Major General Sir Keith Lindsay Stewart, (30 December 1896 – 13 November 1972) was a professional soldier 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 ...

. He served during the

First First most commonly refers to: * First, the ordinal form of the number 1 First or 1st may also refer to: Acronyms * Faint Images of the Radio Sky at Twenty-Centimeters, an astronomical survey carried out by the Very Large Array * Far Infrared a ...

and

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 ...

s and was

Chief of the General Staff The Chief of the General Staff (CGS) is a post in many armed forces (militaries), the head of the military staff. List * Chief of the General Staff (Abkhazia) * Chief of General Staff (Afghanistan) * Chief of the General Staff (Albania) * C ...

of the New Zealand Military Forces from 1949 to 1952. Born in 1896 in

Timaru Timaru (; ) is a port city in the southern Canterbury Region of New Zealand, located southwest of Christchurch and about northeast of Dunedin on the eastern Pacific Ocean, Pacific coast of the South Island. The Timaru urban area is home to peo ...

, New Zealand, he joined the New Zealand Military Forces in 1914 as a cadet and served 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 ...

from 1916 in the Middle East for the last two years of the First World War. After the war he held a number of staff positions in New Zealand and abroad. He saw active service during the Second World War as part of the

2nd New Zealand Division The 2nd New Zealand Division, initially the New Zealand Division, was an infantry division of the New Zealand Military Forces (New Zealand's army) during the Second World War. The division was commanded for most of its existence by Lieutenant-G ...

. He was made a prisoner of war in August 1944 and spent most of the final months of the war in captivity in Germany. After the war he commanded

J Force J Force (sometimes referred to as "Jayforce") was the name given to the New Zealand forces that were allocated to the British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF) which occupied Japan following the end of the Second World War. The force was deploy ...

while it was engaged in occupation duties in Japan. While Chief of General Staff, he oversaw the deployment of New Zealand's military personnel to

Korea Korea is a peninsular region in East Asia consisting of the Korean Peninsula, Jeju Island, and smaller islands. Since the end of World War II in 1945, it has been politically Division of Korea, divided at or near the 38th parallel north, 3 ...

to assist the United Nations during the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

. He retired from the military in 1954 and died in Kawakawa, in 1972.

Early life

Keith Lindsay Stewart was born in

South Canterbury South Canterbury is the area of the Canterbury Region of the South Island of New Zealand bounded by the Rangitata River in the north and the Waitaki River (the border with the Otago Region) to the south. The Pacific Ocean and ridge of the S ...

on 30 December 1896. His father, David Stewart, was a bank manager. He had a stutter and was educated at

Napier Boys' High School Napier Boys' High School is a secondary boys' school in Napier, New Zealand. It currently has a school roll of approximately pupils. The school provides education from Year 9 to Year 13. Headmasters The following is an incomplete list of Na ...

and then Wanganui Collegiate.

Military career

In 1914, Stewart entered the

Royal Military College, Duntroon The Royal Military College, Duntroon, also known simply as Duntroon, is the Australian Army's Officer (armed forces), officer training establishment. It was founded at Duntroon, Australian Capital Territory, Duntroon in Canberra, Australian Capi ...

in Australia, having passed its entrance exams. He graduated early to volunteer for the

(NZEF) in 1916.

First World War

Stewart did not embark for the Middle East until June 1917. Most of his war service was in Egypt, where he was the adjutant of the New Zealand Training Units and Depots there. He also spent a period of time with the headquarters of the Australian and New Zealand Mounted Division, which was serving in the

Sinai and Palestine campaign The Sinai and Palestine campaign was part of the Middle Eastern theatre of World War I, taking place between January 1915 and October 1918. The British Empire, the French Third Republic, and the Kingdom of Italy fought alongside the Arab Revol ...

. By the end of the war, he had been promoted to captain and was appointed a

Member 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 ...

for his services. He returned to New Zealand in December 1919 and his service with the NZEF was terminated.

