276:
from 1985 to 1988, and became the club's patron in 1988. He held that role until his death. In 2004, the club introduced the "Major-General Les Pearce
Memorial Shield", which is the Premier 1 grade challenge shield.
695:
705:
163:, the professional head of the New Zealand Army, from 1971 to 1973, when he retired. He was the first soldier in the New Zealand Army who rose from private to Chief of Army.
151:
725:
710:
657:
690:
700:
256:
in 1971 and held the post for two years, after which he retired. He was the first soldier in the New
Zealand Army who rose from private to Chief of Army.
715:
147:
604:
128:
720:
324:
In 2021, a former soldier who used to serve under Pearce saw his military memorabilia put up for auction. He informed staff at the
639:
471:
302:
298:
294:
286:
237:
498:
325:
132:
217:, leaving in 1940. He was with the infantry in Egypt, Italy, and North Africa. By the final year of the war, he was a
249:
685:
352:
356:
222:
646:
290:
253:
160:
103:
502:
273:
268:
in 1975 and held that role until 1977. Afterwards, he was the chairman of a select committee of the
317:
Pearce died in
Auckland on 21 December 2002. His funeral was held at St Peter's Anglican Church in
583:
563:
543:
523:
405:
181:
476:
438:
433:
377:
176:
198:
680:
675:
265:
382:
8:
588:
568:
548:
528:
229:
264:
In his youth, Pearce played rugby union as a flanker. He was elected president of the
306:
269:
233:
214:
156:
114:
75:
609:
190:
in
England, his parent had married on 4 August 1904 at the Wesleyan Church in
669:
410:
225:. After the war he remaining in the military, performing instructing duties.
140:
93:
218:
191:
241:
118:
202:
332:
about the auction and they purchased the items for their collection.
245:
236:, during which time he was commander of the 1st Infantry Battalion,
318:
172:
155:(22 January 1918 – 21 December 2002) was a senior commander in the
40:
329:
187:
213:
Pearce joined the army in 1937 as a private. He served in the
605:"Top military commander's memorabilia rescued from auction"
442:. Vol. 81, no. 25030. 21 October 1944. p. 1
696:
New
Zealand Commanders of the Order of the British Empire
386:. Vol. XL, no. 7912. 11 August 1904. p. 14
301:, he was promoted to Commander of the same order. In the
706:
New
Zealand military personnel of the Malayan Emergency
297:, he was promoted to Officer of the same order. In the
186:; 1879–1940) and Frank Pearce (1874–1956). Both from
499:"The Major General Sir Les Pearce Memorial Shield"
726:Graduates of the Royal College of Defence Studies
711:New Zealand military personnel of the Vietnam War
347:
345:
667:
691:New Zealand Companions of the Order of the Bath
205:. They were to have two sons and one daughter.
197:On 3 July 1944, Pearce married Fay Mattocks of
701:New Zealand military personnel of World War II
342:
572:(3rd supplement). 1 January 1972. p. 41.
552:(3rd supplement). 1 January 1964. p. 39.
465:
463:
461:
459:
457:
592:(2nd supplement). 2 June 1973. p. 6507.
280:
129:Commander of the Order of the British Empire
716:New Zealand Rugby Football Union officials
454:
414:. No. 250. 21 October 1944. p. 1
171:Pearce was born on 22 January 1918 in the
532:(Supplement). 2 January 1956. p. 44.
469:
582:
562:
542:
522:
668:
602:
470:Wycherley, Gregg (24 December 2002).
289:, Pearce was appointed Member of the
180:
305:, he was appointed Companion of the
238:Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment
13:
603:Harvey, Helen (14 February 2021).
