Alan Bishop Stretton AO CBE (1922 - 2012)

Born 30 Sep 1922 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia

Ancestors

Husband of Valda Blanche (Scattergood) Stretton — married 1943 in Victoria, Australia

Died 26 Oct 2012 at age 90 in Bateman's Bay, New South Wales, Australia

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Biography

Alan Stretton AO CBE is Notable.

Major General Alan Stretton AO CBE was a senior Australian Army officer and a barrister who came to public prominence through his work in charge of cleanup efforts at Darwin in the aftermath of Cyclone Tracy on Christmas Day 1974. He served in four wars and active combat zones.

formative years

Alan Bishop Stretton was born on 30th September 1922 in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. He was the younger son of William Stretton and his second wife, Elizabeth Fitt; and the younger (half) brother of leading Victorian barrister, Leonard Edward Bishop Stretton. He was educated at Caulfield Grammar School ^[1][2] and Scotch College, Melbourne.

military career

Alan Stretton AO CBE is a Military Veteran.
Served in the Australian Army 1940-1978
Second World War, Korean War, Malayan Emergency, Vietnam War

Alan served in the Australian Army from 1940 to 1978. After graduating from the Royal Military College, Duntroon, on 11th November 1940 and with the Second World War reaching crisis point. he began his military career as a platoon commander in the 2/9th Australian Infantry Battalion then based in England but about to deploy to North Africa with the 9th Division. In the following February, the battalion was transferred to the 7th Division and Alan joined his unit in time to attack the Italian outpost of Giarabub and in the first week of April moved, with the rest of the 18th Brigade, to reinforce Tobruk against the German advance rapidly closing on it. The 2/9th Battalion participated in the defence of Tobruk until it was withdrawn at the end of August. After Tobruk, the 7th Division joined the forces garrisoning Syria. The 2/9th sailed for Australia on 12th February 1942, disembarking at Adelaide on 28th March. Papua was the 2/9th's next battleground. It fought in the desperate defence of Milne Bay between 2nd and 9th September, between 18th and 24th December in the gruelling and often ill-conceived slogging match that was the battle for Buna, and at Sanananda between 12th and 24th January 1943. ^[3]

Whilst at home on a brief leave in 1943, Alan married Valda Scattergood. ^[4]

From August 1943 to May 1944 the battalion was deployed to New Guinea, to the Finisterre Mountains. It's final operation of the war, in July-August 1945 was at Balikpapan in Borneo. ^[3] In the Korean War he served in the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1 RAR) from 1954 to 1955. ^[5] In the Malayan Emergency he served as the commanding officer of the Australian Battalion (1961-63). He served brief deployments to South Vietnam 2nd Battalion RAR, 28 Nov-4 Dec 1962, 13-19 Mar 1966 and 15-19 Jul 1967. From 10th April 1969 to 9th April 1970 with the rank of Colonel, he was Chief of Staff of the Australian Forces in South Vietnam. ^[6] He was promoted to Brigadier in 1971 and from 1972 to 1974 was deputy director (military) of the Joint Intelligence Organisation and member of the National Intelligence Committee. ^[7]

legal career

During his time in Malaya and Vietnam, without attending a lecture, Alan studied by correspondence from the jungle and graduated LLB from the University of Queensland in 1966. He was admitted as a barrister in the New South Wales and High Courts in 1969.

Upon retirement from the military, Alan was appointed director-general of the Natural Disasters Organisation; through which he directed the cleanup efforts at Darwin in the aftermath of Cyclone Tracy on Christmas Day 1974.

author

Alan wrote two books, The Furious Days: The Relief of Darwin (1976) and Soldier in the Storm (1978). Both attracted controversy, so much so that he not only was not nominated by the Federal Government for a knighthood, but was even left off the Queen's Silver Jubilee Medal list in 1977. He left public life in 1978, resigning from the army two years early. He continued to practice law until well into his 70s.

final parade

Alan spent much of his later years looking after Valda, who predeceased him by five years. He passed away, aged 90 years, 26th October 2012 in Bateman's Bay Hospital, Bateman's Bay, New South Wales. A military funeral was held in the RMC Duntroon Chapel and he was buried with Valda in Woden Cemetery, Australian Capital Territory. ^[8] He is survived by his children, Virginia, Greg and April, sons and daughter-in-law, six grandchildren and great grandchildren.

honours and awards

• Member of the Order of the British Empire (Military) (MBE) on 13th December 1955, ^[9] upgraded to Officer of the Order of the British Empire (Military) (OBE) on 12th June 1965 ^[10] and to Commander of the Order of the British Empire (Military) (CBE) on 8 January 1971 ^[11]
• In 1970 the South Vietnamese government awarded him its Distinguished Service Order
• In 1973 the United States of America awarded him their Bronze Star
• He was named the 1975 Australian of the Year jointly with chemist Sir John Cornforth
• Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) on 9th June 1975 ^[12]
  • In 1999, in only his second visit to the city of Darwin since Cyclone Tracy, he presented his insignia as an Officer in the Order of Australia (AO), and his award as Australian of the Year, to the people of Darwin.
• He was awarded the Centenary Medal in January 2001. ^[13]

He was awarded the following campaign and military service medals (in order of precedence):

• Pacific Star
• War Medal 1939-1945
• Australia Service Medal 1939-1945
• Vietnam Medal
• Defence Force Service Medal
• National Medal with two Clasps ^[14][15][16]
• Australian Defence Medal
• United Nations Service Medal Korea
• Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal

Sources

1. ↑ Wikipedia: List of Caulfield Grammar School people; accessed 17 Mar 2022
2. ↑ The Argus (Melbourne, Vic.: 1848-1957) Tue 9 Dec 1930 Page 5; accessed 17 Mar 2022
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} Australian War Memorial unit record: 2/9th Australian Infantry Battalion; accessed 17 Mar 2022
4. ↑ Victoria Marriage Index #15436/1943
5. ↑ Department of Veterans' Affairs: Alan Stretton; accessed 16 Jun 2018
6. ↑ Department of Veterans' Affairs: Alan Stretton; accessed 16 Jun 2018
7. ↑ Australian War Memorial nominal roll: Alan Stretton; accessed 16 Jun 2018
8. ↑ Billion Graves; accessed 17 Mar 2022
9. ↑ Australian Honours: MBE; accessed 17 Mar 2022
10. ↑ Australian Honours: OBE; accessed 17 Mar 2022
11. ↑ Australian Honours: CBE; accessed 17 Mar 2022
12. ↑ Australian Honours: AO; accessed 17 Mar 2022
13. ↑ Australian Honours: Centenary Medal; accessed 17 Mar 2022
14. ↑ Australian Honours: National Medal; accessed 17 Mar 2022
15. ↑ Australian Honours: National Medal first Clasp; accessed 17 Mar 2022
16. ↑ Australian Honours: National Medal second Clasp; accessed 17 Mar 2022

See also

• Wikipedia: Alan Stretton; accessed 16 Jun 2018.