Most decorated · 18 medals and honours, 1 for gallantry
Major-General William Cunningham
A Wanganui solicitor and Territorial officer, Cunningham sailed with the Main Body in 1914 as a major in the Wellington Battalion and ended the First World War commanding its 2nd Battalion as a lieutenant-colonel. He won the DSO on the Somme, a Russian order for Gallipoli and four Mentions in Despatches, then added a CBE, a wartime command in Fiji and a knighthood (KBE) for services to the law, giving him a career total of 18 awards.
18medals and honours
1of them for gallantry
His medals and honours
Won for gallantry
Gallantry award
Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO)
15 September and 1 October 1916 · Flers-Courcelette and north of Eaucourt l'Abbaye, Somme, France · Lieutenant-Colonel, 2nd Battalion, Wellington Infantry Regiment
Gazetted: London Gazette 1 January 1917 (New Year Honours)
Cunningham took 2nd Wellington into its first big Western Front fight in the Somme offensive of September 1916. His DSO citation, as summarised in his service record, praised his 'conspicuous ability in handling his battalion in action' and his calm, sound conduct. Two moments were singled out. On 15 September, the opening day of the Flers-Courcelette battle, his battalion beat off a German counter-attack. On 1 October he led it in a supporting role north of Eaucourt l'Abbaye, in the closing stage of the same Somme fighting. He was a part-time soldier and a solicitor, and had commanded the battalion only since February 1916 after the Division was formed, so the award recognised a citizen officer holding together a unit under heavy fire during its first major test in France. Wikipedia ties the award to Flers-Courcelette.
The Online Cenotaph also lists the DSO in its text as 'for distinguished services in the field [in France and Flanders]', which is the standard honours-list wording; the detailed citation is from the NZEF file transcription. No bar.
Counted in his gallantry totalSource: NZEF Project (UNSW Canberra) record for William Herbert [sic] Cunningham, https://nzef.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=59594; Wikipedia, William Cunningham (lawyer), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Cunningham_(lawyer); Auckland Museum Online Cenotaph C36244, https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/C36244
Mentioned in Despatches
Mentioned in Despatches
1915-1918 · Gallipoli, Mediterranean, Western Front · Major to Lieutenant-Colonel, Wellington Infantry Battalion / 2nd Wellington
Gazetted: London Gazette 28 January 1916; 13 July 1916; 4 January 1917; 31 December 1918
Four separate mentions: Hamilton's Gallipoli despatch of 11 December 1915 (gazetted 28 January 1916); Munro's Mediterranean despatch (13 July 1916); Haig's despatch of 13 November 1916 (4 January 1917); and the New Year Honours list of 31 December 1918 for the 1918 fighting.
Counted as ONE item under the counting rule. The Online Cenotaph lists 'Mentioned in Despatches (MiD) Four Times'. His WW2 War Medal is recorded with an oak leaf, which would imply a further WW2 mention, but I could not find or verify that; it is not added to the count of mentions.
Counted in his gallantry totalSource: NZEF Project (UNSW Canberra) record for William Herbert [sic] Cunningham, https://nzef.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=59594; Auckland Museum Online Cenotaph C36244, https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/C36244
Every other medal and honour (16)
Order of St Stanislas, 3rd Class with Crossed Swords (Russia)Gallipoli campaign, 1915 · GallipoliA Russian order conferred on British and Dominion officers by the Tsar for their services at Gallipoli. The citation text recorded in his NZEF file calls it recognition of 'distinguished services rendered during the…1914-1915 Star1914-1915Qualified by sailing with the Main Body in October 1914 and serving in Egypt and at Gallipoli.British War Medal 1914-201914-1918Awarded for his overseas WW1 service, 1914-1919.Victory Medal1914-1918Awarded to those who served in a theatre of war, as he did at Gallipoli and on the Western Front.Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers' Decoration (VD)interwar (exact date not found)Long-service decoration for Territorial Force officers, in use in the post-nominals by 1935.Colonial Auxiliary Forces Long Service Medalnot foundLong-service medal for part-time service (twenty years, not necessarily continuous), consistent with his service from 1902.Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE)3 June 1935 · New ZealandMade CBE in the 1935 King's Birthday and Silver Jubilee Honours, as he left his Territorial brigade command and went onto the reserve of officers. The citation text was not found, but the award recognised his long…King George V Silver Jubilee Medal 19351935Commemorative medal issued for the 25th anniversary of the King's reign.Efficiency Decoration (ED)not foundTerritorial long-service decoration that replaced the earlier VD for officers; he is styled KBE DSO VD ED in later sources.New Zealand Long and Efficient Service Medalnot foundLong-service medal for the New Zealand part-time forces.Defence Medal1939-1945 · New Zealand / FijiAwarded for service defending the home front and Pacific territories in WW2.War Medal 1939-1945 (with oak leaf)1939-1945WW2 service medal.New Zealand War Service Medal1939-1945New Zealand's own medal for WW2 war service.Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal 19531953Commemorative medal for the 1953 coronation.New Zealand Territorial Service Medalnot foundLong-service medal for Territorial Force members.Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE)1 January 1955 · New ZealandKnighted in the 1955 New Year Honours as Major-General William Henry Cunningham CBE DSO VD, crown prosecutor in Wellington, 'for services to law'. He had been President of the New Zealand Law Society from 1950 and a…
His story
Wanganui solicitor and Territorial
Born in Wellington in 1883, educated at Wanganui Collegiate, admitted solicitor 1907 and barrister 1912. He had served in the New Zealand forces since 1902.
