George Alan Vasey

Who was George Alan Vasey?

Major General George Alan Vasey CB, CBE, DSO and Bar was an Australian soldier. He rose to the rank of Major General during the Second World War, before being killed in a plane crash near Cairns in 1945.

A professional soldier, Vasey graduated from Royal Military College, Duntroon in 1915 and served on the Western Front with the First AIF, for which he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order and twice Mentioned in Despatches. For nearly twenty years, Vasey remained in the rank of major, serving on staff posts in Australia and with the Indian Army.

Shortly after the outbreak of Second World War in September 1939, Lieutenant General Sir Thomas Blamey appointed Vasey to the staff of the 6th Division. In March 1941, Vasey took command of 19th Infantry Brigade which he led in the Battle of Greece and Battle of Crete. Returning to Australia in 1942, Vasey was promoted to major general and became Deputy Chief of the General Staff. In September 1942, he assumed command of the 7th Division, fighting the Japanese in the Kokoda Track campaign and the Battle of Buna-Gona. In 1943, he embarked on his second campaign in New Guinea, leading the 7th Division in the Landing at Nadzab and the subsequent Finisterre Range campaign.