941
2   Lieutenant General

Sir Edward Puttick (1890 - 1976)

KCB, DSO & Bar 1 August 1941 31 December 1945
3   Major General

Sir Norman William McDonald Weir (1893 - 1961)

KBE, CB 1 January 1946 31 March 1949
4   Major General

Keith Lindsay Stewart (1896 - 1972)

CB, DSO, OBE 1 April 1949 31 March 1952
5   Major General

William George Gentry (1899 - 1991)

CB, CBE, DSO & Bar 1 April 1952 14 August 1955
6   Major General

Stephen Cyril Ettrick Weir (1904 - 1969)

CB, DSO & Bar 15 August 1955 30 August 1960
7   Major General

Leonard Whitmore Thornton* (1916 - 1999)

CB, CBE 1 September 1960 31 March 1965
8 Major General

Walter Sneddon McKinnon (1916 - 1999)

CB, CBE 1 April 1965 31 March 1967
9   Major General

Robert Boyd Dawson (1916 - 1977)

CB, CBE, DSO 1 April 1967 31 March 1970
10 Major General

Richard James Holden Webb* (1919 - 1990)

CBE 1 April 1970 28 September 1971
11 Major General

Leslie Arthur Pearce (1918 - 2002)

CB, CBE 29 September 1971 30 September 1973
12 Major General

Robin Hugh Ferguson Holloway (1922 - 1998)

CB, CBE 1 October 1973 14 November 1976
13 Major General

Ronald Douglas Patrick Hassett (1923 - 2004)

CB, CBE 15 November 1976 15 November 1978
14 Major General

Brian Matauru Poananga (1924 - 1995)

CB, CBE 16 November 1978 15 November 1981
15 Major General

Robin Guy Williams (1930 - 2023)

CB, MBE 16 November 1981 11 December 1984
16 Major General

John Airth Mace* (born 1932)

CB, OBE 12 December 1984 30 November 1987
17   Major General

Donald Stuart McIver (1936 - 2016)

OBE 1 December 1987 28 February 1989
18 Major General

Bruce Meldrum (1938 - 2006)

CB, OBE 1 March 1989 29 February 1992
19 Major General

Anthony Leonard Birks (1941 - 2002)

CB, OBE 1 March 1992 24 February 1995
20 Major General

Piers Martin Reid (1942 - 2012)

CBE 25 February 1995 25 February 1998
21 Major General

Maurice Francis Dodson

CBE, MC 26 February 1998 February 2002
22   Major General

Jeremiah Mateparae

ONZM February 2002 mid-2002
Chief of Army
1   Major General

Jeremiah Mateparae*

ONZM mid-2002 30 April 2006
2 Major General

Louis Joseph Gardiner (1952 - 2015)

ONZM 1 May 2006 30 April 2009
3   Major General

Richard Rhys Jones*

1 May 2009 23 January 2011
4   Major General

Timothy James Keating*

MNZM February 2011 December 2012
5   Major General

Arthur David Gawn

MBE 25 February 2013 9 September 2015
6   Major General

Peter Te Aroha Emile Kelly

MNZM 10 September 2015 31 August 2018
7   Major General

John Boswell

DSD 1 September 2018 Incumbent

References edit

  1. ^ "The New Zealand Army Leadership Team". New Zealand Army. Archived from the original on 1 July 2014. Retrieved 23 June 2014.
  2. ^ a b "Chronological List of New Zealand Army Chiefs". Land Forces of Britain, the Empire and Commonwealth. regiments.org. Archived from the original on 30 November 2007.
  3. ^ "New Chiefs Appointed for All Three Branches of the Armed Forces". The New Zealand Herald. 21 August 2018. Retrieved 11 September 2018.