George Augustus King
| George Augustus King | |
|---|---|
Portrait of George King, circa 1916–1917
|
|
| Born |
3 March 1885 Christchurch, New Zealand |
| Died | 12 October 1917 (aged 32) † |
| Allegiance |
 New Zealand
|
| Service/branch |
 New Zealand Military Forces
|
| Rank | Lieutenant-Colonel |
| Commands held |
New Zealand Pioneer Battalion 1st Battalion, Canterbury Infantry Regiment |
| Battles/wars | |
| Awards |
Distinguished Service Order and Bar Croix de Guerre |
Lieutenant-Colonel George Augustus King DSO & Bar (3 March 1885 – 12 October 1917) was a New Zealander who served in the New Zealand Military Forces during World War One.
Born in Christchurch, King worked in surveying and farming before he became a professional soldier in New Zealand's Permanent Forces in 1910. He volunteered for the New Zealand Expeditionary Force following the outbreak of World War One. After participating in the Gallipoli Campaign, he was selected by the commander of the newly formed New Zealand Division, Major General Russell, for command of the New Zealand Pioneer Battalion on the Western Front.
King later commanded a battalion in the Canterbury Infantry Regiment and was killed in action during the Battle of Passchendaele in 1917.
King, the son of a merchant, was born in Christchurch, New Zealand on 3 March 1885. Following his schooling at Warwick House School and then Christ's College, he worked as a shepherd. He later performed surveying work in the Hawke's Bay before working on his father's sheep farm in Nelson.
Having always had an interest in the military, King decided to make it his profession and joined the New Zealand Permanent Forces in 1910, having previously served with the local Cadet Corps and militia. Commissioned as a lieutenant in the New Zealand Staff Corps, he was posted to Hamilton as adjutant of the 4th (Waikato) Mounted Rifles.
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