brigadier december october professional soldier served new zealand military forces second world wars miles new_zealand graduated served artillery officer world war awarded actions spring offensive remained military war holding artillery commands years second world war broke miles general 2nd commander artillery saw action later north_africa captured fighting near late held prisoner war camp italy escaped april officers including fellow new october miles way spain overcome depression committed suicide early life born near december william farmers educated commissioned school cadets limited number officer cadets new_zealand enrolled australia college intake following establishment world war highly rated student miles final year world war broke immediately volunteered posted took ill left new_zealand middle_east discharged recovery enlisted time posted battery artillery embarked egypt december draft reinforcements held rank captain badly wounded july recovered returned shortly evacuation gallipoli december briefly adjutant later transferred 15th battery served western unit participated result gallantry action awarded december promoted major appointed commander battery july miles awarded having originally recommended victoria_cross actions german spring offensive battery come threat advance enemy rounded nearby infantry reinforce position nearly exhausted ammunition manned fire trench undertook reconnaissance ahead position wounded sniper fire citation read conspicuous gallantry devotion duty fought battery enemy yards ammunition exhausted time rallying infantry manning fire trench reconnaissance wood sending valuable information finally wounded rifle fire close range wounds miles returned active service july brigade major mentioned despatches november interwar period return new_zealand miles served commander defences posted england attend staff college undertook specialist artillery courses returned new_zealand serving wellington posted command artillery units awarded king george silver jubilee medal promoted colonel appointed commander northern military district following year sent england attend attached months returning new_zealand september appointed general second world war january miles promoted brigadier newly raised commander command consisted field regiments brigade division anti tank regiment march dispatched egypt elements division arrived sent england spend rest year commanded portion division diverted transit initial attempt join main division middle_east october ship travelling bombed forced return england greece miles served greece campaign played key role organisation withdrawal division retreated ahead advancing germans artillery allowed new_zealand infantry defend attacks daylight withdraw night artillery particularly vital covering high ground flanks manned holding position miles mentioned despatches work period awarded briefly took command new_zealand forces crete bulk division evacuated greece days went egypt missed subsequent artillery units left crete albeit equipment prior fighting north_africa miles joined 2nd north_africa reforming losses incurred greece crete participated campaign aimed lifting besieged port 2nd involved heavy fighting miles deployed artillery support 6th having established corridor commander division major general concerned unable hold open november entrusted miles getting permission lieutenant general corps commander withdraw alongside tentative permission granted held day 6th brigade overrun elements 15th division miles advised unaware fate poor communications instructions return 2nd headquarters early december later day 6th field regiment overrun german forces advancing miles concerned artillery given uncertainty surrounding status 6th brigade present inspection battle zone moved rifle hand encouraging men directing fire guns open sights eventually wounded taken prisoner action costly day war divisional artillery casualties including prisoners war miles prisoner war brigadier commander new_zealand captured time miles arrived italian prisoner war camp camp medieval castle near florence found captured high ranking personnel lieutenant general sir general sir connor air marshal owen miles settled camp routine actively involved escape attempts escaped tunnel helped build way switzerland april received coded letter announcing success fortnight later miles men known escaped italian prisoner war camp way country prior armistice italy switzerland miles split travelled independently wrote book miles suggest follow later having travelled far spanish frontier october exhausted depressed miles shot buried military honours escorted final resting place members party spanish officers shortly death appointment commander order british empire confirmed miles posthumously awarded bar efforts escaping italy citation bar published new zealand gazette september read escape camp italy general camp camp extremely guarded consequence decided possible method escape way tunnel 18th september began officers ranks worked exception officer awaiting entrance tunnel sealed chapel soil placed work consisted foot foot tunnel feet long foot shaft entrance foot shaft exit completed end february hours 29th march company officers escaped tunnel officers subsequently recaptured dressed having walked florence station caught train milan went north station caught train walked kilometres left main road proceeded country reached south frontier lay opposite slope valley frontier consisted heavy cyclone foot high small bells near cut wire ground level making noise came swiss territory hours 30th march gave police released 2nd april legacy miles survived daughters marriage married egypt second wife following death wife years previously second marriage result children son lieutenant fleet air arm served second world war killed travelling aboard ship attacked sunk german battleships norway june medals miles medals held family managed collect lost august donated new_zealand presentation ceremony attended new_zealand chief army
Reginald Miles