General Officers of the First AIF

November 1918

 

There were four grades of general officers in the First AIF, these being from least to most senior: Brigadier General, Major General, Lieutenant General and General.

As with all other officer ranks, they could be temporary or permanent, except for brigadier general, which was always temporary. Temporary rank was generally granted while an officer was serving in a particular capacity. When the job lapsed, the officer returned to his permanent rank. This prevented an accumulation of officers at high grades without posts for them. Below, officers are listed in order of seniority of temporary rank held. The seniority column refers to seniority in the temporary grade.

Most officers also held temporary or permanent rank in the AMF (Australian Military Forces -- the Australian Army back at home) as well as in the AIF. Some officers were promoted within the AMF while serving with the AIF. Officers holding higher rank in the AMF than their substantive rank in the AIF were entitled to retain the higher rank as an honorary rank.

Seniority was on the basis of the rank and date upon which one had been promoted within the AIF. Where an officer had not been promoted within the AIF, regular army officers carried their seniority according to their appointment date within the AMF. Reservists who had not been promoted ranked below all regular officers, with seniority according to their dates of appointment in the active forces. Retired officers who joined the AIF and had not been promoted carried their seniority according to the date of their appointment to the AIF, but below other officers of the same rank.

There were some British and New Zealand officers on exchange in Australia before the war who were granted AMF rank and seniority, but not necessarily the same rank and seniority as that of the army from which they came. 

The rank of Brigadier General was unusual in that it was only held as a temporary appointment in the AIF. When the AIF was formed in 1914, infantry and light horse brigade commanders and the divisional artillery commander were graded as colonels. They were regraded as Brigadier Generals on 1 July 1915 in order to bring them into line with their British counterparts, with seniority backdated to the date of their assumption of brigade command. This affected (with seniority date) Colonels J.W. McCay (15 August 1914), J. J. T. Hobbs (15 August 1914),  E. G. Sinclair-MacLagan (15 August 1914),  H. N. MacLaurin (15 August 1914), J. Monash (15 September 1914), G. de L. Ryrie (19 September 1914), F. G. Hughes (17 October 1914) and H. G. Chauvel (10 December 1914). MacLaurin had already been killed on 27 April 1915, and was promoted posthumously.

Units are as for November 1918.

Some abbreviations are used in this table - see below.

 

Generals

   

Australian Military Forces

Australian Imperial Force

 
Name Date of Birth Rank and date on first appointment to the AIF Corps Date of first appointment Substantive Rank and Date Unit Remarks
Birdwood, William Riddell 13 September 1865     18 September 1915 General
(23 October 1917)
GOC British Fifth Army Indian Army

Lieutenant Generals

   

Australian Military Forces

Australian Imperial Force

 
Name Date of Birth Rank and date on first appointment to the AIF Corps Date of first appointment Substantive Rank and Date Unit Remarks
Chauvel, Henry George. 16 April 1865 Colonel
(9 March 1913)
Administrative and Instructional Staff 10 December 1914 Lieutenant General
(2 August 1917)
GOC Desert Mounted Corps  
Monash, John 27 June 1865 Colonel
(1 July 1913)
13th Infantry Brigade 17 September 1914 Lieutenant General
(1 June 1918)
Director General of Repatriation and Demobilisation  
Hobbs, Joseph John Talbot 24 August 1864 Colonel
(1 July 1913)
22nd Infantry Brigade 15 August 1914 Major General
(1 January 1917)
GOC Australian Corps Temporary Lieutenant General
(28 November 1918)
White, Cyril Brudenell Bingham 23 September 1876 Lieutenant Colonel
(14 August 1914)
Royal Australian Garrison Artillery 15 August 1914 Major General
(1 January 1917)
Chief of Staff AIF Temporary Lieutenant General
(28 November 1918)

Major Generals

   

