Charles Brand
Encyclopedia
Major General
Charles Henry Brand CB
, CMG
, CVO
, DSO
(4 September 1873 – 31 July 1961) was an Australian Army
brigadier-general in World War I
. He retired in 1930 as a major-general.
, on 4 September 1873, the fifth child of a farmer. He was educated at Bundaburg
and Maryborough
State Schools and joined the Department of Public Instruction as a teacher in November 1887.
On 17 February 1898, Brand was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Queensland Volunteer Infantry. On the outbreak of the Second Boer War
in South Africa
, he enlisted as a sergeant in the 3rd Queensland (Mounted Infantry) Contingent. Brand served with the Rhodesian Field Force from 26 April 1900 to 25 May 1900. He was promoted to lieutenant on 25 June 1900 and then in Transvaal
participating in the action at Renosterkop
on 29 November 1900. He then served in the Orange Free State
, the Cape Colony
and then returned to Transvaal. He returned to Australia
in June 1901, but in May 1902, he volunteered for a second tour, and was promoted to captain in command of a squadron the 7th Commonwealth Light Horse
. However peace was declared before the unit reached South Africa.
When he returned to Australia a second time, Brand resumed his pre-war career as a teacher, teaching at Charters Towers State School from 1903 to 1904. He was promoted to captain in the Queensland Volunteer Infantry on 27 March 1903, serving as adjutant from 1 September 1902 to 30 November 1905.
In 1905, Brand joined the permanent forces as a lieutenant and joined the Administrative and Instructional Corps located in Melbourne. He was promoted to the rank of captain in July 1909. In 1910, he was sent to India
on an officer exchange. He served as a General Staff Officer (GSO) at Secunderabad
, as Deputy Adjutant and Quartermaster General of the 1st and 2nd Secunderabad Infantry Brigades, as a staff captain with the Secunderabad Cavalry Brigade. He also attended the transport and musketry schools in 1911. Brand returned to Australia in September 1911 holding the position of General Staff Officer (third grade) (GSO3) in Adelaide until 26 November 1913. For a short time in late 1913 Brand took temporary command of the 4th Military District (South Australia), in June 1914 Brand returned to his previous post of GSO3.
as a major on 15 August 1914. Major General William Throsby Bridges
selected Brand as the brigade major of the 3rd Infantry Brigade
. Brand departed for Egypt
on board the Orvieto
on 21 October 1914. During his stay in Egypt Brand became a recognisable sight, going about his duties on a donkey when other transport was scare.
The 3rd Brigade was the first unit to hit the beaches at Anzac Cove
on 25 April 1915, Brand landed at around 7AM. Brand was ordered to take the 400 Plateau, later in the day Brand attempted to create defensive positions here with elements of the Australian 9th and 10th battalions.
On 16 May 1915, Brand took over temporary command of the 3rd Infantry Battalion. Then on the 20 May he was transferred to the 8th Infantry Battalion. The following day he was wounded when a German
naval shell struck its headquarters but remained on duty. On 2 June 1915, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
(DSO), becoming the first Australian to receive the award for the Gallipoli campaign. On 14 July 1915, he took over permanent command of the 8th Battalion, and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel. The 8th Battalion relieved the 6th and 7th Battalions at Steele's Post on 18 July so that they could participate in the attack on Lone Pine
. The 8th battalion held Steele's Post for the rest of the campaign.
The 8th Battalion moved to the Western Front
during March 1916. From 6 to 27 June 1916, Brand was acting commander of the 6th Infantry Brigade, standing in for Brigadier John Gellibrand
, who had been wounded. After this, Brand was marked for the next brigade appointment, and on 10 July 1916, he succeeded Brigadier General John Monash
in command of the 4th Infantry Brigade, and was promoted to colonel and temporary brigadier general. Brand led the brigade at Pozieres
in July 1916. Brand was a vocal opponent to the attack on Bullecourt
during the Battle of Arras
in April 1917 which cost his brigade 2,339 casualties out of 3,000 engaged, of whom about 1,000 were prisoners. Later Brand and Lieutenant General William Birdwood apologised to the brigade, with tears in their eyes.
The brigade took part in the Battle of Messines
in June. On 6 July 1917, the staff of the 4th Brigade was sitting down to dinner when a German 5.9 inch shell landed among them. Lieutenant Markam the brigade intelligence officer, was killed and Brand, his brigade major, Major Johnston, staff captain, Captain Thomson, and signal officer, Lieutenant Beazley, were all wounded. Brand rejoined the brigade on 18 July and led it at the Third battle of Ypres. During the German Offensive of 1918, the 4th Brigade was sent to cover a gap around the town of Hebuterne
, which it managed to hold for three weeks. From 9 to 25 July 1918, Brand was acting commander of the 4th Division. During the attack on the Hindenburg Line
, Brand was the head of a contingent of 109 Australian advisors attached to the 27th Division and helped lead it through its first divisional strength battle.
