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Brigadier General Sir Herbert Ernest Hart, (13 October 1882 â€“ 5 March 1968) was an officer in the
New Zealand Military Forces The New Zealand Army (, ) is the principal Army, land warfare force of New Zealand, a component of the New Zealand Defence Force alongside the Royal New Zealand Navy and the Royal New Zealand Air Force. Formed in 1845, as the New Zealand Mil ...
who served during the
Second Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...
and the
First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
. He later served as the Administrator of Western Samoa and worked for the Imperial War Graves Commission. Hart volunteered for the Ninth New Zealand South African Contingent, which was raised for service in South Africa during the Second Boer War. By the time the contingent arrived in South Africa, the war was largely over. He saw extensive action during the First World War as a volunteer with the
New Zealand Expeditionary Force The New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) was the title of the military forces sent from New Zealand to fight alongside other British Empire and Dominion troops during World War I (1914–1918) and World War II (1939–1945). Ultimately, the NZE ...
, first at
Gallipoli The Gallipoli Peninsula (; ; ) is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles strait to the east. Gallipoli is the Italian form of the Greek name (), meaning ' ...
and then on the Western Front. By the end of the war, he had advanced in rank to brigadier general, commanding a number of brigades in the New Zealand Division. Trained as a lawyer before the war, Hart returned to New Zealand to resume his legal practice after his discharge from the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. He later served as Administrator of Western Samoa from 1931 to 1935 and was knighted for his services in this role. From 1936 to 1943, he worked in the Middle East for the Imperial War Graves Commission, a task made difficult by the outbreak of the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
and the subsequent fighting in the region. Following his retirement in late 1943, he became involved in
Rotary International Rotary International is one of the largest service organizations in the world. The self-declared mission of Rotary, as stated on its website, is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and p ...
. He died at his home in Masterton on 5 March 1968.


Early life

Hart was born at Taratahi, a small community near Carterton in the
Wairarapa The Wairarapa (; ), a geographical region of New Zealand, lies in the south-eastern corner of the North Island, east of metropolitan Wellington and south-west of the Hawke's Bay Region. It is lightly populated, having several rural service t ...
region. His father, William, was a farm labourer and the grandson of John Hart, a three-time
Premier of South Australia The premier of South Australia is the head of government in the state of South Australia, Australia. The Government of South Australia follows the Westminster system, with a Parliament of South Australia acting as the legislature. The premier i ...
. One of four children, he was educated firstly at Dalefield School, and then Carterton School. After finishing his formal education he worked for his uncle, an auctioneer and land broker, while also studying bookkeeping. In 1900, Hart's brother Walter travelled to South Africa for service with the Fourth Contingent in the
Second Boer War The Second Boer War (, , 11 October 189931 May 1902), also known as the Boer War, Transvaal War, Anglo–Boer War, or South African War, was a conflict fought between the British Empire and the two Boer republics (the South African Republic and ...
. This inspired Hart to volunteer for the Eighth New Zealand South African Contingent, but his application was declined. However, he, along with another brother, George, successfully enlisted for the Ninth Contingent. The minimum age for volunteers was 20 and he falsified his age to enlist. By the time he reached South Africa in April 1902, the war was effectively over. He was discharged in July 1902 with the rank of lance sergeant but travelled to England instead of returning to New Zealand with the rest of the contingent. Hart eventually returned to New Zealand in early 1903. Shortly after his return he married Minnie Renall, the daughter of a farmer. The couple would have four children, one of whom died in infancy. He resumed working at his uncle's business and eventually became a director of the company. However, rather than pursue bookkeeping as a career, he commenced legal studies. He qualified as a solicitor in 1907, becoming a partner in a Carterton practice which he had joined the previous year. Hart was also active in the
Volunteer Force The Volunteer Force was a citizen army of part-time rifle, artillery and engineer corps, created as a Social movement, popular movement throughout the British Empire in 1859. Originally highly autonomous, the units of volunteers became increa ...
. It was common practice in the Volunteer Force for the men of a unit to elect their officers although they were sometimes directed by their superiors to vote for certain candidates. Hart was duly elected a lieutenant in the Carterton Rifle Volunteers. When the Volunteer Force was abolished in 1910 and replaced with the
Territorial Force The Territorial Force was a part-time volunteer component of the British Army, created in 1908 to augment British land forces without resorting to conscription. The new organisation consolidated the 19th-century Volunteer Force and yeomanry in ...
, which was organised more like a conventional military, he chose to continue his service. He was well regarded by his superiors and was promoted to
captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...
in 1911. When he was promoted to major the following year, he was the youngest officer with that rank in his battalion. He was serving with the 1st Battalion of the 17th (Ruahine) Regiment when the
First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...
broke out.


