Service number | 69311, NX92 |
---|---|
Ranks Held | Captain, Lieutenant Colonel |
Birth Date | 1914-03-26 |
Birth Place | Australia: New South Wales, Sydney, Croydon |
Death Date | 1983-12-06 |
Final Rank | Lieutenant Colonel |
Service | Australian Army |
Units |
|
Place | Croydon |
Conflicts/Operations |
|
Gazettes |
Published in London Gazette in 1958-01-01 Published in London Gazette in 1946-02-14 Published in London Gazette in 1941-05-09 Published in Commonwealth Gazette in 1958-01-16 Published in Commonwealth Gazette in 1946-02-21 |
Lieutenant Colonel William Blythe Caldwell
Rolls
-
Honours and Awards:
- Unit
- 14/32th Australian Infantry Battalion
- Conflict
- Second World War, 1939-1945
- Rank
- Lieutenant Colonel
- London Gazette
- 14 February 1946 on page 942 at position 76
- Commonwealth Gazette
- 21 February 1946 on page 407 at position 22
-
Honours and Awards (Recommendation):
- Conflict
- Second World War, 1939-1945
-
Honours and Awards:
- Unit
- 2/2nd Australian Infantry Battalion
- Conflict
- Second World War, 1939-1945
- Rank
- Captain
- London Gazette
- 09 May 1941 on page 2646 at position 1
-
Honours and Awards:
- Unit
- Royal Australian Infantry Corps
- Conflict
- Period 1950-1959
- Rank
- Lieutenant Colonel
- London Gazette
- 01 January 1958 on page 40 at position 2
- Commonwealth Gazette
- 16 January 1958 on page 157 at position 9
-
Honours and Awards (Recommendation):
- Conflict
- Second World War, 1939-1945
Timeline
Date of birth | 26 March 1914 | Croydon NSW |
---|---|---|
Date commissioned | 09 March 1937 | |
Interwar Service 1 | 09 March 1937 | lieutenant 30th battalion |
Interwar Service 2 | 04 March 1939 | 2/35th |
Interwar Service 3 | 04 September 1939 | 2nd battalion |
Career summary 1 | 13 October 1939 | seconded as lieutenant 2/2nd battalion from 2nd battalion |
Career summary 2 | 24 October 1939 | enlisted 2AIF |
Career summary 4 | 1940-01-08 - 1940-02-03 | course Middle East Weapons Training School (Middle East Wpn Training Sch |
Career summary 5 | 11 January 1940 | captain (bd 13 Oct 39) reported |
Career summary 6 | 09 February 1940 | attached Leicester regiment 5 |
Career summary 7 | 10 November 1940 | course Middle East Tactical School ? Oct |
Career summary 8 | 07 March 1941 | Military Cross |
Career summary 11 | 1941-11-20 - 1942-01-25 | attached Headquarters 6thDivision |
Career summary 12 | 27 March 1942 | arrived Ceylon |
Career summary 13 | 24 June 1942 | attached 16th Brigade group Training School 2 |
Career summary 14 | 04 August 1942 | Returned to Australia (Melb) |
Career summary 15 | 11 August 1942 | temporary lieutenant colonel, commanding officer 5th battalion |
Appointment | 1942-08-11 - 1942-11-05 | Battalion: 5th; Rank on appointment: major, temporary lieutenant colonel ; Appointed from: 2/2nd battalion ; Reason for end of appointment: new command -infantry battalion (was 5th disbanded?) |
Career summary 17 | 05 November 1942 | commanding officer (retain temporary lieutenant colonel) 14/32nd battalion |
Appointment | 1942-11-05 - 1945-07-23 | Battalion: 14/32nd; Rank on appointment: major, temporary lieutenant colonel ; Appointed from: commanding officer 5th battalion ; Reason for end of appointment: new command -BU ??? |
Career summary 20 | 20 June 1943 | medical accidental knee injury |
Career summary 19 | 01 July 1943 | arrived New Guinea |
Career summary 21 | 23 June 1944 | Returned to Australia (Townsville ) ex Lae |
Career summary 22 | 31 July 1944 | arrived New Guinea |
Career summary 23 | 04 November 1944 | Arrived New Britain |
Career summary 24 | 08 April 1945 | Returned to Australia (Bris) |
Career summary 25 | 1945-04-22 - 1945-06-03 | course Land Headquarters Tactical School (senior Offrs) |
Career summary 26 | 23 July 1945 | commanding officer NSW Lines of Communication Area lieutenantD |
Career summary 27 | 29 November 1945 | relinquished command NSW Lines of Communication Area lieutenantD |
Career summary 28 | 01 February 1946 | Reserve of Officers |
Career summary 29 | 21 February 1946 | Companion of the Distinguished Service Order |
Citations 8 | 21 February 1946 | Recmd by R.H. Sandover, COMD 6th Bde, CAG |
Career summary 30 | 31 December 1957 | Officer of the Order of the British Empire |
Date of death | 06 December 1983 | |
Career summary 3 | c 1940-01-08 | arrived Middle East (AIF Adv Party) |
Career summary 9 | c 1941-03-19 | arrived Greece |
Career summary 10 | c 1941-06-13 | arrived Middle East ex Crete |
Career summary 16 | lieutenant colonel 1 Sep 42 (this appears to have been backdated though, because he is appointed to his next comd still as a temporary lieutenant colonel) | |
Career summary 18 | course School of Artillery anti tank senior officers 8 Dec 42-21 Jan 43 (inc annual leave) | |
Citations 2 | 'On the morning of the 4 Jan. 41 "A" Coy. was givent he task of capturing a gun position on the heights above LOWER BARDIA. | |
Citations 3 | Despite the fact that the enemy were sniping vigourously Capt. CALDWELL went forward and formulated his plan for the attack from first hand information, enabling his Coy. eventually to capture the position which contained four 3" dual purpose A.A. Guns and sveral machine guns. | |
Citations 4 | His coolness and courage under fire set a stirring example to the men under his command.' | |
Citations 5 | EXT Sheet DN 1/41 LG 35357/41 Recmd by LTCOL FO Chilton CO 2/2nd Bn | |
Citations 7 | 'For consistently valuable services in connection with the first landing of Aust tps in JACQUINOT BAY and the subsequent advance into WIDE BAY. On Oct 44 this officer was in command of the initial landing of 14/32 Aust Inf Bn in NEW BRITAIN and played a leading part in the tactical and administrative planning for this operation. From then until the fall of KAMANDRAN in Feb 45 Lt-Col CALDWELL's Bn were the leading tps in 6 Aust Inf Bde's advance to TOL. The successful development of a series of bases along the coast owed much to his careful and detailed work. He commanded his Bn during the final assault on TOL-WAITAVALO and was responsible for the capture of SUGI MT, the loss of which finally broke the Japanese resistance in that area. His leadership throughout the whole operation was an inspiration to His Bn. H has commanded 14/32 Aust Inf Bn for nearly 2 1/2 years. He previously served with 2/2 Aust Inf Bn and was decorated for gallantry in GREECE.' | |
WW2 Service 1 | Bardia-Benghazi | |
WW2 Service 4 | New Guinea | |
WW2 Service 5 | New Britain |
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