Frederick Melrose Horowhenua Hanson, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

Frederick Melrose Horowhenua Hanson

Soldier, engineer, military leader, public servant

Date of Birth: 09-Jul-1895

Place of Birth: Levin, Manawatu-Wanganui Region, New Zealand

Date of Death: 15-Jul-1979

Profession: engineer

Nationality: New Zealand

Zodiac Sign: Cancer

Frederick Melrose Horowhenua Hanson (9 July 1895 – 15 July 1979) was a New Zealand soldier, engineer, military leader and public servant. Born in 1895, Hanson joined the New Zealand Expeditionary Force during the First World War and served on the Western Front.
By the end of the war he had reached the rank of sergeant and been awarded the Military Medal.
During the interwar period, he was employed by the Public Works Department on hydroelectric projects and public roading.
He later worked for the Main Highways Board.
During the Second World War, he served with the 2nd New Zealand Division as a commander of an engineering field company.
He later became the overall commander of the New Zealand Engineers of the Second New Zealand Expeditionary Force and served in Greece, Crete, North Africa and Italy.
He received official recognition for his efforts in the war, receiving the Distinguished Service Order and bar and was appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire.
Ending the war with the rank of brigadier, he returned to civilian life as the chief engineer of the Main Highways Board.
He was later appointed the Commissioner of Works, the senior position at the Ministry of Works and responsible for 4,500 employees.
Retiring from public service in 1961, he died in 1979 at the age of 84.