John Raymond Broadbent (major general)

Not to be confused with John Raymond Broadbent (quartermaster-general).

Major General John Raymond Broadbent, CBE, DSO, ED (24 June 1914 – 27 October 2006) was an Australian Army officer and lawyer.

John Raymond Broadbent
Born	(1914-06-24)24 June 1914 Manly, New South Wales
Died	27 October 2006(2006-10-27) (aged 92) North Sydney, New South Wales
Allegiance	Australia
Service / branch	Australian Army
Years of service	1935–1966
Rank	Major General
Service number	NX12225 261506
Commands	2nd Division (1965–66) 5th Brigade (1955–58) 17th/18th Battalion (1948–51) 2/17th Battalion (1944–46)
Battles / wars	Second World War North African Campaign Siege of Tobruk South West Pacific theatre Salamaua–Lae campaign
Awards	Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Service Order Efficiency Decoration Mentioned in Despatches

Early life and career

Broadbent studied at the University of Sydney, gaining the degrees of Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts in 1938.

Military career

Broadbent joined the Sydney University Regiment in 1935 and was commissioned in 1937. He served in the 17th Battalion (The North Sydney Regiment) during the interwar period, enlisted in Second Australian Imperial Force on 7 May 1940, and arrived in the Middle East in November. He was appointed captain in 1941. Broadbent returned to Sydney in February 1943 and was posted to New Guinea from August 1943 to February 1944. He was promoted temporary lieutenant colonel in February 1944 and awarded the Distinguished Service Order in April for "energy and determined leadership at Lae and Finschhafen" as a major. Broadbent was posted to Borneo from April to December 1945 and discharged on 15 March 1946 with the rank of lieutenant colonel while Commanding Officer of the 2/17th Battalion.

Broadbent was appointed the first commanding officer of the 17/18th Battalion (The North Shore Regiment) on the raising of the Citizen Military Forces (CMF) in 1948. He was placed on the Reserve of Officers in 1951 and was appointed commander 5th Brigade as a brigadier in 1955. In 1958 he joined Eastern Command Officers Staff Group (ACMF) and was promoted to major general in 1963 to command Headquarters Communications Zone. From August 1965 to November 1966 Broadbent was General Officer Commanding the 2nd Division; and from December 1966 was appointed to the Unattached List of Eastern Command. On 10 June 1967, Broadbent was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen's Birthday Honours List.

External links

• NX12225 John Raymond Broadbent, DSO, Australian War Memorial, retrieved 10 January 2010