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Sir William Herbert Ellery Gilbert, KBE, DSO (born Herbert Ellery Gilbert; 20 July 1916 – 26 September 1987), was a New Zealand military leader and intelligence service director.

Gilbert was born in Wanganui on 20 July 1916. In 1953, he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal. In 1956, he was tasked by Jack Marshall, then Minister of Justice, with setting up the New Zealand Security Service. Over 19 years, he served under seven Prime Ministers. He was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in the 1976 Queen's Birthday Honours, just one month prior to his retirement.

He was born as Herbert Ellery Gilbert. At the Australian Royal Military College in Duntroon he was nicknamed Bill, and the name stuck. After his retirement, he changed his name by deed poll to William Herbert Ellery Gilbert.

References

1. ^ McLean, Denis. "William Herbert Ellery Gilbert". Dictionary of New Zealand Biography. Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Retrieved 23 April 2017.
2. Taylor, Alister; Coddington, Deborah (1994). Honoured by the Queen – New Zealand. Auckland: New Zealand Who's Who Aotearoa. p. 413. ISBN 0-908578-34-2.
3. "No. 46921". The London Gazette (3rd supplement). 12 June 1976. p. 8055.

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