In September 1954, Pollard was promoted to temporary major general and appointed Quartermaster General and Third Military Member of the Military Board. At fifty-two, he was the youngest member of the Board. His promotion to major general was made substantive in December 1954. Inspecting conditions for Australian troops deployed to Malaya in December 1955, Pollard was quoted as saying that there were "one or two" serious complaints but that he was "amazed how few there were, considering that the average soldier complains considerably all the time". In August 1957, he was promoted lieutenant general and succeeded Eric Woodward as General Officer Commanding Eastern Command, upon Woodward's appointment as Governor of New South Wales. Headquartered in Sydney, Eastern Command covered the state of New South Wales and was the superior headquarters for the 2nd Division (CMF). Pollard was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in the Queen's Birthday Honours promulgated on 9 June 1955, and a Companion of the Order of the Bath in the Birthday Honours promulgated on 13 June 1959.