Iven Giffard Mackay

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Iven Giffard Mackay
7 April 1882 - 30 September 1966 (aged 84)

Official portrait of Ivan Mackay
Nickname Mister Chips
Place of birth Grafton, New South Wales
Place of death Sydney, New South Wales
Allegiance Australian Army
Years of service 1913-1944
Rank Lieutenant General
Commands held Second Army
6th Division
9th Brigade
1st Brigade
1st Machine Gun Battalion
4th Battalion
Battles/wars World War I

World War II
Awards Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George
Distinguished Service Order & Bar
Volunteer Decoration
Mention in Despatches (6)

Lieutenant General Sir Iven Giffard Mackay KBE CMG DSO & Bar VD (7 April 1882 - 30 September 1966) was a prominent Australian soldier. During World War II he achieved the rank of Lieutenant General

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[edit] Early life and career

Mackay was born at Grafton, New South Wales. He was educated at Grafton Superior Public School, Newington College and the University of Sydney, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in 1904. Mackay taught at Sydney Church of England Grammar School from 1905 to 1910, when he returned to teach at the University of Sydney.

Mackay had served in the Newington College cadet unit, reaching the rank of sergeant. In 1911, he became a lieutenant in the Cadet Corps. On 20 March 1913, he transferred to the militia as a lieutenant. He became adjutant of the 26th Infantry Battalion. From 1913 to 1914, Mackay studied the Diploma of Military Science course at the University of Sydney. He was promoted to captain on June 1, 1914.

[edit] World War I

Mackay joined the Australian Imperial Force On 27 August 1914, as adjutant of the 4th Infantry Battalion with the rank of captain. On 4 September 1914, he married Marjorie Eveline Meredith, daughter of Lieutenant Colonel John Meredith.

Mackay suffered a riding accident and was forced to miss the embarkation of his battalion. He sailed for Egypt with the 1st Reinforcements of the 13th Infantry Battalion, departing Sydney on the transport Berrima on 19 December 1914, arriving at Alexandria on 31 January 1915. He was posted back to the 4th Battalion as the Transport Officer. He did not deploy to Gallipoli with the battalion, but eventually joined them on 8 May 1915. Heavy casualties in the early fighting had depleted the officer ranks and Mackay was promoted to major on 14 July 1915 and given command of a company in August.

On 6 August 1915, Mackay was involved in the attack on Lone Pine. When the attack began, Mackay went over the top at the head of a number of men, ignoring the first Turkish trench, taking a direct lie to their objective. Reports show him firing from the hip and killing Turks in the trenches below. Mackay positioned himself at the junction of two trenches, shooting down a number of Turks. When no more came, he came to the belief that the trenches were in Australian hands and ran across the junction into a wide bay. The next man who attempted to follow was shot dead, as were the next two after him. The rest decided not to follow. Mackay took up a position on a fire step, a raised part of the trench floor which allows men to fire over the top. Three Turkish soldiers appeared in the trench. Mackay attempted to fire but his magazine was empty. He lunged at the Turks, grazing one and making all three run. Mackay then instructed his party to fortify the position with sandbags. As the barricade was built up, it became possible for the rest of the party to join Mackay. The position became the north eastern corner of the new Australian position at Lone Pine.

The position was in an exposed position and came under grenade attack from Turkish troops. Mackay was slightly injured in one such attack. When Lieutenant R. Massie was sent to relieve Mackay, Mackay refused to leave the post. By the next day Mackay realised that the position could not be held. He personally kept the enemy at bay with his rifle while new barricades were constructed. When he was satisfied with the security of the new position he reported to the battalion commander. Due to his injuries he was evacuated to Malta and then England, and did not rejoin his battalion until February 1916, in Egypt. For his actions at Gallipoli, Mackay was mentioned in dispatches.

Mackay moved to France with his battalion in March 1916, and was given command and promoted to Lieutenant Colonel on 18 April 1916. He led his battalion at the Battle of Pozieres in July, where it played a key part in the capture of the town. Mackay held the temporary position of commander of the 1st Infantry Brigade in January 1917, and again at the Battle of Bullecourt in May. Mackay was awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) for Pozieres in December 1916, a bar for his work at Bullecourt in June 1917, and was again mentioned in dispatches. On March 1, 1918 Mackay was given command of the 1st Machine Gun Battalion. On 6 June 1918, Mackay became the permanent commander of the 1st Infantry Brigade, was promoted to Colonel and temporary Brigadier General. He commanded the brigade at the Battle of Hazebrouck, Battle of Amiens and at the attack on the Hindenburg Line. As a brigade commander, he was twice more mentioned in dispatches and made a Companion of St Michael and St George (CMG). He was given the brevet rank of major in the Permanent Military Forces on 3 June 1918.

