George Wootten

Who was George Wootten?

Major General Sir George Frederick Wootten KBE, CB, DSO & Bar, ED, was an Australian soldier, public servant, right wing political activist and solicitor. He rose to the rank of temporary major general during World War II. Wootten earned the respect of his soldiers and superiors; General Douglas MacArthur described him as "the best soldier in the Australian Army who had it in him to reach the highest position". He was famous, in part, for his heavy build; he had given up smoking in 1930, and by 1941—even though he was 175 cm tall—he weighed 127 kg.