Sir George Frederick Wootten, CB, KBE, DSO, DSC (USA), 1 May 1893-30 March 1970, was an Australian soldier, public servant, right wing political activist and solicitor. He rose to the rank of temporary Major General during World War II. Badge of a Companion of the Order of the Bath (Military Division) The Most Honourable Order of the Bath (formerly The Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath)[1] is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. ... Commanders Badge of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions, in decreasing order of seniority: Knight or Dame Grand... DSO medal The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other Commonwealth countries, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat. ... The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is the second highest military decoration of the United States Army, awarded for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. ... May 1 is the 121st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (122nd in leap years). ... Year 1893 (MDCCCXCIII) was a common year starting on Sunday (link will display the full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Tuesday of the 12-day slower Julian calendar). ... March 30 is the 89th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (90th in leap years). ... 1970 (MCMLXX) was a common year starting on Thursday. ... The Australian Army is Australias military land force. ... Wikipedia does not yet have an article with this exact name. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Left-Right politics. ... A solicitor is a type of lawyer in many common law jurisdictions, such as the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Republic of Ireland, Australia, New Zealand and Canada, but not the United States (in the United States the word has a quite different meaning—see below). ... Insignia of a United States Air Force Major General German Generalmajor Insignia Major General is a military rank used in many countries. ... Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

Wootten was famous, in part, for his heavy build. He put on weight after giving up smoking in 1930, and by 1941 — even though he was 175 cm (5 ft 9 in) tall — he weighed 127 kg (20 st). Nevertheless, he earned the respect of his soldiers and superiors; General Douglas MacArthur described Wootten as "the best soldier in the Australian Army who had it in him to reach the highest position".[1] Douglas MacArthur (January 26, 1880 - April 5, 1964), was an American general who played a prominent role in the Pacific theater of World War II. He was poised to command the invasion of Japan in November 1945 but was instead instructed to accept their surrender on September 2, 1945. ...

Early life

"Rest Gully", Gallipoli. June 1915. Captain George Wootten, Adjutant, 1st Infantry Battalion, shaving at the entrance to his dugout.

Wootten was born in Marrickville, Sydney, the seventh child of English migrant parents, William Frederick Wootten (a carpenter and later a civil engineer) and Louisa Wootten, née Old, both of whom were born in London. George Wootten attended Fort Street Model School in Sydney. Gallipoli peninsula (Turkish: , Greek: ) is located in Turkish Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles straits to the east. ... Marrickville Rd, Marrickville, Sydney Marrickville Town Hall, Marrickville, Sydney Marrickville is a suburb in the Inner West of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. ... The Sydney Opera House on Sydney Harbour Sydney (pronounced ) is the most populous city in Australia, with a metropolitan area population of over 4,200,000 people, and 151,920, in the city limits. ... This article is about the capital of England and the United Kingdom. ... Fort Street High School is a coeducational, academically selective high school currently located in Petersham, Sydney, Australia. ...

He entered the Royal Military College, Duntroon, in 1911. He graduated in August 1914 as a Lieutenant. Royal Military College The Royal Military College, Duntroon is Australias military academy where Staff Cadets train for commissioning into the Australian Army as a part of the Australian Defence Force There are two streams of Cadets: from the Australian Defence Force Academy, and by direct entry. ... Lieutenant is a military, naval, paramilitary, fire service or police officer rank. ...

World War I

Wootten's graduation coincided with the outbreak of World War I. He was posted to the 1st Battalion, and went ashore at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915 and was promoted to Captain in May that year. He was a Major by December. “The Great War” redirects here. ... Combatants Australia, New Zealand Ottoman Empire Commanders William Birdwood Mustafa Kemal Strength 2 divisions 1 battalion 1 div. ... April 25 is the 115th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (116th in leap years). ... 1915 (MCMXV) was a common year starting on Friday (link will display the full calendar). ... Captain is a nautical term, an organizational title, and a rank in various uniformed organizations. ... Major is a military rank the use of which varies according to country. ...

