Bill Gilbert (intelligence service director)

{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2017}}

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix =

| name = Sir William Gilbert

| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=NZL|size=100%|sep=,|KBE|DSO}}

| image =

| imagesize =

| caption =

| order = Director New Zealand Security Intelligence Service

| term_start = 28 November 1956

| term_end = July 1976

| predecessor =

| successor = Paul Molineaux

| birth_name = Herbert Ellery Gilbert

| birth_date = {{Birth date|1916|07|20|df=yes}}

| birth_place = Wanganui, New Zealand

| death_date = {{death date and age|1987|09|26|1916|07|20|df=yes}}

| death_place = Silverstream, New Zealand

| nationality =

| spouse = Patricia Caroline Anson Gilbert (née Farrer)

| profession =

| alma_mater = Royal Military College, Duntroon

| religion =

| allegiance = New Zealand

| branch = New Zealand Army

| serviceyears = 1935–1956

| rank = Brigadier

| commands = 6th Field Regiment

| unit =

| battles =

{{tree list}}

• Second World War
• North African Campaign
• Siege of Tobruk
• Battle of Medenine
• Italian Campaign
• Battle of Monte Cassino

{{tree list/end}}

| mawards = Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Distinguished Service Order
Mentioned in Despatches
Bronze Star (United States)

}}

Sir William Herbert Ellery Gilbert, {{post-nominals|country=NZL|size=100%|sep=,|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.{{DNZB|last=McLean|first=Denis|id=5g9|title=William Herbert Ellery Gilbert|accessdate=23 April 2017}} In 1953, he was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Coronation Medal.{{cite book |last1=Taylor |first1=Alister |last2=Coddington |first2=Deborah |authorlink1=Alister Taylor |authorlink2=Deborah Coddington |title=Honoured by the Queen – New Zealand |year=1994 |publisher=New Zealand Who's Who Aotearoa |location=Auckland |isbn=0-908578-34-2 |page=413}} 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,{{London Gazette |issue=46921 |date=12 June 1976 |page=8055 |supp=3}} 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.