Kenneth Eather
Encyclopedia
Major General
Kenneth William Eather CB, CBE, DSO
, ED
(6 July 1901 – 9 May 1993) was an Australian soldier who served during World War II
, rising to the rank of major general
. Eather led a battalion in the Battle of Bardia
, a brigade on the Kokoda Track campaign
and a division in the New Britain campaign. He was the last Australian officer to be promoted to the rank of major general
during World War II, and when he died in 1993, he was Australia's last surviving general of that war.
for a time and as a boy Ken lived in Port Moresby
. Ken was educated at Abbotsholme College in Wahroonga, New South Wales
, am elite boarding school that also attended by future prime ministers
Harold Holt
and William McMahon
. While at school he served in the Australian Army Cadets
, in which he was commissioned in 1919. He left school at the age of 14 and became a dental mechanic, establishing a successful private practice. In 1923 he married Adeline Mabel Lewis. Their marriage produced two children: a daughter, Elsie Isobel, and a son, who was also named Ken.
Eather was commissioned as a lieutenant
in the 53rd Infantry Battalion on 31 May 1923. He transferred to the 56th Infantry Battalion on 1 July 1925 and was promoted to captain on 23 February 1926, major
on 27 November 1928, and lieutenant colonel
on 1 July 1935. He commanded the 56th Infantry Battalion from 1 July 1933 to 31 July 1937 and then the 3rd Infantry Battalion from 1 August 1937 until 1 August 1938, when he was placed on the unattached list.
in September 1939, Eather was chosen by Brigadier
Arthur Samuel Allen
to command the newly raised 2/1st Infantry Battalion, part of Allen's 16th Infantry Brigade. Eather enlisted in the Second Australian Imperial Force
(AIF) and received the AIF serial number NX3. His dental mechanic's practice was sold.
The 2/1st Infantry Battalion was formed from recruits from Militia
in the Sydney
area and trained at Ingleburn Army Camp
. In January 1940 it marched through Sydney and embarked for Palestine
on the P&O
ocean liner
SS Orford. Training continued in Palestine, with Eather emphasising mobile warfare rather than re-hashing the tactics of trench warfare
from World War I
, unlike some other battalion commanders with experience in that war. Eather attended the senior officers course at Middle East Tactical School in November and December 1940. He built a reputation as a disciplinarian, earning him the nicknames "28 days" and "February" (because it had 28 days) for his fondness for handing down sentences of 28 days' confinement to barracks — the harshest penalty that regulations allowed.
. Eather led from the front. For his part in the battle he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order
. His citation read:
Eather went on to lead the 2/1st in the capture of Tobruk. Afterwards, however, he was hospitalised with pneumonia
. He therefore missed the Battle of Greece
, in which the 2/1st was nearly destroyed, with over 500 of its diggers taken prisoners. On resuming command, Eather was left to rebuild his battalion. From 18 June to 13 August 1941, Eather was acting commander of the 16th Infantry Brigade. on 27 December, he became commander of the 25th Infantry Brigade. This was part of the 7th Division, which was now commanded by Allen. On 8 February 1942, the 25th Infantry Brigade boarded the transport , initially bound for Java
. It was diverted to Australia after Java was captured by the Japanese. In "recognition of gallant and distinguished services in the Middle East", Eather was mentioned in despatches.
on 10 March 1942. It was soon moving north north, first to Casino, New South Wales
and then to Caboolture, Queensland
. In August, it was ordered to Milne Bay
. En route in the Australian Army transport Katoomba, it was diverted to Port Moresby
to help stem the Japanese advance on that important Allied base over the Kokoda Trail.
Eather's forces met the Japanese in the Battle of Ioribaiwa. Eather, inexperienced in jungle warfare
, was defeated and compelled to retreat. His forces moved back to Imita Ridge, an naturally strong position, from which they could be supported by battery of 25 pounders
, which had been brought up the Track. However, Imita Ridge had the disadvantage that it was the last defensive position before Port Moresby. Approving Eather's withdrawal, Allen told him that there could be no further withdrawal from Imita: "You'll die where you stand." "Don't worry Tubby," Eather replied, "the only people who will die will be the Japs." Fortunately, the Japanese did not attack. Beset by logistical difficulties and hard pressed on Guadalcanal
, they decided to suspend operations on the Kokoda Trail.
