Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Major William George Patterson, Deputy Assistant Quartermaster General at District Headquarters, obtained his firs commission as lieutneant in the Victorian Mounted Rifles in 1891.  He was appointed to the Permanent Staff in November 1895, becoming captain and adjutant of the Mounted Rifles in July 1896.  He obtained his majority on 28th December, 1900, and was appointed Deputy-Assistant Quartermaster-Geeral to the Commonwealth Forces of Citoria on 1st July, 1902.  Major Patterson went to South Africa as second in command of the 4th Battalion of the Australian Commonwealth Horse in February 1902.  Besides going on service with this contingent, he took a large share in the training of nearly all of the contingents which went to South Africa from Victoria.  For the benefit of the uninitated it may be mentioned that the administrative duties of the Quarter-master-General's departement in an amry are amongst the most important of the whole staff in times of war.  Major Patterson is the nephew of the late Sir James Patterson, K.C.M.G., Premier of Victoria.

Lieut.-Col. William George Patterson, who was D.A.A. and D.A.Q.M.G. in South Australia from July, 1907 to June, 1910, and who during his term in this  State was a most popular military officer, died at the Base Hospital in Melbourne on Friday after a nervous illness which developed rapidly after his  return from the fighting front about two months ago. The deceased has left a wife and four children. He was born on February 9, 1862, in Castlemaine (Vic.), and was a nephew of the late Sir James Patterson, formerly a Premier of Victoria. He joined the Victorian Mounted Rifles in 1891, as a lieutenant. Four years later he was made an officer of the Permanent Staff of the Victorian State forces. He gained his captaincy in 1898 and his majority in 1900.  He was D.A.A. and Q.M.G. for Victoria under the Commonwealth defence regime from 1902 to 1907. During his last year in the sister State Lieut. Col.  Patterson was sent for an instructional visit to England. He was attached to the 3rd Brigade of Aldershot Army Corps, under Gen. French, in the Quartermaster-General's and Adjutant General's department, where he carried on the duties of one of the responsible officers during the latter's  absence. While in England he attended the Schools of Signalling at Aldershot and of Musketry at Hythe. the Enfield Smallarms Factory, the School of  Military Engineering, Chatham, the Woolwich Arsenal, and the Royal Clothing Factory at Pimlico. He left London for India, and reported himself at  Bombay, whence he went to Lucknow, and was attached to the 8th Division. He subsequently joined the 4th Division at Quetta, under Lieut-Gen. Smith- Dorrien. With that officer he participated in a staff ride right to the borders of Afghanistan, and took part in several minor operations in the same  district. These experiences were of great service to him in connection with his subsequent work as Chief Staff Officer in Adelaide, and when he left this  State in 1910 it was to undertake the higher service of Staff Officer to the Inspector-General of the Commonwealth Forces. He was a member of the  staff of the 1st Australian Imperial Force, having been appointed its D.A.A. and Q.M.G. on August 8, 1914. He was an officer with much force of  character; a kindly man and a good comrade; a stern disciplinarian, and an enthusiastic student of military requirements and military law, and an  officer who was ever ready to impart the wide knowledge he possessed to others desirous of qualifying themselves for positions of authority.