George Spafford Richardson

Born 14 Nov 1868 - Died 11 Jun 1938

Service number: WWI 15/209 AWMM
56145 AWMM
Also known as: —
Armed force / branch: Army AWMM
Navy AWMM
Last rank: Major General/Military AWMM
War: World War I, 1914-1918 AWMM
Regular Military Service AWMM

Portrait of Brigadier-General George Spafford Richardson 15/209, Archives New Zealand, R24183980). Image has no known copyright restrictions. No Known Copyright Restrictions

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Biographical information

George Spafford Richardson was born in Northamptonshire, England, on 14 November 1868. He enlisted in the British Army’s Royal Artillery in 1886 and trained at the School of Gunnery, Shoeburyness. He subsequently served in Gibraltar before being seconded to the New Zealand Permanent Forces in 1891 as a Master Gunner Instructor.

Based in Wellington, Richardson developed a long career in the New Zealand military forces. When his original British Army engagement ended in 1907, he was commissioned as a Captain in the New Zealand Permanent Forces and became Director of Artillery. Following the reorganisation of the forces in 1911, he transferred to the New Zealand Staff Corps. He was promoted to Major in 1912 and returned to Britain to attend the Staff College at Camberley.

Richardson married Caroline Warren on 29 October 1892. They had six children, one of whom died before World War I. Their son Hugh Spafford Richardson (20245) later served during World War II and was killed in action at Sidi Rezegh in 1941.

When World War I began, Richardson was serving on the Imperial General Staff in London as New Zealand’s military representative. He helped with the formation of the Royal Naval Division and went to France in September 1914 as its Chief of Staff. He subsequently served as Assistant Adjutant and Quartermaster-General with the temporary rank of Lieutenant Colonel and took part in the defence of Antwerp.

Returning to England in November 1914, Richardson helped prepare the Royal Naval Division for the Gallipoli campaign. He landed at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915 and served there as a senior staff officer.

His surviving correspondence gives a vivid account of life on the peninsula. Writing from the Dardanelles on 16 October 1915, Richardson described constant exposure to shellfire and bullets, the loss of both his horses and numerous narrow escapes. He wrote that everyone from the beach to the firing line lived under fire and that troops coming out of the trenches had little respite, often having to live in uncovered holes in the ground. He was critical of shortages of trained men and munitions and believed Britain’s reliance on voluntary enlistment had contributed to the difficulties of the campaign. He nevertheless praised the performance of the New Zealand and Australian troops and expressed his determination to see the war through (Letter from George Spafford Richardson to Charles Ernest Archibald, 16 October 1915: MS-1013-1).

Three days later, Richardson reflected on the psychological effects of prolonged exposure to death. He wrote that sights which would once have horrified him had become commonplace and that his strongest desire to survive was for the sake of his wife and family. He also expressed considerable pride in representing New Zealand while serving among British officers and troops, believing that recognition of his work reflected credit on New Zealand. Despite the honours beginning to come his way, he wrote that such “trinkets” held little attraction compared with his family and his hope of returning to New Zealand (Letter from George Spafford Richardson to Charles Ernest Archibald, 19 October 1915: MS-1013-2).

Richardson’s work at Gallipoli led to promotion to temporary Brigadier-General and appointment as Deputy Adjutant and Quartermaster-General of XII Corps. He was appointed a Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) in October 1915.

After leaving Cape Helles he joined the force operating against Bulgaria. In a letter written at Christmas 1915, Richardson remarked that eight months sleeping in dugouts under shellfire had affected his health, although he was recovering. He took particular satisfaction in having risen from Private Soldier to General and hoped New Zealand would take pride in one of its officers being selected for such responsibility (Letter from George Spafford Richardson to Charles Ernest Archibald, December 1915: MS-1013-3).

Richardson served with XII Corps at Salonika from December 1915 until February 1916. In recognition of his service at Gallipoli and Salonika, he was appointed a Chevalier of the French Légion d’honneur in March 1916.

