William George Stevens

Who was William George Stevens?

Major General William George Stevens CB, CBE was a New Zealand military leader and administrator.

A Londoner by birth, Stevens's family emigrated to New Zealand in 1895. He joined the New Zealand Military Forces in 1912 and later served with the New Zealand Field Artillery during the First World War. Between the wars he attended Staff College in England and later held a number of positions which required co-ordination of civilian and military resources. During the Second World War he held important administrative roles in the 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force. He was commander of the 2NZEF from November 1945 to June 1946 and oversaw its demobilisation.

Stevens retired from the military in 1946 with the rank of major general. He became a diplomat, serving at the New Zealand High Commission in London for several years before his retirement in 1953. He later authored two volumes of the Official History of New Zealand in the Second World War 1939–45. He died in 1975 in Nelson, New Zealand.