Wootten later served on the Western Front. He was Brigade Major with the 11th Brigade, then with the 9th Brigade (under Brig. Charles Rosenthal). Wootten was awarded the Distinguished Service Order in October 1917 for staff work. He was then appointed to the staff of the 5th Division. Combatants Belgium, British Empire, France, United States, other Western Allies of WWI Germany Commanders No unified command until 1918, then General Ferdinand Foch Kaiser Wilhelm II Casualties ~4,800,000 Unknown though considerably higher Following the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, the German army opened the Western... In the British Army the Chief of Staff of a brigade or similar formation. ... DSO medal The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other Commonwealth countries, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat. ... The 5th Division was a Militia unit of the Australian Army. ...

Samer, France. December 16, 1917. Major George Wootten DSO (right) at the time a Staff Officer with the 5th Division.

In October 1918, he was appointed to the staff of Field Marshal Sir Douglas Haig, commander of British Empire forces in France. He was mentioned in dispatches four times. Samer Hamde the best kid ever Aref isnt ahhahahahahhah samer goes to forest glade :) ... The 5th Division was a Militia unit of the Australian Army. ... Field Marshal Douglas Haig, 1st Earl Haig (June 19, 1861 - January 28, 1928) was a British soldier and senior commander during World War I. He had independent wealth: his family manufactured Haig & Haig whisky. ... The British Empire in 1897, marked in pink, the traditional colour for Imperial British dominions on maps. ...

Following the end of hostilities, Wootten was sent to the Staff College, Camberley, England, in March 1919. This article needs to be cleaned up to conform to a higher standard of quality. ... Camberley is a town in Surrey, England, situated 30 miles (48 km) south west of central London, in the corridor between the M3 and M4 motorways. ...

Civilian life between the wars

He married Muriel Frances Anna Bisgood, a nurse, at St Joseph’s Catholic Church, Roehampton, London on January 3, 1920. Wootten was posted back went to Australia that same year. Roehampton is a place in south London, in the London Borough of Wandsworth. ...

He resigned his commission in 1923, and moved back to London, where he worked as manager of a clothing factory.

Wootten returned to New South Wales in 1926 and became an articled clerk at West Wyalong. He also joined a secret right wing paramilitary organisation, the Old Guard. Wootten was admitted as a solicitor in July 1930, by which time he had four children. In 1931 he became an organiser for the Old Guard in Sydney. An articled clerk is an apprentice in a professional firm in the United Kingdom and former British dependencies. ... West Wyalong () is a town in Australia, the main town for the Bland Shire, located in the Northern Riverina Region of New South Wales. ... A paramilitary organization is a group of civilians trained and organized in a military fashion. ...

Wootten joined the Citizen Military Forces (CMF; the army reserve formation) and on July 1, 1937 — as a Lieutenant Colonel — was apppointed commander of the 21st Light Horse Regiment. Following the federation of Australia in 1901, the six colonial militias were merged to form a national reserve army. ... In the U.S. Army, Air Force and Marine Corps, a lieutenant colonel is a commissioned officer superior to a major and inferior to a colonel. ...

World War II

Following the outbreak of World War II, On October 13, 1939, Wootten was seconded to the AIF, and from 24 October 1939 until February 9, 1940, he commanded the 2/2nd Infantry Battalion. He then acting commander of the 16th Infantry Brigade until May 20, 1940. Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki Tōjō Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000... The Second Australian Imperial Force (2nd AIF) was the name given to the volunteer units of the Australian Army in World War II. The 2nd AIF was formed, from 1939 onwards, to fight overseas: most army units were Militia (reserve) units and under Australian law at the time, Militia troops...

