William John Victor Windeyer KBE CB KC (1900 - 1987)

Born 28 Jul 1900 in Hunters Hill, New South Wales (Australia)

Ancestors

Husband of Margaret Moors (Vicars) Windeyer — married 1934 in Hornsby, New South Wales, Australia

Died 23 Nov 1987 at age 87 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

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Biography

Victor Windeyer KBE CB KC is Notable.

Major General Sir Victor Windeyer KBE CB DSO & Bar ED KC MA LLB was an Australian judge, soldier, educator, and a Justice of the High Court of Australia.

Formative years

William John Victor Windeyer was born on 28th July 1900 in Hunters Hill, New South Wales (Australia). Victor, the name by which he was known, was the eldest son of William Windeyer and Ruby Le Gay Brereton. ^[1]

The Great War

Victor Windeyer KBE CB KC is a Military Veteran.
Served in the Australian Army 1918-1957

Windeyer's keen sense of service caused him to leave school and enlist in the Australian Imperial Force the day after his eighteenth birthday, 29th July 1918. He went to training camp but the Armistice was declared before he was sent overseas.

One war behind him

In 1919 he entered the University of Sydney, graduating in 1922 with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) and in 1925 with Bachelor of Laws (LLB). Whilst at Uni he joined the Sydney University Scouts Citizen Military Forces. Commissioned in 1922, Victor progressed to Captain (1924), Major (1929) and Lieutenant Colonel (1937), being appointed commanding officer of the re-named Sydney University Regiment.

Admitted to the New South Wales Bar on 14th May 1925, Victor established a wide-ranging practice, which in later years was predominantly in equity and commercial law. He was known to be thorough, so more difficult work was briefed to him.

Victor married Margaret Vicars on 10th July 1934 in the Presbyterian Church, Beecroft, New South Wales. ^[2] They had four children: Margaret, Bill, Jim and Frank.

Second World War

On the declaration of the Second World War in 1939, Windeyer applied for an appointment in the Australian Imperial Force but was refused on medical grounds. He persisted, accepting demotion to Major to aid his purpose, and succeeded on 1st May 1940. In August he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and sent to South Australia to raise and command the 2/48th Infantry Battalion, the most highly decorated Australian battalion in the war. He led the unit in the defence of Tobruk, Libya, from April to October 1941, being appointed Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) on 16th April 1942 for his inspirational courage and example. ^[3] At Tobruk, his brother Frank, a Captain in the 2/17th Australian Infantry Battalion, was mortally wounded. In January 1942 Windeyer was promoted to temporary Brigadier and placed in command of the 20th Brigade. The brigade took a prominent part in the crucial battle of El Alamein between 23rd October and 4th November 1942. Windeyer’s tactical skills earned him a Bar to his DSO.

The brigade returned to Australia and, after jungle training, deployed to New Guinea. Windeyer’s abilities were again demonstrated at the landing east of Lae and the assault on Scarlet Beach in September 1943, the taking of Finschhafen and nearby high ground in October-November and the advance to Sio from December to January 1944. He was regarded as a versatile, thinking brigade commander of the highest quality, one of the best in the Australian army. Windeyer was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) on 8th March 1945. ^[4] The brigade saw action in Borneo in 1945, liberating Brunei in June.

Two wars behind him

After the war Windeyer resumed his CMF service. He also completed a Master of Arts (MA) degree in 1945 at the University of Sydney.

He was promoted to Major General in 1950 and thereafter spent three years as commander of the 2nd Division and CMF member of the Military Board. He was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) on 1st January 1953 ^[5] and was Honorary Colonel of the Sydney University Regiment in 1956-66.

Appointed King’s Counsel in 1949, he appeared in the High Court and Privy Council.

Also in 1949 Windeyer unsuccessfully sought Liberal Party preselection for the Senate. He promptly put politics out of his mind.

On 8th September 1958 Windeyer was appointed a Justice of the High Court of Australia and, the following month, created Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE). ^[6]

Final parade

Survived by his wife and their daughter and three sons, Sir Victor passed away on 23rd November 1987 in Wahroonga, New South Wales, and was cremated after a service with military honours in St Andrew’s Cathedral, Sydney. ^[7]

Sources

1. ↑ New South Wales Birth Index #22714/1900
2. ↑ New South Wales Marriage Index #12731/1934
3. ↑ Australian Honours: DSO; accessed 29 Jul 2022
4. ↑ Australian Honours: CBE; accessed 29 Jul 2022
5. ↑ Australian Honours: CB; accessed 29 Jul 2022
6. ↑ Australian Honours: KBE; accessed 29 Jul 2022
7. ↑ New South Wales Death Index #27215/1987

See also

• Debelle, Bruce. Windeyer, Sir William John Victor (Vic) (1900–1987), Australian Dictionary of Biography. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University, published first in hardcopy 2012, accessed online 23 May 2018.