[edit] Between the wars

After the end of the war, Mackay took advantage of Brigadier General George Long's education scheme to study physics at the University of Cambridge. Returning to the University of Sydney in 1920, Mackay lectured in physics. From 1925 he was also faculty secretary. In 1933, he was appointed headmaster of Cranbrook School Sydney. Mackay was blamed for the school's slow recovery from the Great Depression and left in 1939.

Mackay held the rank of honorary Brigadier General in the Permanent Military Forces from 21 January 1920 to late June 1937. He commanded the 9th Infantry Brigade from 1 July 1920 to 30 April 1921, the 8th Infantry Brigade from 1 May 1921 to 30 April 1926 and the 5th Infantry Brigade from 1 May 1930 to 31 December 1932. On 24 March 1937, he took command of the 2nd Division and was promoted to full brigadier general. He was promoted to major general on 1 July 1937.

[edit] World War II

At the outbreak of war in 1939, Mackay was ranked seventh on the army's seniority list. Following formation of a second infantry division for the Second Australian Imperial Force in 1940, Lieutenant General Blamey was elevated to command of I Corps. Mackay was selected by General C. B. B. White to replace Blamey as commander of the Australian 6th Division. Mackay took over command on 4 April 1940.

He led the 6th Division into its first battles, during Operation Compass, in Libya, in January 1941, capturing the town along with 40,000 Italian prisoners. For this success, Mackay was made a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE).

The 6th Division's next campaign was the failed Greek campaign, which was disastrous for the British Commonwealth forces sent there. While in Greece, Mackay led a hastily-assembled Australian-British-New Zealand-Greek formation known as Mackay Force, defending the Klidi Pass at the Battle of Vevi. The Allies were eventually forced to retreat in a fierce assault by the battle-hardened Leibstandarte SS Adolf Hitler brigade. Mackay was therefore the only Australian general to face the Waffen SS in battle. As in Libya, he shared the hardships of living in the field with his men, and impressed them by his coolness during air raids. They watched him sit in the open during attacks and on during a raid on 19 April 1941, Mackay waited out a two and a half hour raid, when his car was hit and driver wounded. For his actions in Greece, he was mentioned in dispatches.

On 1 September 1941, Mackay handed over command of the 6th Division to return to Australia. Promoted to lieutenant general, he was given command of Home Forces. His task was to get the militia ready to repel a Japanese invasion. Mackay submitted a plan in February 1942 in which he outlined a strategy whereby the army would concentrate on the defence of the most vital areas of eastern and southern Australia. This proposal later gave rise to the mythical "Brisbane Line".

During a sweeping reorganisation of the army by Blamey, Mackay became commander of the Australian Second Army on 6 April 1942. When Blamey relinquished his direct command of New Guinea Force on 30 January 1943, he handed over to Mackay. Mackay saw the end of the fighting at Buna and Gona. Mackay returned to command of the Second Army at Parramatta in May 1943, but on 28 August 1944 he once again assumed command of New Guinea Force. This time his command was marred by disagreements with General Douglas MacArthur's staff over the allocation of shipping. Junior commanders felt that Mackay should have been more forceful, and should have enlisted the help of his superior, Blamey, at an earlier stage. Blamey agreed with them, feeling that his old colleague was slowing down, and no longer possessed the vigour required for the campaign in New Guinea. On 20 January 1944, Mackay relinquished command of both Second Army and New Guinea Force, handing over command of the latter to Lieutenant General Leslie Morshead.

[edit] Post war

Mackay took up the post of Australia's first High Commissioner to India, serving until May 1948. The University of Sydney appointed Mackay an honorary Esquire Bedell in 1950 and an honorary doctor of laws in 1952. He died in Sydney on 30 September 1966 and was cremated.

[edit] See also

List of Australian Generals

[edit] References