First World War

Following the outbreak of the First World War, Hart immediately volunteered for the
New Zealand Expeditionary Force The New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) was the title of the military forces sent from New Zealand to fight alongside other British Empire and Dominion troops during World War I (1914–1918) and World War II (1939–1945). Ultimately, the NZE ...
(NZEF), which was being raised for service in the war on Britain's behalf. He was appointed second in command of the Wellington Infantry Battalion, under Lieutenant Colonel William Malone. The battalion embarked from Wellington in October 1914 for Egypt, and upon arrival, was primarily engaged in training before it was deployed along the
Suez Canal The Suez Canal (; , ') is an artificial sea-level waterway in Egypt, Indo-Mediterranean, connecting the Mediterranean Sea to the Red Sea through the Isthmus of Suez and dividing Africa and Asia (and by extension, the Sinai Peninsula from the rest ...
late in January 1915 to support Indian troops stationed to guard against a rumoured Turkish attack. Three weeks of sentry duty ensued for the battalion before returning to
Cairo Cairo ( ; , ) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Egypt and the Cairo Governorate, being home to more than 10 million people. It is also part of the List of urban agglomerations in Africa, largest urban agglomeration in Africa, L ...
.


Gallipoli

At this stage of the war, the Allied forces were preparing for the Gallipoli Campaign, which was part of a plan conceived by the
First Lord of the Admiralty First Lord of the Admiralty, or formally the Office of the First Lord of the Admiralty, was the title of the political head of the English and later British Royal Navy. He was the government's senior adviser on all naval affairs, responsible f ...
,
Winston Churchill Sir Winston Leonard Spencer Churchill (30 November 1874 – 24 January 1965) was a British statesman, military officer, and writer who was Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 1940 to 1945 (Winston Churchill in the Second World War, ...
, to seize control of the
Dardanelles The Dardanelles ( ; ; ), also known as the Strait of Gallipoli (after the Gallipoli peninsula) and in classical antiquity as the Hellespont ( ; ), is a narrow, natural strait and internationally significant waterway in northwestern Turkey th ...
. This would leave the Turkish capital,
Constantinople Constantinople (#Names of Constantinople, see other names) was a historical city located on the Bosporus that served as the capital of the Roman Empire, Roman, Byzantine Empire, Byzantine, Latin Empire, Latin, and Ottoman Empire, Ottoman empire ...
, vulnerable to attack. The
New Zealand and Australian Division The New Zealand and Australian Division was a composite army Division (military), division raised for service in the First World War under the command of Major General Alexander Godley. Consisting of several Mounted infantry, mounted and standard ...
, under the command of Major General
Alexander Godley General (United Kingdom), General Sir Alexander John Godley, (4 February 1867 – 6 March 1957) was a senior British Army officer. He is best known for his role as commander of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force and II Anzac Corps during the ...
(also commander of the NZEF), was being formed for the campaign, and Hart's battalion was attached to the New Zealand Infantry Brigade, one of the two infantry brigades (the other was the Australian 4th Brigade) that formed the bulk of the division. In April, the division embarked for
Gallipoli The Gallipoli Peninsula (; ; ) is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles strait to the east. Gallipoli is the Italian form of the Greek name (), meaning ' ...
and the Wellington Battalion was landed at Anzac Cove on the afternoon of 25 April, and made its way up to Plugge's Plateau. The battalion was involved in defending against Turkish attacks on Walker's Ridge on 27 April. Hart was wounded in the thigh while supervising the establishment of defensive positions. His wounds necessitated his evacuation to
Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...
the following day. He was later awarded a
Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a Military awards and decorations, military award of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth, awarded for operational gallantry for highly successful ...
for his leadership of the battalion during this action. Hart was promoted to lieutenant colonel while recovering from his wounds in England. He returned to the Dardanelles in September 1915 as commander of the Wellington Battalion, Malone having been killed in action in early August during the
Battle of Chunuk Bair The Battle of Chunuk Bair () was a World War I battle fought between the Ottoman defenders and troops of the British Empire over control of the peak in August 1915. The capture of Chunuk Bair, ( Basin Slope, now ''Conk Bayırı''), the secondar ...
. The battalion had been decimated during the battle but remained in the line manning positions at 'The Apex', a knoll near Chunuk Bair. Along with the rest of the New Zealand Infantry Brigade, the battalion was transferred to the Greek island of
Lemnos Lemnos ( ) or Limnos ( ) is a Greek island in the northern Aegean Sea. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within the Lemnos (regional unit), Lemnos regional unit, which is part of the North Aegean modern regions of Greece ...
on 14 September for a period of rest and recuperation while it was also being built up with reinforcements from New Zealand. While on Lemnos, Hart commanded the brigade for a 12-day period when its nominal commander, Brigadier General Francis Earl Johnston, was hospitalised. Hart led the battalion back to Gallipoli in early November, where it returned to its former positions at "The Apex". With no major offensive operations conducted since its return, he and his battalion eventually evacuated the peninsula in December, with Hart amongst the last of his unit to leave on 19 December.


