Edward Macarthur-Onslow DSO ED (1909 - 1980)

Born 1 Oct 1909 in Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia

Ancestors

Husband of Winifred Hall (Owen) Macarthur-Onslow — married 1932 in Wollongong, New South Wales, Australia

Descendants

Died 6 Feb 1980 at age 70 in Camden, New South Wales, Australia

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Kenneth Evans [send private message]

Biography

Edward Macarthur-Onslow DSO ED was born in New South Wales, Australia

Lieutenant Colonel Edward Macarthur-Onslow DSO ED was born on 1st October 1909 in Goulburn, New South Wales, Australia. He was the second son of Arthur Macarthur-Onslow and Sylvia Chisholm. ^[1] He was a great great grandson of pioneer and New South Wales Corps officer John Macarthur.

Following graduation from The Kings School in North Parramatta, he joined the Royal New South Wales Lancers. As a Captain, he trained the mounted troops on the family property, Macquarie Grove.

Edward married Winifred Owen in 1932 in Wollongong, New South Wales. ^[2]The Sydney Morning Herald carried a notice of the wedding on 31st March 1932. ^[3] They had three daughters:

1. Annette (1933-)
2. Pamela (1936-); married surnames Saunders and Harrison
3. Phoebe (1939-2018); married surname Atkinson

Edward became a pilot and started a flying school at Camden in 1937. He established a private aerodrome there in 1938 which he sold to the Commonwealth Government during the Second World War, whereupon it became the Central Flying School.

Edward Macarthur-Onslow DSO ED is a Military Veteran.
Served in the Second Australian Imperial Force 1940-1945
2/2nd Australian Machine Gun Battalion

Despite his interest in flying, Edward enlisted in the Second Australian Imperial Force on 29th March 1940, ^[4] attaining the rank of Lieutenant Colonel as commanding officer of the 2/2nd Australian Machine Gun Battalion, a unit initially of the 7th Division and later of the 9th Division. The battalion saw action against German and Italian forces during the First and Second Battles of El Alamein, and undertook garrison duties in Syria as part of the Allied garrison that was established there after the Syria–Lebanon campaign. Brought back to Australia in 1943 to fight against the Japanese the battalion landed east of Lae in New Guinea in September that year and then took part in the advance to secure the town, which fell within a fortnight. This was followed by fighting on the Huon Peninsula, which saw the battalion undertake an amphibious landing at Scarlet Beach and then take part in actions around Finschhafen, Sattelberg and Sio. In mid-1945, the 2/2nd supported landings on Tarakan, Labuan and Brunei Bay as part of Allied efforts to liberate Borneo. ^[5][6] He was appointed Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) on 14th October 1943 for his service in North Africa. ^[7] He was awarded the Efficiency Decoration as an army militia officer with more than twenty years service. He was placed on the Reserve of Officers on 1st June 1945. ^[4] For his war service he was awarded the 1939-1945 Star, Africa Star, Pacific Star, Defence Medal, War Medal 1939-1945 and Australia Service Medal 1939-1945.

Edward was a dairy farmer who introduced rotary milking platforms to Australia

After the war Edward became Managing Director of Camden Park Estate and focused on re-organisation of its dairying enterprise. During an overseas study tour he visited a rotolactor in the United States of America and returned to build one at Menangle. When completed in 1952, the Rotolactor was the first in Australia and only the third of its kind in the world. Edward's decision to build Australia's first rotary dairy was far-sighted and the rotolactor was decades ahead of its time, the forerunner of rotary dairies and 21st century robotic dairies that use a rotary milking platform. ^[8]

Edward Macarthur Onslow contributed significantly to the local Camden community and was president of many local organisations. ^[8]

Aged 70 years, he passed away on 6th February 1980 in Camden. ^[9] He was survived by his wife and daughters, sons-in-law and grandchildren. His daughters later gifted the Edward Macarthur-Onslow Memorial Pavilion to Camden Showground.

Sources

1. ↑ New South Wales Birth Index #36680/1909
2. ↑ New South Wales Marriage Index #3157/1932
3. ↑ The Sydney Morning Herald (NSW: 1842-1954) 31 Mar 1932 Weddings. Web 8 Oct 2020
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} Department of Veterans' Affairs nominal roll: NX12629 Lieutenant Colonel Edward Macarthur-Onslow; accessed 19 Jun 2018
5. ↑ Australian War Memorial unit record: 2/2nd Australian Machine Gun Battalion; accessed 19 Jun 2018
6. ↑ Wikipedia: 2/2nd Machine Gun Battalion; accessed 2 Oct 2022
7. ↑ Australian Honours: DSO; accessed 2 Oct 2022
8. ↑ ^{8.0 8.1} Belgenny_Farm:_Edward_Macarthur-Onslow; accessed 19 Jun 2018
9. ↑ New South Wales Death Index #3904/1980