Monty Claude Fairbrother
Born 21 Sept 1907 - Died Feb 1997
- Service number
- WWII 7192 AWMM
- Also known as
- —
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Last rank
- Brigadier/Military AWMM New Zealand Infantry, 2 Brigade AWMM
- War
- World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
About
- Title
- —
- Forenames
- Monty Claude AWMM
- Surname
- Fairbrother AWMM
- Ingoa
- —
- Also known as
- —
- Service number
- WWII 7192 AWMM
- Gender
- Male AWMM
- Iwi / Hapū / Waka / Rohe
- —
- Religion
- —
Images
Documents
About birth
- Birth
- 21 Sept 1907 AWMM
- Date of birth
- —
- Place of birth
- —
- Birth notes
- —
- Address before enlistment
- Pre 1939 AWMM C/o Post Office Box 61, Invercargill, New Zealand AWMM
- Unknown AWMM Post Office Box 61, Invercargill, New Zealand AWMM
- Post war occupation
- Two children his eldest Roger Fairbrother and his youngest son David FairbrotherPublic - Olive - Direct descendant - 17 March 2025 - Family Papers
- Next of kin
- Mrs Helen Constance Fairbrother (wife), Te Kawa, Te Awamutu, New Zealand AWMM
- Mrs Helen Constance Fairbrother (wife), Te Kawa, Te Awamutu, New Zealand AWMM
Wars and conflicts
- War
- World War II, 1939-1945 AWMM
- Campaign
- —
- Armed force / branch
- Army AWMM
- Service number
- WWII 7192 AWMM
- Military service
- Served in Hawkes Bay Regiment, 1928 AWMM
- 2 New Zealand Infantry Brigade AWMM
- 5 Infantry Brigade AWMM
- 20 Infantry Battalion AWMM
- 21 (Auckland) Infantry Battalion AWMM
- 23 Infantry Battalion AWMM
- 28 (Maori) Battalion AWMM
- Promotions/ Postings/ Transfers
- —
Military decorations
- Medals and Awards
- Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE) AWMM
- Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) AWMM
DSO: NZ Gazette, 30 April 1946, citation: "For gallantry and distinguished leadership. Lieutenant Colonel Fairbrother commanded 26 NZ Battalion during the recent campaign, from the date of the attack on the Senio until the conclusion of hostilities. During this period his Battalion carried out a number of attacks; all of which were completely successful. He was continually with forward companies, making personal reconnaissances with complete disregard for his personal safety, and inspiring his men with his tireless and determined leadership. From 12 April till 16 April his battalion fought five set-piece attacks under barrages, all prepared at very short notice. As a result his battalion cross [sic] the Santerno and the Sillaro and exploited to a considerable depth beyond. AWMM - 1939-1945 Star AWMM
- Africa Star (8th Army clasp) AWMM
- Italy Star AWMM
- Defence Medal AWMM
- War Medal 1939-1945 with oak leaf AWMM
- New Zealand War Service Medal AWMM
- Coronation Medal ER 1953 AWMM
- Efficiency Decoration and 4 bars (ED****) AWMM
- Officer of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE) (Military) AWMM
- Mentioned in Despatches (MiD) AWMM
Training and Enlistment
- Military training
- —
- Branch Trade Proficiency
- —
- Enlistment
- WW2 1939 AWMM
Age 32 AWMM
Secretary-Accountant/Civilian AWMM - WW2 Unknown AWMM Accountant/Civilian AWMM
- WW2 1939 AWMM
- Age on enlistment
- —
- Occupation before enlistment
- —
Embarkations
- Embarkation details
- WW2 Lieutenant/Military AWMM 20 Infantry Battalion AWMM
- WW2 Lieutenant Colonel/Military AWMM Infantry Brigade AWMM Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force AWMM
2nd Embarkation AWMM
Prisoner of war
- Capture details
- —
- Days interned
- —
- Liberation date
- —
- POW liberation details
- —
- Liberation Repatriation
- —
- POW serial number
- —
Medical history
- Medical notes
- —
Last known rank
- Last rank
- Brigadier/Military AWMM
New Zealand Infantry, 2 Brigade AWMM - Last rank
- —
Biographical information
- Brigade Major of 5 NZ Infantry Brigade, June 1942-43.