Western Front

Returning to Egypt, Hart was heavily involved with the training of his command, which included a substantial number of replacements. He was also required to divest a number of his more experienced officers and non-commissioned officers to help with the formation of the 2nd Battalion of the Wellington Regiment. His battalion was subsequently re-designated as the 1st Battalion, Wellington Regiment, while the New Zealand Infantry Brigade was reformed as the 1st Infantry Brigade. The brigade was one of the three infantry brigades to make up the newly formed New Zealand Division, intended for service on the Western Front and it was duly shipped to France in April 1916. The division was initially based near
Armentières Armentières (; , ) is a Communes of France, commune in the Nord (French department), Nord department in the Hauts-de-France region in northern France. It is part of the Métropole Européenne de Lille. The motto of the town is ''Pauvre mais fi� ...
and Hart's battalion was among those manning the trenches in the sector. The battalion had to contend with artillery and repelling localised attacks and raids by the opposing Germans. Hart organised a counter-raid to be conducted by his battalion, and this was successfully executed on 1 July. The division would remain in the Armentières sector until August 1916, at which stage it was withdrawn for use in the forthcoming Somme Offensive in September. Hart led his battalion during the Battle of Flers-Courcelette and the subsequent period in the trenches, and was
mentioned in despatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face of t ...
for his work during this time. He also had spells as temporary commander of the brigade while Johnston was on leave, and from December 1916 to January 1917 was in command of 3rd New Zealand (Rifle) Brigade. In March 1917, Hart was promoted to brigadier general and appointed commander of the newly formed 4th Infantry Brigade. The new brigade was intended for service with the New Zealand Division. After a brief training period in England, the brigade was transferred to France for further training and a period in the front line. In October, it saw service during the successful attack on the Abraham Heights on the Gravenstafel Spur in what was known as the Battle of Broodseinde and was commended for its services by both Godley, still commanding the NZEF, and the commander of the New Zealand Division, Major General Andrew Russell. The brigade was in reserve for the subsequent First Battle of Passchendaele, and, apart from a brief period in training, would remain in the Ypres sector until January. He was mentioned in despatches for his work with the 4th Infantry Brigade while it was on the front line. Hart was made commander of the 2nd Infantry Brigade when the 4th Brigade was disbanded in February 1918. He was mentioned in despatches for his work with the 4th Infantry Brigade while it was on the front line. His new brigade absorbed many of the soldiers of his previous command. However, on 18 February, just two weeks after taking command, he was badly gassed during an artillery barrage on his headquarters. The barrage, using a mixture of high explosive and mustard gas shells, also incapacitated most of his staff. Temporarily blinded, he was evacuated to a hospital in the rear and then to
Étaples Étaples or Étaples-sur-Mer (; or ; formerly ; ) is a communes of France, commune in the departments of France, department of Pas-de-Calais, Hauts-de-France, northern France. It is a fishing and leisure port on the Canche river. History Étapl ...
. After recovering his sight, which took about a week, he was dispatched to the south of France to convalesce. Upon recovery from the effects of his gassing, and aided by the temporary presence of his wife Minnie, Hart returned to England and was placed in command of the New Zealand reserves at Sling Camp in
Bulford Bulford is a village and Civil parishes in England, civil parish in Wiltshire, England, near Salisbury Plain. The village is close to Durrington, Wiltshire, Durrington and about north of the town of Amesbury. The Bulford Camp army base is sep ...
