Selwyn Porter
Encyclopedia
Major General
Selwyn Havelock Watson Craig Porter CBE, DSO
(23 February 1905 – 9 October 1963) was an Australia
n Army
officer
and chief commissioner
of Victoria Police
.
, Porter was educated at Wangaratta High School before taking up a position as a clerk in the State Savings Bank of Victoria.
in the Citizens Military Force, serving with the 58th Battalion
. By 1936 he had reached the rank of major
. Upon the outbreak of the Second World War, Porter joined the Second Australian Imperial Force
that was raised for overseas service and was allocated to the 2/5th Battalion as second in command. Deployed to the Middle East
, he temporarily commanded the 2/6th Battalion and led them as the Australians advanced past Derna, for which he was Mentioned in Despatches. Later he was promoted to lieutenant colonel
and given full command of the 2/31st Battalion
and led them through the Syria-Lebanon Campaign
, for which he later received the Distinguished Service Order
, before being wounded in the thigh.
He then returned to Australia and was promoted to the temporary rank of brigadier
and sent to Port Moresby
where he was placed in command of the 30th Brigade
, which had been sent there in response to Japan
's entry into the war. Following the Japanese landing at Buna, Porter led the 30th Brigade and then later the divisional-sized Maroubra Force
along the Kokoda Track
and then around Sanananda
.
In November 1943 Porter took command of the 24th Brigade
and led them through the fighting at Finschhafen
. In early 1945 he was attached to the 9th Division's planning staff, before leading his brigade during the invasion of North Borneo
.
Following the end of the war, Porter returned to Australia and briefly returned to civilian life. In 1947 he was invested as a Commander of the British Empire. When the Citizens Military Force was re-raised in 1948, Porter was given command of the 6th Brigade
and then later promoted to major general
in command of the 3rd Division. During 1953–54 he took up a position on the Military Board as the CMF representative.
of Victoria Police
, a post that he held until his death on 9 October 1963 from a coronary occlusion
.
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...
Selwyn Havelock Watson Craig Porter 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...
(23 February 1905 – 9 October 1963) was an Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
n Army
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
officer
Officer (armed forces)
An officer is a member of an armed force or uniformed service who holds a position of authority. Commissioned officers derive authority directly from a sovereign power and, as such, hold a commission charging them with the duties and responsibilities of a specific office or position...
and chief commissioner
Police commissioner
Commissioner is a senior rank used in many police forces and may be rendered Police Commissioner or Commissioner of Police. In some organizations, the commissioner is a political appointee, and may or may not actually be a professional police officer. In these circumstances, there is often a...
of Victoria Police
Victoria Police
Victoria Police is the primary law enforcement agency of Victoria, Australia. , the Victoria Police has over 12,190 sworn members, along with over 400 recruits, reservists and Protective Service Officers, and over 2,900 civilian staff across 393 police stations.-Early history:The Victoria Police...
.
Early life
Born on 23 February 1905 in Tintaldra, VictoriaTintaldra, Victoria
Tintaldra is a town in north east Victoria, Australia. The town is located on the upper reaches of the Murray River, north east of the state capital, Melbourne and east of Wodonga...
, Porter was educated at Wangaratta High School before taking up a position as a clerk in the State Savings Bank of Victoria.
Military career
Porter began his military career in 1924 when he was commissioned as a lieutenantLieutenant
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 Citizens Military Force, serving with the 58th Battalion
58th Battalion (Australia)
The 58th Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army. It was raised in 1916 for overseas service during World War I and saw action on the Western Front from June 1916 until the end of the war...
. By 1936 he had reached the rank of 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. ...
