Major General James Harold Cannan

Service number VX89075
Ranks Held Brigadier General, Colonel, Lieutenant Colonel, Temporary Brigadier General
Birth Date 29/08/1882
Birth Place Australia: Queensland, North Queensland, Townsville
Death Date 23/05/1976
Death Place Australia: Queensland, Brisbane
Final Rank Major General
Service Australian Imperial Force
Units
  • 11 Inf.Bde.H.Q.
  • 11th Australian Field Artillery Brigade
  • 11th Australian Infantry Brigade
  • 15th Australian Infantry Battalion
  • 3rd Australian Division
  • 8th Infantry
  • New Zealand and Australian Division
Places
Conflicts/Operations
  • First World War, 1914-1918
  • Second World War, 1939-1945

Collection items

    Media


    MELBOURNE, 1942-03-28. THE 6 DIVISION RETURNS. AT THE MARCH OF 17TH BDE (L TO R) GEN SIR T. ...

    MELBOURNE, VIC. 1944-03-31. GUESTS AT COCKTAILS BEFORE A FORMAL DINNER IN HONOUR OF NX35000 ...

    MELBOURNE, VIC. 1944-03-31. GUESTS AT COCKTAILS BEFORE A FORMAL DINNER IN HONOUR OF NX35000 ...

    MELBOURNE, VIC. 1944-03-31. AN INFORMAL GROUP OF GUESTS AT COCKTAILS BEFORE A FORMAL DINNER GIVEN ...

    MELBOURNE, VIC. 1944-03-31. AN INFORMAL GROUP OF GUESTS AT COCKTAILS BEFORE A FORMAL DINNER GIVEN ...

    HOWARD SPRINGS, NT. 1944-08-21. THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF, ALLIED LAND FORCES, SOUTH WEST PACIFIC ...

    HOWARD SPRINGS, NT. 1944-08-21. THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF, ALLIED LAND FORCES, SOUTH WEST PACIFIC ...

    HOWARD SPRINGS, NT. 1944-08-21. THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF, ALLIED LAND FORCES, SOUTH WEST PACIFIC ...

    HUMPTY-DOO, NT. 1944-08-21. THE COMMANDER IN CHIEF, ALLIED LAND FORCES, SOUTH WEST PACIFIC AREA, ...

    BERRY SPRINGS, NT. 1944-08-21. VX1 GENERAL SIR THOMAS BLAMEY, GBE, KCB, CMG, DSO, ED, COMMANDER ...

Rolls

Timeline

Date of birth 29/08/1882
Date and unit at appointment (Officers) 27/03/1903 Commissioned asa second Lieutenant in the 1st Queensland (Moreton) Regiment.
Date promoted 27/11/1903 Promoted to first lieutenant.
Date promoted 24/09/1904 Promoted to captain.
Date promoted 14/08/1911 Promoted to major.
Other units 01/07/1912 Transferred to the 8th Infantry (Oxley) Battalion and took command of it.
Date promoted 09/05/1914 Promoted to lieutenant colonel.
Other units 1914-08-05 - 1914-08-31 Appointed to command the Lytton Defences.
Date of enlistment 27/09/1914
Date and unit at appointment (Officers) 23/09/1914 Appointed to the AIF, commanding the 15th Battalion.
Date of embarkation 22/12/1914
Other 08/08/1915 Lieutenant Colonel Cannan's brother, Major D H Cannan, killed in the 15th Battalion's attack on the Sari Bair Range.
Other 25/04/1915 Arrived at Gallipoli in the evening.
Other 10/1915 Evacuated sick, rejoining the 15th Battalion in Egypt.
Date of honour or award 1915 For his part in the Gallipoli campaign, he was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB).
Other 30/08/1916 Appointed to command the 11th Infantry Brigade. Made Colonel and Temporary Brigadier General.
Date of recommendation honour or award 30/09/1916
Other 06/1916 The 15th Battalion moved to France and saw action at Poziers and Mouquet Farm.
Date promoted 24/06/1917 Made a Brevet Colonel.
Date of honour or award 1918 Awarded the Distinguished Service Order (DSO) for the battles of August and September 1918.
Date of recommendation honour or award 04/03/1918
Date of recommendation honour or award 16/10/1918
Date of honour or award 03/06/1918 Companion of the Order of Saint Michael and Saint George (CMG).
Date of recommendation honour or award 30/09/1918
Other units 1918-10-01 - 1920-06-30 Commanded the 2/15th Infantry Battalion.
Date returned to Australia 22/08/1919
Date of honour or award 05/04/1919 Belgiam Croix de Guerre.
Date returned to Australia 22/08/1919
Other 13/12/1919 Appointment to the AIF terminated.
Other 1920-07-01 - 1921-05-30 Commanded the 2nd Infantry Brigade.
Date promoted 01/07/1920 Appointed honorary brigadier general.
Other 1920-04-01 - 1923-03-21 Aide de Camp to the Govenor General.
Date promoted 01/07/1920 Promoted to colonel.
Other 1921-05-01 - 1925-04-30 Commanded the 11th Mixed Brigade.
Other 30/04/1925 Transferred to the unattached list.
Other 24/10/1940 Became Quartermaster General and appointed a member of the Military Board.
Date promoted 07/07/1940 Appointed temporary major general and took over command of the 2nd Division.
Other 27/05/1940 Appointed Inspector General of Administration at the Department of Defence.
Other 09/1943 General Thomas Blamey nominated Cannan for a Knight of the British Empire (KBE) but it was refused.
Other 1946 - 1947 Director of the United Nations Relief and Rehabillitation Administration in the South West Pacific.
Other 1948 - 1957 Director of the Services Canteen Trust.
Other 1950 - 1951 Director of the Queensland division of the Australian Red Cross Society.
Date of death 23/05/1976

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