. Here he was responsible for the training of reinforcements and casualties who were regaining fitness. On 3 June, his leadership of the 4th Brigade was honoured with an appointment as a
Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is a British order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince of Wales (the future King George IV), while he was acting as prince regent for his father, King George I ...
, although he took little personal satisfaction in the recognition. Hart's duties at Sling Camp ended in July, when he was recalled to France to take over command of the 3rd New Zealand (Rifle) Brigade. He led the brigade through the
Hundred Days Offensive The Hundred Days Offensive (8 August to 11 November 1918) was a series of massive Allied offensives that ended the First World War. Beginning with the Battle of Amiens (8–12 August) on the Western Front, the Allies pushed the Imperial Germa ...
, which included an action during the Second Battle of Bapaume that impressed his commanding officer, Russell. During the battle, Hart's headquarters was again shelled with mustard gas. After his previous experience of being gassed, Hart found the shelling 'annoying'. The brigade also participated in the capture of Le Quesnoy in November 1918. This was a difficult assignment for the presence of civilians in the walled town meant that artillery could not support the attack. Instead a small party was able to scale the walls and put flight to the Germans defending that section. This allowed the remainder of the attacking force to enter the town, which quickly surrendered. A few days later, the mayor of Le Quesnoy presented Hart with the French flag that was raised over the town on the day it was captured from the Germans. After the armistice that ended the war, Hart led the brigade into Germany for occupation duties with the remainder of the New Zealand Division. His headquarters was near
Cologne Cologne ( ; ; ) is the largest city of the States of Germany, German state of North Rhine-Westphalia and the List of cities in Germany by population, fourth-most populous city of Germany with nearly 1.1 million inhabitants in the city pr ...
and in January 1919, played host to the
Prince of Wales Prince of Wales (, ; ) is a title traditionally given to the male heir apparent to the History of the English monarchy, English, and later, the British throne. The title originated with the Welsh rulers of Kingdom of Gwynedd, Gwynedd who, from ...
. The division itself was in the process of demobilising, with around 1,000 men returning to New Zealand via England every week, and the Rifle Brigade was disbanded in early February. Hart was twice mentioned in despatches during his period in command of the Rifle Brigade. In mid-February he received his orders to return to New Zealand and he duly left England on 12 March 1919. Hart arrived in his home town of Carterton to a hero's welcome on 25 April 1919, five years to the day after being landed at Gallipoli. The guest of honour at several receptions held around the Wairarapa over the next several days, he made a point of acknowledging the role played by the ordinary soldier in the eventual victory over the Germans while downplaying his own contributions. He was eventually discharged from the NZEF in late May 1919. His services in the war were subsequently recognised with his appointment as a
Companion of the Order of the Bath Companion may refer to: Relationships Currently * Any of several interpersonal relationships such as friend or acquaintance * A domestic partner, akin to a spouse * Sober companion, an addiction treatment coach * Companion (caregiving), a caregi ...
in the 1919 King's Birthday Honours. The French government also awarded him with the ''
Croix de guerre The (, ''Cross of War'') is a military decoration of France. It was first created in 1915 and consists of a square-cross medal on two crossed swords, hanging from a ribbon with various degree pins. The decoration was first awarded during World ...
''.


