Bernard Cyril Freyberg (1st Baron Freyberg)

When the First World War broke out in August 1914, Bernard Cyril Freyberg was living in San Francisco, having traveled from New Zealand to North America earlier that year. Born in Richmond, Surrey, on 21 March 1889, he had moved to Wellington with his family at two years of age. Educated at Wellington College from 1897 to 1904, he excelled as a swimmer, winning the New Zealand national 100-yard championship in 1906 and 1910. Commissioned as a second lieutenant in the 6th (Hauraki) Regiment of the New Zealand Territorial Force in 1911, he qualified as a dentist before departing for North America. Upon learning of the outbreak of hostilities in Europe, he journeyed across the United States to Britain, where he secured an interview with First Lord of the Admiralty Winston Churchill and obtained a commission as a temporary lieutenant in the Royal Naval Volunteer Reserve. Assigned to the Hood Battalion of the Royal Naval Division, his ability to survive intense enemy fire during early operational deployments led Churchill to give him the sobriquet "the Salamander".

During the opening phase of the Gallipoli campaign in April 1915, Freyberg volunteered to conduct a solitary diversionary mission ahead of the Allied amphibious landings at Helles. On the night of 24 April 1915, he swam ashore alone in the Gulf of Saros under cover of darkness, carrying flare lights to mislead Ottoman defenses regarding the primary landing site. After igniting flares along enemy positions and drawing heavy direct fire, he swam back to his offshore pick-up vessel. For this operation, he received his first Distinguished Service Order. Wounded later during fighting at Cape Helles, he returned to duty and assumed command of the Hood Battalion in June 1915 with the temporary rank of Commander RNVR.

In May 1916, Freyberg transferred from naval service to the British Army, receiving a regular commission as a captain in The Queen's (Royal West Surrey Regiment) while maintaining his temporary appointment as Lieutenant-Colonel commanding the Hood Battalion, which had been transferred to the 63rd (Royal Naval) Division on the Western Front. During the Battle of the Ancre, the closing phase of the Somme offensive, his battalion was ordered to assault heavily fortified German defense lines guarding Beaucourt-sur-l'Ancre on 13 November 1916. Spearheading the initial advance under dense morning mist and artillery fire, he led his battalion through the enemy forward trench system. Despite severe casualties and organizational disarray among intermixed units, he rallied scattered troops, secured the second objective, and held an advanced position overnight against continuous artillery and machine-gun bombardment. On the morning of 14 November, reinforced by additional troops, he personally organized and led an assault that captured Beaucourt along with five hundred prisoners. Suffering four separate wounds over the course of the two-day engagement, he refused evacuation until he had issued final defensive orders.

His decoration for supreme valor, the Victoria Cross, was published in The London Gazette, Supplement 29866, on 15 December 1916 (page 12307):

"War Office, 15th December, 1916. His Majesty the KING has been graciously pleased to confer the Victoria Cross on the undermentioned Officer and Man: — Capt. (temp. Lt.-Col.) Bernard Cyril Freyberg, D.S.O., R. W. Surr. R. and R.N.D.

For most conspicuous bravery and brilliant leading as a Battalion Commander.

By his splendid personal gallantry he carried the initial attack straight through the enemy's front system of trenches. Owing to mist and heavy fire of all descriptions, Lieutenant Colonel Freyberg's command was much disorganised after the capture of the first objective. He personally rallied and re-formed his men, including men from other units who had become intermixed.

He inspired all with his own contempt of danger. At the appointed time he led his men to the successful assault of the second objective, many prisoners being captured.

During this advance he was twice wounded. He again rallied and re-formed all who were with him, and although unsupported in a very advanced position, he held his ground for the remainder of the day, and throughout the night, under heavy artillery and machine gun fire. When reinforced on the following morning, he organised the attack on a strongly fortified village and showed a fine example of dash in personally leading the assault, capturing the village and five hundred prisoners. In this operation he was again wounded.

Later in the afternoon, he was again wounded severely, but refused to leave the line till he had issued final instructions.

The personality, valour and utter contempt of danger on the part of this single Officer enabled the lodgement in the most advanced objective of the Corps to be permanently held, and on this point d'appui the line was eventually formed."

Invested with the Victoria Cross by King George V at Buckingham Palace on 2 January 1918, Freyberg was promoted to temporary Brigadier-General in April 1917 to command the 88th Brigade in the 29th Division. During the final Allied offensives of 1918, he received two Bars to his Distinguished Service Order for aggressive brigade-level operations, including leading cavalry and infantry detachments to seize intact bridgeheads under heavy fire. Official military officer service number not established in primary gazette records, as British Army officers during the First World War held commissions by Royal Warrant rather than assigned numeric service identifiers.

During the interwar period, Freyberg held regular commissions in the Grenadier Guards and the Manchester Regiment, graduated from the Staff College at Camberley, and was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1936. Retired on medical grounds due to cumulative battle injuries in 1937, he was restored to the active list following the outbreak of the Second World War in September 1939. Appointed commander of the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force and the 2nd New Zealand Division, he directed New Zealand operations during the Allied defensive campaign in Greece in April 1941 and served as Allied commander during the Battle of Crete in May 1941, earning appointment as a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire.

Freyberg subsequently led the 2nd New Zealand Division through continuous desert operations in North Africa. Severely wounded by artillery shell fragments at Minqar Qaim in June 1942, he returned to command his formation during the Second Battle of El Alamein, directing the armor-infantry attack in Operation Supercharge. Knighted as a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath in 1942, he planned and executed the outflanking maneuver through the Tebaga Gap in March 1943, breaking open the Mareth Line. Transferring to the Italian front, he commanded the New Zealand Corps during the heavy engagements at Monte Cassino in early 1944 and led his division in the advance across northern Italy, securing Trieste in May 1945. A third Bar to his Distinguished Service Order was gazetted in July 1945, placing him among the few British Commonwealth officers to receive four awards of the DSO.

Appointed the 7th Governor-General of New Zealand in 1946, Sir Bernard served as viceregal representative until 1952. He was appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George in 1946 and elevated to the peerage as Baron Freyberg of Wellington, New Zealand, and Munstead, Surrey, in October 1951. Returning to Britain, he served as Deputy Constable and Lieutenant-Governor of Windsor Castle until his death at Windsor on 4 July 1963.