William George Malone
New Zealand military officer / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Lieutenant Colonel William George Malone (24 January 1859 – 8 August 1915) was an officer in the New Zealand Expeditionary Force who served in the First World War. He commanded the Wellington Infantry Battalion during the Gallipoli Campaign, and was killed in action by friendly fire during the Battle of Chunuk Bair.
William George Malone | |
---|---|
Born | (1859-01-24)24 January 1859 Kent, England |
Died | 8 August 1915(1915-08-08) (aged 56) Chunuk Bair, Gallipoli, Ottoman Turkey |
Allegiance | New Zealand |
Service/ | New Zealand Military Forces |
Rank | Lieutenant colonel |
Commands held | Wellington Infantry Battalion |
Battles/wars | First World War |
Awards | Mentioned in Dispatches (2) |
Born in England, Malone emigrated to New Zealand in 1880 and joined the New Zealand Armed Constabulary. After two years service in the Taranaki region, he worked at Ōpunake and later took up farming on land he bought with his brother near Stratford. He studied to become a lawyer and worked in New Plymouth in partnership with other lawyers but later set up his own practice in Stratford.
A volunteer in New Zealand's militia, he helped raise the Stratford Rifle Volunteers. When the militia was abolished and replaced with the Territorial Force, he was made commander of 11th Regiment (Taranaki Rifles). Following the outbreak of the First World War, he volunteered for service with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force and was appointed commander of the Wellington Infantry Battalion. He led the battalion through training in Egypt and during the Gallipoli Campaign until his death at Chunuk Bair in Gallipoli.