Years of service 1903–1940 Rank Lieutenant general | Name Ernest Squires | |
Allegiance United Kingdom
Australia Commands held Chief of the General Staff Battles/wars First World War
Third Anglo-Afghan War
Second World War Awards Companion of the Order of the Bath
Distinguished Service Order
Military Cross
Mentioned in Despatches (6) Died March 2, 1940, Melbourne, Australia Education Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, Eton College Battles and wars World War I, Third Anglo-Afghan War, World War II Service/branch British Army, Australian Army | ||
Lieutenant General Ernest Ker Squires CB, DSO, MC (18 December 1882 – 2 March 1940) was a senior officer in the Australian Army who served as Chief of the General Staff (1939–1940).
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Military career
Educated at Eton College and the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, Squires was commissioned into the Royal Engineers in 1903. He transferred to the 3rd Sappers and Miners in India in 1905.
He served in the First World War and was wounded at Givenchy in 1914 and at Ypres in 1915. Later that year he saw action again – this time in Mesopotamia. In 1932 he was made Brigadier on the General Staff of Southern Command.
He became Director of Staff Duties at the War Office in 1939, Inspector General of the Australian Army in 1938, and Chief of the General Staff in 1939. His health failed him and he died early the following year.
Family
In 1912 he married Ethel Elsie Risley.