--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: One man who did not understand was the…" description: "\"“One man who did not understand was the New Zealanders’ legendary commander, Lieutenant General Bernard C. Freyberg. English-born but raised in New Zea..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/416/rick-atkinson-7144_british-empire_one-man-who-did-not-understand-was-the-n_2254164.jpg" --- # One man who did not understand was the New Zealanders’… ![“One man who did not understand was the New Zealanders’ legendary commander, Lieutenant General Bernard C. Freyberg. English-born but raised in New Zealand, Freyberg had been a dentist before finding his true calling as warrior of Homeric strength and courage. Known as Tiny to his troops, he had a…” quote by Rick Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/416/rick-atkinson-7144_british-empire_one-man-who-did-not-understand-was-the-n_2254164.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/416/rick-atkinson-7144_british-empire_one-man-who-did-not-understand-was-the-n_2254164.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/416/rick-atkinson-7144_british-empire_one-man-who-did-not-understand-was-the-n_2254164.jpg) > ““One man who did not understand was the New Zealanders’ legendary commander, Lieutenant General Bernard C. Freyberg. English-born but raised in New Zealand, Freyberg had been a dentist before finding his true calling as warrior of Homeric strength and courage. Known as Tiny to his troops, he had a skull the size of a medicine ball, with a pushbroom mustache and legs that extended like sycamore trunks from his khaki shorts. In the Great War, he had won the Victoria Cross on the Somme, served as a pallbearer for his great friend Rupert Brooke, and emerged so seamed by shrapnel that when Churchill once persuaded him to display his wounds the count reached twenty-seven. More were to come. Oarsman, boxer, swimmer of the English Channel, he had been medically retired for “aortic incompetence” in the 1930s before being summoned back to uniform. No greater heart beat in British battle dress. Churchill a month earlier had proclaimed Freyberg “the salamander of the British empire,” an accolade that raised Kiwi hackles—“Wha’ in ’ell’s a ‘sallymander’?”—until the happy news spread that the creature mythically could pass through fire unharmed.”” [Rick Atkinson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-atkinson/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Freyberg exemplifies extraordinary resilience and bravery, overcoming severe injuries to lead with vigor and inspire his troops. **In simple terms:** A war hero who kept fighting despite severe wounds. Key Takeaway Embrace courage despite hardship. Themes resilience leadership war heroism Mood admiration inspirational Type historical biographical When to use this quote - military leadership - inspiring speeches - historical biographies Key Concepts courage physical sacrifice military legend Questions to Reflect On - How does physical trauma shape leadership style? - What can modern leaders learn from his perseverance? A Different Perspective His injuries limited his mobility and health. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [British empire](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/british-empire/) [Happy news](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happy-news/) [Heart beat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/heart-beat/) [Strength And Courage](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/strength-and-courage/) ## Related quotes > [Tidings do I bring, and lucky joys, And golden times, and happy news of price](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/tidings-do-i-bring-and-lucky-joys-and-golden-times-and-happy-news-of/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [I met a girl who sang the blues and I asked her for some happy news, but she just smiled and turned away. And…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/don-mclean/i-met-a-girl-who-sang-the-blues-and-i-asked-her-for-some-happy-news/) [Don McLean](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/don-mclean/) > [“Well, then, happy news! 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In the Great War, he had won the Victoria Cross on the Somme, served as a pallbearer for his great friend Rupert Brooke, and emerged so seamed by shrapnel that when Churchill once persuaded him to display his wounds the count reached twenty-seven. More were to come. Oarsman, boxer, swimmer of the English Channel, he had been medically retired for “aortic incompetence” in the 1930s before being summoned back to uniform. No greater heart beat in British battle dress. Churchill a month earlier had proclaimed Freyberg “the salamander of the British empire,” an accolade that raised Kiwi hackles—“Wha’ in ’ell’s a ‘sallymander’?”—until the happy news spread that the creature mythically could pass through fire unharmed.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Rick Atkinson" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-atkinson/one-man-who-did-not-understand-was-the-new-zealanders-legendary/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "British empire" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-atkinson/one-man-who-did-not-understand-was-the-new-zealanders-legendary/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/416/rick-atkinson-7144_british-empire_one-man-who-did-not-understand-was-the-n_2254164.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/416/rick-atkinson-7144_british-empire_one-man-who-did-not-understand-was-the-n_2254164.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/416/rick-atkinson-7144_british-empire_one-man-who-did-not-understand-was-the-n_2254164.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“One man who did not understand was the New Zealanders’ legendary commander, Lieutenant General Bernard C…” — Rick Atkinson", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Rick Atkinson", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rick-atkinson/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“One man who did not understand...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-atkinson/one-man-who-did-not-understand-was-the-new-zealanders-legendary/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rick-atkinson/one-man-who-did-not-understand-was-the-new-zealanders-legendary/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```