On 5 October 1918, Brand left the 4th Brigade to return to Australia on Anzac Leave. Before sailing for Australia he was awarded with the Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB), Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) and Distinguished Service Order
(DSO) at Buckingham Palace
. For his services during World War I, he had been Mentioned in Despatches eight times. Brand arrived in Australia on 21 December 1918 and his appointment to the AIF was terminated on 21 February 1919.
and Dutchess of York's
visit to Australia in order to open the new Federal capital in Canberra
. From 1928 to 1933 he was Quartermaster General. He retired in 1933 with the rank of major general.
In 1934 Brand won an Australian Senate
seat for the United Australia Party
which he held until June 1947. He was most concerned with defence policy and veterans' affairs and was chairman of the Parliamentary Ex-Servicemen's Committee from 1942 to 1947.
Brand died on 31 July 1961, and was cremated with full military honours.
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Charles Henry Brand CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, CMG
Order of St Michael and St George
The Most Distinguished Order of Saint Michael and Saint George is an order of chivalry founded on 28 April 1818 by George, Prince Regent, later George IV of the United Kingdom, while he was acting as Prince Regent for his father, George III....
, CVO
Royal Victorian Order
The Royal Victorian Order is a dynastic order of knighthood and a house order of chivalry recognising distinguished personal service to the order's Sovereign, the reigning monarch of the Commonwealth realms, any members of her family, or any of her viceroys...
, DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(4 September 1873 – 31 July 1961) was an Australian Army
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
brigadier-general in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. He retired in 1930 as a major-general.
Early life and career
Charles Henry Brand was born in Ipswich, QueenslandIpswich, Queensland
Ipswich is a city in South-East Queensland, Australia. Situated along the Bremer River Valley approximately 40 kilometres away from the state's capital Brisbane. The suburb by the same name forms the city's Central Business District and administrative centre...
, on 4 September 1873, the fifth child of a farmer. He was educated at Bundaburg
Bundaberg, Queensland
Bundaberg is a city in Queensland, Australia. It is part of the Local Government Area of the Bundaberg Region and is a major centre within Queensland's broader Wide Bay-Burnett geographical region...
and Maryborough
Maryborough, Queensland
Maryborough is a city located on the Mary River in South East Queensland, Australia, approximately north of the state capital, Brisbane. The city is serviced by the Bruce Highway, and has a population of approximately 22,000 . It is closely tied to its neighbour city Hervey Bay which is...
State Schools and joined the Department of Public Instruction as a teacher in November 1887.
On 17 February 1898, Brand was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Queensland Volunteer Infantry. On the outbreak of the Second Boer War
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, he enlisted as a sergeant in the 3rd Queensland (Mounted Infantry) Contingent. Brand served with the Rhodesian Field Force from 26 April 1900 to 25 May 1900. He was promoted to lieutenant on 25 June 1900 and then in Transvaal
South African Republic
The South African Republic , often informally known as the Transvaal Republic, was an independent Boer-ruled country in Southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century. Not to be confused with the present-day Republic of South Africa, it occupied the area later known as the South African...
participating in the action at Renosterkop
Renosterberg Local Municipality
Renosterberg Local Municipality is a local municipality in the Pixley ka Seme District Municipality district of the Northern Cape province of South Africa.-References:...
on 29 November 1900. He then served in the Orange Free State
Orange Free State
The Orange Free State was an independent Boer republic in southern Africa during the second half of the 19th century, and later a British colony and a province of the Union of South Africa. It is the historical precursor to the present-day Free State province...
, the Cape Colony
Cape Colony
The Cape Colony, part of modern South Africa, was established by the Dutch East India Company in 1652, with the founding of Cape Town. It was subsequently occupied by the British in 1795 when the Netherlands were occupied by revolutionary France, so that the French revolutionaries could not take...
and then returned to Transvaal. He returned to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
in June 1901, but in May 1902, he volunteered for a second tour, and was promoted to captain in command of a squadron the 7th Commonwealth Light Horse
Australian Commonwealth Horse
The Australian Commonwealth Horse was a mounted infantry unit of the Australian Army formed for service during the Second Boer War in South Africa in 1902 and was the first expeditionary military unit established by the newly formed Commonwealth of Australia following Federation in 1901...
. However peace was declared before the unit reached South Africa.
When he returned to Australia a second time, Brand resumed his pre-war career as a teacher, teaching at Charters Towers State School from 1903 to 1904. He was promoted to captain in the Queensland Volunteer Infantry on 27 March 1903, serving as adjutant from 1 September 1902 to 30 November 1905.