Eather's force now began to push the Japanese back over the mountains, but slowly. On 27 October, General
Sir Thomas Blamey
relieved Allen, replacing him with Major General
George Alan Vasey, an officer that Eather distrusted, holding him responsible for the destruction of the 2/1st on Crete. In November, the 25th Infantry Brigade engaged the Japanese in the Battle of Oivi-Gorari. This time the outcome was very different from Ioribaiwa, and Eather won an important victory at low cost.
Eather pressed on the coast, where the 25th Infantry Brigade encountered well-prepared Japanese positions in the Battle of Buna-Gona
. Eather's men suffered heavy casualties from the enemy and tropical diseases, the 25th Infantry Brigade being almost wiped out. Eather's leadership at Gona was not as energetic as usual, perhaps because, like most of his men, he was malnourished and ill with malaria
. Eather would suffer a series of relapses of the disease.
Eather was awarded the United States Distinguished Service Cross
"for extraordinary heroism in action in New Guinea, during the Papuan campaign, 23 July 1942, to 8 January 1943. As Commander 25th Infantry Brigade, Australian Army, Brigadier Eather displayed extraordinary courage, marked efficiency and precise execution of operations during the Papuan campaign".
He was also appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire. His citation read:
After a period of rest on the Atherton Tableland
, the 25th Infantry Brigade returned to Port Moresby in July 1943. Following the landing at Nadzab
by American paratroops, the brigade began to fly in to Nadzab. Due to the unpredictable weather, aircraft arrived at Nadzab sporadically and only the 2/25th Infantry Battalion and part of the 2/33rd had reached Nadzab by the morning of 8 September when Vasey ordered Eather to initiate the advance on Lae. As the diggers
moved down the Markham Valley Road they occasionally encountered sick Japanese soldiers who held the column momentarily. Eather came up in his jeep
and started urging them to hurry up. They were unimpressed. Eather, armed with a pistol, then acted as leading scout, with his troops following in a column of route behind him. The column entered Lae unopposed by the Japanese only to be strafed by the United States Fifth Air Force
and shelled by Australian artillery. For his emphasis on speed, his troops nicknamed him "Phar Lap
", after the famous race horse. For his part in the campaign in New Guinea, Eather was mentioned in despatches a second time.
. Eather refused to lay any charges or offer an apology to the indignant British authorities.
. He became active in the Primary Producer's Association of New South Wales and was elected its president in 1953, a position he held for the next five years. However, the death of his son Ken in a motorcycle accident led him to reconsider life as a farmer. In 1958, he became the head of the Water Research Foundation of Australia, and organisation that dispensed funding to researchers investigating water related issues.
Eather's wife Adeline died in 1966. In 1968 he married Kathleen Carroll. He treated Kathleen's son, Captain Owen Eather, an Army officer and Vietnam War
veteran, as his own son. Eather became concerned at the way Vietnam veterans were being treated by some veterans of World War II, and made a point of appearing at Anzac Day
marches and RSL
events with Owen. Eather continued to lead Anzac Day marches through Sydney until 1992. In his old age, Eather spent time with his grandson Eamon, who would later join the Australian Army Reserve
and serve with the International Force for East Timor.
Eather died at a nursing home in Mosman, New South Wales
on 9 May 1993. As the last surviving Australian general of World War II, he was given a military funeral at St. Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney
. Three companies of the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
provided an honour guard and an oration was given by General Sir Francis Hassett
. Some 1,000 veterans lined George Street, Sydney
to pay their last respects to Eather, who was cremated at the Northern Suburbs Crematorium.
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...
Kenneth William Eather CB, CBE, 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...
, ED
Efficiency Decoration
The Efficiency Decoration is a defunct medal of Britain and the Commonwealth awarded for long service in the Territorial Army of the UK, the Indian Volunteer Forces and Colonial Auxiliary Forces....