. Upon the outbreak of the Second World War, Porter joined 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...
that was raised for overseas service and was allocated to the 2/5th Battalion as second in command. Deployed to the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
, he temporarily commanded the 2/6th Battalion and led them as the Australians advanced past Derna, for which he was Mentioned in Despatches. Later he was promoted to 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...
and given full command of the 2/31st Battalion
2/31st Battalion (Australia)
The 2/31st Battalion was an infantry battalion of the Australian Army that served during World War II. It was raised in June 1940 and was assigned to the 25th Brigade, 7th Division. It initially served in the United Kingdom where it undertook defensive duties before being moved to the Middle East...
and led them through the Syria-Lebanon Campaign
Syria-Lebanon campaign
The Syria–Lebanon campaign, also known as Operation Exporter, was the Allied invasion of Vichy French-controlled Syria and Lebanon, in June–July 1941, during World War II. Time Magazine referred to the fighting as a "mixed show" while it was taking place and the campaign remains little known, even...
, for which he later received 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...
, before being wounded in the thigh.
He then returned to Australia and was promoted to the temporary rank of 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....
and sent 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...
where he was placed in command of the 30th Brigade
30th Brigade (Australia)
The 30th Brigade was a brigade-sized infantry unit of the Australian Army. Formed in December 1941, as part of the Militia, the unit was raised for service during World War II. Sent to New Guinea in early March 1942 the brigade initially provided garrison troops to Port Moresby before later taking...
, which had been sent there in response to Japan
Japan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
's entry into the war. Following the Japanese landing at Buna, Porter led the 30th Brigade and then later the divisional-sized Maroubra Force
Maroubra Force
Maroubra Force was the name given to the Australian infantry force that defended Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea from the Japanese, and was involved in the Kokoda Track Campaign of the Pacific War, World War II...
along the Kokoda Track
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 then around Sanananda
Sanananda
-History:Occupied by the Imperial Japanese in 1942 during World War II and became a heavily fortified defensive area.Liberated by the Australian Army and US Army on 18 January 1943 during the Battle of Buna-Gona.-References:**...
.
In November 1943 Porter took command of the 24th Brigade
24th Brigade (Australia)
The 24th Brigade was a brigade-sized infantry unit of the Australian Army. Formed on 1 July 1940 as part of the Second Australian Imperial Force, the unit was raised for service during World War II. Originally formed as part of the 8th Division the brigade was subsequently transferred to the newly...
and led them through the fighting at Finschhafen
Huon Peninsula campaign
The Huon Peninsula campaign was a series of battles in the New Guinea campaign of the Second World War. Australian forces assaulted Japanese bases on the Huon Peninsula....
. In early 1945 he was attached to the 9th Division's planning staff, before leading his brigade during the invasion of North Borneo
Battle of North Borneo
The Battle of North Borneo took place during the Second World War between Allied and Japanese forces. Part of the wider Borneo campaign of the Pacific War, it was fought between 10 June and 15 August 1945 in North Borneo...
.
Following the end of the war, Porter returned to Australia and briefly returned to civilian life. In 1947 he was invested as a Commander of the British Empire. When the Citizens Military Force was re-raised in 1948, Porter was given command of the 6th Brigade
6th Brigade (Australia)
The 6th Brigade is an Australian Army brigade. First formed during the First World War as an infantry unit of the Australian Imperial Force, the brigade served at Gallipoli and in France and Belgium on the Western Front...
and then later promoted to major general
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
in command of the 3rd Division. During 1953–54 he took up a position on the Military Board as the CMF representative.
Later life
In 1955 he was appointed as chief commissionerPolice commissioner
Commissioner is a senior rank used in many police forces and may be rendered Police Commissioner or Commissioner of Police. In some organizations, the commissioner is a political appointee, and may or may not actually be a professional police officer. In these circumstances, there is often a...
of Victoria Police
Victoria Police
Victoria Police is the primary law enforcement agency of Victoria, Australia. , the Victoria Police has over 12,190 sworn members, along with over 400 recruits, reservists and Protective Service Officers, and over 2,900 civilian staff across 393 police stations.-Early history:The Victoria Police...
, a post that he held until his death on 9 October 1963 from a coronary occlusion
Coronary occlusion
A coronary occlusion is the partial or complete obstruction of blood flow in a coronary artery. This condition may cause a heart attack.In some patients coronary occlusion causes only mild pain, tightness or vague discomfort which may be ignored: the myocardium is however damaged....
.