John Whitelaw (general)
Encyclopedia
Major General
John Stewart Whitelaw CB
, CBE
(26 August 1894 – 21 April 1964) was a senior officer in the Australian Army
. Whitelaw was a graduate of the first intake of the Royal Military College, Duntroon
and served briefly at Gallipoli with an infantry
battalion during the First World War. His war service was, however, cut short by a bullet wound suffered during the landing on 25 April 1915 and he returned to Australia where, during the interwar years, he transferred to the artillery and undertook a number of staff and instructional postings. During the Second World War, although he did not serve overseas in an operational role, in his capacity as a senior artillery officer Whitelaw had responsibility for all matters relating to the development of artillery in the Australian Army and in this role he championed the introduction of new technologies and weaponry in to the corps and the development of Australian defence industries.
Following the end of hostilities Whitelaw served as general officer commanding of the Army's Western Command as well presiding over the war crimes tribunals held at Rabaul
, New Guinea
in 1947. He retired from the military in 1951 with a number of high honours, nevertheless, however, he continued his links with the Army, and in 1955 he accepted the ceremonial role of Colonel Commandant of the Royal Australian Artillery, a post he held until 1961. He died in 1964, aged 69.
. He was oldest of three children, born to ironmonger Thomas Whitelaw and his wife Margaret (née Hunter). In his formative years he attended Wesley College
before being accepted into the first intake of the newly established Royal Military College, Duntroon
where he undertook training to be commissioned as an officer
in the Australian Army
.
that was being raised for overseas service. As a result, shortly after the declaration of war Whitelaw was commissioned as a lieutenant
in the AIF and posted to the 7th Battalion, a volunteer infantry unit being raised in Melbourne
.
After only a short period of training, Whitelaw departed Australia on the transport Hororata on 19 October 1914 along with the first contingent of Australians bound for Egypt
, arriving there in December 1914. On 25 April 1915 the battalion took part in the Landing at Anzac Cove
as part of the second wave. Whitelaw disembarked with the battalion's machine gun section, but his time ashore was cut short when as he was evacuated later that day with a bullet wound to his foot. He spent a number of months recuperating in Egypt and in the United Kingdom before being repatriated to Australia in November 1915 whereupon his service in the AIF ceased and he returned to the Permanent Force, assigned to an administrative and instructional role in the 3rd Military District (Victoria).
In late 1917 Whitelaw had transferred to the Royal Australian Garrison Artillery, which had responsibility for all coastal artillery batteries around Australia. Undertaking various staff and regimental appointments he served in this capacity until the end of the war, seeing no further overseas service.
. In July 1937 he was promoted again, this time to lieutenant colonel
following a stint on the general staff at Army Headquarters in Melbourne.
a month after the outbreak of the Second World War and took on the important role of the commander of all coastal defences in New South Wales
. During this time he championed the transfer of technologies such as radar
from the United Kingdom and advocated their development in Australia. During this time he undertook a couple of overseas study tours in his official capacity, first to the Netherlands East Indies and then to Singapore
to investigate the development of coastal artillery in Allied forces. In 1941, while serving as the aide-de-camp
to Alexander Hore-Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie
in his capacity of governor general, Whitelaw received a temporary promotion to brigadier
and the following year was invested as a Commander in the Military Division of the Order of the British Empire
.
In April 1942 he was promoted to the rank of major general
and posted to Land Headquarters in Melbourne where he was placed in charge of all artillery matters in the Australian Army, a task that encompassed a multitude of responsibilities including dealing with issues of supply to forward artillery units serving in the South West Pacific Area and the development of new weapons such as the Ordnance QF 25-pounder Short
, which was designed specifically for the harsh conditions that the Army faced in the jungles of New Guinea and elsewhere. Late in the war, Whitelaw took command of all support units in Victoria.
. The following year he served as president to the Rabaul
war crimes tribunal which heard allegations of mistreatment of Australian prisoners of war by the Japanese during the war. In June 1947 he returned to Australia and resumed his duties in Perth until his retirement from the military on 27 August 1951. For his contributions to the Army in his 40 years of service, Whitelaw was invested as a Companion of the Order of the Bath.
, a charitable organisation that cares for the dependents of deceased servicemen and women, and also the Victorian Country Fire Authority
. Living in Upper Beaconsfield, Victoria
he kept himself active through attending church and pursuing his interests in gardening, history and carpentry. But he was a gunner at heart and in 1955 he was offered the role of Colonel Commandant of the Royal Australian Artillery. He accepted and held this post until 1961. On 21 April 1964 he died of a heart attack
while at Berwick
, Victoria
. He was 69 years of age and left behind his wife, Esther, and their three sons.