In 1905, Brand joined the permanent forces as a lieutenant and joined the Administrative and Instructional Corps located in Melbourne. He was promoted to the rank of captain in July 1909. In 1910, he was sent to India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
on an officer exchange. He served as a General Staff Officer (GSO) at Secunderabad
Secunderabad
Secunderabad popularly known as the twin city of Hyderabad is located in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh north of Hyderabad. Named after Sikandar Jah, the third Nizam of the Asaf Jahi dynasty, Secunderabad was founded in 1806 AD as a British cantonment...
, as Deputy Adjutant and Quartermaster General of the 1st and 2nd Secunderabad Infantry Brigades, as a staff captain with the Secunderabad Cavalry Brigade. He also attended the transport and musketry schools in 1911. Brand returned to Australia in September 1911 holding the position of General Staff Officer (third grade) (GSO3) in Adelaide until 26 November 1913. For a short time in late 1913 Brand took temporary command of the 4th Military District (South Australia), in June 1914 Brand returned to his previous post of GSO3.
World War I
Brand joined the First Australian Imperial ForceFirst Australian Imperial Force
The First Australian Imperial Force was the main expeditionary force of the Australian Army during World War I. It was formed from 15 August 1914, following Britain's declaration of war on Germany. Generally known at the time as the AIF, it is today referred to as the 1st AIF to distinguish from...
as a major on 15 August 1914. Major General William Throsby Bridges
William Throsby Bridges
Major General Sir William Throsby Bridges KCB, CMG served with Australian forces during World War I, and was the first Australian to reach general officer rank...
selected Brand as the brigade major of the 3rd Infantry Brigade
Australian 3rd Brigade
The 3rd Brigade is a combined arms brigade of the Australian Army, based around the 1st, 2nd and 3rd Battalions of the Royal Australian Regiment . It was originally formed in 1914 for service during World War I, taking part in the fighting at Gallipoli and on the Western Front in Europe...
. Brand departed for Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
on board the Orvieto
Orvieto
Orvieto is a city and comune in Province of Terni, southwestern Umbria, Italy situated on the flat summit of a large butte of volcanic tuff...
on 21 October 1914. During his stay in Egypt Brand became a recognisable sight, going about his duties on a donkey when other transport was scare.
The 3rd Brigade was the first unit to hit the beaches at Anzac Cove
Anzac Cove
Anzac Cove is a small cove on the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey. It became famous as the site of World War I landing of the ANZAC on April 25, 1915. The cove is a mere long, bounded by the headlands of Ari Burnu to the north and Little Ari Burnu, known as Hell Spit, to the south...
on 25 April 1915, Brand landed at around 7AM. Brand was ordered to take the 400 Plateau, later in the day Brand attempted to create defensive positions here with elements of the Australian 9th and 10th battalions.
On 16 May 1915, Brand took over temporary command of the 3rd Infantry Battalion. Then on the 20 May he was transferred to the 8th Infantry Battalion. The following day he was wounded when a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
naval shell struck its headquarters but remained on duty. On 2 June 1915, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(DSO), becoming the first Australian to receive the award for the Gallipoli campaign. On 14 July 1915, he took over permanent command of the 8th Battalion, and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel. The 8th Battalion relieved the 6th and 7th Battalions at Steele's Post on 18 July so that they could participate in the attack on Lone Pine
Battle of Lone Pine
The Battle of Lone Pine was a battle between Australian and Turkish forces that took place during the Gallipoli campaign from 6–10 August 1915. It was part of a diversion to draw attention from the main assaults of 6 August against the Sari Bair peaks of Chunuk Bair and Hill 971, which became...
. The 8th battalion held Steele's Post for the rest of the campaign.
The 8th Battalion moved to the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
during March 1916. From 6 to 27 June 1916, Brand was acting commander of the 6th Infantry Brigade, standing in for Brigadier John Gellibrand
John Gellibrand
Major General Sir John Gellibrand KCB, DSO & Bar was an Australian Army Major General in World War I and member of the Australian House of Representatives, representing the Tasmanian Division of Denison as a Nationalist Party member from 1925 to 1928.-Early life and career:John "Jack" Gellibrand...