Post-war career

Upon discharge from the NZEF, Hart resumed legal work in his Carterton practice. However, within a few months, he moved his family to
Masterton Masterton () is a large town in the Wellington Region, Greater Wellington Region of New Zealand that operates as the seat of the Masterton District (a territorial authority or local-government district). It is the largest town in the Wairarapa ...
and established a new law firm. He became involved with the charity organisation
Rotary International Rotary International is one of the largest service organizations in the world. The self-declared mission of Rotary, as stated on its website, is to "provide service to others, promote integrity, and advance world understanding, goodwill, and p ...
and set up the Masterton chapter of Rotary in 1925. He maintained an association with the military; after an initial spell in the reserve of officers, he resumed his involvement with the Territorial Force and served as commander of the 2nd (Wellington) Infantry Brigade for several years. He was eventually returned to the reserve of officers in 1925. To acknowledge his long military career, he was awarded the Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers' Decoration (VD) and appointed honorary colonel of his old Territorial Force unit, the Hawkes' Bay Regiment (formerly 17th (Ruahine) Regiment). He retired from the military in 1930. Hart was a longtime advocate for the welfare of former soldiers and was active in the
Returned Services Association The Royal New Zealand Returned and Services' Association, best known simply as the RSA, is one of the largest voluntary welfare organisations in New Zealand and one of the oldest ex-service organisations in the world. Wounded soldiers returnin ...
(RSA). The organisation later awarded Hart the Gold Badge, its highest honour, for his advocacy on the behalf of former servicemen.


Western Samoa

In 1930, Hart applied for and was appointed to the position of
Administrator Administrator or admin may refer to: Job roles Computing and internet * Database administrator, a person who is responsible for the environmental aspects of a database * Forum administrator, one who oversees discussions on an Internet forum * N ...
of
Western Samoa Samoa, officially the Independent State of Samoa and known until 1997 as Western Samoa, is an island country in Polynesia, part of Oceania, in the South Pacific Ocean. It consists of two main islands ( Savai'i and Upolu), two smaller, inhabit ...
, which was controlled by New Zealand under a mandate from the
League of Nations The League of Nations (LN or LoN; , SdN) was the first worldwide intergovernmental organisation whose principal mission was to maintain world peace. It was founded on 10 January 1920 by the Paris Peace Conference (1919–1920), Paris Peace ...
. This was a difficult period for the colony as many of its citizens wanted independence. The
Mau movement The Mau was a nonviolence, non-violent movement for Samoan independence from colony, colonial rule during the first half of the 20th century. ''Mau'' means 'resolute' or 'resolved' in the sense of 'opinion', 'unwavering', 'to be decided', o ...
in particular was agitating for self-determination and employed tactics of
civil disobedience Civil disobedience is the active and professed refusal of a citizenship, citizen to obey certain laws, demands, orders, or commands of a government (or any other authority). By some definitions, civil disobedience has to be nonviolent to be cal ...
as a means of opposing the New Zealand administration. After some heavy-handed management of protestors by his predecessor had resulted in several deaths amongst the movement, Hart made progress in improving relationships with the Mau when he took up his position in 1931. However he did demand that Olaf Frederick Nelson, a leader of the Mau who had returned from exile in New Zealand, be excluded from meetings he had with the leadership of the Mau. He also returned some financial stability to the colony which had struggled during the
Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...
. Hart was knighted as a
Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...
in the 1935 King's Birthday Honours for his services in Samoa, shortly before completing his term as administrator and returning to New Zealand in July 1935.


