41 Facts About Walter Cawthorn

Sir Walter Joseph Cawthorn, better known as Bill Cawthorn, known as W J Cawthorn and Wally Cawthorn, was an Australian former two-star rank general who served in the British Indian Army and Pakistan Army.

Walter Cawthorn was a teacher, diplomat, and is considered Australia's greatest spymaster.

Walter Cawthorn was appointed Deputy Chief of Staff of the Pakistan Army from February 1948 to February 1951.

Walter Cawthorn returned to Australia in 1952 and served as Director Joint Intelligence Bureau until 1954.

Walter Cawthorn's tenure was characterized as 'a period of consolidation and development,' during which he served until his retirement on 3 July 1968.

Walter Joseph Cawthorn was born in Prahran, Victoria on 11 June 1896.

Walter Cawthorn was the second child of William Cawthorn, an English commercial traveler and paper merchant, and his Victorian-born wife, Fanny Adelaide.

Walter Cawthorn had an older sister, Alberta Frances, who died in infancy.

Walter Cawthorn married Mary Wyman Varley, a widow and the daughter of Andrew Gillison, on 10 March 1927 at the Marylebone Presbyterian Church in London.

Walter Cawthorn graduated from the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst and was commissioned into the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders on 16 December 1949.

Walter Cawthorn is buried at the United Nations Memorial Cemetery in Korea.

In Robert Shepherd's biography of Enoch Powell, its noted that Walter Cawthorn became "almost a second father" to him.

Walter Cawthorn enlisted in the First Australian Imperial Force on 3 February 1915, joining B Company of the 22nd Battalion as a Sergeant.

Walter Cawthorn's unit departed Melbourne aboard HMAT A38 Ulysses on 10 May 1915.

Walter Cawthorn was promoted to Lieutenant on 15 July 1916 and returned to the Western Front in November.

Walter Cawthorn was sent to England for training duties in April 1917 and promoted to captain in May After rejoining his unit in August, he was sent back to England, where his AIF service ended on 12 February 1918.

Lieutenant Walter Cawthorn was commissioned into the British Indian Army on 25 March 1918.

Walter Cawthorn served with the 46th Punjabis in Palestine from September to October 1918 and was Mentioned in Despatches in the London Gazette 12 January 1920.

Walter Cawthorn remained with them when, in 1922, the regiment became the 10th Battalion, 16th Punjab Regiment.

Walter Cawthorn transferred to the 4th Battalion of the 16th Punjab Regiment in India on 25 September 1925.

Captain Walter Cawthorn arrived in Bombay aboard the SS Razmak on 15 April 1927.

From 1929 to 1930, Walter Cawthorn attended the Staff College, Camberley, after which, on 1 May 1930, he became a company commander in the 4th Battalion, 16th Punjab Regiment, serving on the North-West Frontier.

In January 1937, Walter Cawthorn was posted as General Staff Officer Grade 2 at the War Office in London, where he noted the united Arab opposition to the partition of Palestine, which he regarded as 'the first real example, since the Islamic Golden Age, of a movement that had stirred the entire Arab world at once.

Walter Cawthorn served as Director of the Middle East Intelligence Centre in Cairo.

Walter Cawthorn was succeeded by his deputy, Colonel Iltyd Nicholl Clayton in 1941.

Walter Cawthorn was promoted to acting Brigadier and became Director of Military Intelligence at GHQ India on 15 August 1941.

Under his leadership, the camouflage development section was created, with Walter Cawthorn showing particular enthusiasm for its potential.

Walter Cawthorn, noted as 'an Australian who fully appreciated what Fleming was trying to achieve,' was accompanied by Peter Fleming to the Quebec Conference, 1943.

Walter Cawthorn proposed the creation of a "Joint Intelligence Board" in New Delhi, which would include representatives from the US Army, Navy, and various intelligence agencies, along with British and Indian officials, to coordinate intelligence sharing and prevent duplication of efforts.

From 1 May 1944 to 2 March 1945, temporary Major General Walter Cawthorn served as the Director of Intelligence in British India.

Walter Cawthorn's tenure ended in February 1951 when he was succeeded by Major General M A Latif Khan.

Walter Cawthorn returned to Australia and as a civilian was appointed Director Joint Intelligence Bureau in 1952.

General Walter Cawthorn, accompanied by his wife Mary and sister Minnie Elizabeth Walter Cawthorn, attended a ceremonial investiture in his honor at Government House, Canberra on 11 March 1954.

Walter Cawthorn is not a prisoner or anything like that.

Walter Cawthorn succeeded Ralph Harry and took over the position in September 1960.

Walter Cawthorn arranged for some Australians from the AATTV to be attached to it.

Walter Cawthorn developed a strong interest in Indonesian affairs and expanded the Jakarta office, making it the largest ASIS station.

Thomas Millar refutes the claim, noting that Walter Cawthorn was actually the third head of ASIS.

Walter Cawthorn lived at Little Tocknells, in Kallista, within the Dandenong Ranges after his retirement, as Peter Hohnen describes.

Walter Cawthorn was "tall and dignified," with dark hair and a military moustache.

Walter Cawthorn was a very capable and most valuable Australian who more than pulled his weight in many walks of life.