General

General (Australia)

General is the second highest rank, and the highest active rank, of the Australian Army and was created as a direct equivalent of the British military rank of General; it is also considered a four-star rank....

 Sir John Gordon Noel Wilton KBE, CB, DSO (22 November 1910 – 10 May 1981) was the most senior military figure in Australia from May 1966 to November 1970.

Early career

On graduation from Royal Military College Duntroon, Wilton was commissioned as a second lieutenant

Second Lieutenant

Second lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces.- United Kingdom and Commonwealth :The rank second lieutenant was introduced throughout the British Army in 1871 to replace the rank of ensign , although it had long been used in the Royal Artillery, Royal...

 in the British Army

British 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...

's Royal Artillery

Royal Artillery

The Royal Regiment of Artillery, commonly referred to as the Royal Artillery , is the artillery arm of the British Army. Despite its name, it comprises a number of regiments.-History:...

 on 9 December 1930 (with seniority from 22 November).

Having returned to the Australian forces, he was awarded 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) on 27 April 1944 serving in the South West Pacific in the Second World War. For his war service he was subsequently appointed an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) on 6 March 1947.

Post-war he was appointed Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB) in the 1962 Queen's Birthday Honours

Queen's Birthday Honours

The Queen's Birthday Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the celebration of the Queen's Official Birthday in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen...

, and appointed Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire (KBE) in the 1964 New Year Honours

New Year Honours

The New Year Honours is a part of the British honours system, being a civic occasion on the New Year annually in which new members of most Commonwealth Realms honours are named. The awards are presented by the reigning monarch or head of state, currently Queen Elizabeth II...

.

Later appointments

• January 1963 – May 1966 Chief of the General Staff
• May 1966 – November 1970 Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee
  Chief of the Defence Force (Australia)
  Chief of the Defence Force is the most senior appointment in the Australian Defence Force . The CDF commands the ADF under the direction of the Minister of Defence, in a coequal arrangement with the Secretary of Defence, the most senior public servant in the Department of Defence.The position is a...