, who had been wounded. After this, Brand was marked for the next brigade appointment, and on 10 July 1916, he succeeded Brigadier General John Monash
John Monash
General Sir John Monash GCMG, KCB, VD was a civil engineer who became the Australian military commander in the First World War. He commanded the 13th Infantry Brigade before the War and then became commander of the 4th Brigade in Egypt shortly after the outbreak of the War with whom he took part...
in command of the 4th Infantry Brigade, and was promoted to colonel and temporary brigadier general. Brand led the brigade at Pozieres
Battle of Pozières
The Battle of Pozières was a two week struggle for the French village of Pozières and the ridge on which it stands, during the middle stages of the 1916 Battle of the Somme. Though British divisions were involved in most phases of the fighting, Pozières is primarily remembered as an Australian battle...
in July 1916. Brand was a vocal opponent to the attack on Bullecourt
Bullecourt
Bullecourt is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region in France.-Geography:Bullecourt lies on the Upper Cretaceous plain of Artois between Arras and Bapaume and east of the A1 motorway. This shows Bullecourt just north of centre. Quéant is the larger of the two...
during the Battle of Arras
Battle of Arras (1917)
The Battle of Arras was a British offensive during the First World War. From 9 April to 16 May 1917, British, Canadian, New Zealand, Newfoundland, and Australian troops attacked German trenches near the French city of Arras on the Western Front....
in April 1917 which cost his brigade 2,339 casualties out of 3,000 engaged, of whom about 1,000 were prisoners. Later Brand and Lieutenant General William Birdwood apologised to the brigade, with tears in their eyes.
The brigade took part in the Battle of Messines
Battle of Messines
The Battle of Messines was a battle of the Western front of the First World War. It began on 7 June 1917 when the British Second Army under the command of General Herbert Plumer launched an offensive near the village of Mesen in West Flanders, Belgium...
in June. On 6 July 1917, the staff of the 4th Brigade was sitting down to dinner when a German 5.9 inch shell landed among them. Lieutenant Markam the brigade intelligence officer, was killed and Brand, his brigade major, Major Johnston, staff captain, Captain Thomson, and signal officer, Lieutenant Beazley, were all wounded. Brand rejoined the brigade on 18 July and led it at the Third battle of Ypres. During the German Offensive of 1918, the 4th Brigade was sent to cover a gap around the town of Hebuterne
Hébuterne
Hébuterne is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Geography:A farming village situated southwest of Arras, at the junction of the D27 and the D28 roads.-Population:-Places of interest:...
, which it managed to hold for three weeks. From 9 to 25 July 1918, Brand was acting commander of the 4th Division. During the attack on the Hindenburg Line
Hindenburg Line
The Hindenburg Line was a vast system of defences in northeastern France during World War I. It was constructed by the Germans during the winter of 1916–17. The line stretched from Lens to beyond Verdun...
, Brand was the head of a contingent of 109 Australian advisors attached to the 27th Division and helped lead it through its first divisional strength battle.
On 5 October 1918, Brand left the 4th Brigade to return to Australia on Anzac Leave. Before sailing for Australia he was awarded with the Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB), Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George (CMG) and Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(DSO) at Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace
Buckingham Palace, in London, is the principal residence and office of the British monarch. Located in the City of Westminster, the palace is a setting for state occasions and royal hospitality...
. For his services during World War I, he had been Mentioned in Despatches eight times. Brand arrived in Australia on 21 December 1918 and his appointment to the AIF was terminated on 21 February 1919.
Post war
From 1919 to 1920, Brand was commandant of the 3rd Military District (Victoria). He was confirmed in the rank of brigadier general on 1 April 1920 and was base commandant of the 2nd Military District (New South Wales) from 1921 to 1925. He became 2nd Chief of the General Staff (CGS) and a member of the Military Board in 1926. In 1927, Brand was appointed a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order (CVO) following his services in the DukeGeorge VI of the United Kingdom
George VI was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death...
and Dutchess of York's
Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon
Elizabeth Angela Marguerite Bowes-Lyon was the queen consort of King George VI from 1936 until her husband's death in 1952, after which she was known as Queen Elizabeth The Queen Mother, to avoid confusion with her daughter, Queen Elizabeth II...
visit to Australia in order to open the new Federal capital in Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
. From 1928 to 1933 he was Quartermaster General. He retired in 1933 with the rank of major general.
In 1934 Brand won an Australian Senate
Australian Senate
The Senate is the upper house of the bicameral Parliament of Australia, the lower house being the House of Representatives. Senators are popularly elected under a system of proportional representation. Senators are elected for a term that is usually six years; after a double dissolution, however,...
seat for the United Australia Party
United Australia Party
The United Australia Party was an Australian political party that was founded in 1931 and dissolved in 1945. It was the political successor to the Nationalist Party of Australia and predecessor to the Liberal Party of Australia...
which he held until June 1947. He was most concerned with defence policy and veterans' affairs and was chairman of the Parliamentary Ex-Servicemen's Committee from 1942 to 1947.
Brand died on 31 July 1961, and was cremated with full military honours.