Commanding Officer (CO) of 21 Battalion, 23 Battalion, and 28 (Maori) Battalion, April - December 1943.
General Staff Officer grade 2 (GSO2), June 1944.
CO of 26 Battalion, October 1944 - September 1945.
Commandant of 2 NZ Expeditionary Force Advanced Base, September 1945.
Associate Editor, War Histories, 1946
Commissioned Brigadier and commanded 2 NZ Infantry Brigade, 1951-56.
Associate Member of Army Board, 1955-60.
Chairman of War Pensions Board, 1963. AWMM
About death
- Death
- Feb 1997 AWMM
Age 89 AWMM - Date of death
- —
- Age at death
- —
- Place of death
- —
- Cause of death
- —
- Death notes
- —
- Cemetery
- Riverside Cemetery, Masterton, New Zealand AWMM Ex-servicemen Row A-I Plot 1 AWMM
- Cemetery name
- —
- Grave reference
- —
- Obituary
- Death Notice: Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 February 1997 AWMM
- Memorial name
- —
- Memorial reference
- —
Memorial
- Memorial name
- —
Sources
- External links
- Cody, J. (1956). 28 (Maori) Battalion. Wellington: Dept. of Internal Affairs, War History Branch. Digital copy.
https://ndhadeliver.natlib.govt.nz/webarchive/20210104000423/http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2Maor.html
Sources Used - 28th Maori Battalion Website 1941-1945
http://www.28maoribattalion.org.nz/
Sources Used - New Zealand Electronic Text Collection topic page
http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/name-009333.html
Further Reference - 28th Maori Battalion Website 1941-1945. Personal page
http://www.28maoribattalion.org.nz/soldier/monty-claude-fairbrother
Further Reference - Cody, J. (1953). 21 Battalion. Wellington, Dept. of Internal Affairs, War History Branch. Digital copy
http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2-21Ba.html
Further Reference - Burdon, R. (1959). 24 Battalion. Wellington, Dept. of Internal Affairs, War History Branch. Digital copy
http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2-24Ba.html
Further Reference - Pringle, D., & Glue, W. (1957). 20 Battalion and Armoured Regiment. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch.
https://ndhadeliver.natlib.govt.nz/webarchive/20210222122055/http://nzetc.victoria.ac.nz/tm/scholarly/tei-WH2-20Ba.html
Further Reference
- Cody, J. (1956). 28 (Maori) Battalion. Wellington: Dept. of Internal Affairs, War History Branch. Digital copy.
- References
- Haigh, J., Polaschek, A. (Eds.). (1993). New Zealand and the Distinguished Service Order. Christchurch, N.Z.: Authors.
- Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. (1941). Nominal Roll Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force No. 1 (Embarkations to 31st March, 1940). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
WW2 1: WW2 56 - Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force. (1945). Nominal Roll Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force No. 14 (Embarkations from 1st April, 1944 to 31st December, 1944). Wellington, N.Z.: Govt. Printer.
WW2 14: WW2 30 - Wairarapa Daily Times
Death Notice: Wairarapa Times-Age, 22 February 1997 - Cody, J. (1956). 28 (Maori) Battalion. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch.
- Cody, J. F., & New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs War History Branch. (1953). 21 Battalion. Wellington, N.Z. : War History Branch, Dept. of Internal Affairs.
- Pringle, D., & Glue, W. (1957). 20 Battalion and Armoured Regiment. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch.
- Ross, A. (1959). 23 Battalion. Wellington, N.Z.: Department of Internal Affairs, War History Branch.
- Coronation Medals 1953 - Nominal Roll. Archives New Zealand, Wellington (R21681744)
The development of the Online Cenotaph is an ongoing process; updates, new images and records are added weekly. In some cases, records have yet to be confirmed by Museum staff, and there could be mistakes or omissions in the information provided.
Online Cenotaph Data by Auckland War Memorial Museum is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.