Deputy Chief of Army
Incumbent
Chris Smith
since 31 January 2024
Australian Army
StyleMajor General
AbbreviationDCA
Member ofAustralian Defence Force
Reports toChief of Army
Formation1920
First holderBrigadier General Thomas Blamey
WebsiteOfficial website

The Deputy Chief of Army (DCA) is the second most senior appointment in the Australian Army, responsible to the Chief of Army (CA). The rank associated with the position is major general (2-star).

The current appointee is Major General Chris Smith, who took up the posting on 31 January 2024.

Appointees

The following (incomplete) list chronologically records those who have held the post of Deputy Chief of Army or its preceding positions. Rank and honours are as at the completion of the individual's term.

Rank Name Postnominals Term began Term ended Notes
Deputy Chief of the General Staff
Brigadier General Thomas Blamey CB, CMG, DSO 1 April 1920 15 November 1923 [1]
Second Chief of the General Staff
Brigadier General Thomas Blamey CB, CMG, DSO 15 November 1923 31 August 1925 [2][3]
Colonel William Foster CB, CMG, DSO 1 September 1925 31 December 1925 (Acting)[4]
Brigadier General Charles Brand CB, CMG, DSO 1 January 1926 1 May 1930 [5][6]
Deputy Chief of the General Staff
Major General John Northcott CB, MVO 13 October 1939 31 August 1941 [7][8]
Major General Sydney Rowell CBE 1 September 1941 April 1942 [8]
Major General George Alan Vasey CBE, DSO & Bar April 1942 September 1942
Major General Frank Berryman CBE, DSO September 1942 January 1944
Major General John Chapman DSO & Bar October 1944 11 March 1946 [9]
Major General Edward Milford CBE, DSO 11 March 1946 May 1946 [9]
Major General Henry Wells CBE, DSO 16 July 1946 1947 [10]
Major General Ronald Hopkins CBE 1 May 1950 19 February 1951 [11][12]
Major General Eric Woodward CBE, DSO 20 February 1951 1 September 1951 [12][13]
Major General Edward Sheehan CBE 1 September 1951 22 December 1952 [13][14]
Major General Ragnar Garrett CBE 9 February 1953 15 December 1953 [14][15]
Major General Lindley Barham CBE December 1953 29 October 1954 [16]
Major General Hector Edgar CBE 30 October 1954 22 March 1958 [17][18][19]
Major General Ian Murdoch CBE 23 March 1958 11 December 1960 [18][19][20][21]
Major General Thomas Taylor CBE, LVO, MC 12 December 1960 24 January 1964 [20][21][22][23]
Major General Frank Hassett CBE, DSO, LVO 25 January 1964 27 January 1966 [23][24]
Major General Charles Long CBE 28 January 1966 17 April 1966 (Acting)[25]
Major General Arthur MacDonald OBE 18 April 1966 27 August 1967 [25][26]
Major General Robert Hay MBE 27 August 1967 9 February 1969 [26][27]
Major General Stuart Clarence Graham DSO, OBE, MC 10 February 1969 3 May 1972 [27][28]
Major General Mark Bradbury AO, CBE 24 November 1975 1977 [29][30]
Major General Donald Dunstan CB, CBE 1977 20 April 1977 [30][31]
Major General John Whitelaw AO, CBE 21 April 1977 1978 [31]
Major General John Williamson AO, OBE 12 June 1978 18 February 1979 [32][33]
Major General Peter Falkland AO 19 February 1979 1982 [33]
Major General Peter Gration OBE 1983 1983 [34]
Major General Lawrence O'Donnell 1984 1985 [34]
Major General Peter Day 1985 1986 [34]
Major General Gordon Fitzgerald AO 1987 1990
Major General Michael Jeffery AO, MC 1990 1991 [34]
Major General John Grey AO 1991 1992 [34]
Major General Arthur Fittock AO 1992 1992 [34]
Major General Geoffrey Carter AO November 1992 1995
Deputy Chief of Army
Major General John Hartley AO 1995 1998 [34]
Major General Peter Abigail AO 1998 May 2000 [34]
Major General Peter Leahy AO May 2000 June 2002 [34]
Major General Frank Roberts AO June 2002 May 2004
Major General Ian Gordon AO May 2004 November 2006 [34]
Major General John Cantwell AO January 2007 January 2008 [34]
Major General David Morrison AM January 2008 July 2009 [34]
Major General Paul Symon AO July 2009 November 2011 [34]
Major General Jeffrey Sengelman DSC, AM, CSC November 2011 2012 [34]
Major General Angus Campbell DSC, AM 2012 19 September 2013 [34]
Major General Gus Gilmore AO, DSC 19 September 2013 4 January 2015 [35]
Major General Rick Burr AO, DSC, MVO 4 January 2015 3 May 2018 [35]
Major General Jake Ellwood DSC 3 May 2018 10 December 2018 [36]
Major General Anthony Rawlins DSC, AM 10 December 2018 2 February 2022 [37]
Major General Natasha Fox AM, CSC 2 February 2022 5 June 2023 [38]
Major General Cheryl Pearce AM, CSC 5 June 2023 31 January 2024 [39]
Major General Chris Smith DSC, AM, CSC 31 January 2024 Incumbent