Interwar period

After arriving back in New Zealand, Stewart joined the

New Zealand Staff Corps The New Zealand Staff Corps was a corps of professional officers in the regular New Zealand Military Forces which, in peacetime, administered the Territorial Force. During the First and Second World Wars, many members of the corps commanded batta ...

. After serving as a staff officer, firstly to the commandant of the

and then in the Central Military District, he attended the Staff College at

Camberley Camberley is a town in north-west Surrey, England, around south-west of central London. It is in the Surrey Heath, Borough of Surrey Heath and is close to the county boundaries with Hampshire and Berkshire. Known originally as "Cambridge Tow ...

, England, for several years. In 1931, he was seconded to the

Ceylon Defence Force The Ceylon Defence Force (CDF) was established in 1910 by the Ceylonese legislation ''Ceylon Defence Force Ordinance'', which reformed the Ceylon Volunteer Force (CVF) that existed previously as the military reserve in the British Crown colony ...

, where he spent three years as a staff officer. He returned to New Zealand in 1934 and was made an

Officer 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 ...

for his services in Ceylon. He held staff positions in Southern Command, the military district that covered the

South Island The South Island ( , 'the waters of Pounamu, Greenstone') is the largest of the three major islands of New Zealand by surface area, the others being the smaller but more populous North Island and Stewart Island. It is bordered to the north by ...

of New Zealand, until 1939.

Second World War

Following the outbreak of the

in September 1939, Stewart was posted to Army Headquarters in Wellington, with responsibility for training and staff duties. Now a lieutenant colonel, he was seconded to the Second Expeditionary Force (2NZEF) in late 1939 and embarked for the Middle East in early 1940 as General Staff Officer for the

.McClymont, 1959, p. 14 He worked closely with Major General

Bernard Freyberg Lieutenant-general (United Kingdom), Lieutenant-General Bernard Cyril Freyberg, 1st Baron Freyberg, (21 March 1889 – 4 July 1963) was a United Kingdom, British-born New Zealand soldier and Victoria Cross recipient, who served as the List of g ...

, the divisional commander during the

Battle of Greece The German invasion of Greece or Operation Marita (), were the attacks on Greece by Italy and Germany during World War II. The Italian invasion in October 1940, which is usually known as the Greco-Italian War, was followed by the German invasi ...

. After the end of the campaign in Greece, most of the division, including Stewart and Freyberg, was evacuated to Crete. Here, Stewart was promoted to

brigadier Brigadier ( ) is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore (rank), commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several t ...

and served with

Creforce This is the complete order of battle for the Battle of Crete and related operations in 1941. Allied Land forces Commonwealth & Allied forces, Crete - "Creforce" ;Headquarters Creforce - (Eastern Zone, east of Chania) :Major-general Bernard Freyb ...

as Freyberg's Brigadier General Staff. His services on Crete were recognised with the

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 ...

.Haigh & Polaschek, 1993, p. 244 Stewart returned to New Zealand in late 1941 to take up an appointment as deputy chief of staff, firstly under Major General

John Duigan John Duigan (born 19 June 1949) is an Australian film director and screenwriter. He is mostly known for his two autobiographical fiction, autobiographical films ''The Year My Voice Broke'' and ''Flirting (film), Flirting'', and the 1994 film ' ...

and then Lieutenant General

Edward Puttick Lieutenant General Sir Edward Puttick, (26 June 1890 – 25 July 1976) was an officer who served with the New Zealand Military Forces during the First and Second World Wars. The first New Zealand-born soldier to reach the rank of lieutenant ge ...

. His poor health was also a factor in his return. He assisted in preparations to defend New Zealand against an attack by the

Japanese Empire The Empire of Japan, also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was the Japanese nation state that existed from the Meiji Restoration on January 3, 1868, until the Constitution of Japan took effect on May 3, 1947. From 1910 to ...

