George William Symes | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | 12 January 1896 Minterne Magna, Dorset, England |
| Died | 26 August 1980 (aged 84) Adelaide, South Australia |
| Buried | Centennial Park Cemetery, Adelaide, Australia |
| Allegiance | United Kingdom |
| Service | British Army |
| Years of service | 1915–1949 |
| Rank | Major general |
| Service number | 9517 |
| Unit | Durham Light Infantry Machine Gun Corps York and Lancaster Regiment |
| Commands | 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Division 70th Infantry Division 8th Infantry Brigade |
| Battles / wars | First World War Arab revolt in Palestine Second World War |
| Awards | Companion of the Order of the Bath Military Cross & Bar Mentioned in despatches |
| Other work | Private secretary to the Governor of South Australia |
Major General George William Symes, CB, MC & Bar (12 January 1896 – 26 August 1980) was a senior British Army officer who served in the First World War, in which he was twice awarded the Military Cross. During the Second World War he commanded the 70th Infantry Division in India, and was deputy commander of the Special Force, commonly known as the Chindits, in Burma. He was deputy commander of the lines of communication of the 21st Army Group from May to November 1944, and then commanded the lines of communication in South East Asia Command (SEAC). In June 1945, he became general officer commanding (GOC) in Southern Burma.
In 1949, he retired from the British Army and emigrated to Australia, where he became one of the first directors of Santos from its initial incorporation in Adelaide on 18 March 1954 until he retired in 1978. He was private secretary to two South Australian Governors, Sir Robert George and Sir Edric Bastyan.