Thomas Joseph Daly
Encyclopedia
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).
in 1930.
on India's North-West Frontier in 1938.
in 1939. He served in North Africa
as Brigade Major of the 18th Brigade, fighting at Tobruk
and in the Western Desert
.
Daly attended staff school in Haifa
. He was then appointed Senior Staff Officer to the Militia's 5th Division which saw service in New Guinea
. 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), and an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).
. 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), and awarded the Legion of Merit
from the United States of America for his command of the unit during the Korean War
.
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. 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.
Lieutenant General (Australia)
Lieutenant general is the second-highest active rank of the Australian Army and was created as a direct equivalent of the British military rank of lieutenant general. It is also considered a three-star rank....
Sir Thomas Joseph Daly KBE
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 of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
, CB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(19 March 1913 – 5 January 2004) was an Australian soldier, whose career culminated with his appointment as Chief of the General Staff (1966–1971).
Early life
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, DuntroonRoyal Military College, Duntroon
The Royal Military College, Duntroon is the Australian Army's officer training establishment. It was founded at Duntroon, in the Australian Capital Territory, in 1911 and is situated on picturesque grounds at the foot of Mount Pleasant near Lake Burley Griffin, close to the Department of Defence...
in 1930.
Service history
Daly graduated as top cadet and in 1934 was commissioned into the 4th Light Horse Regiment. He went on to serve with the British ArmyBritish Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
on India's North-West Frontier in 1938.
World War II
Daly was appointed Adjutant of the 2/10th Battalion after enlisting in the AIFSecond Australian Imperial Force
The Second Australian Imperial Force was the name given to the volunteer personnel of the Australian Army in World War II. Under the Defence Act , neither the part-time Militia nor the full-time Permanent Military Force could serve outside Australia or its territories unless they volunteered to...
in 1939. He served in North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
as Brigade Major of the 18th Brigade, fighting at Tobruk
Siege of Tobruk
The siege of Tobruk was a confrontation that lasted 240 days between Axis and Allied forces in North Africa during the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War...
and in the Western Desert
Western Desert Campaign
The Western Desert Campaign, also known as the Desert War, was the initial stage of the North African Campaign during the Second World War. The campaign was heavily influenced by the availability of supplies and transport. The ability of the Allied forces, operating from besieged Malta, to...
.
Daly attended staff school in Haifa
Haifa
Haifa is the largest city in northern Israel, and the third-largest city in the country, with a population of over 268,000. Another 300,000 people live in towns directly adjacent to the city including the cities of the Krayot, as well as, Tirat Carmel, Daliyat al-Karmel and Nesher...
. He was then appointed Senior Staff Officer to the Militia's 5th Division which saw service in New Guinea
New Guinea
New Guinea is the world's second largest island, after Greenland, covering a land area of 786,000 km2. Located in the southwest Pacific Ocean, it lies geographically to the east of the Malay Archipelago, with which it is sometimes included as part of a greater Indo-Australian Archipelago...
. By 1945, Daly was in command of the 2/10th Battalion, leading them in the invasion of Balikpapan
Balikpapan
Balikpapan is a seaport city on the eastern coast of the island of Borneo, Indonesia, in the East Kalimantan province, a resource-rich region well known for its timber, mining, and petroleum export products. Two harbors, Semayang and Kariangau , and the Sepinggan International Airport are the main...
in Borneo; he was appointed a Companion of the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(DSO), and an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE).
Senior command
After the war, Daly's military service continued with staff appointments and a period as an instructor at the Staff College, CamberleyStaff College, Camberley
Staff College, Camberley, Surrey, was a staff college for the British Army from 1802 to 1997, with periods of closure during major wars. In 1997 it was merged into the new Joint Services Command and Staff College.-Origins:...
. He married Heather Fitzgerald in 1946 and in 1948 went to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
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
Korea
Korea ) is an East Asian geographic region that is currently divided into two separate sovereign states — North Korea and South Korea. Located on the Korean Peninsula, Korea is bordered by the People's Republic of China to the northwest, Russia to the northeast, and is separated from Japan to the...
. Daly was the first Australian to hold this command, and was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE), and awarded the Legion of Merit
Legion of Merit
The Legion of Merit is a military decoration of the United States armed forces that is awarded for exceptionally meritorious conduct in the performance of outstanding services and achievements...
from the United States of America for his command of the unit during the Korean War
Korean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
.
Daly was promoted to major general
Major General (Australia)
Major General is a senior rank of the Australian Army, and was created as a direct equivalent of the British military rank of Major General. It is the third-highest active rank of the Australian Army, and is considered to be equivalent to a two-star rank...
in 1959, and appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the Queen's Birthday Honours of 1965. Promoted to lieutenant general
Lieutenant General (Australia)
Lieutenant general is the second-highest active rank of the Australian Army and was created as a direct equivalent of the British military rank of lieutenant general. It is also considered a three-star rank....
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.