Thomas Joseph King,

CBE The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established o ...

, (19 April 1891 – 28 December 1971) was a senior officer in the New Zealand Military Forces and a foundation member of the

New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps The New Zealand Army Ordnance Corps (NZAOC) was a Corps whose function was to provide, receive, store, repair, maintain, and issue: ordnance stores, vehicles, ammunition, foodstuffs, and ammunition. Ordnance Organisations had previously existed i ...

who served in both world wars.

Early life

King was born at Milton on 19 April 1891. After completing his education, he started work in 1909 with the Treasury Department and later transferred to the Marine Department.

Military career

In 1909, King joined the New Zealand Volunteer Forces, serving in the Civil Service Rifles. When the Volunteer Forces were restructured the following year into the Territorial Force, he served in the Wellington Regiment. On the outbreak of the First World War, King enlisted into the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF) and was posted to its headquarters as a private in the Pay Department. King embarked with the main body of the NZEF, departing Wellington on 3 December 1914 on the troopship TSS ''Mauganui''. On arrival in Egypt, he was promoted to sergeant and on 3 April 1915 was promoted into the

(NZAOC) as a second lieutenant. King saw service in the Dardanelles as the Deputy Assistant Director of Ordnance Services (DADOS) for the

New Zealand and Australian Division The New Zealand and Australian Division was a composite army division raised for service in the First World War under the command of Major General Alexander Godley. Consisting of several mounted and standard infantry brigades from both New Zea ...

and was promoted to lieutenant on 6 October 1915. Struck down with illness King was invalided back to New Zealand in May 1916. Returning to New Zealand, King was employed with the New Zealand Defence Stores Department in a "temporary" capacity prior to being appointed permanently to the

New Zealand Army Ordnance Department The New Zealand Army Ordnance Department (NZAOD) was the organisation of commissioned officers who were responsible for the supply, maintenance and repair of equipment, small arms and all stores required for the Defence Force from 1917 to 1923. E ...

(NZAOD) on 1 April 1917. During this time King completed examinations in accountancy and also qualified by examination as a solicitor. In 1924 the NZAOD was merged with the NZAOC and King was appointed Director of Ordnance Services (DOS) of the NZAOC, a position he would hold until 1940.

Second World War

When World War II started King was seconded to the 2NZEF, New Zealand Ordnance Corps (NZOC) from the NZAOC as a lieutenant colonel and appointed as the DADOS HQ 2nd New Zealand Division and sailed with the first echelon. Arriving in England in early June 1940, King proceeded to inspect the proposed locations of the New Zealand camps and liaise with the

RAOC The Royal Army Ordnance Corps (RAOC) was a corps of the British Army. At its renaming as a Royal Corps in 1918 it was both a supply and repair corps. In the supply area it had responsibility for weapons, armoured vehicles and other military equip ...

the necessary arrangements to equip the New Zealand Division, arrangements which were hampered by a severe shortage of equipment caused by the British Expeditionary Forces withdrawal from France and the impending German invasion of the United Kingdom. The events of the war cause the NZEF in the UK to be sent to the Middle East in 1941 with all their equipment and on 1 January 1942 King was appointed Deputy Director Ordnance Service (DDOS)HQ NZ Div. Briefly attached to the 8th Army from 2 June 1942 King was promoted to colonel on 1 August 1941 and formally relinquished his position of DDOS HQ NZ Div on 18 July 1942 and became the DDOS LofC 8th Army, responsible for the supervision of all Ordnance and Ammunition depots in Egypt and the control of ordnance shipping into and out of the Middle East. On 18 August 1942 was posted to the 9th Army as DDOS. On the liberation of Greece by the 9th Army in 1944, king as DDOS was responsible for the military supply organisation and for the relief of the population of Greece. King was aware of the hardships faced by the Greek people as a result of assisting hundreds of New Zealand soldiers during the earlier Greek campaign, and convinced the NZ Govt to provide a shipload of foodstuffs directly to Greece from New Zealand for use in children's homes and hospitals and other institutions a gesture that was greatly appreciated by the Greeks. Returning on leave to New Zealand in May 1945 King was one of the New Zealand Army Brigadiers suggested as a replacement for 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 ...

who had reached retiring age. In August 1945 King was then seconded as the disposed persons administrator to the

United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration United Nations Relief and Rehabilitation Administration (UNRRA) was an international relief agency, largely dominated by the United States but representing 44 nations. Founded in November 1943, it was dissolved in September 1948. it became part o ...

(UNRRA) as part of the post war reconstruction of Europe effort in returning refugees to their homes either in Austria or in Germany.

Postwar

King retired from the military on his return from Germany in 1947. Already well known in New Zealand sports circles, King took an active part in Rugby football administration as a member of both the Wellington and the New Zealand Rugby Unions. King retained his connection with the NZAOC and RNZAOC by remaining in the post of Colonel commandant until 31 March 1961, a position he had held since 1 January 1941.

Honours and awards

* Officer of the Order of the British Empire in the 1941 New Year Honours *

Commander of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations, and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...

in 1945 * 1914–15 Star * British War Medal (1914–1920) * Victory Medal with oak leaf *

Africa Star The Africa Star is a military campaign medal, instituted by the United Kingdom on 8 July 1943 for award to British and Commonwealth forces who served in North Africa between 10 June 1940 and 12 May 1943 during the Second World War. Three clasp ...

References

External links

the Warrior his Arms'' A History of the RNZAOC and its predecessors
{{DEFAULTSORT:King, Thomas Joseph 1891 births 1971 deaths New Zealand military personnel New Zealand brigadiers New Zealand military personnel of World War I New Zealand military personnel of World War II New Zealand Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Burials at Karori Cemetery People from Milton, New Zealand