Australian Military Forces

Australian Imperial Force

 
Name Date of Birth Rank and date on first appointment to the AIF Corps Date of first appointment Substantive Rank and Date Unit Remarks
Bridges, William Throsby 18 February 1861 Brigadier General
30 May 1910
Administrative and Instructional Staff 15 August 1914 Major General
(15 August 1914)
Died of Wounds 18 May 1915  
Legge, James Gordon 15 August 1863 Colonel
(1 May 1914)
Administrative and Instructional Staff 20 May 1915 Major General
(22 June 1915)
Returned to Australia Chief of the General Staff, AMF
McCay, James Whiteside 21 December 1864 Colonel
(6 December 1907)
Unattached List 15 August 1914 Major General
(22 February 1916)
GOC AIF Depots in the United Kingdom  
Holmes, William 12 September 1862 Colonel
6 January 1912
6th Infantry Brigade 16 March 1915 Major General
(1 January 1917)
Died of Wounds 2 July 1917  
Howse, Neville Reginald 26 October 1864 Captain
(15 October 1900)
Honorary Major
(11 February 1902)
Australian Army Medical Corps Reserve 19 August 1914 Major General
(1 January 1917)
Director of Medical Services, AIF  
Moore, Newton James 17 April 1870 Lieutenant Colonel
(13 March 1908)
Unattached List 29 May 1915 Colonel
(2 December 1915)
Reverted to Lieutenant Colonel Temporary Major General
(14 February 1917)
Sinclair-MacLagan,  Ewen George 24 December 1868 Lieutenant Colonel
(20 January 1911)
On pre-war exchange from British Army 15 August 1914 Major General
(16 July 1917)
GOC 4th Division  
Rosenthal, Charles 12 February 1875 Major
(5 October 1908)
Australian Field Artillery 18 August 1914 Major General
(22 May 1918)
GOC 2nd Division  
Glasgow, Thomas William 6 June 1876 Major
(6 May 1912)
1st Light Horse 19 August 1914 Major General
(30 June 1918)
GOC 1st Division  
Gellibrand, John 5 December 1872     20 August 1914 Major General
(30 June 1918)
GOC 3rd Division Captain, British Army, (26 May 1900)
Tivey, Edwin 19 September 1866 Colonel
(1 January 1915)
5th Light Horse Brigade 22 July 1915 Colonel
(22 July 1915)
GOC 5th Division Temporary Major General
(28 November 1918)
Ryrie, Granville de Laune 1 July 1865 Lieutenant Colonel
(29 October 1904)
Unattached List 17 September 1914 Colonel
(17 September 1914)
GOC 2nd Light Horse Brigade Major General
(13 May 1919)

Brigadier Generals

   

