17 July 2007

WO 1 Keith “Jock” Dodds was a Vietnam-war bound corporal when it was not a good time to be a soldier in New Zealand. He was part of V5 Company, the eighth company to be formed for that war, and the man with what seemed like a Scottish lilt stood out – hence his name Jock.

He was, in fact, a Geordie, and harked from a village near Newcastle in the north east of England. He died on 10 June 2007.

WO 1 Dodds was, according to his peers, different. He had acquired a professionalism that was unusually sophisticated, and it was one that never left him. His calmness in a crisis set him apart from others, and his decision-making was deliberate and calculated, and as a consequence his section revered him.

His military career progressed and, in due course WO 1 Dodds was selected to be the Regimental Sergeant Major of the Officer Cadet School. Such a selection amounts to a statement of extraordinary confidence, as he was trusted to train and prepare the next generation of officers. Again, he was revered by the officer cadets he trained. He was, says one, kind and had no truck with officers and non commissioned officers who built their power bases by embarrassing soldiers and inculcating fear.

“He liked and respected soldiers, and those leaders whom he discerned also respected soldiers.”

As with most kind-hearted individuals, humour was never far away.

As one officer recalls: “After he was instructing a period of drill involving fixed bayonets, one of the cadets was cut on the forearm by another cadet’s bayonet. From the stand at ease command WO Dodds said, “Sir, would you kindly stop bleeding on my parade ground and go away to get yourself cleaned up!”

The officer added WO Dodds was a highly regarded professional who warranted the “utmost respect” because he had earned it. “He was one of the first to congratulate us individually on our successes on graduating, reminding us also to remain humble while maintaining the standards that he had instilled in us. We had the utmost respect for Jock, and the time that he spent instilling life and military skills in us was appreciated.”

Jock Dodds was, according to a former CO, Brigadier (Rtd) Roger Mortlock, “a clever, smart soldier who easily understood the often complicated and twisted nuances that come with a profession that serves to repair political failures.

“He knew why he served, and he took the trouble to understand the ever-changing context in which he served. In later life he pursued the academic study on International Relations. He never stopped studying, even after he left the service.”

He was, in the words of a member of his 1991 Officer Cadet Class: A true gentleman, the epitome of a warrant officer, and of a New Zealand soldier. A humble and honourable man, an example of all that is good about the New Zealand Army.

WO 1 Dodds is survived by his mother Anne, sisters Marnie, Pam and Barb, and brothers Malcolm, Alan, Neil and Peter.

Sources: Brig (Rtd) R Mortlock, various NZ Army Officers

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