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Cenotaph record

George Dittmer

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Portrait, Weekly News 10 December 1941 - This image may be subject to copyright

Portrait, Weekly News 10 December 1941 - This image may be subject to copyright

Identity

About

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  • Title
  • Forenames
    George AWMM
  • Surname
    Dittmer AWMM
  • Ingoa
  • Also known as
  • Service number
    • WWI 12/335 AWMM
    • WWII 6135 AWMM
    • WWII 30281 AWMM
  • Gender
    Male AWMM
  • Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
  • Religion

Civilian life

About birth

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  • Birth
    4 June 1893 AWMM Maharahara, Hawkes Bay AWMM
  • Date of birth
  • Place of birth
    Maharahara, H.B. Public - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 5 January 2024 - https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Dittmer-368
  • Birth notes
    Son of August Frederick & Mary DITTMER Public - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 5 January 2024 - https://www.wikitree.com/wiki/Dittmer-368
  • Address before enlistment
    • Pre 11 August 1914 AWMM Rotorua, New Zealand AWMM
    • 2 May 1940 AWMM Waimiha, New Zealand AWMM
    • 4 March 1941 AWMM Waimiha, New Zealand AWMM
    • 30 August 1943 AWMM Waimiha, New Zealand AWMM
  • Post war occupation
  • Next of kin on embarkation
    • Augustus Frederick Ferdinand Dittmer, Te Pu, Rotorua, New Zealand AWMM
    • Mrs Leonie May Dittmer (wife), C/o Mr W. Dittmer, Waimiha, King Country, New Zealand AWMM
    • Mrs Leonie May Dittmer (wife), C/o Mr W. Dittmer, Waimiha, King Country, New Zealand AWMM
    • Mrs Leonie May Dittmer (wife), C/o G. Steggall, 80 Awapuni Road, Gisborne, East Coast, New Zealand AWMM
  • Relationship status
    • Pre 16 October 1914 AWMM Single AWMM
    • Pre 2 May 1940 AWMM Married AWMM
    • 1919 George DITTMER married Leonie May DAVIS Public - Lorraine Mona - Researcher - 5 January 2024 - NZ BDM Marriage records

Service

Wars and conflicts

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Military decorations

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Training and Enlistment

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Embarkations

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Prisoner of war

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  • Capture details
    WW2
    Libya, North Africa AWMM
    28 November 1941 AWMM
    Captured whilst being treated for his wound at a New Zealand medical centre near Sidi Rezegh. AWMM
  • Days interned
  • Liberation date
  • Liberation Repatriation
    WW2 Colonel Dittmer and some 30 other Kiwi troops subsequently managed to escape by truck and make their way back through the desert to British territory. AWMM
  • POW liberation details
  • POW serial number

Medical history

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  • Medical notes
    Hospital Diseases , Wounds, WWII AWMM
    Wounded (shell fragment in back) on 23 November 1941, in Libya. AWMM

Last known rank

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Biographical information

Biographical information

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  • Son of Augustus Frederick Ferdinand Dittmer and Mary Dittmer.

    Husband of Leonie Mat Dittmer (nee Davis)

    Gained Second Lieutenant's commission on 31 May 1915 (Studholme 1928).

    Served with the Auckland Battalion at Gallipoli (McGibbon 2000).

    Promoted to rank of Captain on 15 March 1917 (Studholme 1928).

    Officer Commanding of 1st New Zealand Entrenching Battalion.

    Obtained a commission in the New Zealand Staff Corps after WW1

    Commanding Officer of 28th (Maori) Battalion from November 1939, to February 1942.

    Commander of 1st Infantry Brigade (in New Zealand) from April 1942, to August 1943.

    Commander of 1st Division (in New Zealand) from August 1942, to January 1943.

    Fiji Military Forces and Fiji Infantry Brigade Group, September 1943-November 1945; Camp Commandant, Papakura Military Camp, 1946; Commandant, Central Military District, 1946–48.

    Commander Central Military District

    _____________________________

    George Dittmer - 1893-1979

    George was the 6th child of 13 children born to August Dittmer originally from Germany and Mary King from Scotland. . He was one of the first 3 boys from Rotorua to enlist in1915. He went away as a private but after being mentioned in dispatches and receiving an MC, he was made a sergeant and by the end of WW1 he was a lieutenant colonel. During some of this time, he had his brother as a batman. One of his promotions made him the first Commanding Officer of the 28th Maori Battalion. He also served in WW2 and by the end of his service, he was a General.

    On his return from overseas, he married Leonie May Davis on Christmas Eve 1919 at St Andrews Church and they journeyed to Auckland for their honeymoon.

    In the Birthday Honours of June 1935 he was given an MBE.

