Most decorated · 16 medals and honours, 2 for gallantry
Brigadier George Dittmer
George Dittmer sailed as a sergeant with the Main Body in 1914, rose to captain in the Auckland Battalion and won the Military Cross on the Somme. He stayed in the army after 1919, was the first commander of the 28th (Maori) Battalion in 1940, won the DSO for Greece and Crete, and finished as a brigadier with a CBE. Over a career spanning two wars he collected 13 distinct medals and honours by our count, two of them for gallantry.
16medals and honours
2of them for gallantry
His medals and honours
Won for gallantry
Gallantry award
Military Cross
21 September 1916 to 28 February 1917 (period covered by the recommendation) · The Somme front and the winter line that followed, France · Lieutenant (promoted Captain 15 March 1917), 1st Battalion, Auckland Infantry Regiment
Gazetted: London Gazette 30111 (supplement), 4 June 1917, p. 5486 (King's Birthday honours); listed as Lt George Dittmer, N.Z. Force; McDonald Rec. No. 680
This was not a medal for one dramatic action. The recommendation covers about five months, from 21 September 1916 to the end of February 1917, and it reads more like a tribute to a dependable officer than an account of a single fight. It stresses that Dittmer had left New Zealand as a private, that he had the best record for steady service in the battalion, and that he had never been absent for a day except on duty or leave. The writer admits that no single deed stood out as an example of steady bravery, but praises his daily, punctual devotion to duty. It also notes that after September 1916 he commanded his company on the Somme. That places him in the Auckland Battalion's months on the Somme front after the September 1916 battles. He had by then risen from platoon sergeant at the Main Body embarkation to commissioned officer (second lieutenant on 31 May 1915) and, soon afterwards, captain (15 March 1917). The gazette printed the award among the Military Crosses of the 4 June 1917 honours.
The Gazette lists only his name and rank (Lieutenant, N.Z. Force); the wording of the recommendation comes from McDonald's NZEF honours book and is repeated on the Online Cenotaph. Some secondary biographies say he won the MC for 'unwavering devotion to his unit', which matches the recommendation but is a paraphrase.
Counted in his gallantry totalSource: https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/30111/supplement/5486 ; https://www.nzdf.mil.nz/assets/Uploads/Medals/British-Commonwealth-Gallantry-Meritorious-and-Distinguished-Service-Awards/NZEFHonoursandAwardsWayneMcDonald3rdedition.pdf (Dittmer, 12/335) ; https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/C31840 ; https://nzef.adfa.edu.au/showPerson?pid=66895
Gallantry award
Distinguished Service Order
Greece and Crete, April to May 1941 · Greece and Crete · Lieutenant-Colonel, 28th (Maori) Battalion
Gazetted: London Gazette 35396 (supplement), 30 December 1941, p. 7334 (awards for the Middle East, February to July 1941); citation printed in the New Zealand Gazette (the Online Cenotaph gives 21 September 1944)
The citation praises him for leading the 28th (Maori) Battalion in both the Greek and Cretan campaigns of 1941. In Greece his battalion held a front of about 5000 yards. It was attacked along the whole length of the line, and the line was broken in several places, but the battalion made a series of firm counter-attacks, put the position right and then withdrew in good order. The citation credits this to Dittmer's leadership. On Crete it says the battalion counter-attacked the Germans on at least five occasions and inflicted heavy losses each time. The battalion carried the largest share of the rearguard work and to the end was on top of the enemy on the ground, and in every engagement it was led by its commanding officer. Dittmer was the first commanding officer of the battalion, which he had raised and trained since January 1940. The gazette entry is in the Middle East awards list covering February to July 1941.
Gazette page confirms the DSO; the citation wording is from the Online Cenotaph, which gives 'New Zealand Gazette, 21 September 1944' (probably when the citation was published locally; not checked). One web summary links the DSO to his escape after capture in November 1941, but the gazette date (30 December 1941) and the citation both refer only to Greece and Crete.
Counted in his gallantry totalSource: https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/35396/supplement/7334 ; https://www.aucklandmuseum.com/war-memorial/online-cenotaph/record/C31840
Every other medal and honour (14)
1914-15 Star1914 to 1915 · Egypt and GallipoliHe sailed with the Main Body in October 1914 and landed at Gallipoli, which qualifies for the Star.British War Medal 1914-201914 to 1919Awarded for his overseas service in the First World War; listed on the Online Cenotaph and the NZEF Project record.Victory Medal1914 to 1919Awarded for service in a theatre of war in 1914-18; listed on the Online Cenotaph and the NZEF Project record.Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE), Military Division3 June 1935 · New ZealandDittmer was made an additional Member of the Military Division of the Order in the 1935 King's Birthday and Silver Jubilee honours, listed as Captain George Dittmer, M.C., New Zealand Staff Corps. The gazette gives…1939-1945 Star1940 to 1943 · Greece, Crete and North AfricaOperational service with the 2nd NZEF in 1941 qualifies; listed on the Online Cenotaph.Africa Star1941 · Libya (Sidi Rezegh)He was wounded on 23 November 1941 in Libya and captured on 28 November near Sidi Rezegh; listed on the Online Cenotaph.Defence Medal1939 to 1945 · New Zealand and FijiListed on the Online Cenotaph; his later wartime service was in New Zealand and Fiji.War Medal 1939-19451939 to 1945Listed on the Online Cenotaph 'with oak leaf'; the oak leaf is the Mention in Despatches emblem and is not counted twice.New Zealand War Service Medal1939 to 1945 · New ZealandGiven to members of the New Zealand forces for at least 28 days' full-time service in the war; listed on the Online Cenotaph.Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), Military Division1 January 1946 · FijiHe was appointed an Additional Commander of the Military Division in the 1946 New Year honours, as commander of the Fiji Military Forces. After his return from captivity and command in New Zealand, he went to Fiji in…Pacific StarListed by the Online Cenotaph; we could not confirm it from a second source.Listed on the Online Cenotaph, not yet confirmedNew Zealand Long and Efficient Service MedalListed by the Online Cenotaph; we could not confirm it from a second source.Listed on the Online Cenotaph, not yet confirmedNew Zealand Territorial Service MedalListed by the Online Cenotaph; we could not confirm it from a second source.Listed on the Online Cenotaph, not yet confirmedMentioned in DespatchesMiddle East, February to July 1941 · Middle East (Greece, Crete)He was mentioned in the same Middle East despatches list as his DSO. The oak leaf for it appears on his War Medal 1939-45.