Australian Military Forces

Australian Imperial Force

 
Name Date of Birth Rank and date on first appointment to the AIF Corps Date of first appointment Substantive Rank and Date Unit Remarks
MacLaurin, Henry Normand 31 October 1878 Lieutenant Colonel
(1 July 1913)
26th Infantry 15 August 1914 Colonel
(19 September 1914)
Killed in Action 27 April 1915 Temporary Brigadier General
(19 September 1914)
Hughes, Frederick Godley 26 January 1858 Colonel
(6 December 1907)
7th Light Horse Brigade 17 September 1914 Colonel
(17 October 1914)
Unattached Temporary Brigadier General
(17 October 1914)
Browne, Reginald Spencer  13 July 1856 Colonel
(6 December 1907)
Reserve of Officers 16 March 1915 Colonel
(16 March 1915)
Returned to Australia Temporary Brigadier General
(16 March 1915)
Forsyth, John Keatly 9 February 1867 Lieutenant Colonel
(1 March 1914)
Administrative and Instructional Staff 15 August 1914 Colonel
(26 July 1915)
Returned to Australia Temporary Brigadier General
(26 July 1915)
Irving, Gofrey George Henry 25 August 1867 Colonel
(1 May 1915)
Administrative and Instructional Staff 1 December 1915 Colonel
(1 December 1915)
Returned to Australia Temporary Brigadier General
(1 December 1915)
Johnston, George Jamieson 24 October 1868 Lieutenant Colonel
(24 April 1909)
Australian Field Artillery 18 August 1914 Colonel
(1 December 1915)
Returned to Australia Temporary Brigadier General
(1 December 1915)
Cox, Charles Frederick 2 May 1863 Lieutenant Colonel
(2 April 1908)
Unattached List 15 September 1914 Colonel
(6 December 1915)
GOC 1st Light Horse Brigade Temporary Brigadier General
(6 December 1915)
Anderson, Robert Murray McCheyne 6 August 1867     8 December 1915 Colonel
(8 December 1915)
Returned to Australia Temporary Brigadier General
(1 January 1916)
Antill, John MacQuarie 26 January 1866 Major
(Brevet Lieutenant Colonel)
(1 April 1916)
Administrative and Instructional Staff 17 October 1914 Colonel
(1 January 1916)
Returned to Australia Temporary Brigadier General
(1 January 1916)
Paton, John 18 November 1867 Colonel
(1 July 1914)
4th Infantry Brigade 16 March 1915 Colonel
(1 January 1916)
Returned to Australia Temporary Brigadier General
(1 January 1916)
Sellheim, Victor Conradsdorf Morrisset 12 May 1866 Colonel
(1 July 1913)
Australian Field Artillery 15 August 1914 Colonel
(1 February 1916)
Returned to Australia Temporary Brigadier General
(1 February 1916)
Jobson, Alexander 2 April 1875 Lieutenant Colonel
(1 July 1913)
35th Infantry 10 February 1916 Colonel
(10 February 1916)
Returned to Australia Temporary Brigadier General
(1 May 1916)
McNicoll, Walter Ramsey 27 May 1877 Major
(9 December 1912)
60th Infantry 28 August 1914 Colonel
(10 February 1916)
Director of Education Temporary Brigadier General
(1 May 1916)
Rankin, Colin Dunlop Wilson 20 January 1869 Lieutenant Colonel
(1 July 1903)
Unattached List 10 February 1916 Colonel
(10 February 1916)
Returned to Australia Temporary Brigadier General
(1 May 1916)
Christian, Sydney Earnest 17 April 1868 Major
(30 November 1910)
Royal Australian Field Artillery 18 August 1914 Colonel
(21 February 1916)
Returned to Australia Temporary Brigadier General
(21 February 1916)
Elliott, Harold Edward 19 June 1878 Lieutenant Colonel
(1 July 1913)
58th Infantry 17 August 1914 Colonel
(1 March 1916)
GOC 15th Infantry Brigade Temporary Brigadier General
(1 March 1916)
Glasfurd, Duncan John 23 November 1873 Major
(20 September 1913)
On pre-war exchange from British Army 15 August 1914 Colonel
(1 March 1916)
Died of Wounds 
12 November 1916
Temporary Brigadier General
(1 March 1916)