At the request of the New Zealand Government, Richardson returned to England in February 1916 and transferred to the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. In an undated letter from around this period, he explained that he had been recalled to “take charge” of New Zealand’s organisation in Britain and hoped to resolve its administrative problems before returning to the front. He wrote modestly of his promotion to Brigadier-General, the CMG and Légion d’honneur, commenting that he would rather such honours had gone to men who had suffered wounds. He also recorded the physical toll of Gallipoli, noting that his weight had fallen to ten stone, and observed the changes wartime had brought to England, including camps and wounded servicemen everywhere, women working on trams and railways, and darkened streets at night (Letter from George Spafford Richardson to Charles Ernest Archibald, [1916?]: MS-1013-5).

Richardson became responsible for the administration of New Zealand Expeditionary Force personnel in the United Kingdom, including soldiers training for the front, wounded men undergoing treatment, nurses and medical personnel.

Writing from New Zealand Expeditionary Force Headquarters in London on 14 July 1916, Richardson reflected on the enormous scale of the conflict and the difficulty any individual had in understanding the war as a whole. He believed the Allies were beginning to gain the advantage, but regretted the heavy loss of life caused by their initial lack of preparedness. He described the conflict as a “war of machinery” in which human bodies could not withstand machine-gun fire. He also noted that he expected to send approximately 300 invalided New Zealand servicemen home each month and anticipated renewed air raids on London as the days shortened (Letter from George Spafford Richardson to Charles Ernest Archibald, 14 July 1916: MS-1013-4).

By January 1918 Richardson’s correspondence reflected the strain of the prolonged conflict. He wrote that no one could predict when or how the war would end and observed that the men were increasingly tired. He contrasted the confidence he had seen among New Zealand troops after Messines with the markedly different spirit he encountered after Passchendaele. He doubted that any decisive success would be achieved during 1918, adding wryly that politicians might replace him with a more optimistic general if they read his assessment (Letter from George Spafford Richardson to Charles Ernest Archibald, 2 January 1918: MS-1013-6).

Richardson remained responsible for the New Zealand Expeditionary Force in the United Kingdom for the remainder of the war. His service was recognised with appointment as a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in 1917 and Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1919 New Year Honours. He was Mentioned in Despatches three times and later received the Belgian Croix de Guerre.

Richardson returned to New Zealand in February 1919 and became administrator at General Headquarters of the New Zealand Military Forces in Wellington. He chaired the Reconstruction Committee responsible for returning the military organisation to a peacetime footing and remained in senior military administration until early 1923. He also contributed a chapter on the education of soldiers to the Official History of New Zealand’s Effort in the Great War.

Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira holds 14 letters written by Richardson to his friend Captain Charles Ernest Archibald between 1915 and 1922 (MS-1013). Written from Gallipoli, Salonika and England, the correspondence records his experiences of active service, his senior administrative responsibilities, his views on the conduct and human cost of World War I, and his continuing concern for his family and New Zealand. The collection also includes a copy of a letter originally sent to Captain E. D. Bell in 1917 and a Royal Naval Division Christmas card for 1915–16. The correspondence is part of Pou Kanohi New Zealand at War.

A photograph album presented to Richardson by the London Executive of the New Zealand Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) on 3 June 1919 is held by Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira. The George S. Richardson Album (PH-ALB-413) documents the work of the New Zealand YMCA with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force during World War I and the immediate post-war period. Its photographs record YMCA huts, canteens, hospitals, camps and personnel in Britain, France, Belgium and Germany, as well as the return of New Zealand troops. The album was presented to Richardson in appreciation of his cooperation with the YMCA during its association with the NZEF.

In March 1923 Richardson was appointed Administrator of Western Samoa and received his final military promotion to Major-General. His administration included economic, welfare and educational reforms, and his initial three-year appointment was extended. He was appointed a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in 1925.

