John Charles Hoad

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Major-General Sir John Hoad
25 January 1856 - 6 October 1911
Place of birth	Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia
Place of death	Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
Allegiance	Victorian Military Forces Australian Army
Years of service	1881-1915
Rank	Major General
Battles/wars	Second Boer War Russo-Japanese War
Awards	Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George Mentioned in dispatches Order of the Rising Sun (3rd Class)

Major General Sir John Charles Hoad KCMG (born Goulburn, New South Wales 25 January 1856 - died Melbourne, Victoria, 6 October 1911), was an Australian soldier, labourer and schoolteacher. Hoad's parents and early life are unknown, and he was orphaned by the age of 6, being brought up by relatives in Wangaratta, in Victoria.

Hoad began his career as a schoolteacher, quickly becoming a head teacher. He was a talented athlete, excellent horseman, Australian rules footballer player and cricketer. He married Sarah Denniston Sennetts, (née Brown), in Wangaratta on 22 December 1881. They had a daughter, who died as a child, and two sons.

However Hoad is best known as the Australian Army's second Chief of the General Staff. He began his military career in 1884, when he joined the Victorian Rifles as a militia lieutenant. He soon resigned his position as a teacher to join the permanent military staff.

On 4 June 1886 Hoad was appointed as adjutant of the Victorian Mounted Rifles, and through his aptitude, was quickly promoted to Captain, and then Major within two years. In October 1889 he left Victoria for England where he studied signalling, military engineering and musketry for two years before returning to Victoria to be appointed as the second in command of the Victorian Mounted Rifles.

Hoad was an astutue and capable commander, and by 1895 he had been promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel, as well as becoming the first Australian born assistant Adjutant General at Victorian Military Headquarters.

Hoad was again sent to England in 1897, and was appointed to the personal staff of Lord Roberts and the Duke of Connaught for Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee. Immediately after he returned to Melbourne and by 1899 had attained the rank of colonel.

Hoad saw service in the Second Boer War as a special service officer, and upon arriving in Cape Town on 28 April 1899 was given overall command of the 1st Australian Regiment, which contained colonial troops from Tasmania, South Australia, Victoria and Western Australia.

The force moved to Orange River, where the met up with the Kimberley Relief Force. In Bloemfontein in April 1900, the 1st Australian Regiment was merged with the 1st Mounted Infantry Brigade under Sir Edward Hutton, and Hoad was appointed as assistant Adjutant general. However by July 1900, he had been invalided and evacuated back to Australia. For his services in the Boer War John Hoad was appointed Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George, awarded the Queen's South Africa Medal, and mentioned in dispatches.

Between 1902 and 1906 Hoad served as aide-de-camp to the Governor-General of Australia. From November 1903 to January 1904 he was temporarily commander of the 6th Military District (Tasmania), before being sent by then Chief of the General Staff Sir Edward Hutton to Manchuria on attachment to the Japanese Army to act as an observer in the Russo-Japanese War. For this service he received the Japanese Order of the Rising Sun, 3rd class, and the Japanese War Medal.

Upon returning to Australia in January 1905, Hoad was appointed to the newly formed Military Board with the title of Deputy Adjutant General. In September 1906 he was promoted to Brigadier General, and again promoted to Major General in January 1907. At this time he was serving the Military Board as Inspector General. In 1908 Hoad again visited London, this time to discuss plans for the establishment of an Imperial General Staff at the War Office. He also participated in the British Army's autumn manoeuvres.

Hoad's recommendations about the Imperial General Staff were accepted, and on 1 July 1909, then Secretary for Defence, Sir George Pearce appointed him as Chief of the General Staff. He met Lord Kitchener in Darwin on 21 December 1909 to discuss Australia's land defenses, and joined him for a two month long tour of inspection of the whole country. By 1911 he had begun planning for the introduction of Australian universal military training, but with failing health, took sick leave on 1 June 1911. John Hoad was appointed Knight Commander of the Order of St Michael and St George upon the occasion of the coronation of King George V on 22 June 1911, but just 18 weeks later, on 6 October 1911, Sir John Hoad died of a heart disorder in Melbourne.