Legion of Frontiersmen (New Zealand) Command

BERTRAND George Frederick

10/701, Lieutenant, Wellington Infantry Regiment, WW1

6117, Lieutenant Colonel, 28 Maori Battalion, WW2

15443, Frontiersman, Legion of Frontiersmen, New Zealand

CITATION

Officer of the Order of the British Empire - Military

Gazetted, Issue 35841, p9

Notified New Year Honours List 1943

AWARDS

Officer of the Order of the British Empire - Military

1914-15 Star

British War Medal

Victory Medal

1939-1945 Star

Africa Star

8th Army

Italy Star

Defence Medal

War Medal 1939-1945

New Zealand War Service Medal

Silver Jubilee Medal 1935

Efficiency Decoration

Order of St Sava (Class III), Serbia

Pioneer Axe [awarded 1932]

Legion Meritorious Service Medal [awarded 1931]

NOTES

Born 9 February 1892 Urenui, Taranaki, New Zealand

Died 25 July 1957 Palmerston North, New Zealand

Buried at Te Henui Cemetery, New Plymouth, New Zealand (Services Area Block D, Plot 64)

OBITUARY

The death occurred at Palmerston of Mr George F. Bertrand, aged 66. Born at Urenui, Taranaki, he was a member of the Ngati Mutunga tribe. Mr Bertrand was educated at Te Aute College and Wellington Teacher's Training College. He taught at the New Plymouth Boys' High School between the two World Wars and again after World War II. Mr Bertrand served overseas in both wars and at the outbreak of the Second World War he was appointed second in command of the Maori Battalion with the rank of Major and served in the desert, Greece and Crete. He was later recalled to New Zealand to take command of the second Battalion as Lieutenant Colonel. He was also in charge of the Maori Training Unit from 1942–1944. Mr Bertrand was awarded the O.B.E. and also held the Efficiency Decoration. He was a member of the Ngarimu Scholarship Fund Board.