Sir Iven Giffard Mackay | |
|---|---|
 Mackay in 1941 | |
| Nickname(s) | "Mister Chips" |
| Born | 7 April 1882 Grafton, New South Wales |
| Died | 30 September 1966 (aged 84) Sydney, New South Wales |
| Allegiance | Australia |
| Service | Australian Army |
| Years of service | 1913–1946 |
| Rank | Lieutenant general |
| Service number | NX363 |
| Commands | New Guinea Force (1943–44) Second Army (1942–44) 6th Division (1940–41) 2nd Division (1937–40) 5th Infantry Brigade (1930–32) 8th Infantry Brigade (1921–26) 9th Infantry Brigade (1920–21) 1st Infantry Brigade (1918) 1st Machine Gun Battalion (1918) 4th Infantry Battalion (1916–18) |
| Battles / wars | |
| Awards | Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George Distinguished Service Order & Bar Volunteer Decoration Mentioned in Despatches (6) Croix de guerre (France) War Cross (Greece) |
| Other work | Australian High Commissioner to India (1943–48) |
Lieutenant General Sir Iven Giffard Mackay, KBE, CMG, DSO & Bar, VD (7 April 1882 – 30 September 1966) was a senior Australian Army officer who served in both world wars.
Mackay graduated from the University of Sydney in 1904 and taught physics there from 1910 until 1914, when he joined the Australian Imperial Force shortly after the outbreak of the First World War. He served with the 4th Infantry Battalion at Gallipoli, where he distinguished himself in hand-to-hand fighting at the Battle of Lone Pine. In April 1916, he assumed command of the 4th Infantry Battalion on the Western Front and led it at the Battle of Pozières, Battle of Bullecourt and Battle of Broodseinde. He was promoted to brigadier general in June 1918, and led the 1st Infantry Brigade at the Battle of Hazebrouck, the Battle of Amiens and in the attack on the Hindenburg Line.
After the war, Mackay studied physics at the University of Cambridge under Ernest Rutherford before returning to Australia and his old job as a lecturer at the University of Sydney. From 1933 to 1940 he was headmaster of Cranbrook School, Sydney. He remained in the Militia between the wars, and was a major general by the time the Second World War broke out. He was selected to command the 6th Division in 1940, and led it through the Australian Army's first battles of the war. Any doubts about his ability soon disappeared with the commitment of the division to the Western Desert Campaign. During the Battle of Bardia in January 1941, the 6th Division captured the fortified town along with 36,000 Italian prisoners. In the Battle of Greece, he became the only Australian general to face the Waffen-SS in battle. He suffered a series of reverses in Greece, but impressed the troops under his command with his courage under fire. He was recalled to Australia in 1941 to serve as General Officer Commanding Home Forces. On 6 April 1942, he assumed command of the Second Army. During 1943 he twice commanded New Guinea Force in the fighting in the New Guinea campaign. His active service ended with his appointment as High Commissioner to India in November 1943.