Harry Fulton

Brigadier-General Harry Townsend Fulton, CMG DSO (15 August 1869–29 March 1918) was a British Army officer who served with the New Zealand Military Forces during both the Boer War and First World War.

Born in 1869 in India, Fulton moved with his family to New Zealand as a child. He joined the British Army in 1892 as a commissioned officer. He was seconded to the Indian Army and served on the Northwest Frontier. In New Zealand on sick leave when the Boer War began, he volunteered for the New Zealand contingents being raised for service in South Africa and was wounded during operations in the northern Transvaal.

On furlough in New Zealand when the First World War broke out, Fulton offered his services to the New Zealand government in aid of the war effort. He was part of the Samoa Expeditionary Force and later served on the Western Front with the New Zealand Expeditionary Force (NZEF). He led the New Zealand Rifle Brigade during the Somme Offensive and the Battle of Messines. He died in 1918 as a result of wounds received when his headquarters was shelled by artillery. He was the third and last brigadier-general to die on active service with the NZEF during the war.

Early life
Fulton was born at Dalhousie in India on 15 August 1869. His father, John (1827–1899), was a lieutenant-general in the Royal Artillery, serving with the Indian Army. His family emigrated to Otago, in New Zealand, with Fulton attending Dunedin High School. He became involved with his school's Cadet Corps unit, and from 1887 served for four years as a lieutenant in the Dunedin City Guards.

Military career
In 1892, Fulton was commissioned in the British Army with the rank of second lieutenant in the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders. Later that year he transferred to the West Yorkshire Regiment, with which he would serve for two years. He then transferred to the Indian Staff Corps, which provided officers for the native regiments of the Indian Army. He served with the 26th Madras Native Infantry and then the 39th Bengal Infantry.

In December 1897, Fulton was appointed to command of a company in the 2nd Battalion of the Prince of Wale's Own Gurkha Rifles. He served during the Tirah and Mohmand Campaigns of 1897 and 1898. He also participated in the siege of Malakand as a member of the Malakand Field Force.

Boer War
In 1899, Fulton was on sick leave from the Indian Army and following the outbreak of the Boer War, volunteered for service with the New Zealand contingents being raised for the war. He was appointed captain of No. 9 Company, 4th New Zealand Contingent, which was attached to the Rhodesian Field Force. It conducted operations against Boer commandos in the northern Transvaal around the town of Ottoshoop, during which Fulton was severely wounded. Upon his recovery, he returned to his Indian Army unit. He was later awarded the Distinguished Service Order in recognition of his services in South Africa.

First World War
By the outbreak of the First World War, Fulton had advanced in rank to major. In New Zealand on furlough when the United Kingdom declared war on Imperial Germany on 4 August 1914, he offered his services to the New Zealand government the following day. Made an acting lieutenant-colonel, he was placed in command of an infantry battalion that was to be part of the force to occupy German Samoa in response to a request of the British government. Having sailed from Wellington on 15 August, the Occupation of German Samoa was bloodlessly achieved on 29 August when the New Zealanders landed at Apia. After serving occupation duty for several months, the main contingent returned to New Zealand in April 1915.

Senussi Campaign
On his return to New Zealand, Fulton was given command of the 4th Reinforcements which was expected to embark for Egypt on 16 April. However, before the contingent sailed, he was appointed to command of a regiment to be formed from the 5th Reinforcements at Trentham Military Camp. Fulton undertook training of the regiment, initially known as the Trentham Regiment, until October, at which time it traveled to Egypt.

The regiment, now officially recognised as the New Zealand Rifle Brigade, arrived in Egypt in November 1915. One battalion, under Lieutenant-Colonel A. E. Stewart, of the brigade was assigned to assist the Western Frontier Force which at the time was participating in the Senussi Campaign. The other battalion, initially based in Cairo, was called up as reinforcements for the Western Frontier Force later in the campaign. Fulton remained in Cairo for a time but by January 1916 joined his command in the field at Mersa Matruh where it remained until the end of January. It then joined the New Zealand Division, then being formed in Cairo. Both battalions had conducted themselves well in garrison and offensive operations against the Senussi, and on their departure, Major-General Wallace, commander of Western Frontier Force, expressed his regret "at losing the comradeship of a reliable body of men of whom England may well be proud."

The Rifle Brigade was then put under the command of Brigadier-General William Braithwaite, newly arrived from Gallipoli, with Fulton reverting to command of the brigade's 1st Battalion. However, when the 2nd Infantry Brigade was established as part of the New Zealand Division, Braithwaite was appointed its commander. Fulton was promoted to temporary brigadier-general and appointed commander of the Rifle Brigade. In March 1916, the brigade was brought up to its full complement with the arrival in Egypt of its 3rd and 4th battalions. The following month, the New Zealand Division departed for France.

Western Front
After serving a spell in the Armentieres sector of the front, Fulton led the Rifle Brigade in its first major engagement of the war, the Battle of Flers-Courcelette. This took place in mid September 1916 during the Somme Offensive, and for a portion of the battle, two battalions of the 1st Infantry Brigade came under Fulton's command. Slightly wounded in the battle, he was appointed a Companion of the Order of St. Michael and St. George for his leadership.

Fulton led the Rifle Brigade during the successful Battle of Messines in June 1917, but took ill immediately after the battle and was hospitalised for several days. Shortly after his return to the front lines in late July, he was appointed commander of the 4th New Zealand Infantry Brigade Reserve Camp, better known as Sling Camp, for a three-month period. In his absence, the brigade would participate in the Battle of Passchendaele in October. Its morale already low because of the loss of two successive commanders, and lacking in preparation for the latter battle having been employed during the previous month in laying cables and constructing banking, the brigade's losses during Passchendaele were significant. Fulton returned to the brigade in November, and despite his time away from the brigade, was awarded the Croix de Guerre in December 1917. He had also been mentioned twice in dispatches during the year.

In February 1918, having been in the front line for four months, the brigade entered a period of rest and training during which Fulton took leave. He returned to the Western Front in late March 1918, resuming command of the New Zealand Rifle Brigade on 27 March 1918. The day after his arrival, his headquarters at Colincamps was hit by an artillery barrage which injured Fulton and killed several of his staff. He died of his wounds the following day and is buried at Doullens Military Cemetery. Although stern and a strict disciplinarian, he was respected by the soldiers of his command. He was the last of three brigadier-generals to be killed while serving with the NZEF during the war.