During the later years of his administration he faced growing opposition from the Mau movement. His response included restrictions on political activity and the deportation of Mau leaders, measures which contributed to increasing opposition to New Zealand rule. Richardson retired as Administrator on 31 March 1928 and later that year represented New Zealand at a League of Nations meeting concerning Western Samoa.

Richardson subsequently settled in Auckland and became an advocate for returned servicemen, particularly disabled veterans. He entered local government and was elected to Auckland City Council in 1935. Re-elected in May 1938, he was appointed Deputy Mayor of Auckland.

Sir George Spafford Richardson died suddenly in Auckland on 11 June 1938 and was buried at Waikumete Cemetery. He was survived by Caroline and five of their children. Auckland City Council unveiled a memorial plaque to him in the foyer of Auckland Town Hall on 30 March 1939.

One small point, VP: for MS-1013-3, the Collections Online title says 22 December 1915, while the description/transcribed letter says it was written on Christmas Day, 25 December 1915. I have therefore used “December 1915” in the biography rather than choosing between the conflicting dates. AWMM

Sources

External links: Dictionary of New Zealand Biography.
http://www.dnzb.govt.nz
Sources Used
Military personnel file
https://collections.archives.govt.nz/web/arena/search/#/entity/aims-archive/R20805722
Further Reference
Dictionary of New Zealand Biography.
http://www.dnzb.govt.nz/DNZB/alt_essayBody.asp?essayID=3R16
Further Reference
National Archives of New Zealand, National Collection of War Art. Portrait.
http://warart.archives.govt.nz/node/532
Further Reference
RICHARDSON, Major-General Sir George Spafford, K.B.E.', from An Encyclopaedia of New Zealand, edited by A. H. McLintock, originally published in 1966. Te Ara - The Encyclopedia of New Zealand, updated 18-Sep-2007.
http://www.TeAra.govt.nz/1966/R/RichardsonMajor-generalSirGeorgeSpafford/en
Further Reference
NZETC topic page for George Spafford Richardson.
http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/name-209077.html
Further Reference
Wikidata Entity
http://www.wikidata.org/entity/Q5544715
Further Reference
Letter, 1916
http://tapuhi.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/spydus/FULL/GLOBAL/OPHDR/1639/9424,20
Public - Victoria - Researcher - 10 September 2015 - Alexander Turnbull Library
http://tapuhi.natlib.govt.nz/cgi-bin/spydus/FULL/GLOBAL/OPHDR/1639/9424,20
References: 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.
McGibbon, I. (Ed.). (2000). The Oxford companion to New Zealand military history. Auckland, N.Z.: Oxford University Press.
McGibbon, I. (ed). (2000). p. 450
The New Zealand Herald
Obituary: New Zealand Herald, 13 June 1938
Richardson, Sir George Spafford. Letters to C.E. [Charles Ernest] Archibald, 1915 - 1922. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS-1013.
Richardson, George Spafford. Diaries, 1915 - 1916. Auckland War Memorial Museum Library. MS-257.
Beattie, P.J. & Pomeroy, M. (2013-2020). Onward : portraits of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (vols 1-5). Auckland, New Zealand: Fair Dinkum Publications
Vol. 2: Includes portrait
Reid, P.G. [Caricatures and cartoons], PD-1969-4, Auckland War Memorial Museum - Tāmaki Paenga Hira.
Information kindly provided by family
Waite, F. (1919). The New Zealanders at Gallipoli. Auckland, N.Z.: Printed and published under Authority of the New Zealand Government by Whitcombe & Tombs.
Harper, G., Clements, C., & Johns., R. (2019). For King and Other Countries: The New Zealanders Who Fought in Other Services in the First World War. Auckland, New Zealand: Massey University Press.
Thompson, E. H. (1918). Light diet: Hospital magazine. New Zealand War Records. Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira, Armstrong family papers, MS-1330-25.

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George Spafford Richardson