. They had three sons, Fred, John, and Norman, all of whom followed in their father's footsteps and pursued careers as artillery officers in the Australian Army.
Brigadier Frederick Thomas (Fred) Whitelaw, CBE, entered Duntroon in 1937 and graduated in 1940. In 1951, LtCol Whitelaw was GSO1 in the BCOF, Kure, Japan, returning to Australia with his wife and son in April 1952. In 1961, Colonel F.T. Whitelaw was commander of the Royal Tasmania Regiment. After a period as Commander of the Australian Army Force, Far East Land Forces, in November 1971 Brigadier Whitelaw became Anzuk commander in Singapore. On completion of his 2 year term, he returned to a staff appointment at Army Headquarters in Canberra. In 1996, Brigadier F.T. Whitelaw, CBE wrote to the editor of "The Duntroon Society".
Major General John Stewart Whitelaw
AO, CBE (1921-2010) enlisted in the Militia in 1939 and served in New Guinea and Bouganville. When the Citizen Military Force (CMF) was restructured, Captain Whitelaw returned to the Active List with Headquarters Western Command on 4 July 1948. He applied for a commission in the Interim Army, and on 1 July 1949 began a full-time army career which consumed him for the next 29 years during which he rose to become a major general and Deputy Chief of the General Staff.
Major Price Stewart (Norman) Whitelaw, ED (born 1918, Rose Bay, Sydney), VX/97. 2/2nd Field Regt. Served 1939-1945. 6th Div. Married January 1943. He was President of the Royal Australian Artillery Association (Victoria) Inc, 1984-1987.
Major General (Australia)
Major General is a senior rank of the Australian Army, and was created as a direct equivalent of the British military rank of Major General. It is the third-highest active rank of the Australian Army, and is considered to be equivalent to a two-star rank...
John Stewart Whitelaw 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...
, CBE
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(26 August 1894 – 21 April 1964) was a senior officer in the 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...
. Whitelaw was a graduate of the first intake of the Royal Military College, Duntroon
Royal Military College, Duntroon
The Royal Military College, Duntroon is the Australian Army's officer training establishment. It was founded at Duntroon, in the Australian Capital Territory, in 1911 and is situated on picturesque grounds at the foot of Mount Pleasant near Lake Burley Griffin, close to the Department of Defence...
and served briefly at Gallipoli with an infantry
Infantry
Infantrymen are soldiers who are specifically trained for the role of fighting on foot to engage the enemy face to face and have historically borne the brunt of the casualties of combat in wars. As the oldest branch of combat arms, they are the backbone of armies...
battalion during the First World War. His war service was, however, cut short by a bullet wound suffered during the landing on 25 April 1915 and he returned to Australia where, during the interwar years, he transferred to the artillery and undertook a number of staff and instructional postings. During the Second World War, although he did not serve overseas in an operational role, in his capacity as a senior artillery officer Whitelaw had responsibility for all matters relating to the development of artillery in the Australian Army and in this role he championed the introduction of new technologies and weaponry in to the corps and the development of Australian defence industries.
Following the end of hostilities Whitelaw served as general officer commanding of the Army's Western Command as well presiding over the war crimes tribunals held at Rabaul
Rabaul
Rabaul is a township in East New Britain province, Papua New Guinea. The town was the provincial capital and most important settlement in the province until it was destroyed in 1994 by falling ash of a volcanic eruption. During the eruption, ash was sent thousands of metres into the air and the...
, New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
in 1947. He retired from the military in 1951 with a number of high honours, nevertheless, however, he continued his links with the Army, and in 1955 he accepted the ceremonial role of Colonel Commandant of the Royal Australian Artillery, a post he held until 1961. He died in 1964, aged 69.
Early life
Whitelaw was born on 26 August 1894 at Hawthorn, VictoriaHawthorn, Victoria
Hawthorn is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Boroondara...
. He was oldest of three children, born to ironmonger Thomas Whitelaw and his wife Margaret (née Hunter). In his formative years he attended Wesley College
Wesley College, Melbourne
Wesley College, Melbourne is an independent, co-educational, Christian day school in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. Established in 1866, the college is a school of the Uniting Church in Australia. Wesley is the largest school in Australia by enrolment, with 3,511 students and 564 full-time staff...
before being accepted into the first intake of the newly established Royal Military College, Duntroon
Royal Military College, Duntroon
The Royal Military College, Duntroon is the Australian Army's officer training establishment. It was founded at Duntroon, in the Australian Capital Territory, in 1911 and is situated on picturesque grounds at the foot of Mount Pleasant near Lake Burley Griffin, close to the Department of Defence...
where he undertook training to be commissioned as an officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
in the 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...