(6 July 1901 – 9 May 1993) was an Australian soldier who served during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, rising to the rank of 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...
. Eather led a battalion in the Battle of Bardia
Battle of Bardia
The Battle of Bardia was fought over three days between 3 and 5 January 1941, as part of Operation Compass, the first military operation of the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. It was the first battle of the war in which an Australian Army formation took part, the first to be...
, a brigade on the Kokoda Track campaign
Kokoda Track campaign
The Kokoda Track campaign or Kokoda Trail campaign was part of the Pacific War of World War II. The campaign consisted of a series of battles fought between July and November 1942 between Japanese and Allied—primarily Australian—forces in what was then the Australian territory of Papua...
and a division in the New Britain campaign. He was the last Australian officer to be promoted to the rank of 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...
during World War II, and when he died in 1993, he was Australia's last surviving general of that war.
Education and early life
Kenneth William Eather was born in Sydney, New South Wales on 6 July 1901, the eldest and only son and the first of three children of William Eather, a property manager, and his wife Isabella Theresa née Lees. William managed a plantation in PapuaPapua (Australian territory)
The Territory of Papua comprised the southeastern quarter of the island of New Guinea from 1883 to 1949. It became a British Protectorate in the year 1884, and four years later it was formally annexed as British New Guinea...
for a time and as a boy Ken lived in Port Moresby
Port Moresby
Port Moresby , or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea . It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43...
. Ken was educated at Abbotsholme College in Wahroonga, New South Wales
Wahroonga, New South Wales
Wahroonga is a suburb on the Upper North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Wahroonga is located 22 kilometres north-west of the Sydney central business district, in the local government area of Ku-ring-gai Council and Hornsby Shire....
, am elite boarding school that also attended by future prime ministers
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
Harold Holt
Harold Holt
Harold Edward Holt, CH was an Australian politician and the 17th Prime Minister of Australia.His term as Prime Minister was brought to an early and dramatic end in December 1967 when he disappeared while swimming at Cheviot Beach near Portsea, Victoria, and was presumed drowned.Holt spent 32 years...
and William McMahon
William McMahon
Sir William "Billy" McMahon, GCMG, CH , was an Australian Liberal politician and the 20th Prime Minister of Australia...
. While at school he served in the Australian Army Cadets
Australian Army Cadets
The Australian Army Cadets is a youth organisation that is involved with progressive training of youths in military and adventurous activities. The programme has more than 19,000 Army Cadets between the ages of 12½ and 19 based in 236 units around Australia...
, in which he was commissioned in 1919. He left school at the age of 14 and became a dental mechanic, establishing a successful private practice. In 1923 he married Adeline Mabel Lewis. Their marriage produced two children: a daughter, Elsie Isobel, and a son, who was also named Ken.
Eather was commissioned as a lieutenant
Lieutenant
A lieutenant is a junior commissioned officer in many nations' armed forces. Typically, the rank of lieutenant in naval usage, while still a junior officer rank, is senior to the army rank...
in the 53rd Infantry Battalion on 31 May 1923. He transferred to the 56th Infantry Battalion on 1 July 1925 and was promoted to captain on 23 February 1926, major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
on 27 November 1928, and lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel
Lieutenant colonel is a rank of commissioned officer in the armies and most marine forces and some air forces of the world, typically ranking above a major and below a colonel. The rank of lieutenant colonel is often shortened to simply "colonel" in conversation and in unofficial correspondence...
on 1 July 1935. He commanded the 56th Infantry Battalion from 1 July 1933 to 31 July 1937 and then the 3rd Infantry Battalion from 1 August 1937 until 1 August 1938, when he was placed on the unattached list.
Second World War
Following the outbreak of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in September 1939, Eather was chosen by Brigadier
Brigadier
Brigadier is a senior military rank, the meaning of which is somewhat different in different military services. The brigadier rank is generally superior to the rank of colonel, and subordinate to major general....