I Corps was attached to the British Middle East Command, and when an AIF Reinforcement Depot was set up in Palestine, in late 1940, Wootten was promoted to temporary brigadier and made its commander. I Corps of the Australian Army was the main frontline corps of the army during World War II. Various Australian and other Allied divisions came under its control at various times. ... During World War II The British Middle East Command was based in Cairo with responsibility for the Middle East theatre which included North Africa, East Africa, Persia, the Middle East, and the British forces in the Balkans and Greece. ... The Holy Land or Palestine Showing not only the Old Kingdoms of Judea and Israel but also the 12 Tribes Distinctly, and Confirming Even the Diversity of the Locations of their Ancient Positions and Doing So as the Holy Scriptures Indicate, a geographic map from the studio of Tobiae Conradi...

Wootten was promoted to Brigadier, and from February 1, 1941, he commanded the 18th Infantry Brigade (7th Division), on active service in the North African campaign, including the siege of Tobruk. Brigadier(BRIG-uh-DEER) is a military rank, the meaning of which has a considerable variation. ... December 27, 1943. ... During World War II, the North African Campaign, also known as the Desert War, took place in the North African desert from September 13, 1940 to May 13, 1943. ... Siege of Tobruk Conflict World War II, Western Desert Campaign Date March 31, 1941 – November 27, 1941 Place Tobruk, Libya Result Allied victory The Siege of Tobruk was a lengthy confrontation between Axis and Allied forces in the North African Campaign of World War II. See also Afrika Korps...

Following the oubreak of war with Japan, the 7th Division returned to Australia and the 18th Brigade saw action on the Kokoda Track, and was part of the historic victory over Japanese forces at Milne Bay. This was followed by the fierce and costly fighting at Buna and Sanananda. Combatants China (from 1937) United States (1941) U.K. (1941) Australia (from 1941) Free France (1941) Netherlands (1941) New Zealand (1941) Canada (1941) British India (1941) Soviet Union (1945) Mongolia (1945) Empire of Japan (from 1937) Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Franklin D. Roosevelt Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Fumimaro Konoe Hideki... Combatants Australia Japan Commanders Douglas MacArthur Thomas Blamey Sydney Rowell Edmund Herring Arthur Tubby Allen George Vasey Selwyn Porter Arnold Potts Hisaichi Terauchi Yosuke Yokoyama Tomitaro Horii Strength 2,000 plus reinforcements 10,000 plus reinforcements Casualties 725 killed 1,055 wounded Hundreds sick with disease 6,500 killed including... Combatants Australia, United States (engineering support and minor combat) Japan Commanders Cyril Clowes Shojiro Hayashi, Minoru Yano Strength 9,000 (half non-combat personnel) 2400 Casualties less than 200 dead 600 dead The Battle of Milne Bay was a battle of the Pacific campaign of World War II. Japanese marines... Combatants Australia, United States Japan Commanders George Vasey (Australia); Edwin F. Harding/ Robert L. Eichelberger (United States) Ken Yamagata Strength 20,000+ 7,400+ Casualties 3,500 (not counting tropical diseases); 1,300 Australian and 1,000 US personnel killed in action. ...

On March 15, 1943, Wootten was promoted to temporary Major General and became General Officer Commanding, 9th Australian Infantry Division. Between September that year and January 1944 he led the 9th Division in the Battle of Lae and the Huon Peninsula campaign. My God, I wish we had [the] 9th Australian Division with us this morning. ... Combatants Australia United States Empire of Japan Commanders Douglas MacArthur Hatazô Adachi Strength ~30,000 ~10,000 Casualties  ?  ? The Salamaua-Lae campaign was a series of actions in the New Guinea campaign of World War II. Australian and United States forces sought to capture two major Japanese bases, one in... The Huon Peninsula campaign was a series of actions in the New Guinea campaign of World War II. Australian forces assaulted a Japanese bases on the Huon Peninsula. ...

Major-General Wootten (second left) with Australian ex-POWs at Batu Lintang POW/internment camp, Kuching, Sarawak, 12 September 1945.

