Colin Hall Simpson | |
---|---|
Born | St Kilda, Victoria | 13 April 1894
Died | 23 August 1964 Heidelberg, Victoria | (aged 70)
Buried | |
Allegiance | Australia |
Service/ | Australian Army |
Years of service | 1912–1946 |
Rank | Major General |
Service number | VX79 |
Commands | 6th Infantry Brigade (1939) 39th Infantry Battalion (1929–33) 3rd Division Signals Company (1923–29, 1935–39) |
Battles/wars | |
Awards | Commander of the Order of the British Empire Military Cross Colonial Auxiliary Forces Officers' Decoration Mentioned in Despatches (2) |
Major General Colin Hall Simpson, CBE, MC, VD (13 April 1894 – 23 August 1964) was an Australian Army officer who rose to the rank of major general as Signal Officer in Chief during the Second World War. He was one of the founders of Amcal, the largest retail pharmacy chain in Australia.
Simpson joined the Australian Imperial Force in 1916 and served on the Western Front in the Battle of Messines and Battle of Passchendaele. He was twice wounded and was mentioned in despatches and awarded the Military Cross. After the war he worked as a pharmacist and rose to the rank of colonel in the Militia. He transferred to the Australian Corps of Signals on its formation in 1925.
During the Second World War he participated in the campaigns in Greece and Syria as Chief Signals Officer of the I Corps. He returned to Australia in 1942 to become the Australian Army's Signal Officer in Chief. He also became the first Australian Corps of Signals officer to reach the rank of major general.