Arthur Samuel Allen
Arthur Samuel Allen
Major General Arthur Samuel "Tubby" Allen CB CBE DSO VD was an Australian soldier. During World War II he reached the rank of Major General and commanded Allied forces in the Syria-Lebanon and New Guinea campaigns...
to command the newly raised 2/1st Infantry Battalion, part of Allen's 16th Infantry Brigade. Eather enlisted in the Second Australian Imperial Force
Second 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...
(AIF) and received the AIF serial number NX3. His dental mechanic's practice was sold.
The 2/1st Infantry Battalion was formed from recruits from Militia
Australian Army Reserve
The Australian Army Reserve is a collective name given to the reserve units of the Australian Army. Since the Federation of Australia in 1901, the reserve military force has been known by many names, including the Citizens Forces, the Citizen Military Forces, the Militia and, unofficially, the...
in the Sydney
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
area and trained at Ingleburn Army Camp
Ingleburn Army Camp
Ingleburn Army Camp was a purpose built camp constructed in 1940 for the Australian Army at Ingleburn, New South Wales, Australia.-History:...
. In January 1940 it marched through Sydney and embarked for Palestine
Palestine
Palestine is a conventional name, among others, used to describe the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the Jordan River, and various adjoining lands....
on the P&O
Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company
The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, which is usually known as P&O, is a British shipping and logistics company which dated from the early 19th century. Following its sale in March 2006 to Dubai Ports World for £3.9 billion, it became a subsidiary of DP World; however, the P&O...
ocean liner
Ocean liner
An ocean liner is a ship designed to transport people from one seaport to another along regular long-distance maritime routes according to a schedule. Liners may also carry cargo or mail, and may sometimes be used for other purposes .Cargo vessels running to a schedule are sometimes referred to as...
SS Orford. Training continued in Palestine, with Eather emphasising mobile warfare rather than re-hashing the tactics of trench warfare
Trench warfare
Trench warfare is a form of occupied fighting lines, consisting largely of trenches, in which troops are largely immune to the enemy's small arms fire and are substantially sheltered from artillery...
from World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, unlike some other battalion commanders with experience in that war. Eather attended the senior officers course at Middle East Tactical School in November and December 1940. He built a reputation as a disciplinarian, earning him the nicknames "28 days" and "February" (because it had 28 days) for his fondness for handing down sentences of 28 days' confinement to barracks — the harshest penalty that regulations allowed.
Libya
In December 1940, the 2/1st Infantry Battalion was chosen to spearhead the attack on BardiaBattle of Bardia
The Battle of Bardia was fought over three days between 3 and 5 January 1941, as part of Operation Compass, the first military operation of the Western Desert Campaign of the Second World War. It was the first battle of the war in which an Australian Army formation took part, the first to be...
. Eather led from the front. For his part in the battle 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...
. His citation read:
Eather went on to lead the 2/1st in the capture of Tobruk. Afterwards, however, he was hospitalised with pneumonia
Pneumonia
Pneumonia is an inflammatory condition of the lung—especially affecting the microscopic air sacs —associated with fever, chest symptoms, and a lack of air space on a chest X-ray. Pneumonia is typically caused by an infection but there are a number of other causes...
. He therefore missed the Battle of Greece
Battle of Greece
The Battle of Greece is the common name for the invasion and conquest of Greece by Nazi Germany in April 1941. Greece was supported by British Commonwealth forces, while the Germans' Axis allies Italy and Bulgaria played secondary roles...
, in which the 2/1st was nearly destroyed, with over 500 of its diggers taken prisoners. On resuming command, Eather was left to rebuild his battalion. From 18 June to 13 August 1941, Eather was acting commander of the 16th Infantry Brigade. on 27 December, he became commander of the 25th Infantry Brigade. This was part of the 7th Division, which was now commanded by Allen. On 8 February 1942, the 25th Infantry Brigade boarded the transport , initially bound for Java
Java
Java is an island of Indonesia. With a population of 135 million , it is the world's most populous island, and one of the most densely populated regions in the world. It is home to 60% of Indonesia's population. The Indonesian capital city, Jakarta, is in west Java...