.
First World War
The outbreak of the First World War interrupted Whitelaw's studies at the college before he could complete the full four year course as the Army decided to graduate the first class early so that they could be sent over to the Middle East with the Australian Imperial ForceAustralian Imperial Force
The Australian Imperial Force was the name given to all-volunteer Australian Army forces dispatched to fight overseas during World War I and World War II.* First Australian Imperial Force * Second Australian Imperial Force...
that was being raised for overseas service. As a result, shortly after the declaration of war Whitelaw was commissioned as a lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in the AIF and posted to the 7th Battalion, a volunteer infantry unit being raised in Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
.
After only a short period of training, Whitelaw departed Australia on the transport Hororata on 19 October 1914 along with the first contingent of Australians bound 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...
, arriving there in December 1914. On 25 April 1915 the battalion took part in the Landing at Anzac Cove
Landing at Anzac Cove
The landing at Anzac Cove was part of the amphibious invasion of the Gallipoli Peninsula by Australian and New Zealand forces on 25 April 1915. The landing, north of Gaba Tepe on the Aegean coast of the Peninsula, was made by soldiers of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps and was the first...
as part of the second wave. Whitelaw disembarked with the battalion's machine gun section, but his time ashore was cut short when as he was evacuated later that day with a bullet wound to his foot. He spent a number of months recuperating in Egypt and in the United Kingdom before being repatriated to Australia in November 1915 whereupon his service in the AIF ceased and he returned to the Permanent Force, assigned to an administrative and instructional role in the 3rd Military District (Victoria).
In late 1917 Whitelaw had transferred to the Royal Australian Garrison Artillery, which had responsibility for all coastal artillery batteries around Australia. Undertaking various staff and regimental appointments he served in this capacity until the end of the war, seeing no further overseas service.
Inter war years
In October 1920 Whitelaw was transferred to the Staff Corps with the rank of captain. Following this he undertook further artillery officers' training at the School of Gunnery before taking a post there as an instructor in 1927. An appointment to the United Kingdom followed next, lasting from 1928 until early 1931 when he returned to Australia to take up the post of chief instructor at the School of Artillery, marching-in in January. In October he received news of his promotion to majorMajor
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
. In July 1937 he was promoted again, this time to lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
following a stint on the general staff at Army Headquarters in Melbourne.
Second World War
Whitelaw was promoted to colonelColonel
Colonel , abbreviated Col or COL, is a military rank of a senior commissioned officer. It or a corresponding rank exists in most armies and in many air forces; the naval equivalent rank is generally "Captain". It is also used in some police forces and other paramilitary rank structures...
a month after the outbreak of the Second World War and took on the important role of the commander of all coastal defences in New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
. During this time he championed the transfer of technologies such as radar
Radar
Radar is an object-detection system which uses radio waves to determine the range, altitude, direction, or speed of objects. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, weather formations, and terrain. The radar dish or antenna transmits pulses of radio...
from the United Kingdom and advocated their development in Australia. During this time he undertook a couple of overseas study tours in his official capacity, first to the Netherlands East Indies and then to Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
to investigate the development of coastal artillery in Allied forces. In 1941, while serving as the aide-de-camp
Aide-de-camp
An aide-de-camp is a personal assistant, secretary, or adjutant to a person of high rank, usually a senior military officer or a head of state...
to Alexander Hore-Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie
Alexander Hore-Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie
Brigadier General Alexander Gore Arkwright Hore-Ruthven, 1st Earl of Gowrie VC, GCMG, CB, DSO & Bar, PC was a British soldier and colonial governor and the tenth Governor-General of Australia. Serving for 9 years and 7 days, he is the longest serving Governor-General in Australia's history...
in his capacity of governor general, Whitelaw received a temporary promotion to brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
and the following year was invested as a Commander in the Military Division of the Order of the British Empire
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
.
In April 1942 he was promoted to the rank of major general
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...
and posted to Land Headquarters in Melbourne where he was placed in charge of all artillery matters in the Australian Army, a task that encompassed a multitude of responsibilities including dealing with issues of supply to forward artillery units serving in the South West Pacific Area and the development of new weapons such as the Ordnance QF 25-pounder Short
Ordnance QF 25-pounder Short
The Ordnance QF 25-pounder Short was an Australian variant of the British Ordnance QF 25-pounder field gun/howitzer. The gun was developed by modifying the 25-pounder's design to improve its mobility during jungle warfare. Development began in 1942, and the weapon first entered service with the...
