Graham Beresford Parkinson
| Graham Beresford Parkinson | |
|---|---|
Brigadier Graham Parkinson in Egypt, August 1943
|
|
| Born |
5 November 1896 Mount Cook, Wellington, New Zealand |
| Died | 10 July 1979 (aged 82) Christchurch, New Zealand |
| Allegiance | New Zealand |
| Service/branch | New Zealand Military Forces |
| Years of service | 1914–52 |
| Rank | Major General |
| Commands held | Southern Military District (1949–51) 2nd New Zealand Division (1944) 6th Infantry Brigade (1943–44, 1944–45) 1st New Zealand Army Tank Brigade (1942) 7th Infantry Brigade (1941–42) 4th Field Artillery Regiment (1940–41) |
| Battles/wars |
First World War Second World War |
| Awards |
Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Service Order & Bar Mentioned in Despatches Officer of the Legion of Merit (United States) |
First World War
Second World War
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 Wars.
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.
Parkinson was born on 5 November 1896 in the Wellington suburb of Mount Cook. His parents were Henry Parkinson, a school teacher, and Ethel Constance Young. 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, Duntroon, in Australia, which set aside a limited number of enrolments for New Zealanders. He entered Duntroon the following year and graduated in April 1916.
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