Arthur Plugge

Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Plugge, CMG (17 February 1877-1 July 1934), was a New Zealand soldier who fought in World War I. Plugge's Plateau Commonwealth War Graves Commission Cemetery is located on the hilltop where he established his headquarters as commanding officer of the Auckland Infantry Battalion of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force during the Battle of Gallipoli.

He born in Hull, England and emigrated to New Zealand in 1899. He was headmaster of the Dilworth Ulster Institute in Auckland from 1909 until 1914.^[1] He was placed in command of the Auckland Infantry Battalion, which was formed from one company each of four territorial regiments and had the first serial number, 12/1, on its roll.^[1] His battalion arrived in Egypt on 3 December 1914 and from there were the first New Zealand troops to land at ANZAC Cove on 25 April.

He established his battalion headquarters at the top of a hill just inshore from the Cove, which was consequently given the name Plugge's Plateau by the invading troops. Plugge himself was wounded in the wrist by a shell fragment. He was awarded a CMG in October 1915.^[2]

He later commanded the 1st Auckland Infantry Battalion in France and in August 1916 the 1st New Zealand Infantry Brigade at the Battle of the Somme. In December 1916 was appointed Director General of the Physical Training of the New Zealand Expeditionary Force. He was discharged on 18 June 1918.

He was married to Millicent Aicken Graves in Auckland.^{[citation needed]} They had four children. He died in Taupiri, New Zealand.

References

• J. Plugge, Uw naam is PLUG(GE)?, Quoad Fornam, Leende. ISBN 90-6851-003-7
• "Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Plugge". Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database. http://muse.aucklandmuseum.com/databases/Cenotaph/21205.detail. Retrieved 2008-08-01. 
• "Companions of the Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George". New Zealand Electronic Text Centre. http://www.nzetc.org/tm/scholarly/tei-WaiNewZ-b5-1-5.html#name-130077-mention. Retrieved 2008-08-01. 

Notes

1. ^ ^{a b} "Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Plugge". Auckland War Memorial Museum Cenotaph Database. http://muse.aucklandmuseum.com/databases/Cenotaph/21205.detail. Retrieved 2008-08-01. 
2. ^ "Chancery of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George" (^{[dead link]} – ^{Scholar search}). London Gazette. 15 October 1915. http://www.gazettes-online.co.uk/ViewPDF.aspx?pdf=29328&geotype=London&gpn=10149&type=ArchivedIssuePage&all=plugge&exact=&atleast=&similar=. 

Persondata
Name	Plugge, Arthur
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	1877
Place of birth
Date of death	1934
Place of death