Obituary: Tony Birks

By ARNOLD PICKMERE

Anthony Leonard Birks served his country as a soldier for almost 40 years, including four as Chief of Defence Force. He has been described as a soldier's general.

He said that as a young officer the best advice he received, from people such as Major Jack Shaw and Sergeant Don Murray was "talk to people".

Wherever he went and whatever his role - in Malaysia (where he met his wife, Gina) Borneo, Singapore, Vietnam or at home - he always did that.

"I think one of the great strengths of New Zealand soldiers is that they tell you exactly what is on their minds, with no holds barred.

"I've always told them that they don't do me any favours by telling me what I want to hear.

"I've always asked them to tell me precisely what they think, let me make up my own mind."

After schooling with his twin brother at St Andrew's in Christchurch and Nelson College, Tony Birks graduated from the Royal Military Academy at Sandhurst in 1961 and was commissioned as a second lieutenant into 2 New Zealand Regiment. As an infantry platoon commander he had active service on the Thai-Malaysia border, in peninsular Malaysia and in Borneo. He also served in Vietnam in 1968 and 1969.

He went on to hold several Defence and Army staff appointments, including Chief Instructor of the Army's Tactical School in Waiouru. He was also commanding officer of 2/1 Battalion Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment, Burnham, and Director of Plans, Army General Staff, Wellington.

He became Assistant Chief of Defence Force (Operations) in 1987 and after attending the Royal College of Defence Studies in Britain, became Deputy Chief of Defence Staff in 1990, then Chief of General Staff, with a promotion to Major-General in 1992.

He suffered a heart attack while visiting Israel in 1993 but declared himself "fighting fit" on his appointment as Chief of Defence Force in 1995. He retired in 1999.

The present Chief of Defence Force, Air Marshal Carey Adamson, said this week that Tony Birks had also been instrumental in arranging for the Bougainville peace talks at Burnham Army camp and maintaining a close overview of peace support operations in Bougainville.

By listening to service people's views he also "initiated a wide range of family-friendly policies aimed at improving the conditions of service for service personnel and their families".

Following his retirement, Lieutenant-General Birks worked for disadvantaged youth, helping establish a programme for them in the Bay of Plenty.

He credited his earliest military training at Sandhurst with giving him an attitude to life and to service.

"Military discipline is actually based on self-discipline," he said. "That's what it's all about."

Lieutenant-General Birks was given a full military funeral and service at the New Zealand Army National Marae, Rongo Maraeroa-o-Nga-hau-e-wha in Waiouru.

He is survived by his wife, children and two grandchildren.