Virtual
War Memorial
Australia

Companion of the Distinguished Service Order

Awarded CBE in Birthday Honours June 1957

Australian Navy Vice Admiral. Known for the tufts of hair that he grew on his cheeks, he served as Australia's First Naval Member and Chief of the Naval Staff from 1962 until 1965. He received his early education from the Wychbury Preparatory School in his hometown. In 1924 he joined the Royal Australian Naval College as a cadet midshipman. He rose through the ranks to eventually command his first ship, the sloop HMAS Yarra and saw action off the coast of Iraq in August 1941 during World War II. In February 1942 he served as the executive officer on the cruiser HMAS Australia and two years later he became commander of the destroyer HMAS Quiberon. In 1947 he was promoted to the rank of captain and commanded the destroyer HMAS Warramunga, followed three years later by shore duty as Director of Manning at the Navy office in Melbourne, Australia. In 1955 he returned to sea duty as commander of the aircraft carrier HMAS Sydney and two years later he was promoted to the rank of rear admiral and assigned duty as Flag Officer, East Australia Area, followed by duty as the Second Naval Member of the Naval Board in 1958. In 1959 he became the Flag Officer in command of HM Australian Fleet and in 1962 he was promoted to the rank of vice admiral and became the First Naval Member and Chief of the Naval Staff, and retired in that position in February 1965, with 41 years of military service. His military honors and awards include Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire, the Companion of the Order of the Bath, the Distinguished Service Order, and he was mentioned in dispatches (one whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which is described the soldier's gallant or meritorious action in the face of the enemy) on two separate occasions. He died 10 months after his retirement from hypertensive cerebrovascular disease at the age of 59.