After a year of leave, consolidation, and re-training in Australia, the 9th took part in the Borneo campaign, including amphibious landings at Brunei and Labuan. Following the Japanese surrender in August, Wootten commanded the British Borneo Civil Affairs Unit, overseeing the recuperation and repatriation of Allied prisoners, surrendered Japanese personnel, and the transition back to civilian rule. Batu Lintang camp at Kuching, Sarawak on the island of Borneo was a Japanese internment camp during the Second World War. ... The Borneo campaign of 1945 was the last major Allied campaign in the South West Pacific Area, during World War II. In a series of amphibious assaults between May 1 and July 21, the Australian I Corps, under General Leslie Morshead, attacked Japanese forces occupying the island. ... Combatants Australia United States Empire of Japan Commanders George Wootten Operation Oboe Six was the codename for the campaign by Australian forces to retake Brunei and Labuan island, from Japanese forces, between June 10, 1945 and the end of World War II. The operation commenced with amphibious landings by the...

Wootten returned to Sydney on on September 22, and transferred to the Reserve of Officers on October 14. However, he was soon appointed to a military court of inquiry into Maj. Gen. Gordon Bennett's departure from Singapore in 1942. Lieutenant-General Gordon Bennett Lieutenant-General Henry Gordon Bennett, CB, CMG, DSO (April 16, 1887 – August 1, 1962), Australian soldier, served in both World War I and World War II. Despite highly decorated achievements during World War I, including at Gallipoli, Bennett is best remembered for his role in the...

In 1945-58, Wootten chaired the Repatriation Commission, in Melbourne. He commanded the 3rd Division (CMF), in 1947-50 and was the CMF member of the Military Board in 1948-50. After retiring from the commission in 1958, he returned to Sydney. Melbournes CBD has grown to straddle the Yarra River in three major precincts. ... The Australian 3rd Division was a first formed in World War I, as part of the Australian Imperial Force. ...

Wootten died at the Repatriation General Hospital, Concord in 1970. Concord is a suburb in the inner-west of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. ...

Honours

In recognition of his wartime service, Wootten was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath, Commander of the Order of the British Empire, and Companion of the Distinguished Service Order and bar. He was also awarded the US Distinguished Service Cross. He was elevated to a Knight Commander of the British Empire in 1958. Badge of a Companion of the Order of the Bath (Military Division) The Most Honourable Order of the Bath (formerly The Most Honourable Military Order of the Bath)[1] is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. ... Commanders Badge of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions, in order of seniority: Knight or Dame Grand Cross... DSO medal The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other Commonwealth countries, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat. ... The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is the second highest military decoration of the United States Army, awarded for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. ... Commanders Badge of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V. The Order includes five classes in civil and military divisions, in decreasing order of seniority: Knight or Dame Grand...

A 1956 portrait of Wootten by Sir William Dargie is held at the Australian War Memorial, Canberra. Sir William Dargie, (1912-2003) Australian painter, known especially for his portrait paintings. ... The eternal flame at the heart of the Memorial keeps the spirit of the fallen alive The Australian War Memorial The Australian War Memorial is Australias national memorial to the members of all its armed forces and supporting organizations who have died in the wars of the Commonwealth of... For other uses, see Canberra (disambiguation). ...

References/external links

• Australian Dictionary of Biography (online edition), “Wootten, Sir George Frederick (1893 - 1970)” Access date: 19 April 2007.

• Australian War Memorial, "Honours and awards (gazetted) George Frederick Wootten" Access date: 19 April 2007.

• generals.dk " Wootten, Sir George Frederick, Major-General (1893 – 1970)" Access date: 19 April 2007.

• Australian World War Two Nominal Roll, "WOOTTEN, GEORGE FREDERICK" Access date: 19 April 2007.

• ordersofbattle.com, "George Frederick Wootten" Access date: 19 April 2007.