Pope, Harold 16 October 1873 Lieutenant Colonel
(13 March 1908)
Unattached List 17 September 1914 Lieutenant Colonel
(13 October 1914)
Reverted to lieutenant colonel 
22 July 1916
Returned to Australia
Temporary Brigadier General
(1 May 1916)
Brand, Charles Henry 4 September 1873 Major
(Brevet Lieutenant Colonel )
(1 April 1916)
Administrative and Instructional Staff 15 August 1914 Colonel
(1 July 1916)
Returned to Australia Temporary Brigadier General
(1 July 1916)
Grimwade, Harold William 18 May 1869 Lieutenant Colonel
(16 May 1910)
Australian Field Artillery 26 August 1915 Colonel
(10 July 1916)
GOCRA Australian Corps Temporary Brigadier General
(10 July 1916)
Cannan, James Edward 29 August 1882 Lieutenant Colonel
(9 May 1914)
8th Infantry 23 September 1914 Colonel
(3 August 1916)
GOC 11th Infantry Brigade Temporary Brigadier General
(3 August 1916)
Robertson, James Campbell 24 October 1878 Major
(1 September 1913)
11th Infantry 20 August 1914 Colonel
(1 December 1916)
GOC 6th Infantry Brigade Temporary Brigadier General
(1 December 1916)
Wisdom, Evan Alexander 29 June 1869 Major
(1 April 1908)
Unattached List 24 March 1915 Colonel
(1 December 1916)
GOC 7th Infantry Brigade Temporary Brigadier General
(1 December 1916)
Bennett, Henry Gordon 16 April 1887 Major
(1 July 1912)
64th Infantry 19 August 1914 Colonel
(3 December 1916)
GOC 3rd Infantry Brigade Temporary Brigadier General
(3 December 1916)
Heane, James 29 December 1874 Captain
(27 June 1911)
9th Light Horse 3 September 1914 Colonel
(3 December 1916)
GOC 2nd Infantry Brigade Temporary Brigadier General
(3 December 1916)
Smith, Robert 6 September 1881 Major
(1 August 1914)
59th Infantry 24 March 1915 Lieutenant Colonel
(24 February 1916)
Returned to Australia Temporary Brigadier General
(1 January 1917)
Coxen, Walter Adams 22 June 1870 Lieutenant Colonel
(14 August 1914)
Royal Australian Garrison Artillery 21 May 1915 Colonel
(18 January 1917)
GOCRA Australian Corps Temporary Brigadier General
(18 January 1917)
Bessell-Browne, Alfred Joseph 3 September 1877 Major
(28 August 1911)
Australian Field Artillery 18 August 1914 Colonel
(18 January 1917)
GOCRA 5th Division Temporary Brigadier General
(18 January 1917)
Foott, Cecil Henry 16 January 1876 Major
(1 August 1909)
Royal Australian Engineers 9 January 1915 Colonel
(1 December 1916)
CE Australian Corps Temporary Brigadier General
(23 July 1917)
Meredith, John Baldwin 11 November 1864 Lieutenant Colonel
(11 September 1911)
6th Light Horse 28 August 1914 Colonel
(1 May 1917)
Returned to Australia Temporary Brigadier General
(1 May 1917)
Grant, William 30 September 1870 Lieutenant Colonel
(18 December 1911)
3rd Light Horse 16 March 1915 Colonel
(13 September 1917)
GOC 4th Light Horse Brigade Temporary Brigadier General
(13 August 1917)
Burgess, William Livingstone Hatchwell 18 February 1880 Captain
(11 June 1913)
On pre-war exchange from NZ Staff Corps 18 August 1914 Colonel
(25 August 1917)
GOCRA 4th Division Temporary Brigadier General
(25 August 1917)
Phillips, Owen Forbes 9 June 1882 Captain
(Brevet Major)
(1 April 1916)
Royal Australian Field Artillery 18 August 1914 Colonel
(8 October 1917)
GOCRA 2nd Division Temporary Brigadier General
(8 October 1917)
Anderson, Stuart Milligan 23 September 1879 Captain
(3 December 1910)
On pre-war exchange from British Army 20 August 1914 Colonel
(12 October 1917)
GOCRA 1st Division Temporary Brigadier General
(12 October 1917)
Wilson, Lachlan Chisholm 11 July 1871 Major
(6 February 1911)
7th Infantry 30 September 1914 Colonel
(30 October 1917)
GOC 3rd Light Horse Brigade Temporary Brigadier General
