Vernon Sturdee

Sir Vernon Ashton Hobart Sturdee
Lieutenant General Vernon Sturdee, GOC First Army c.1945
Born	16 April 1890 Frankston, Victoria
Died	25 May 1966(1966-05-25) (aged 76) Heidelberg, Victoria
Allegiance	Australia
Service/branch	Australian Army
Years of service	1906–50
Rank	Lieutenant General
Service number	NX35000
Commands held	Chief of the General Staff First Army 8th Division Eastern Command 4th Pioneer Battalion 8th Field Company
Battles/wars	First World War Gallipoli Campaign Western Front Second World War Dutch East Indies campaign Aitape–Wewak campaign New Britain campaign Bougainville Campaign
Awards	Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire Companion of the Order of the Bath Distinguished Service Order Mentioned in Despatches (3)
Relations	Doveton Sturdee (uncle) Charles Merrett (uncle)

First World War

Second World War

Lieutenant General Sir Vernon Ashton Hobart Sturdee, KBE, CB, DSO (16 April 1890 – 25 May 1966) was an Australian Army commander who served two terms as Chief of the General Staff. A regular officer of the Royal Australian Engineers who joined the Militia in 1908, he was one of the original Anzacs during the First World War, participating in the landing at Gallipoli on 25 April 1915. In the campaign that followed, he commanded the 5th Field Company, before going on to lead the 8th Field Company and the 4th Pioneer Battalion on the Western Front. In 1918 he was seconded to General Headquarters (GHQ) British Expeditionary Force as a staff officer.

Promotion was stagnant between the wars, and Sturdee remained at his wartime rank of lieutenant colonel until 1935. He served in a series of staff posts, and attended the Staff College at Quetta in British India and the Imperial Defence College in Britain. Like other regular officers, he had little faith in the government's "Singapore strategy", and warned that the Army would have to face an effective and well-equipped Japanese opponent.