WHITELAW, John Stewart
| Service Numbers: | Officer, 21 |
|---|---|
| Enlisted: | 14 July 1914, Melbourne, Victoria |
| Last Rank: | Major General |
| Last Unit: | Field Artillery Brigades |
| Born: | Hawthorn, Victoria, 26 August 1894 |
| Home Town: | Hawthorn, Boroondara, Victoria |
| Schooling: | Auburn State School; Wesley College; Duntroon Military College |
| Occupation: | Soldier |
| Died: | Natural causes (cardiac infarction), Berwick, Victoria, 21 April 1964, aged 69 years |
| Cemetery: | Not yet discovered |
| Memorials: |
World War 1 Service
| 14 Jul 1914: | Enlisted AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 7th Infantry Battalion, Melbourne, Victoria | |
|---|---|---|
| 19 Oct 1914: | Involvement AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 7th Infantry Battalion, Enlistment/Embarkation WW1, --- :embarkation_roll: roll_number: '9' embarkation_place: Melbourne embarkation_ship: HMAT Hororata embarkation_ship_number: A20 public_note: '' | |
| 19 Oct 1914: | Embarked AIF WW1, Lieutenant, Officer, 7th Infantry Battalion, HMAT Hororata, Melbourne | |
| 25 Apr 1915: | Wounded ANZAC / Gallipoli, GSW (foot) | |
| 25 Apr 1915: | Involvement AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 7th Infantry Battalion, ANZAC / Gallipoli | |
| 25 Jul 1916: | Discharged AIF WW1, Lieutenant, 7th Infantry Battalion |
World War 2 Service
| 1 Nov 1939: | Involvement Colonel | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 Feb 1941: | Promoted Brigadier | |
| 27 Aug 1942: | Enlisted Australian Military Forces (Army WW2), Major General, 21 | |
| 1 Sep 1942: | Promoted Major General, Field Artillery Brigades |
Non Warlike Service
| 27 Aug 1951: | Discharged Australian Army (Post WW2), Major General, Retired |
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Lieutenant John Stewart Whitelaw... of Hawthorn, Victoria, survived both World Wars and rose to the rank of Major General before retirement in August 1951.
"John Stewart Whitelaw (1894-1964), soldier, was born on 26 August 1894 at Hawthorn, Melbourne, only son and eldest of three children of Victorian-born parents Thomas Smiley Whitelaw, ironmonger, and his wife Margaret Lawson, née Hunter. Educated at Wesley College, John entered the Royal Military College, Duntroon, Federal Capital Territory, in June 1911. He was appointed lieutenant, Australian Imperial Force, in August 1914 and posted to the 7th Battalion. Two months later he embarked for Egypt. At Gallipoli on 25 April 1915 he suffered a severe bullet-wound to the foot. After recovering in hospitals in Egypt and England, he returned to Melbourne in December 1915. His A.I.F. appointment terminated on 25 July 1916 and he was assigned to the Administrative and Instructional Staff of the 3rd Military District. On 27 December that year at St Mark's Church of England, Camberwell, he married Esther Augusta Norman.
Transferring to the Royal Australian Garrison Artillery in September 1917, Whitelaw performed staff and regimental duties in New South Wales, Queensland and Victoria. In October 1920 he was allocated to the newly formed Staff Corps as a captain. A student at the School of Gunnery (reorganized as the Artillery Schools of Instruction), Sydney, in 1921, he returned as an instructor in 1927. He completed further gunnery training in England in 1928-30. Becoming chief instructor at the A.S.I. (renamed the School of Artillery) in January 1931, he was promoted major in October. From 1935 he served on the General Staff at Army Headquarters, Melbourne, rising to substantive lieutenant colonel in July 1937.
Following the outbreak of World War II, in November 1939 Whitelaw was promoted colonel and appointed commander, coast defences, Eastern Command (New South Wales). It was an important and demanding position, and during this period Whitelaw made what was probably his most significant contribution to Australian artillery work. The use of radar equipment in target-location and gunlaying was then in its infancy. Both the navy and air force hoped to acquire this new technology from Britain, but Whitelaw pushed hard for the development and domestic manufacture of the equipment. The first coastwatching, or shore defence, radar sets were constructed by the Postmaster-General's Department. This marked the beginning of the serious study of the military application of radar in Australia..." - READ MORE LINK (adb.anu.edu.au)
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