References

  1. ^ "Head-Quarters". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 1 April 1920. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  2. ^ "Australian Military Forces". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 22 November 1923. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  3. ^ "Australian Military Forces". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 10 September 1925. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  4. ^ "Staff Corps". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 1 October 1925. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  5. ^ "Commands and Staffs". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 1 October 1925. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  6. ^ "Australian Military Forces". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 22 May 1930. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  7. ^ "Australian Military Forces". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 12 October 1939. Retrieved 11 June 2023.
  8. ^ a b "Permanent Military Forces". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 21 August 1941. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  9. ^ a b "Australian Military Forces". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 21 March 1946. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  10. ^ "Australian Military Forces". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 19 September 1946. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  11. ^ "Australian Military Forces". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 25 May 1950. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  12. ^ a b "General List". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 1 March 1951. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  13. ^ a b "Australian Military Forces". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 16 August 1951. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  14. ^ a b "Australian Military Forces". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 5 March 1953. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  15. ^ "Australian Military Forces". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 19 November 1953. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  16. ^ "Australian Military Forces". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 26 August 1954. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  17. ^ "General Officer Commanding – Eastern Command". Western Herald. 18 October 1963. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  18. ^ a b "New Southern Command Chief". Canberra Times. 24 January 1958. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  19. ^ a b "Australian Military Forces". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 30 January 1958. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  20. ^ a b "General Staff Deputy Chief Appointed". Canberra Times. 23 June 1960. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  21. ^ a b "Australian Military Forces". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 23 June 1960. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  22. ^ "Reshuffle of Army Commands". Canberra Times. 2 August 1963. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
  23. ^ a b "Australian Military Forces". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 8 August 1963. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  24. ^ "Australian Military Forces". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 13 January 1966. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  25. ^ a b "Australian Military Forces". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 6 April 1966. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  26. ^ a b "Australian Regular Army". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 31 August 1967. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  27. ^ a b "Australian Regular Army". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 7 November 1968. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  28. ^ "Australian Regular Army". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 4 May 1972. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  29. ^ "Australian Regular Army". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 21 October 1975. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  30. ^ a b "Brigadier Morrison to Command RMC". Canberra Times. 19 October 1976. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  31. ^ a b "Defence Act 1903". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 19 April 1977. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  32. ^ "Australian Army". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 8 August 1978. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  33. ^ a b "Australian Army". Commonwealth of Australia Gazette. 5 June 1979. Retrieved 10 June 2023.
  34. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Singh, Shivani (2014). Who's Who in Australia 2014. Melbourne, Australia: Crown Content. ISBN 1-74095-172-7.
  35. ^ a b "Deputy Chief of Army". Leaders. Australian Army. Archived from the original on 8 February 2014. Retrieved 31 January 2014.
  36. ^ "Deputy Chief of Army: Major General Justin 'Jake' Ellwood, DSC". Leaders. Australian Army. Archived from the original on 20 May 2018. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  37. ^ "Deputy Chief of Army: Major General Anthony Rawlins, DSC". Leaders. Australian Army. Archived from the original on 23 March 2019. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  38. ^ "Deputy Chief of Army: Major General Natasha Fox AM, CSC". Leaders. Australian Army. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  39. ^ Pearce, Cheryl [@DepChiefAusArmy] (9 June 2023). "On 5 June I assumed the role of Deputy Chief of the Australian Army" (Tweet). Retrieved 10 June 2023 – via Twitter.
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