. It was diverted to Australia after Java was captured by the Japanese. In "recognition of gallant and distinguished services in the Middle East", Eather was mentioned in despatches.
Papua
The 25th Infantry Brigade arrived in AdelaideAdelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
on 10 March 1942. It was soon moving north north, first to Casino, New South Wales
Casino, New South Wales
Casino is a town in the Northern Rivers area of New South Wales, Australia, with a population of 9,400 people . It lies on the banks of the Richmond River and is situated at the junction of the Bruxner Highway and the Summerland Way....
and then to Caboolture, Queensland
Caboolture, Queensland
Caboolture is an urban centre approximately north of Brisbane, the state capital of Queensland, Australia. Caboolture is considered to be the northernmost urban area of the greater Brisbane metropolitan region within South East Queensland, and it marks the end of the Brisbane suburban commuter...
. In August, it was ordered to Milne Bay
Milne Bay
Milne Bay is a large bay in Milne Bay Province, southeastern Papua New Guinea. The bay is named after Sir Alexander Milne.The area was a site of the Battle of Milne Bay in 1942....
. En route in the Australian Army transport Katoomba, it was diverted to Port Moresby
Port Moresby
Port Moresby , or Pot Mosbi in Tok Pisin, is the capital and largest city of Papua New Guinea . It is located on the shores of the Gulf of Papua, on the southeastern coast of the island of New Guinea, which made it a prime objective for conquest by the Imperial Japanese forces during 1942–43...
to help stem the Japanese advance on that important Allied base over the Kokoda Trail.
Eather's forces met the Japanese in the Battle of Ioribaiwa. Eather, inexperienced in jungle warfare
Jungle warfare
Jungle warfare is a term used to cover the special techniques needed for military units to survive and fight in jungle terrain.It has been the topic of extensive study by military strategists, and was an important part of the planning for both sides in many conflicts, including World War II and the...
, was defeated and compelled to retreat. His forces moved back to Imita Ridge, an naturally strong position, from which they could be supported by battery of 25 pounders
Ordnance QF 25 pounder
The Ordnance QF 25 pounder, or more simply, 25-pounder or 25-pdr, was introduced into service just before World War II, during which it served as the major British field gun/howitzer. It was considered by many to be the best field artillery piece of the war, combining high rates of fire with a...
, which had been brought up the Track. However, Imita Ridge had the disadvantage that it was the last defensive position before Port Moresby. Approving Eather's withdrawal, Allen told him that there could be no further withdrawal from Imita: "You'll die where you stand." "Don't worry Tubby," Eather replied, "the only people who will die will be the Japs." Fortunately, the Japanese did not attack. Beset by logistical difficulties and hard pressed on Guadalcanal
Guadalcanal campaign
The Guadalcanal Campaign, also known as the Battle of Guadalcanal and codenamed Operation Watchtower by Allied forces, was a military campaign fought between August 7, 1942 and February 9, 1943 on and around the island of Guadalcanal in the Pacific theatre of World War II...
, they decided to suspend operations on the Kokoda Trail.
Eather's force now began to push the Japanese back over the mountains, but slowly. On 27 October, 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 Thomas Blamey
Thomas Blamey
Field Marshal Sir Thomas Albert Blamey GBE, KCB, CMG, DSO, ED was an Australian general of the First and Second World Wars, and the only Australian to date to attain the rank of field marshal....
relieved Allen, replacing him with 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...
George Alan Vasey, an officer that Eather distrusted, holding him responsible for the destruction of the 2/1st on Crete. In November, the 25th Infantry Brigade engaged the Japanese in the Battle of Oivi-Gorari. This time the outcome was very different from Ioribaiwa, and Eather won an important victory at low cost.
Eather pressed on the coast, where the 25th Infantry Brigade encountered well-prepared Japanese positions in the Battle of Buna-Gona
Battle of Buna-Gona
The Battle of Buna–Gona was a battle in the New Guinea campaign, a major part of the Pacific campaign of World War II. On 16 November 1942, Australian and United States forces attacked the main Japanese beachheads in New Guinea, at Buna, Sanananda and Gona. Both forces were riddled by disease and...