Source: Wikipedia, William Cunningham (lawyer), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Cunningham_(lawyer); NZEF Project (UNSW Canberra) record for William Herbert [sic] Cunningham, https://nzef.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=59594
Embarks with the Main Body
Enlisted August 1914 as a major in the Wellington Battalion and sailed on the Arawa on 16 October.
Source: NZEF Project (UNSW Canberra) record for William Herbert [sic] Cunningham, https://nzef.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=59594
Chunuk Bair
When Lt-Col Malone was killed, he briefly took command of the Wellington Battalion before he was wounded.
Source: Wikipedia, William Cunningham (lawyer), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Cunningham_(lawyer)
Commands 2nd Wellington
Promoted lieutenant-colonel when the NZ Division formed, and given 2nd Battalion, Wellington Infantry Regiment.
Source: Wikipedia, William Cunningham (lawyer), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Cunningham_(lawyer)
The Somme
Led 2nd Wellington at Flers-Courcelette on 15 September and at Eaucourt l'Abbaye on 1 October, winning the DSO.
Source: NZEF Project (UNSW Canberra) record for William Herbert [sic] Cunningham, https://nzef.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=59594
Spring 1918 and return
Resumed battalion command during the German spring offensive; returned from London in December 1918 and was discharged 17 February 1919.
Source: Wikipedia, William Cunningham (lawyer), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Cunningham_(lawyer); NZEF Project (UNSW Canberra) record for William Herbert [sic] Cunningham, https://nzef.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=59594
Territorial brigade commander and CBE
Commanded the Hawke's Bay Regiment then, from 1929 as colonel, 2nd Infantry Brigade; CBE in 1935.
Source: Wikipedia, William Cunningham (lawyer), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Cunningham_(lawyer)
Fiji
Recalled in 1940 as colonel to command 8th Brigade (promoted brigadier); GOC Fiji and temporary major-general from 8 January 1942; invalided home with dysentery in March 1942.
Source: Wikipedia, William Cunningham (lawyer), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Cunningham_(lawyer); NZ Gazette 12 January 1942, https://gazette.howison.co.nz/nzg/1942/issue/6/page/58
Law Society and knighthood
President of the NZ Law Society from 1950; KBE in the 1955 New Year Honours; died 20 April 1959.
Source: Wikipedia, William Cunningham (lawyer), https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Cunningham_(lawyer)
Rank and insignia
The ranks he held, and the badge a soldier of that rank wore. These are simplified illustrations.
Major1914 · Main BodyShoulder strap: crownLieutenant-ColonelFebruary 1916Shoulder strap: crown and one pipColonel1929 (Territorial)Shoulder strap: crown and two pipsBrigadier1940Shoulder strap: crown and three pipsMajor-General8 January 1942; confirmed 1948 per generals.dk · temporaryShoulder strap: crossed sword and baton, one pip
His ships
HMNZT 10 ArawaTransportSailed from Wellington 16 October 1914 (Cenotaph also suggests Limerick, HMNZT 7)
Afterwards
After the war he returned to law in Wellington, forming the firm Luke, Cunningham and Clere, and kept up his Territorial career, co-authoring chapters of the 1928 history of the Wellington Regiment. He was crown prosecutor in Wellington, president of the Wellington Returned Services Association and, from 1950 to 1954, president of the New Zealand Law Society.
Recalled in 1940, he commanded the 8th Brigade in Fiji and then the whole Fiji garrison, until illness sent him home in March 1942. He was knighted in 1955 and died in Wellington on 20 April 1959. He is buried at Karori.
Later awards, not counted here: Defence Medal; War Medal 1939-1945 (with oak leaf); New Zealand War Service Medal.
This is the Service Record sign as we would make it from his record: his rank, name, regiment, number and date of embarkation. The medals on the sign are worked out automatically, so the medals listed above are the ones to rely on.
The Service Record
Photograph
We haven’t hosted a photograph here
Rather than copy someone else’s image onto our own site, we’d rather send you to see it where it’s properly held: his full record at the Auckland War Memorial Museum’s Online Cenotaph.
BRIEF MISMATCH: he was NOT Auckland Regiment / Rifle Brigade nor Quartermaster-General. He served in the Wellington Infantry Battalion and 2nd Wellington, later Hawke's Bay Regiment (Territorial), 2nd Brigade, and in WW2 the 8th Brigade in Fiji; highest rank Major-General. Identity confirmed by Cenotaph number C36244, service number 10/1085.
Aliases: NZEF records list him as William Herbert Cunningham (alias); the ADFA record has the gazette dates.
Cenotaph 'Volunteer Officer's Decoration (VD)' and 'Colonial Auxiliary Forces Decoration' are the same award: counted once.
KBE is missing from the seed list but confirmed in Wikipedia and the Cenotaph page text: added.
St Stanislas (Russia) counted as an order, not gallantry; if counted as foreign gallantry the gallantry count is 2.
CAF Long Service Medal, NZ Long and Efficient Service Medal and NZ Territorial Service Medal appear only in the Cenotaph list; no independent confirmation found. If excluded, total is 15.
War Medal 1939-45 'with oak leaf' implies a WW2 mention; none found. MiD counted once regardless.
Cenotaph dates for 2nd Brigade command (1929-39) differ from Wikipedia (relinquished 1935).
WW1 service confirmed: embarked 16 Oct 1914 (Main Body), Gallipoli (wounded), Western Front, discharged 17 Feb 1919. Born in Wellington, lived in Wanganui; no argument against listing as a New Zealander.
