Frank Gill (politician)

Thomas Francis "Frank" Gill CBE DSO (31 January 1917 – 1 March 1982) was a New Zealand air force pilot and politician. He flew with the Royal Air Force throughout World War II and afterwards served with the Royal New Zealand Air Force until 1969, rising to the rank of Air Commodore. He entered Parliament as a National Party MP in 1969 and served as a cabinet minister from 1975 to 1980, when he resigned to become New Zealand's ambassador to the United States.

Early life

Born in Wellington in 1917, Gill was educated at St. Patrick's College, Wellington.^[1]

Air force service

Gill joined the Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) in 1937 and transferred to the Royal Air Force (RAF) in 1939.^[1] He flew Fairey Battles during the Battle of FranceHurricanes in the Battle of Britain and later flew on night bombing raids.^[2] He was a flying officer with No. 75 Squadron RAF on 23 September 1941 when he was appointed a Distinguished Service Order.^[3]

He attended RAF Staff College, Bulstrode Park and the Joint Services Staff College at Latimer House, and returned to the RNZAF following the war. He served as New Zealand's armed forces attaché in Washington, D.C. from 1957 to 1959 and senior air staff officer of the Commonwealth air forces in Singpore from 1960 to 1962. He was appointed deputy Chief of Air Staff with the rank of Air Commodore in 1965 and served as Air Officer Commanding Operations Group at Whenuapai from 1965 to 1969.^[1]

In the 1961 New Year Honours Gill was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire.^[4]

Member of Parliament

He represented the Waitemata electorate in Parliament from 1969 to 1972, and then the East Coast Bays electorate in Parliament from 1972 to 1980, when he resigned to take up the post of New Zealand ambassador to the United States.^[5]

He was a Cabinet Minister, and held the positions of Minister of Health (1975–1978),^[6][7] Minister of Immigration (1975–1978),^[6][7] Minister of Defence (1978–21 August 1980)^[8][9] and Minister of Police (1978–1980)^[8][9] in the Third National Government.^[10]

On 25 August 1980 Gill was granted the right to retain the title The Honourable on his retirement as a member of the Executive Council of New Zealand.^[11]

Ambassador to Washington and death

He was New Zealand's Ambassador to the United States from 1981 until his death.^[12] Gill was hospitalized at Georgetown University Hospital on 16 February 1982 and returned to New Zealand on a stretcher^[2] shortly before his death in Auckland on 1 March 1982. His ashes were buried in the RSA section at North Shore Memorial Park.

His grandson, Mark Mitchell, was elected to parliament in 2011.^[13]

Notes

References

• Wilson, James Oakley (1985) [First published in 1913]. New Zealand Parliamentary Record, 1840–1984 (4th ed.). Wellington: V.R. Ward, Govt. Printer. OCLC 154283103.