. He remained in this position for 18 months before returning to the 2NZEF in August 1943 as commander of the 5th Infantry Brigade.McGibbon, 2000, pp. 512–513 Stewart commanded the brigade through the early stages of the Italian campaign before handing over responsibility to Brigadier

Howard Kippenberger Major General Sir Howard Karl Kippenberger, (28 January 1897 – 5 May 1957), known as "Kip", was an officer of the New Zealand Military Forces who served in the First and Second World Wars. Born in the Canterbury region of New Zealand, Ki ...

in November 1943. Stewart then took over command of the 4th Armoured Brigade while its nominal commander, Brigadier

Lindsay Inglis Major-General Lindsay Merritt Inglis, (16 May 1894 – 17 March 1966) was a New Zealand military officer, lawyer and magistrate. Born in Mosgiel, he volunteered for service in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force during World War I. Inglis ser ...

, was on furlough in New Zealand.Phillips, 1957, p. 63 When Kippenberger became temporary commander of the 2nd New Zealand Division, Stewart returned to the 5th Infantry Brigade as its commander. He led the brigade through the

Battle of Monte Cassino The Battle of Monte Cassino, also known as the Battle for Rome, was a series of four military assaults by the Allies of World War II, Allies against Nazi Germany, German forces in Kingdom of Italy, Italy during the Italian Campaign (World War ...

and up until early August 1944, when he was captured by German forces while visiting the front line. He was held in Germany as a prisoner of war until March 1945, when his camp was liberated by Allied Forces. He 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 ...

twice during the course of the war as well as being awarded the United States

Legion of Merit The Legion of Merit (LOM) is a Awards and decorations of the United States military, military award of the United States Armed Forces that is given for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievemen ...

and the Greek

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level until 1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) Other ranks (UK), other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth of ...

Postwar career

Appointed a

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 1945 Birthday Honours, Stewart returned to New Zealand in July 1945. He commanded the 9th Infantry Brigade from October to July 1946. The brigade was originally based in the Middle East, but in early 1946 moved to Japan as part of

, New Zealand's contribution to the

British Commonwealth Occupation Force The British Commonwealth Occupation Force (BCOF) was the British Commonwealth taskforce consisting of Australian, British, Indian, and New Zealander military forces in occupied Japan, from 1946 until the end of occupation in 1952. At its pe ...

(BCOF). After Stewart's period in command ended he returned to New Zealand and was appointed adjutant general of the New Zealand Military Forces. The following year, he was appointed 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 1947 New Year Honours. In April 1949, Stewart replaced Major General Norman Weir as

, New Zealand Military Forces. He reestablished compulsory military training and advanced plans for the government's commitment to deploy military forces to the Middle East in the event of hostilities with the

Soviet Union The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

. This led to a clash with Prime Minister Sydney Holland in 1950 over the rate of progress of these plans for which he later apologised. He also oversaw the deployment of New Zealand forces to

following the outbreak of the

Later life

Stewart retired from the military in 1954 but, in a break with convention, he was not rewarded with a knighthood for his services. This was most likely due to his previous clashes with Holland. He 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 ...

four years later by the newly elected Labour Government in the 1958 Queen's Birthday Honours. He retired to Northland and died at the age of 76 in the small town of Kawakawa on 13 November 1972. He was survived by his wife Rita, who he had married in 1922, and the couple's two children. He is buried in the servicemen's section of Wellington's Karori Cemetery.

Notes

References

* * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Stewart, Keith Lindsay 1896 births 1972 deaths New Zealand Companions of the Distinguished Service Order New Zealand Companions of the Order of the Bath New Zealand generals New Zealand Knights Commander of the Order of the British Empire New Zealand military personnel of World War I New Zealand military personnel of World War II New Zealand prisoners of war in World War II Officers of the Legion of Merit People from Timaru Military personnel from the Canterbury Region People educated at Napier Boys' High School People educated at Whanganui Collegiate School Royal Military College, Duntroon graduates World War II prisoners of war held by Germany Graduates of the Staff College, Camberley