His story
Sails with the Main Body
Having enlisted on 11 August 1914 aged 21, Dittmer embarked at Wellington as a sergeant of the Auckland Infantry Battalion's Hauraki company, arriving in Egypt on 3 December 1914. Secondary summaries say he had been a volunteer with D Company of the Hauraki Regiment since about the age of 17.
The period covered by his Military Cross recommendation. He commanded his company after the September battles and was promoted captain on 15 March 1917. The MC was gazetted on 4 June 1917.
The Online Cenotaph links him to Passchendaele and Le Quesnoy, and records that he commanded the 1st New Zealand Entrenching Battalion. He was discharged from the wartime force on 13 May 1919 with the rank of major, and married Leonie May Davis on 24 December 1919.
Generals.dk dates his command from 29 January 1940 to 23 November 1941; the Online Cenotaph says November 1939 to February 1942. The battalion fought in Greece and on Crete in 1941 and he was awarded the DSO (gazetted 30 December 1941).
Wounded by a shell fragment on 23 November 1941 and captured on 28 November while being treated at a New Zealand medical centre near Sidi Rezegh. The Online Cenotaph carries an 'escaped POW' keyword and a web summary says he led a party of about thirty men back across the desert, but that account was not confirmed from a primary source.
Temporary brigadier from 1 April 1942, commanding the 1st NZ Infantry Brigade in New Zealand, then the Fiji Brigade Group from September 1943. CBE in the 1946 New Year honours.
The ranks he held, and the badge a soldier of that rank wore. These are simplified illustrations.
Sergeant16 October 1914 · Main BodyThree chevronsSecond Lieutenant31 May 1915Shoulder strap: one pipLieutenant1917 · as in the 1917 MC gazetteShoulder strap: two pipsCaptain15 March 1917Shoulder strap: three pipsMajor13 May 1919 (at discharge from the wartime force)Shoulder strap: crownCaptain1935 · NZ Staff CorpsShoulder strap: three pipsTemporary Lieutenant-Colonel29 January 1940Shoulder strap: crown and one pipLieutenant-Colonel1 August 1941Shoulder strap: crown and one pipTemporary Brigadier1 April 1942Shoulder strap: crown and three pipsBrigadier5 September 1948 (retirement)Shoulder strap: crown and three pips
His ships
HMNZT 8 Star of India or HMNZT 12 WaimanaOutward troopship, Main Body, 16 October 1914The Online Cenotaph records 'Star of India or Waimana' without deciding; he reached Egypt on 3 December 1914.
Afterwards
Dittmer retired in 1948 after commanding the Central Military District. He was an unusual figure among the commanders of the Maori Battalion, a Pakeha regular soldier whose competence and discipline won the battalion's respect.
He died on 11 August 1979 at 86 and is buried at Kauae Cemetery, Ngongotaha, Rotorua, near his parents and his wife Leonie.
Later awards, not counted here: Distinguished Service Order (1941); Mention in Despatches (1941); CBE (1946); 1939-1945 Star; Africa Star; Defence Medal; War Medal 1939-1945; 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.
The total counts the medals the Online Cenotaph lists, including those we could not confirm elsewhere, which are marked on this page.
WW1 service confirmed (Main Body 1914, MC 1917).
Online Cenotaph lists 16 award entries; reconciled to 13 counted items. 'Mentioned in Despatches' and 'War Medal 1939-1945 with oak leaf' are one emblem (one item). The Cenotaph's MiD is confirmed by London Gazette 35396 p. 7362 (1941).
NOT COUNTED, doubtful: Pacific Star. His Pacific service was in Fiji (1943-45) and Fiji service did not qualify for the Pacific Star (Wikipedia). Not verified from an issue record.
NOT COUNTED, unverified: New Zealand Long and Efficient Service Medal (issued 1887-1931; extended to all NZ Military Forces in 1920, so possible for a regular officer, but no record seen) and 'New Zealand Territorial Service Medal' (no authoritative description found). If both Cenotaph entries are accepted the total would be 15; with the Pacific Star as well, 16.
WW1 Mention in Despatches claimed by family-sourced biographies; no gazette entry found, so not counted separately (a mention counts once anyway).
DSO date: gazetted 30 December 1941 for Greece and Crete; the Online Cenotaph cites 'New Zealand Gazette, 21 September 1944' for the citation text. A web summary links the DSO to his escape from captivity, which conflicts with the gazette date and citation; the gazette is followed.
Rank at end of WW1: some biographies say he was a lieutenant-colonel by the war's end; the Cenotaph discharge record gives major (13 May 1919). Major is used.
WW1 wounding and the 1917 return to duty, mentioned in one web summary, were not verified.
Campaign medals other than those in WW1 (1939-45 Star, Africa Star, Defence Medal, War Medal, NZ War Service Medal) rest on the Online Cenotaph list and the logic of his service; no issue records were found.
