Outdoor portrait of 235175 Major Maxwell Thomas Turrell around the time of his retirement from ...

Outdoor portrait of 235175 Major Maxwell Thomas Turrell around the time of his retirement from the Australian Army. Turrell's long military career commenced with his membership of the School Cadets, where he attained the rank of Cadet Lieutenant. He enlisted in the Australian Army in 1956, graduating from the Royal Military College, Duntroon. In 1961, in the wake of the Malayan Emergency, Lieutenant Turrell served in Malaya with the 2nd Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (2RAR). Operating as part the 28th Commonwealth Brigade, Turrell commanded 11 Platoon, D Company, 2RAR in conducting patrols in the 'Black Zone' on the Malay -Thailand border, aimed at suppressing continued activity of the Communist Terrorists (CT) in the region in 1962 and 1963. In May 1966 Captain Turrell was deployed to South Vietnam as adjutant of the 6th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment (6RAR). Following his service in the Vietnam War, Turrell was promoted to Major and appointed Officer Commanding 2nd Army Recruiting Unit. Major Turrell served in the Army until his discharge in 1981.