. Eather's men suffered heavy casualties from the enemy and tropical diseases, the 25th Infantry Brigade being almost wiped out. Eather's leadership at Gona was not as energetic as usual, perhaps because, like most of his men, he was malnourished and ill with malaria
Malaria
Malaria is a mosquito-borne infectious disease of humans and other animals caused by eukaryotic protists of the genus Plasmodium. The disease results from the multiplication of Plasmodium parasites within red blood cells, causing symptoms that typically include fever and headache, in severe cases...
. Eather would suffer a series of relapses of the disease.
Eather was awarded the United States Distinguished Service Cross
Distinguished Service Cross (United States)
The Distinguished Service Cross is the second highest military decoration that can be awarded to a member of the United States Army, for extreme gallantry and risk of life in actual combat with an armed enemy force. Actions that merit the Distinguished Service Cross must be of such a high degree...
"for extraordinary heroism in action in New Guinea, during the Papuan campaign, 23 July 1942, to 8 January 1943. As Commander 25th Infantry Brigade, Australian Army, Brigadier Eather displayed extraordinary courage, marked efficiency and precise execution of operations during the Papuan campaign".
He was also appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire. His citation read:
New Guinea
Atherton Tableland
The Atherton Tableland is a fertile plateau which is part of the Great Dividing Range in Queensland, Australia. It is located west to south-south-west inland from Cairns, well into the tropics, but its elevated position provides a climate suitable for dairy farming. It has an area of around...
, the 25th Infantry Brigade returned to Port Moresby in July 1943. Following the landing at Nadzab
Landing at Nadzab
The Landing at Nadzab was an airborne landing on 5 September 1943 during the New Guinea campaign of World War II that began with a parachute drop at Nadzab in conjunction with the Landing at Lae....
by American paratroops, the brigade began to fly in to Nadzab. Due to the unpredictable weather, aircraft arrived at Nadzab sporadically and only the 2/25th Infantry Battalion and part of the 2/33rd had reached Nadzab by the morning of 8 September when Vasey ordered Eather to initiate the advance on Lae. As the diggers
Digger (soldier)
Digger is an Australian and New Zealand military slang term for soldiers from Australia and New Zealand. It originated during World War I.- Origin :...
moved down the Markham Valley Road they occasionally encountered sick Japanese soldiers who held the column momentarily. Eather came up in his jeep
Jeep
Jeep is an automobile marque of Chrysler . The first Willys Jeeps were produced in 1941 with the first civilian models in 1945, making it the oldest off-road vehicle and sport utility vehicle brand. It inspired a number of other light utility vehicles, such as the Land Rover which is the second...
and started urging them to hurry up. They were unimpressed. Eather, armed with a pistol, then acted as leading scout, with his troops following in a column of route behind him. The column entered Lae unopposed by the Japanese only to be strafed by the United States Fifth Air Force
Fifth Air Force
The Fifth Air Force is a numbered air force of the United States Air Force Pacific Air Forces . It is headquartered at Yokota Air Base, Japan....
and shelled by Australian artillery. For his emphasis on speed, his troops nicknamed him "Phar Lap
Phar Lap
Phar Lap was a champion Thoroughbred racehorse whose achievements captured the public's imagination during the early years of the Great Depression. Foaled in New Zealand, he was trained and raced in Australia. Phar Lap dominated Australian racing during a distinguished career, winning a Melbourne...
", after the famous race horse. For his part in the campaign in New Guinea, Eather was mentioned in despatches a second time.