133:Companion of the Order of the Bath
14:
737:
293:in the military division. In the
721:Military personnel from Auckland
472:"Army chief rose from the ranks"
232:from 1960 to 1964 following the
596:
576:
248:. In 1967, Pearce attended the
556:
536:
516:
491:
426:
398:
370:
259:
252:in London. He was promoted to
208:
1:
335:
166:
357:Auckland War Memorial Museum
7:
291:Order of the British Empire
179:. His parents were Bessie (
10:
742:
647:Chief of the General Staff
254:Chief of the General Staff
228:Pearce was in Malaya as a
201:at St Barnabas' Church in
161:Chief of the General Staff
104:Chief of the General Staff
653:
644:
635:
630:
503:North Harbour Rugby Union
281:Honours and commemoration
274:North Harbour Rugby Union
124:
110:
99:
89:
81:
69:
61:
47:
27:
20:
312:
272:. He was vice patron of
250:Imperial Defence College
240:. He also served in the
270:New Zealand Rugby Union
477:The New Zealand Herald
439:The New Zealand Herald
353:"Leslie Arthur Pearce"
303:1973 Birthday Honours
299:1972 New Year Honours
295:1964 New Year Honours
287:1956 New Year Honours
221:and commander of the
82:Years of service
57:Auckland, New Zealand
686:New Zealand generals
326:National Army Museum
266:Auckland Rugby Union
144:Leslie Arthur Pearce
589:The London Gazette
569:The London Gazette
549:The London Gazette
529:The London Gazette
230:lieutenant colonel
664:
663:
654:Succeeded by
631:Military offices
383:Manawatū Standard
307:Order of the Bath
234:Malayan Emergency
138:
137:
22:Sir Leslie Pearce
733:
636:Preceded by
628:
627:
622:
621:
619:
617:
600:
594:
593:
580:
574:
573:
560:
554:
553:
540:
534:
533:
520:
514:
513:
511:
509:
495:
489:
488:
486:
484:
467:
452:
451:
449:
447:
430:
424:
423:
421:
419:
402:
396:
395:
393:
391:
374:
368:
367:
365:
363:
349:
215:Second World War
185:
157:New Zealand Army
154:
115:Second World War
76:New Zealand Army
71:
54:
51:21 December 2002
37:
35:
18:
17:
741:
740:
736:
735:
734:
732:
731:
730:
666:
665:
660:
650:
642:
626:
625:
615:
613:
601:
597:
581:
577:
561:
557:
541:
537:
521:
517:
507:
505:
497:
496:
492:
482:
480:
468:
455:
445:
443:
432:
431:
427:
417:
415:
404:
403:
399:
389:
387:
376:
375:
371:
361:
359:
351:
350:
343:
338:
315:
283:
262:
211:
169:
159:. He served as
146:
131:
117:
56:
52:
39:
38:22 January 1918
33:
31:
23:
12:
11:
5:
739:
729:
728:
723:
718:
713:
708:
703:
698:
693:
688:
683:
678:
662:
661:
658:Robin Holloway
656:Major General
655:
652:
643:
638:Major General
637:
633:
632:
624:
623:
595:
575:
555:
535:
515:
490:
453:
425:
397:
369:
340:
339:
337:
334:
314:
311:
282:
279:
261:
258:
223:26th Battalion
210:
207:
168:
165:
136:
135:
126:
122:
121:
112:
108:
107:
101:
97:
96:
91:
87:
86:
83:
79:
78:
73:
67:
66:
63:
59:
58:
55:(aged 84)
49:
45:
44:
29:
25:
24:
21:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
738:
727:
724:
722:
719:
717:
714:
712:
709:
707:
704:
702:
699:
697:
694:
692:
689:
687:
684:
682:
679:
677:
674:
673:
671:
659:
649:
648:
641:
634:
629:
612:
611:
606:
599:
591:
590:
585:
579:
571:
570:
565:
559:
551:
550:
545:
539:
531:
530:
525:
519:
504:
500:
494:
479:
478:
473:
466:
464:
462:
460:
458:
441:
440:
435:
429:
413:
412:
411:Auckland Star
407:
401:
385:
384:
379:
373:
358:
354:
348:
346:
341:
333:
331:
327:
322:
320:
310:
308:
304:
300:
296:
292:
288:
278:
275:
271:
267:
257:
255:
251:
247:
243:
239:
235:
231:
226:
224:
220:
216:
206:
204:
200:
195:
193:
189:
184: Crespin
183:
178:
174:
164:
162:
158:
153:
149:
145:
142:
141:Major General
134:
130:
127:
123:
120:
116:
113:
109:
105:
102:
98:
95:
94:Major General
92:
88:
84:
80:
77:
74:
68:
64:
60:
50:
46:
43:, New Zealand
42:
30:
26:
19:
16:
645:
640:Richard Webb
614:. Retrieved
608:
598:
587:
578:
567:
558:
547:
538:
527:
518:
506:. Retrieved
493:
481:. Retrieved
475:
444:. Retrieved
437:
428:
416:. Retrieved
409:
400:
388:. Retrieved
381:
372:
360:. Retrieved
323:
316:
284:
263:
227:
212:
196:
192:New Plymouth
170:
143:
139:
111:Battles/wars
53:(2002-12-21)
15:
681:2002 deaths
676:1918 births
584:"No. 45985"
564:"No. 45556"
544:"No. 43202"
524:"No. 40671"
434:"Marriages"
406:"Marriages"
260:Rugby union
242:Vietnam War
209:Army career
119:Vietnam War
65:New Zealand
670:Categories
651:1971–1973
378:"Marriage"
336:References
203:Mount Eden
175:suburb of
167:Early life
62:Allegiance
34:1918-01-22
246:brigadier
177:Herne Bay
106:(1971–73)
85:1937–1973
319:Takapuna
199:Balmoral
173:Auckland
100:Commands
70:Service/
41:Auckland
330:Waiouru
285:In the
188:Bristol
616:3 June
508:3 June
483:3 June
446:2 June
418:3 June
390:4 June
362:2 June
125:Awards
72:branch
610:Stuff
313:Death
244:as a
219:major
150:
618:2021
510:2021
485:2021
448:2021
420:2021
392:2021
364:2021
90:Rank
48:Died
28:Born
328:in
182:née
152:CBE
672::
607:.
586:.
566:.
546:.
526:.
501:.
474:.
456:^
436:.
408:.
380:.
355:.
344:^
321:.
309:.
194:.
148:CB
620:.
512:.
487:.
450:.
422:.
394:.
366:.
36:)
32:(
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.