Harry Fulton Brigadier - General Harry Townsend Fulton , CMG DSO ( 15 August 1869 – 29 March 1918 ) was a British Army officer who served with the New Zealand Military Forces during both the Boer War and First World War . Born in 1869 in India , Fulton moved with his family to New Zealand as a child . He joined the British Army in 1892 as a commissioned officer . He was seconded to the Indian Army and served on the Northwest Frontier . In New Zealand on sick leave when the Boer War began , he volunteered for the New Zealand contingents being raised for service in South Africa and was wounded during operations in the northern Transvaal . On furlough in New Zealand when the First World War broke out , Fulton offered his services to the New Zealand government in aid of the war effort . He was part of the Samoa Expeditionary Force and later served on the Western Front with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force ( NZEF ) . He led the New Zealand Rifle Brigade during the Somme Offensive and the Battle of Messines . He died in 1918 as a result of wounds received when his headquarters was shelled by artillery . He was the third and last brigadier - general to die on active service with the NZEF during the war . Early life . Fulton was born at Dalhousie in India on 15 August 1869 . His father , John ( 1827 – 1899 ) , was a lieutenant - general in the Royal Artillery , serving with the Indian Army . His family emigrated to Otago , in New Zealand , with Fulton attending Dunedin High School . He became involved with his school ' s Cadet Corps unit , and from 1887 served for four years as a lieutenant in the Dunedin City Guards . Military career . In 1892 , Fulton was commissioned in the British Army with the rank of second lieutenant in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders . Later that year he transferred to the West Yorkshire Regiment , with which he would serve for two years . He then transferred to the Indian Staff Corps , which provided officers for the native regiments of the Indian Army . He served with the 26th Madras Native Infantry and then the 39th Bengal Infantry . In December 1897 , Fulton was appointed to command of a company in the 2nd Battalion of the Prince of Wale ' s Own Gurkha Rifles . He served during the Tirah and Mohmand Campaigns of 1897 and 1898 . He also participated in the siege of Malakand as a member of the Malakand Field Force . Boer War . In 1899 , Fulton was on sick leave from the Indian Army and following the outbreak of the Boer War , volunteered for service with the New Zealand contingents being raised for the war . He was appointed captain of No . 9 Company , 4th New Zealand Contingent , which was attached to the Rhodesian Field Force . It conducted operations against Boer commandos in the northern Transvaal around the town of Ottoshoop , during which Fulton was severely wounded . Upon his recovery , he returned to his Indian Army unit . He was later awarded the Distinguished Service Order in recognition of his services in South Africa . First World War . By the outbreak of the First World War , Fulton had advanced in rank to major . In New Zealand on furlough when the United Kingdom declared war on Imperial Germany on 4 August 1914 , he offered his services to the New Zealand government the following day . Made an acting lieutenant - colonel , he was placed in command of an infantry battalion that was to be part of the force to occupy German Samoa in response to a request of the British government . Having sailed from Wellington on 15 August , the Occupation of German Samoa was bloodlessly achieved on 29 August when the New Zealanders landed at Apia . After serving occupation duty for several months , the main contingent returned to New Zealand in April 1915 . Senussi Campaign . On his return to New Zealand , Fulton was given command of the 4th Reinforcements which was expected to embark for Egypt on 16 April . However , before the contingent sailed , he was appointed to command of a regiment to be formed from the 5th Reinforcements at Trentham Military Camp . Fulton undertook training of the regiment , initially known as the Trentham Regiment , until October , at which time it traveled to Egypt . The regiment , now officially recognised as the New Zealand Rifle Brigade , arrived in Egypt in November 1915 . One battalion , under Lieutenant - Colonel A . E . Stewart , of the brigade was assigned to assist the Western Frontier Force which at the time was participating in the Senussi Campaign . The other battalion , initially based in Cairo , was called up as reinforcements for the Western Frontier Force later in the campaign . Fulton remained in Cairo for a time but by January 1916 joined his command in the field at Mersa Matruh where it remained until the end of January . It then joined the New Zealand Division , then being formed in Cairo . Both battalions had conducted themselves well in garrison and offensive operations against the Senussi , and on their departure , Major - General Wallace , commander of Western Frontier Force , expressed his regret " at losing the comradeship of a reliable body of men of whom England may well be proud . " The Rifle Brigade was then put under the command of Brigadier - General William Braithwaite , newly arrived from Gallipoli , with Fulton reverting to command of the brigade ' s 1st Battalion . However , when the 2nd Infantry Brigade was established as part of the New Zealand Division , Braithwaite was appointed its commander . Fulton was promoted to temporary brigadier - general and appointed commander of the Rifle Brigade . In March 1916 , the brigade was brought up to its full complement with the arrival in Egypt of its 3rd and 4th battalions . The following month , the New Zealand Division departed for France . Western Front . After serving a spell in the Armentieres sector of the front , Fulton led the Rifle Brigade in its first major engagement of the war , the Battle of Flers - Courcelette . This took place in mid September 1916 during the Somme Offensive , and for a portion of the battle , two battalions of the 1st Infantry Brigade came under Fulton ' s command . Slightly wounded in the battle , he was appointed a Companion of the Order of St . Michael and St . George for his leadership . Fulton led the Rifle Brigade during the successful Battle of Messines in June 1917 , but took ill immediately after the battle and was hospitalised for several days . Shortly after his return to the front lines in late July , he was appointed commander of the 4th New Zealand Infantry Brigade Reserve Camp , better known as Sling Camp , for a three - month period . In his absence , the brigade would participate in the Battle of Passchendaele in October . Its morale already low because of the loss of two successive commanders , and lacking in preparation for the latter battle having been employed during the previous month in laying cables and constructing banking , the brigade ' s losses during Passchendaele were significant . Fulton returned to the brigade in November , and despite his time away from the brigade , was awarded the Croix de Guerre in December 1917 . He had also been mentioned twice in dispatches during the year . In February 1918 , having been in the front line for four months , the brigade entered a period of rest and training during which Fulton took leave . He returned to the Western Front in late March 1918 , resuming command of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade on 27 March 1918 . The day after his arrival , his headquarters at Colincamps was hit by an artillery barrage which injured Fulton and killed several of his staff . He died of his wounds the following day and is buried at Doullens Military Cemetery . Although stern and a strict disciplinarian , he was respected by the soldiers of his command . He was the last of three brigadier - generals to be killed while serving with the NZEF during the war .