Graham Beresford Parkinson Major General Graham Beresford Parkinson CBE , DSO & Bar ( 5 November 1896 – 10 July 1979 ) was a professional soldier in the New Zealand Military Forces who served during the First and Second World War s . Born in Wellington , New Zealand , Parkinson was commissioned as a lieutenant in the New Zealand Military Forces in 1916 and served in the First World War as part of the New Zealand Field Artillery . He remained in the military during the interwar period and served in a number of staff and training positions . Following the outbreak of the Second World War , he commanded an artillery regiment in the Western Desert Campaign and participated in the Battle of Greece . In late 1941 he returned to New Zealand to command newly raised formations , but returned to the Middle East in 1943 . He commanded the 6th Infantry Brigade of the 2nd New Zealand Division during the Italian Campaign , at one stage taking over temporary command of the division itself . After the war he served as Quartermaster General of the New Zealand Military Forces . He finished his military career in command of the Southern Military District . After his retirement in 1952 , he lived in Christchurch . In his later years he was involved with the St . John Ambulance Association . He died in 1979 at the age of 82 . Early life . Parkinson was born on 5 November 1896 in the Wellington suburb of Mount Cook . His father , Henry Parkinson , was a school teacher . Parkinson was schooled at Greytown School and Newtown District High School . He also attended Wellington College for the final two years of his education . In 1913 , he sat and passed the entrance examination for the Royal Military College in Duntroon , Australia , which set aside a limited number of enrollments for New Zealanders . He entered Duntroon the following year and graduated in April 1916 . Military career . Commissioned as a lieutenant in the Royal New Zealand Artillery , Perkinson was posted to Trentham Military Camp where he was an instructor . Nearly a year later , in June 1917 , he join the New Zealand Expeditionary Force and embarked for the Western Front . He acquitted himself well in his duties with the New Zealand Field Artillery ( NZFA ) and became known as a reliable officer . By the end of the war , he was brigade major of the NZFA . He returned to New Zealand in 1919 and took up a posting as adjutant to the Wellington Garrison Artillery Division . In 1920 , Parkinson was part of the Fiji Expeditionary Force . This was raised following a request from the Fijian government for military forces to support local police dealing with striking labourers and farmers . The force , numbering about 55 men and under the command of the then Major Edward Puttick , was based on Fiji for two months before returning home . Promoted to captain the following year , he spent two years in Dunedin instructing the Territorial Force artillery , before being posted to Auckland . There , he was in charge of harbour defences . In 1925 , he was sent to a gunnery course in England and for the following two years , was seconded to the Royal Artillery . He returned to New Zealand in 1927 , accompanied by his wife Barbara , who he had married in Birmingham . A series of staff and instructional postings in Wellington , and then Auckland , followed . He was promoted to major in 1932 and to lieutenant colonel in September 1939 , at which time he was commander of the Royal New Zealand Artillery . Second World War . Following the outbreak of the Second World War , Parkinson was seconded to the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force ( 2NZEF ) . He was given command of the 4th Field Artillery Regiment and embarked with the First Echelon of the 2NZEF in early 1940 . After serving in the initial stages of the Western Desert Campaign , for which he was mentioned in dispatches , he led the regiment well during the Battle of Greece . He was later awarded the Distinguished Service Order ( DSO ) , gazetted on 14 April 1942 , due in part to his service during the battle . In late 1941 , Parkinson , newly promoted to brigadier , returned to New Zealand to take over the newly formed 1st New Zealand Army Tank Brigade . After Japan ' s entry into the war , he took over command of the 7th Infantry Brigade , the army reserve in New Zealand for several months before reverting to his previous command . The tank brigade was eventually disbanded when the 4th Infantry Brigade , based in Egypt , was converted to armour . Parkinson returned to the Middle East and took over command of the 6th Infantry Brigade . He led the brigade during the final stages of the war in North Africa before taking it to Italy . In March 1944 , Parkinson became temporary major general and commander of the 2nd New Zealand Division after its nominal commander , Howard Kippenberger , was wounded . He led the division through the Battle of Monte Cassino and , although later criticised for being overly cautious during the battle , was awarded a bar to his DSO for his leadership during this time . After the battle he reverted to command of his infantry brigade , which performed well in the later stages of the Italian Campaign . For his services during the fighting in Italy , he was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire and was also made an Officer of the United States Legion of Merit . Later life . After a period in command of all 2NZEF troops in Egypt , Parkinson returned to New Zealand in late 1945 and was appointed Quartermaster General of the New Zealand Military Forces , based in Wellington . After serving in this capacity for nearly a year , he was posted to London for a three year term as the New Zealand military liaison officer . In 1949 , he took up command of the Southern Military District . He retired from the military in 1952 with the rank of major general . In his later years , Parkinson lived in Christchurch and was involved with the St John Ambulance Association for which he was appointed an Officer of the Order of St . John . He died on 10 July 1979 , survived by his wife . The couple had no children . He is buried at Ruru Lawn Cemetery in Christchurch .