Richard Webb (New Zealand Army officer)

Webb entered the Royal Military College, Duntroon in Canberra, Australia, in 1939 as an officer cadet sponsored by the New Zealand government.^[8] On graduation, he was commissioned into the Regiment of New Zealand Artillery and served with the 6th Field Regiment, 2nd New Zealand Expeditionary Force during the Second World War.^[4]

Webb later served with the British Commonwealth Occupation Force in Japan and K Force in the Korean War,^[4] where he was Mentioned in Despatches and awarded the United States Legion of Merit.^[4][9] As a major, he was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire in the 1957 New Year Honours.^[10]

Webb succeeded Major General Robert Dawson as Chief of the General Staff (CGS), the professional head of the New Zealand Army, on 1 April 1970 and was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen's Birthday Honours two months later.^[11][12] The post lasted only eighteen months as Webb was selected as the next Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) in 1971. He handed over as CGS to Major General Leslie Pearce on 28 September and, promoted lieutenant general, succeeded Lieutenant General Sir Leonard Thornton as CDS.^[4][11] Webb was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the 1972 Queen's Birthday Honours,^[13] a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the 1974 New Year Honours,^[14] and retired from the New Zealand Army in 1976.^[4]

Webb died in Kawakawa on 24 January 1990, aged 70. He was accorded a full military funeral at Wellington Cathedral of St Paul, and his ashes interred at St John the Baptist (Anglican) Churchyard in Waimate North.^[4]