(30 October 1917)
Griffiths, Thomas 29 September 1865 Hon. Captain
(30 August 1909)
Administrative and Instructional Staff 15 August 1914 Colonel
(12 May 1917)
AIF Headquarters Temporary Brigadier General
(1 January 1918)
McGlinn, John Patrick 11 April 1869 Lieutenant Colonel
(23 December 1911)
6th Infantry Brigade 23 September 1914 Colonel
(8 December 1917)
AIF Depots in the United Kingdom Temporary Brigadier General
(17 March 1918)
Blamey, Thomas Albert 24 January 1884 Major
(1 July 1914)
Administrative and Instructional Staff 10 December 1914 Colonel
(1 December 1916)
BGGS, Australian Corps Temporary Brigadier General
(1 June 1918)
Dodds, Thomas Henry 11 November 1873 Lieutenant Colonel
(1 December 1915)
Administrative and Instructional Staff 3 April 1917 Colonel
(1 June 1918)
AIF Headquarters Temporary Brigadier General
(1 June 1918)
Goddard, Henry Arthur 13 December 1871 Lieutenant Colonel
(16 February 1912)
7th Infantry Brigade 16 March 1915 Colonel
(1 June 1918)
GOC 9th Infantry Brigade Temporary Brigadier General
(1 June 1918)
Leane, Raymond Lionel 12 July 1878 Captain
(21 November 1910)
84th Infantry 25 August 1914 Colonel
(1 June 1918)
GOC 12th Infantry Brigade Temporary Brigadier General
(1 June 1918)
Stewart, James Campbell 19 January 1884 Captain
(19 August 1912)
52nd Infantry 17 August 1914 Colonel
(1 June 1918)
GOC 14th Infantry Brigade Temporary Brigadier General
(1 June 1918)
Mackay, Iven Giffard 7 April 1882 Captain
(1 June 1914)
26th Infantry 27 August 1914 Colonel
(6 June 1918)
GOC 1st Infantry Brigade Temporary Brigadier General
(6 June 1918)
Martin, Edward Fowell 22 August 1875 Major
(1 August 1913)
Australian Army Service Corps 7 May 1915 Colonel
(28 June 1918)
GOC 5th Infantry Brigade Temporary Brigadier General
(28 June 1918)
Herring, Sydney Charles Edgar 8 October 1881 Captain
(4 January 1911)
21st Infantry 9 October 1914 Colonel
(30 June 1918)
GOC 13th Infantry Brigade Temporary Brigadier General
(30 June 1918)
MacArthur-Onslow, George MacLeary  2 May 1875 Major
(16 February 1914)
9th Light Horse 1 November 1914 Lieutenant Colonel
(22 November 1915)
GOC 5th Light Horse Brigade Temporary Brigadier General
(3 September 1918)
Brockman, Edmund Alfred Drake 21 July 1884 Major
(28 August 1911)
Unattached List 25 August 1914 Colonel
(5 October 1918)
GOC 4th Infantry Brigade Temporary Brigadier General
(5 October 1918)
Jess, Carl Herman 16 February 1884 Captain
(1 July 1912)
Administrative and Instructional Staff 23 September 1914 Colonel
(7 October 1918)
GOC 10th Infantry Brigade Temporary Brigadier General
(7 October 1918)
Lloyd, Herbert William 24 November 1883 Captain
(Brevet Major 1 April 1916)
Royal Australian Field Artillery 18 August 1914 Lieutenant Colonel
(12 March 1916)
GOCRA 5th Division Temporary Brigadier General
(8 November 1918)
Davies, Charles Stewart 7 September 1880 Major
(1 September 1915)
On pre-war exchange from British Army 7 October 1915 Lieutenant Colonel
(9 May 1917)
GOC 8th Infantry Brigade Temporary Brigadier General
(28 November 1918)
Long, George Merrick 5 November 1874 Captain
(1 July 1909)
  16 November 1917 Colonel
(1 January 1919)
Director of Education Temporary Brigadier General
(1 January 1919)

 

Abbreviations

Abreviation Meaning
AIF Australia Imperial Force
AMF Australian Military Forces
BGGS Brigadier General, General Staff
CE Chief Engineer
GOC General Officer Commanding
GOCRA General Officer Commanding Royal Artillery

 


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Page created by Ross Mallett
ross@metva.com.au
Last update 19 September 2001