Ronald McNicoll

Major General Ronald Ramsay McNicoll, CBE, AM (15 September 1906 – 18 September 1996) was an Australian Army general who served in the Royal Australian Engineers.

Ronald Ramsay McNicoll
Born(1906-09-15)15 September 1906
Melbourne, Victoria
Died18 September 1996(1996-09-18) (aged 90)
Melbourne, Victoria
AllegianceAustralia
Service/branchAustralian Army
Years of service1923–1964
RankMajor General
Battles/warsSecond World War
Korean War
AwardsCommander of the Order of the British Empire
Member of the Order of Australia
Mentioned in Despatches
RelationsBrigadier General Sir Walter McNicoll (father)
Vice Admiral Sir Alan McNicoll (brother)

Early life

Born on 15 September 1906 in Melbourne, Victoria, McNicoll was the son of Sir Walter McNicoll and elder brother of Sir Alan McNicoll. Growing up in Goulburn, he completed his schooling at Scots College before taking up an appointment as a staff cadet at the Royal Military College, Duntroon in 1923. After graduating from Duntroon in 1926, he was granted the rank of lieutenant in the engineers and undertook a civilian engineering degree at the University of Sydney.[1]

Military career

In the pre-war years, he was involved in constructing bases in the northern part of Australia, including Larrakeyah Barracks in Darwin.[1] He was also posted to the 4th Division in Melbourne, undertook training overseas and served in regimental appointments in Brisbane, Adelaide and then later Keswick, in South Australia.[2]

During the Second World War, McNicoll saw active service in the Middle East and in Europe, including a period on exchange with the Supreme Headquarters Allied Expeditionary Force, helping to plan the D-Day landings. He was Mentioned in Despatches as a major of engineers while serving in the 6th Division.[3]

After the war, he was steadily promoted. As a temporary brigadier he briefly served during the Korean War deploying with the Australian Ancillary Unit in March 1953.[2][4] He undertook a number of different staff appointments including Chief Engineer of Eastern Command and Engineer-in-Chief, Army Headquarters.[2] He eventually reaching the rank of major general before retiring from the military in 1964.[5] He later wrote three volumes of the Royal Australian Engineers corps history, covering the periods from colonial Australia to the Second World War.[6][7][8] He was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1957,[9] and a Member of the Order of Australia in 1982.[10] He died on 18 September 1996.[1]

Notes
Citations
  1. Morgan, Joseph. "McNicoll, Ronald Ramsay (1906–1996)". People Australia. National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. Retrieved 28 August 2017.
  2. 60243075: Service record: McNicoll, Ronald Ramsay (series number B2458/365), Australian Army – via National Archives of Australia
  3. "Ronald Ramsay McNicoll: Mention in Despatches". Honours and Awards. Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
  4. "McNicoll, Ronald Ramsay: Korean War Service". Department of Veterans' Affairs. Retrieved 8 June 2020.
  5. Nelson, Penelope. "Officer with a gift for writing", The Australian, 4 October 1996, p. 17.
  6. McNicoll 1977.
  7. McNicoll 1979.
  8. McNicoll 1982.
  9. "Ronald Ramsay McNicoll: Commander of the Order of the British Empire". Honours and Awards. Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 23 December 2014.
  10. "McNicoll, Ronald Ramsay: Member of the Order of Australia". It's an Honour. Commonwealth of Australia. Retrieved 7 October 2015.
Bibliography
  • McNicoll, Ronald (1977). The Royal Australian Engineers 1835 to 1902: The Colonial Engineers. History of the Royal Australian Engineers, Volume I. Canberra: Australian Capital Territory: Corps Committee of the Royal Australian Engineers. ISBN 9780959687118.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • McNicoll, Ronald (1979). The Royal Australian Engineers 1902 to 1919: Making and Breaking. History of the Royal Australian Engineers, Volume II. Canberra: Australian Capital Territory: Corps Committee of the Royal Australian Engineers. ISBN 9780959687125.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)
  • McNicoll, Ronald (1982). The Royal Australian Engineers 1919 to 1945: Teeth and Tail. History of the Royal Australian Engineers, Volume III. Canberra: Australian Capital Territory: Corps Committee of the Royal Australian Engineers. ISBN 9780959687101.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)

Further reading
  • McNicoll, Ronald (1976). The Early Years of the Melbourne Club. Melbourne, Victoria: Hawthorne Press. ISBN 0725601701.
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