Major General Frederick Gallagher 'Black Jack' Galleghan, DSO, OBE, ISO

Date of birth	1897-01-11	Jesmond, NSW.
Other	1909	Graduated from Cooks Hill High School.
Other	1913-06-30	Comissioned in the cadets as a second lieutenant.
Date and unit at enlistment (ORs)	1916-01-20	Enlisted in the AIF.
Other	1916-01-20	Became a private in the 34th Battalion.
Other	1916-06-23	Arrived United Kingdom.
Date promoted	1916-11-16	Appointed sergeant.
Other	1916-11-22	Arrived in France.
Date wounded	1917-06-07	Wounded in action, gun shot wound to right shoulder.
Other	1918-02-14	Arrived in France.
Other	1918-02-21	Returned to his unit.
Date wounded	1918-08-08	Wounded in action, gun shot wound to left shoulder.
Date returned to Australia	1919-01-21	Invalided home.
Date of discharge	1919-03-03	Demobilised and discharged from AIF and comissioned as a lieutenant in the militia.
Date commissioned	1919-09-16	Appointed temporary lieutenant.
Other units	1921-03-31	Appointed lieutenant to the 2nd Battalion.
Date promoted	1925-05-27	Appointed captain.
Date promoted	1930-06-17	Appointed major.
Date promoted	1932	Promoted to lieutenant colonel in the milita.
Date promoted	1932-08-01	Appointed lieutenant colonel commanding officer the 2/41st Battalion.
Other units	1934-01-01	Appointed commanding officer of the 2/35th Battalion.
Other	1936	Joined the Attorney General's office.
Date of honour or award	1936-09-20	Awarded an Efficiency Decoration.
Other units	1937-03-01 - 1940-10-17	Appointed commanding officer of the 17th Battalion.
Date and unit at appointment (Officers)	1940-03-18	Joined the AIF.
Other units	1940-10-17 - 1942-02-09	Seconded commanding officer of the 2nd/30th Battalion.
Date of embarkation	1941-07	The 2nd/30th Battalion sailed for Singapore.
Other	1941-08-15	Arrived in Singapore.
Other	1942-02-09	Reliquished command of 2nd/30th Battalion as deemed medically unfit for duty due to hearing loss.
Date captured	1942-02-15	Became a prisoner of war and was interned in Changi by the Japanese.
Other	1942-02-16	Reported missing in action.
Date of honour or award	1942-03-05	Mention in Despatches.
Date of honour or award	1942-03-05	Companion of the Distinguished Service Order (DSO). 'Lt.-Col. Galleghan conceived a plan and personally supervised the whole operation, and by initiative, coolness and resourcefulness he was able with one Coy. to ambush several hundred of the enemy, that Coy. Destroying utterly 500 of the enemy and itself suffering only slight casualties. Throughout the ensuing battle he personally directed operations and by personal example, cool and quick decisions at a time when the fate of his Bn. was in the balance, he not only withheld a determined attempt by the enemy to force a withdrawal but inflicted very severe casualties. His calmness during this period played a very important part in maintaining the morale of his tps. In spite of continued heavy dive bombing attacks on the area from which he directed his operation. At no time was any portion of his unit out of control and when forced by a force far superior in numbers to that of his own to withdraw to a line behind the S. MUAR he again conceived and carried out a plan which enabled the whole Bn. to break contact with the enemy and re-establish a solid front. Again his courage was exemplary, as he saw each Coy. out of its contact and remained until the last to ensure safety of his men. Throughout the whole of these operations, without artillery or air support, and opposed by a force of at least a Bde. strength, the Bn. suffered only between 100 and 150 casualties, killed, wounded and missing, of which only 12 were known to have been killed.'
Other	1942-08	While in Changi he was appointed commander of AIF prisoners of war. Rank hierachies such as these were maintained in prisoner of war camps to give support and leadership to those interned there.
Other	1943-01-11	Reported prisoner of war.
Other	1944-03	While in Changi he became deputy commander of all the Allied prisoners in Malaya.
Date released	1945-08	Released from Changi.
Date returned to Australia	1945-10-09	Returned to Sydney.
Other	1946-01-03	Transferred to the retired list of officers as a honourary brigadier.
Date of honour or award	1947-03-06	Gazetted Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE). The following citation was writtem in September 1945 by Colonel E B Holmes, Manchester Regiment, Commander British Prisoners of War in Malaya. "Since August 1942 Lt-Col F.G. GALLEGHAN, DSO, ED, has been in command of the AIF and was next senior to me. In March 1944, on reorganisation and change of camp site I appointed him Deputy Commander and also my representative officer with the Japanese and he carried out these duties with conspicuous success. During our 3 1/2 years together he has been a tower of strength to me. He has co-operated with me to the fullest possible extent in every way, keeping up morale and maintaining the health and discipline of the Prisoners of War. He has always given me sound and helpful advice and support and done all in his power to help me present a united front against the Japanese. He is of strong and forceful personality, his leadership has impressed itself upon all ranks of all services and nationalities. He is possessed of great physical and moral courage and his example has been an inspiration to all. I cannot speak too highly of his services.'
Other	1949-01-06 - 1949-11-18	Appointed honourary major general and Head of the Australian Military Mission, Berlin.
Date of honour or award	1959-06-13	Companion of the Imperial Service Order (ISO).
Date of honour or award	1969-01-01	Created Knight Bachelor.
Date of death	1971-04-20	Mosman, NSW.