John Gethin Hughes

Who is John Gethin Hughes?

John Gethin Hughes CMG DSO was a New Zealand military leader. Born in Bluff, Southland, New Zealand, he served in the Boer War with the First Contingent of the New Zealand Volunteer Force to be sent to South Africa. During the war he was the first New Zealand recipient of the Distinguished Service Order. After the war he became a professional soldier and served in a number of staff positions in the New Zealand Military Forces. A member of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force during the early stages of the First World War, he commanded the Canterbury Battalion during the Gallipoli Campaign. He was eventually evacuated from Gallipoli late in the campaign for medical reasons. He retired from the military in 1917 due to poor health and died in 1954 at the age of 88.