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Cenotaph record

Anthony Leonard Birks

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Identity

About

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  • Title
  • Forenames
    Anthony Leonard AWMM
  • Surname
    Birks AWMM
  • Ingoa
  • Also known as
    Tony AWMM
  • Service number
    30718 AWMM
  • Gender
    Male AWMM
  • Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
  • Religion

Civilian life

About birth

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  • Birth
    30 December 1941 AWMM
  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
  • Birth notes
  • Address before enlistment
  • Post war occupation
  • Next of kin on embarkation
  • Relationship status

Service

Wars and conflicts

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Training and Enlistment

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  • Military training
    Sandhurst AWMM
  • Branch Trade Proficiency
  • Enlistment
  • Occupation before enlistment
  • Age on enlistment

Embarkations

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Prisoner of war

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  • Capture details
  • Days interned
  • Liberation date
  • Liberation Repatriation
  • POW liberation details
  • POW serial number

Medical history

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  • Medical notes
    Died of Disease, Cause of Death AWMM
    Heart attack AWMM

Last known rank

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Biographical information

Biographical information

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  • Attended St. Andrew's College, Christchurch, and Nelson College. Graduated from the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst in 1961.

    Appointed Chief of the Defence Force in 1995 and retired in 1999.

    Husband of Gina.

    He was given a full military funeral and service at the New Zealand Army National Marae, Rongo Maraeroa-o-Nga-hau-e-wha in Waiouru.

    Cenotaph database record compiled from information in the obituary

    Served NZ Army 1959-1995. Served in Vietnam as Watchkeeper HQ 1 ATF 13 May to 15 Nov 1968. Qualifies for Australian UCG for FSB Coral and Balmoral as member of 1ATF Forward CP. Later Chief of Army and Chief of Defence Force.

    Photo of Lt A.L. Birks in The Officers, 1st Battalion Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment (Terendak Camp, Malaya 1965)

    Photo of Capt A.L. Birks in The Officers, 1st Battalion Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment (Terendak Camp, Malaysia 1967) AWMM
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Death

About death

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  • Death
    21 February 2002 AWMM
    Age 60 AWMM
    Whakatane, Eastern Bay of Plenty AWMM
  • Date of death
  • Age at death
  • Place of death
  • Cause of death
    Died of Disease AWMM
  • Death notes
  • Cemetery
  • Cemetery name
  • Grave reference
  • Obituary
    Obituary: Evening Post, 24 January 2002 p.11 : Portrait

    Obituary: Mana, February 2002 : Page 11

    Obituary: Daily Post, 24 January 2002 p.3 : Portrait AWMM
  • Memorial name
  • Memorial reference

Memorials

Memorial

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  • Memorial name

Roll of Honour

Remember Anthony Leonard Birks by laying a poppy.

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  • Porini Hooia, Teihana!.
    Moe mai ra te Ruru e koukou ana.
    Tohu haehae ana te haehae.
    Rere hupe ana te hupe.
    Tangi kau ana te mapu e.
    Matariki tohu Mate
    Matariki tohu Raakaunui
    Matariki tohu Mata Riki
    Public - Kapehu - Comrade - 9 July 2023
    Report 
  • P30718 Lt Gen Anthony Leonard (Tony) BIRKS-CB OBE MBE [MV, BV63/65 VV] (Alpha OC 75/76, Bn2IC 76/77) 21 January 2002 aged 60 (ha). Buried at Hillcrest Cemetery, 79 Ohope Rd, Maraetotara, Whakatane 3120. Block; RSA X, Plot; ??.  [-37.96747, 177.01444] LEST WE FORGET (Information kindly supplied to AWMM by seava.co.nz) A great commander in his time. ONWARD
    Report 
  • Tony was born on the 30th of December 1941 and died on the 21st of January 2002.
    Report 

Sources

Sources

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  • External links
  • References
    • The Evening Post AWMM
      Obituary: Evening Post, 24 January 2002 p.11 : Portrait AWMM
    • Daily Post (Rotorua) AWMM
      Obituary: Daily Post, 24 January 2002 p.3 : Portrait AWMM
    • Mana : the Maori news magazine for all New Zealanders AWMM
      Obituary: Mana, February 2002 : Page 11 AWMM
    • Gurr, Robert M. (1995). Voices from a border war : a history of 1 Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment, 1963 to 1965. Melbourne, Vic.: Robert Gurr. AWMM
    • Pugsley, C. (2003). From emergency to confrontation: the New Zealand armed forces in Southeast Asia, 1949-1966. Oxford, England: Oxford University Press. AWMM
    • H.E. Chamberlain, Nominal Roll – 1 RNZIR, 8 May 1964, in Gurr, Robert. (2009). Voices from a border war: Borneo 1963-1965. 2nd Edition. Christchurch, N.Z.: Wilson Scott Publishing, pp.139-150 AWMM
    • Information kindly provided by family AWMM
    • Fry, P., & New Zealand. Army. Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment. Battalion, 1st. (1983). The First Battalion Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment : Journal / [P.J. Fry, editor] (25th anniversary commemorative ed.). Singapore: The Regiment. AWMM

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09 July 2023KapehuMitakaComrade

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