Ronald Laurence Hughes

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Ronald Laurence Hughes
Commander of the Order of the British Empire
Distinguished Service Order
RelationsJames Curnow Hughes (brother)

CBE, DSO (17 September 1920 – 2 February 2003) was a senior infantry officer in the Australian Army, seeing service during the Second World War, the Korean War and the Vietnam War. Joining the Australian Army in 1937, after graduating from the Royal Military College, Duntroon in 1939 he served in New Guinea and Borneo during the Second World War. He commanded the 3rd Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (3 RAR) during the static phase of the war in Korea in 1952–1953. Later, he commanded the 1st Australian Task Force
(1 ATF) in South Vietnam in 1967–68, during some of the heaviest fighting of the war experienced by the Australians. He subsequently filled a number of senior command and staff positions before retiring in 1977.

Early life

Hughes was born in

lieutenant in the infantry in 1939.[1][2]

Military career

Following the outbreak of the Second World War, he was posted to the

major serving with the Australian Military Mission in Tokyo, in 1945–46.[3][4]

Hughes was married in 1947 and he and his wife Joan later had three sons, Alan, David and Geoffrey.

Joint Services Staff College in the United Kingdom, and later instructed there. In 1964 he went to Indonesia as Military Attaché during the Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation. Returning to Australia in 1966, Hughes was promoted to brigadier, taking over command of the Queensland-based 6th Task Force.[3]

During 1967–68 Hughes commanded the

Hughes returned to Australia in October 1968.

company, a battalion, a brigade and a division.[1] Finally, he was posted as Chief of the Reserve, Army Headquarters, before retiring in 1977.[2]

Later life

In his later life Hughes was actively involved in the Returned and Services League of Australia (RSL), the United Services Institution and the Military History Society of Australia.[1] During his retirement he was a keen gardener and tennis player and he and Joan later travelled around Australia for six months in a caravan.[1] Hughes died in Canberra on 2 February 2003, aged eighty-two.[3]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Shelton 2003, p. 75.
  2. ^ a b c O'Neill 1985, p. 648.
  3. ^ a b c d e Australian Army Journal 2003, p. 138.
  4. ^ a b "Australian Army Amphibious Operations in the South-West Pacific: 1942–45: Contributors" (PDF). Australian Army History Unit. Archived from the original (PDF) on 23 May 2009. Retrieved 13 October 2011.
  5. ^ "A general who kept his feet on the ground – Maj-Gen Ronald Hughes". Army News: The Soldiers' Newspaper. Canberra: Australian Department of Defence. 13 March 2003.
  6. ^ Horner 2008, p. 440.
  7. ^ Forbes 2010, p. 446.
  8. ^ a b Palazzo 2006, p. 45.
  9. ^ Ham 2007, p. 315.
  10. ^ Dennis et al 2008, p. 556.
  11. ^ Palazzo 2006, p. 117.

References

Military offices
Preceded by
Major General Stuart Graham
Commander 1st Division
1974–1975
Succeeded by
Major General Bruce McDonald