    Above biography was transcribed, researched and written by Margaret Nash of Panmure Branch of NZSG

    _____________________________

    George Dittmer’s two siblings Agnes Hayden and Rose Turner (nee Dittmer) are also buried with their parents at the Kauae Cemetery, Ngongotaha, Rotorua (Public source, RDC cemetery records, 7/ 2015)

    George's wife Leonie is also buried at the Kauae Cemetery, Ngongotaha, Rotorua.(RDC Cemetery records, 7/2015) AWMM
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Death

About death

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  • Death
    11 August 1979 AWMM
    Age 86 AWMM
    AWMM
  • Date of death
  • Age at death
  • Place of death
  • Cause of death
  • Death notes
  • Cemetery
    Kauae Cemetery, Ngongotaha, Rotorua, New Zealand AWMM Block 14 Section R49 Plot 2 AWMM
  • Cemetery name
  • Grave reference
  • Obituary
  • Memorial name
  • Memorial reference

Memorials

Memorial

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  • Memorial name

Roll of Honour

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Leave a note

Leave a tribute or memory of George Dittmer

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  • I am Brigadier Dittmer's great nephew, my grandfather was his youngest brother. Just wanted to say that we remain immensely proud of our uncle. Uncle George was a lovely man, spoke seldom of his achievements, and yet these achievements were extraordinary. He and Leone did not have children of their own and so he was especially interested in his nieces and nephews. We remember him with pride and fondness every ANZAC day. My great grandfather (George's father) was German and the story goes that George was told not to hold back (less polite words than that) should he encounter any of his relatives in battle. It also means a lot to us that many Maori servicemen held him in the highest regard and paid great honour to him at his passing.
    Public - Kevin - Other relative - 25 April 2017
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Sources

Sources

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  • External links
  • References
    • Haigh, J., Polaschek, A. (Eds.). (1993). New Zealand and the Distinguished Service Order. Christchurch, N.Z.: Authors. AWMM
    • McGibbon, I. (Ed.). (2000). The Oxford companion to New Zealand military history. Auckland, N.Z.: Oxford University Press. AWMM
    • Studholme, J. (1928). New Zealand Expeditionary Force record of personal services during the war of officers, nurses, and first-class warrant officers, and other facts relating to the N.Z.E.F. : unofficial but based on official records. Wellington, N.Z.: Government Printer. AWMM
    • New Zealand Army Expeditionary Force. (1914-1919). Nominal Rolls of New Zealand Expeditionary Force, Volume I. Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer. AWMM
      Vol1: 189 AWMM
    • Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. (1941). Nominal Roll Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force No. 2 (Embarkations to 30th June, 1940). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer. AWMM
      WW2 2: WW2 51 AWMM
    • Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. (1945). Nominal Roll Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force No. 12 (Embarkations from 1st July, 1943 to 31st December, 1943). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer. AWMM
      WW2 12: WW2 51 AWMM
    • Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. (1945). Nominal Roll Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force No. 15 (Embarkations from 1st January, 1945 to 31st December, 1945). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer. AWMM
      WW2 15: WW2 40 AWMM
    • Dittmer, George. Miscellaneous papers, 1925 - 1975. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS-98/31. AWMM
    • McDonald, W. (2001). Honours and awards to the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the Great War, 1914-1918. Napier, N.Z.: Helen McDonald. AWMM
      McDonald, W. (2001). p. 85. AWMM
    • Studholme, J. (1928). New Zealand Expeditionary Force record of personal services during the war of officers, nurses, and first-class warrant officers, and other facts relating to the N.Z.E.F. : unofficial but based on official records. Wellington, N.Z.: Government Printer. AWMM
      Studholme, J. (1928). p. 147 AWMM
    • Cody, J. (1956). 28 (Maori) Battalion. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch. AWMM
      Cody, J. (1956). pp. 177-178 AWMM
    • Beattie, P.J. & Pomeroy, M. (2013-2020). Onward : portraits of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (vols 1-5). Auckland, New Zealand: Fair Dinkum Publications AWMM
      Vol. 2: Includes portrait AWMM
    • The Le Quesnoy Campaign research was undertaken by the New Zealand Society of Genealogists as part of the development of New Zealand Liberation Museum - Te Arawhata (Le Quesnoy France). This research project was led by CJ Barbour (NZSG), BI Silvester, HH Farrant (NZMHS) with the support of NZSG volunteers (2022). The individuals included in this research data set were verified as serving in Le Quesnoy. AWMM
    • McDonald, W. (2013). Honours and Awards to the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the Great War, 1914-1918. (3rd ed.). Hamilton, N.Z.: Richard Stowers. AWMM

Contributors

Command item
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DateFirst namesLocationRelationshipContact
05 January 2024Lorraine Mona Gisborne Researcher
25 April 2017KevinWhangareiOther relative
26 October 2015Lorraine MGisborne, NZResearcher

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