Borneo
In his next campaign in Borneo, however, Eather dispensed with speed in favour of a systemic advance making maximum use of firepower. He was appointed a Companion of the Order of the Bath. His citation read:New Britain
In July 1945, Blamey appointed Eather to command the 11th Division, with the rank of major general. The 11th Division was then engaged with the Japanese on New Britain. He was only in command for a few weeks however before Japan surrendered. Eather then became responsible for over 100,000 Japanese prisoners in the Rabaul area. He oversaw war crimes trials and their repatriation to Japan.Victory March
In 1946, the British government decided to hold a victory parade through London, with some 21 nations participating. Eather was chosen to head the Australian contingent of 250 servicemen and women, drawn from the three services. The Victory March Contingent sailed for the United Kingdom on on 8 April 1946 and marched through the city on 8 June 1946. On the return voyage sailors from the Shropshire and the troops of the Victory March Contingent started a riot in GibraltarGibraltar
Gibraltar is a British overseas territory located on the southern end of the Iberian Peninsula at the entrance of the Mediterranean. A peninsula with an area of , it has a northern border with Andalusia, Spain. The Rock of Gibraltar is the major landmark of the region...
. Eather refused to lay any charges or offer an apology to the indignant British authorities.
Later life
Eather retired from the Army on 18 September 1946 and became a poultry farmer in Penrith, New South WalesPenrith, New South Wales
Penrith is a suburb in western Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Penrith is located west of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the City of Penrith...
. He became active in the Primary Producer's Association of New South Wales and was elected its president in 1953, a position he held for the next five years. However, the death of his son Ken in a motorcycle accident led him to reconsider life as a farmer. In 1958, he became the head of the Water Research Foundation of Australia, and organisation that dispensed funding to researchers investigating water related issues.
Eather's wife Adeline died in 1966. In 1968 he married Kathleen Carroll. He treated Kathleen's son, Captain Owen Eather, an Army officer and Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
veteran, as his own son. Eather became concerned at the way Vietnam veterans were being treated by some veterans of World War II, and made a point of appearing at Anzac Day
ANZAC Day
Anzac Day is a national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand, commemorated by both countries on 25 April every year to honour the members of the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps who fought at Gallipoli in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. It now more broadly commemorates all...
marches and RSL
Returned and Services League of Australia
The Returned and Services League of Australia is a support organisation for men and women who have served or are serving in the Australian Defence Force ....
events with Owen. Eather continued to lead Anzac Day marches through Sydney until 1992. In his old age, Eather spent time with his grandson Eamon, who would later join the Australian Army Reserve
Australian Army Reserve
The Australian Army Reserve is a collective name given to the reserve units of the Australian Army. Since the Federation of Australia in 1901, the reserve military force has been known by many names, including the Citizens Forces, the Citizen Military Forces, the Militia and, unofficially, the...
and serve with the International Force for East Timor.
Eather died at a nursing home in Mosman, New South Wales
Mosman, New South Wales
Mosman is a suburb on the Lower North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Mosman is located 8 kilometres north-east of the Sydney central business district and is the administrative centre for the local government area of the Municipality of Mosman.-Localities:In February...
on 9 May 1993. As the last surviving Australian general of World War II, he was given a military funeral at St. Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney
St. Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney
St Andrew's Cathedral is the cathedral church of the Anglican Diocese of Sydney in the Anglican Church of Australia. The cathedral is the seat of the Anglican Archbishop of Sydney and Metropolitan of New South Wales, the Most Reverend Peter Jensen...
. Three companies of the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment
3rd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment is a parachute infantry battalion of the Australian Army, based in Sydney. 3 RAR was initially formed in 1945 as the 67th Battalion and has seen active service in Japan, Korea, Malaya, South Vietnam, East Timor, the Solomon Islands, Afghanistan and Iraq...
provided an honour guard and an oration was given by General Sir Francis Hassett
Francis Hassett
General Sir Francis George "Frank" Hassett AC, KBE, CB, DSO, LVO was an Australian general who rose to the position of Chief of the Defence Force Staff; a position marking him as the professional head of the Australian Defence Force...
. Some 1,000 veterans lined George Street, Sydney
George Street, Sydney
George Street is one of Sydney's most notable city streets. There are more high rise buildings and more ASX 100 companies located here than anywhere else in Australia, and is well known for being busy around-the-clock...
to pay their last respects to Eather, who was cremated at the Northern Suburbs Crematorium.