| Sir Thomas Joseph Daly | |
|---|---|
| Born | 19 March 1913 Ballarat, Victoria |
| Died | 5 January 2004 (aged 90) Sydney, New South Wales |
| Allegiance | Australia |
| Service/branch | Australian Army |
| Years of service | 1930–1971 |
| Rank | Lieutenant General |
| Commands held | Chief of the General Staff Northern Command 28th Commonwealth Infantry Brigade 2/10th Battalion |
| Battles/wars |
Korean War Vietnam War |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire Companion of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Service Order Mentioned in Despatches (2) Legion of Merit (United States) |
Lieutenant General Sir Thomas Joseph Daly KBE, CB, DSO (19 March 1913 – 5 January 2004) was an Australian soldier, whose career culminated with his appointment as Chief of the General Staff (1966–1971).
Contents |
Daly was born in Ballarat, Daly originally planned to become a doctor; however, having failed to gain entry into the university course of his choice, he joined the Royal Military College, Duntroon in 1930.[1]
Daly graduated as top cadet and in 1934 was commissioned into the 4th Light Horse Regiment.[1] He went on to serve with the British Army on India's North-West Frontier in 1938.[1]
Daly was appointed Adjutant of the 2/10th Battalion after enlisting in the AIF in 1939.[1] He served in North Africa as Brigade Major of the 18th Brigade, fighting at Tobruk and in the Western Desert.[1]
Daly attended staff school in Haifa.[1] He was then appointed Senior Staff Officer to the Militia's 5th Division which saw service in New Guinea.[1] By 1945, Daly was in command of the 2/10th Battalion, leading them in the invasion of Balikpapan in Borneo; he was appointed a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO),[2] and an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).[3]
After the war, Daly's military service continued with staff appointments and a period as an instructor at the Staff College, Camberley. He married Heather Fitzgerald in 1946 and in 1948 went to England to attend the Joint Services Staff College (UK). A posting to Duntroon followed and in June 1952 Daly took command of the 28th Commonwealth Infantry Brigade - a formation comprising two British and two Australian battalions - then fighting in Korea. Daly was the first Australian to hold this command, and was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE),[4] and awarded the Legion of Merit from the United States of America for his command of the unit during the Korean War.[5]
Daly was promoted to major general in 1959, and appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the Queen's Birthday Honours of 1965.[6] Promoted to lieutenant general in 1966, he was appointed Chief of the General Staff and knighted as a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) the following year.[7]
| Military offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by Lieutenant General Sir John Wilton |
Chief of the General Staff 1966 – 1971 |
Succeeded by Lieutenant General Sir Mervyn Brogan |
|
|||||||||||||