Major General William Glasgow

Portrait of Major-General (later Sir) Thomas William Glasgow, CB, CMG, DSO, Commanding 1st Division AIF and had previously served in the South African War. Born in Queensland, Glasgow worked as a junior clerk in the office of a mining company in Gympie. He joined the Wide Bay Regiment, Queensland Mounted Infantry, while a teenager and later volunteered for service in South Africa and served as a Lieutenant in the 1st Queensland Mounted Infantry Contingent. In 1903, Glasgow organised the 13th Light Horse Regiment at Gympie. When war broke out he was appointed to the AIF with the rank of Major in the 2nd Light Horse Regiment and embarked for Egypt in September 1914. In March 1916 he was appointed commander of the 13th Infantry Brigade, which he commanded at Moquet Farm, Messines, Polygon Wood and Dernancourt. Glasgow was described by General Monash as being 'strong though not heavy build and of energetic demeanor...[he] succeeded not so much by exceptional mental gifts or by tactical skill of any high order as by his personal driving force and determination'. After the war, Glasgow commanded the 4th Division from 1921. He was elected to the Senate as a Nationalist in 1919 and became the Minister for Home and Territories in June 1926 and then from April 1927 to October 1929 was Minister for Defence. In December 1939, Glasgow was appointed first Australian High Commissioner to Canada.