William Garnett Braithwaite Brigadier - General William Garnett Braithwaite CB , CMG , DSO ( 21 October 1870 – 15 October 1937 ) was a British Army officer who participated in the Boer War and the First World War . He was seconded to the New Zealand Military Forces from 1911 to 1917 . He commanded the New Zealand Division ' s 2nd Infantry Brigade for nearly two years on the Western Front and had periods as acting commander of the division . In December 1917 , he was medically evacuated to England . After a period of rest , he returned to military duty with the British Army , and ended the war in command of the 16th Infantry Brigade . Retiring from the army in 1925 , he died in 1937 . Early life . Braithwaite was born in Kendal , Westmorland , England on 21 October 1870 . After completing his schooling at Marlborough College , he attended the Royal Military College at Sandhurst before joining the British Army in 1891 . Military career . Braithwaite was commissioned in the Royal Welsh Fusiliers as a second lieutenant . From 1899 to 1902 , Braithwaite fought in the Boer War , having reached the rank of captain . As well as being appointed to the Distinguished Service Order , he was mentioned in despatches three times for his service in South Africa . After the war he returned to the Royal Military College for a period of time as an instructor . In 1911 , and now a major , he was seconded to the New Zealand Military Forces under the command of the then Major - General Alexander Godley . Braithwaite was appointed General Staff Officer for the Auckland Military District , and later , promoted to temporary lieutenant - colonel , Godley ' s Chief of General Staff . At the time , Godley was restructuring the New Zealand Military Forces and creating a Territorial Force to replace the inadequate Volunteer Force . Braithwaite assisted in the establishment of the Territorial Force , and was responsible for staff organisation and training . First World War . Braithwaite volunteered for the New Zealand Expeditionary Force ( NZEF ) following the outbreak of the First World War . He left for the Middle East as the staff officer responsible for the operational planning of the NZEF . His wife , Gwendolen , whom he married in 1901 , and the couple ' s three children also left New Zealand but to live in England . Gallipoli Campaign . Following a period of training with the NZEF in Egypt , Braithwaite served as a staff officer in Godley ' s headquarters , who was not only commander of the NZEF but also the New Zealand and Australian Division , during the Gallipoli Campaign which commenced in April 1915 . He fulfilled his duties well and was twice mentioned in despatches for his work during the August offensive . He took ill the next month and required evacuation for medical treatment , returning to duty in October . He took over temporary command of the New Zealand Infantry Brigade when its nominal commander , Brigadier - General Francis Johnston , went on sick leave in November . After the withdrawal of the Allied forces from Gallipoli , Braithwaite returned to Egypt . He was appointed to the Order of St Michael and St George for his work during the Gallipoli Campaign . In December 1915 Braithwaite was promoted temporary brigadier - general and placed in command of the New Zealand ( Rifle ) Brigade . Within a few months , he was appointed commander of the 2nd Infantry Brigade , one of the three brigades of the newly formed New Zealand Division . Western Front . The New Zealand Division moved to the Western Front in April 1916 . Braithwaite had a brief period in command of the division while its commander , Major - General Andrew Russell , was on leave . During the division ' s first major engagement , the Somme Offensive , Braithwaite led his brigade in the Battle of Flers - Courcelette in which it incurred 700 casualties . In June 1917 , Braithwaite was promoted to colonel , although he remained a temporary brigadier - general . His brigade had a central role in the Battle of Messines and was able to achieve its objectives with minimal casualties . However , heavy losses were incurred by his brigade later in the year during the First Battle of Passchendaele on 12 October . After his initial attack faltered and came to a halt , Braithwaite protested orders from Russell later that day to resume the attack , 2nd Infantry Brigade having incurred heavy casualties for little ground . When it became apparent to Russell that flanking units had not achieved their objectives , the orders were cancelled . Braithwaite had a further period in command of the division while Russell was on sick leave in late October and in early December led his brigade in attacks on Polderhoek Chateau . Heavy losses were incurred by the brigade and the attack was regarded as a failure . At this stage of the war , Braithwaite was one of the longest serving brigade commanders of the NZEF . Worn down by stresses of command , his health was so poor it forced his evacuation to England . Following a period of convalescence , Braithwaite , rather than rejoining the New Zealand Division , resumed service in the British Army with his parent unit , the Royal Welsh Fusiliers . A popular commander amongst the New Zealanders , rumours circulated in the division that his return to the British Army was due to his refusal to continue with the 12 October 1917 attack at Passchendaele . Braithwaite returned to the front in February 1918 as a staff officer in a British Corps and was made a companion of the Order of the Bath in June 1918 . He finished the war as commander of the 16th Infantry Brigade , having been mentioned in despatches six times for his service during the First World War . Later life . Braithwaite remained in the army after the war , eventually retiring in 1925 . He died in Camberley , Surrey , on 15 October 1937 .