, which was designed specifically for the harsh conditions that the Army faced in the jungles of New Guinea and elsewhere. Late in the war, Whitelaw took command of all support units in Victoria.
Post war career
In early 1946, after the end of hostilities, Whitelaw took over responsibility for Western Command, with his headquarters in Perth, Western AustraliaPerth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
. The following year he served as president to the Rabaul
Rabaul
Rabaul is a township in East New Britain province, Papua New Guinea. The town was the provincial capital and most important settlement in the province until it was destroyed in 1994 by falling ash of a volcanic eruption. During the eruption, ash was sent thousands of metres into the air and the...
war crimes tribunal which heard allegations of mistreatment of Australian prisoners of war by the Japanese during the war. In June 1947 he returned to Australia and resumed his duties in Perth until his retirement from the military on 27 August 1951. For his contributions to the Army in his 40 years of service, Whitelaw was invested as a Companion of the Order of the Bath.
Retirement
In his retirement Whitelaw undertook volunteer work with LegacyLegacy Australia
Legacy is an Australian organisation, established in 1923 by ex-servicemen. The organisation has the aim of caring for the dependents of deceased Australian service men and women. The dependants of World War I, World War II, the Korean War, Malayan emergency and Vietnam War deceased are cared for...
, a charitable organisation that cares for the dependents of deceased servicemen and women, and also the Victorian Country Fire Authority
Country Fire Authority
Country Fire Authority, or CFA, is the name of the fire service that provides firefighting and other emergency services to all of the country areas and regional townships within the state of Victoria, Australia, as well as large portions of the outer suburban areas and growth corridors of Melbourne...
. Living in Upper Beaconsfield, Victoria
Beaconsfield Upper, Victoria
Beaconsfield Upper is a town in Victoria, Australia, 45 km south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the Shire of Cardinia...
he kept himself active through attending church and pursuing his interests in gardening, history and carpentry. But he was a gunner at heart and in 1955 he was offered the role of Colonel Commandant of the Royal Australian Artillery. He accepted and held this post until 1961. On 21 April 1964 he died of a heart attack
Myocardial infarction
Myocardial infarction or acute myocardial infarction , commonly known as a heart attack, results from the interruption of blood supply to a part of the heart, causing heart cells to die...
while at Berwick
Berwick, Victoria
Berwick is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, south-east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Casey. At the 2006 Census, Berwick had a population of 36,420....
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
. He was 69 years of age and left behind his wife, Esther, and their three sons.
Family
On 27 December 1915 he married Esther August Norman at St Mark's, Camberwell, VictoriaCamberwell, Victoria
Camberwell is a suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia, 9 km east from Melbourne's central business district. Its Local Government Area is the City of Boroondara. At the 2006 Census, Camberwell had a population of 19,637....
. They had three sons, Fred, John, and Norman, all of whom followed in their father's footsteps and pursued careers as artillery officers in the Australian Army.
Brigadier Frederick Thomas (Fred) Whitelaw, CBE, entered Duntroon in 1937 and graduated in 1940. In 1951, LtCol Whitelaw was GSO1 in the BCOF, Kure, Japan, returning to Australia with his wife and son in April 1952. In 1961, Colonel F.T. Whitelaw was commander of the Royal Tasmania Regiment. After a period as Commander of the Australian Army Force, Far East Land Forces, in November 1971 Brigadier Whitelaw became Anzuk commander in Singapore. On completion of his 2 year term, he returned to a staff appointment at Army Headquarters in Canberra. In 1996, Brigadier F.T. Whitelaw, CBE wrote to the editor of "The Duntroon Society".
Major General John Stewart Whitelaw
John Whitelaw (1921–2010)
Major General John Stewart Whitelaw AO CBE was a career soldier in the Australian Army who rose to the position of Deputy Chief of the General Staff...
AO, CBE (1921-2010) enlisted in the Militia in 1939 and served in New Guinea and Bouganville. When the Citizen Military Force (CMF) was restructured, Captain Whitelaw returned to the Active List with Headquarters Western Command on 4 July 1948. He applied for a commission in the Interim Army, and on 1 July 1949 began a full-time army career which consumed him for the next 29 years during which he rose to become a major general and Deputy Chief of the General Staff.
Major Price Stewart (Norman) Whitelaw, ED (born 1918, Rose Bay, Sydney), VX/97. 2/2nd Field Regt. Served 1939-1945. 6th Div. Married January 1943. He was President of the Royal Australian Artillery Association (Victoria) Inc, 1984-1987.