Imperial War Graves Commission

In 1936, Hart accepted a position in the Middle East with the Imperial War Graves Commission (now the Commonwealth War Graves Commission). This position was usually the preserve of an Australian or New Zealander due to the number of dead from these two countries buried in the area. Although his new position of Deputy Controller of the Eastern District was nominally based in
Jerusalem Jerusalem is a city in the Southern Levant, on a plateau in the Judaean Mountains between the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean and the Dead Sea. It is one of the List of oldest continuously inhabited cities, oldest cities in the world, and ...
, he and his wife initially moved to Cairo because of the
Arab revolt The Arab Revolt ( ), also known as the Great Arab Revolt ( ), was an armed uprising by the Hashemite-led Arabs of the Hejaz against the Ottoman Empire amidst the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I. On the basis of the McMahon–Hussein Co ...
against the British Mandate in Palestine. It was not until March 1937, after the conditions in Palestine had sufficiently improved, that the couple moved to Jerusalem. They were later joined by their daughter, Bettina, who was married to a
British Army The British Army is the principal Army, land warfare force of the United Kingdom. the British Army comprises 73,847 regular full-time personnel, 4,127 Brigade of Gurkhas, Gurkhas, 25,742 Army Reserve (United Kingdom), volunteer reserve perso ...
officer also based in Jerusalem. Hart's new role involved overseeing the upkeep of the cemeteries and memorials established by the Commission in the Middle East, Turkey and Greece. Ensuring the maintenance of these places required extensive travel, and his duties also became more difficult when Italy joined in the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
in June 1940 and conflict broke out in the Middle East. This required the creation of an organisation responsible for the graves of Allied personnel killed in the region. Consequently, Hart became Assistant Director, Graves Registration and Inquiry Section for the Middle East, in addition to his existing Commission duties. His new position entailed him becoming a serving officer in the British Army as a lieutenant, but with the acting rank of brigadier. He set up grave registration units, new cemeteries and organised the relocation of existing graves in remote areas to the new cemeteries. This work struck a personal note when his nephew was killed during the
Second Battle of El Alamein The Second Battle of El Alamein (23 October – 11 November 1942) was a battle of the Second World War that took place near the Egyptian Railway station, railway halt of El Alamein. The First Battle of El Alamein and the Battle of Alam el Halfa ...
in late 1942. Early the following year Hart visited the El Alamein battlefield and the nearby cemetery, the establishment of which was partly due to the infrastructure he helped put in place, to lay flowers at his nephew's grave. Although he found the work satisfying, Hart retired from the Commission in September 1943. His wife, daughter, and Merrilyn, his granddaughter who had been born in Jerusalem, had left for New Zealand earlier that month. He followed a few weeks later once his successor at the Commission arrived. His work with the Graves Registration section had finished a year earlier.


Later life

Settling back in the Wairarapa, Hart resumed his involvement with Rotary. He served a spell as president of the North Island district of Rotary, and attended overseas conventions. During the 1960s, there was a growing argument that the First World War was an unnecessary conflict. In speeches that he made during his community and RSA duties, he continued to advocate the importance of the war in countering Imperial German aggression. He attended reunions of his former units, including the Wellington Infantry Regiment and the Rifle Brigade. He had assisted the authors of the histories of both formations in the years after the First World War. In 1955, in honour of the 40th anniversary of the formation of the Rifle Brigade, Hart presented the flag which he had been given by the mayor of Le Quesnoy following its capture from the Germans in 1918 to Wellington Cathedral. With age, Hart's involvement in community affairs decreased but he remained physically active, regularly playing golf and bowls. He died at his home in Masterton on 5 March 1968, his wife having predeceased him by nearly 18 months, and was buried with full military honours. The last surviving senior officer of the NZEF at the time of his death, he was well regarded by both the men he had commanded during the war and his superior officers.


Notes


References

* * * * * * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Hart, Herbert Ernest New Zealand generals New Zealand public servants 1882 births 1968 deaths New Zealand Army personnel New Zealand military personnel of the Second Boer War New Zealand military personnel of World War I Administrators of Western Samoa Trust Territory 1930s in Western Samoa Trust Territory New Zealand Companions of the Distinguished Service Order New Zealand Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire New Zealand Companions of the Order of the Bath New Zealand Companions of the Order of St Michael and St George 20th-century New Zealand military personnel People from Carterton, New Zealand