COSGROVE, Peter John
| Service Number: | 235341 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 26 January 1965 |
| Last Rank: | Lieutenant General |
| Last Unit: | INTERFET |
| Born: | Sydney, New South Wales, Australia , 28 July 1947 |
| Home Town: | Sydney, City of Sydney, New South Wales |
| Schooling: | Waverley College, and Royal Military College, Duntroon, ACT, Australia |
| Occupation: | Soldier, Chief of the Australian Defence Force, Business Executive, Author, Governor General of Australia |
| Memorials: |
Non Warlike Service
| 26 Jan 1965: | Enlisted Australian Army (Post WW2) |
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Vietnam War Service
| 2 Aug 1969: | Involvement Australian Army (Post WW2), Lieutenant, 235341 | |
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| 2 Aug 1969: | Involvement Australian Army (Post WW2), Lieutenant, 235341, 1st Australian Reinforcement Unit, Vietnam | |
| 20 Aug 1969: | Involvement Australian Army (Post WW2), Lieutenant, 235341 | |
| 20 Aug 1969: | Involvement Australian Army (Post WW2), Lieutenant, 235341, 9th Battalion The Royal Australian Regiment (9RAR) | |
| 29 Sep 1969: | Involvement Australian Army (Post WW2), Lieutenant, 235341, HQ 1st Australian Task Force, Vietnam | |
| 29 Sep 1969: | Involvement Australian Army (Post WW2), Lieutenant, 235341 |
Peacekeeping Service
| 15 Oct 1999: | Involvement Australian Army (Post WW2), Major General, INTERFET, INTERFET (International Force for East Timor) / UNTAET (United Nations Transitional Authority, East Timor) |
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Non Warlike Service
| 14 Jul 2000: | Promoted Lieutenant General, Chief of Army 2000-2002 |
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Add my storyBiography contributed by Robert Kearney
General the Honourable Sir Peter Cosgrove AK AC (Mil) CVO MC (Retd)
During his time at Waverley College Peter Cosgrove was a Cadet Under Officer in the Cadets and after leaving the College entered the Royal Military College at Duntroon in 1965.
This was 50 years after the ANZAC landing and the same year the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1RAR) went to South Vietnam. With Australia's involvement in the Vietnam War escalating, Officer Cadet Cosgrove would have encountered numerous returned officers and NCO instructors before graduating as a Lieutenant 1968.
In December that year he was posted to the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment where he no doubt put into practice much of what he had been taught about Infantry at RMC and subsequently learned a lot he had not been taught at Duntroon during his first overseas posting to Malaysia.
In 1969 he was posted to South Vietnam where as an infantry platoon commander in the 9th Batalion (9RAR) and for his actions in the field during combat was subsequently awarded the Military Cross for gallantry.
Following his service in Vietnam, Cosgrove was promoted to the temporary rank of Captain on 21 September 1970, and served as an aide-de-camp to the then-Governor-General Paul Hasluck. He was promoted to substantive Captain on 31 October 1974 and Major on 11 December 1975.
The 1980's saw him promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel on 7 December 1981 and Commander of the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment.
It was his leadership of the international forces (INTERFET) peacekeeping mission to East Timor in 1999 that brought him national attention. The mission's success made him one of Australia's most respected and popular military leaders. He was promoted in 2000 to Lieutenant General as Chief of the Army and in 2002 to general as Chief of the Defence Force.
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