John Stewart Whitelaw AO CBE (1921 - 2010)

Ancestors

Biography

Major General John Stewart Whitelaw AO CBE was born on 11th June 1921 in Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia. He was the third and youngest son of Major General John Stewart Whitelaw CB CBE and his wife, Esther Norman. He attended Sydney Boys High School and Wesley College, Melbourne. In 1937, he commenced working as an indentured clerk with the paper merchants, Spicers & Detmold Ltd, in Melbourne.

On his eighteenth birthday, 11th June 1939, he enlisted in the Australian Army, being posted as a Gunner to the 10th Field Brigade, Royal Australian Artillery. He was rapidly promoted, rising to the rank of Sergeant within a year. He was commissioned as a Lieutenant on 15th March 1940 and, when he transferred to the Second Australian Imperial Force (2AIF) in May that year^[1] was posted to the 2/1st Field Regiment. He served in New Guinea with the 2/1st Regiment.^[2]

He was later promoted to Captain and posted to the 4th Field Regiment, where he was wounded as a forward observer at Bougainville. Following demobilisation from the Second Australian Imperial Force on 9th September 1946, Whitelaw returned to his clerical position with Spicers in Melbourne.

In December 1947, John married Nancy Bogle in Perth, Western Australia. He was transferred to Perth, Western Australia, with Spicers shortly afterward.

When the Citizen Military Force (CMF) was restructured, Captain Whitelaw returned to the active list with Headquarters Western Command on 4th July 1948. He applied for a commission in the Interim Army, and on 1st 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 (like his father before him) and Deputy Chief of the General Staff. Following a range of staff positions, and a regimental posting as adjutant of 1st Field Regiment, he moved with his wife and their three young daughters to the Canadian Staff College at Kingston. He was subsequently appointed as the Exchange Instructor in Canada for the following two years. Upon return to Australia, several grade one staff appointments followed, including Headquarters Western, then Northern Commands and Headquarters 1st (Pentropic) Division, Sydney, in 1963. Then came Singapore as the Assistant Adjutant and Quarter Master General and later Deputy Commander at Headquarters Australian Army Force, Far East Land Forces, in 1966 during the Indonesian Confrontation with Malaysia.

Upon his return to Australia he filled several further staff positions until, promoted to Colonel in 1970, he was appointed Chief of Staff at Headquarters Australian Army Forces Vietnam. For his achievements in this role he was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in September 1971, and awarded the United States Bronze Star.^[3] In 1971 he was promoted to Brigadier and appointed Director Military Operations and Plans. Following promotion to Major General his postings included Chief of Operations and Chief of Personnel. In 1977, Whitelaw assumed the position of Deputy Chief of the General Staff (DCGS) and in June that year was appointed Officer of the Order of Australia (AO). He retired from the Army in 1978 following a career spanning five decades.

Whitelaw continued to provide exemplary service to the community following his retirement:

• the Council of the National Heart Foundation.
• founding executive director of the National Farmers' Federation.
• Greening Australia.
• national president of the Regular Defence Force Welfare Association.
• vice-president of the Australian Veterans and Defence Services Council.
• an extraordinary interest in the Australian Army's heritage, being the driving force behind the construction of the Royal Australian Artillery National Memorial on Mount Pleasant, ACT, and the Australian Army Artillery Museum at North Head, NSW.
• the first patron of the RAA Historical Society.
• Colonel Commandant of the Royal Regiment of Australian Artillery in New South Wales from 1978 to 1984, as his father had done some fifteen years earlier.

He passed away on 18th June 2010 at Canberra, Australian Capital Territory. A military funeral was held at the Anzac Memorial Chapel, Duntroon. John was a devoted family man, and is survived by Nancy, their three daughters - Angela, Belinda and Virginia - and their families.

Sources

1. ↑ Australian War Memorial nominal roll: NX76407 Captain John Stewart Whitelaw; accessed 29 Dec 2018
2. ↑ Australian War Memorial unit record: 2/1st Field Regiment; accessed 29 Dec 2018
3. ↑ Department of Veterans Affairs: John Stewart Whitelaw; accessed 29 Dec 2018

See also

• Wikipedia: John Stewart Whitelaw.