Charles Brand ( general ) Major General Charles Henry Brand CB , CMG , CVO , DSO ( 4 September 1873 – 31 July 1961 ) was an Australian Army brigadier - general in World War I . He retired in 1930 as a major - general . Early life and career . Charles Henry Brand was born in Ipswich , Queensland , on 4 September 1873 , one of the five children of a farmer . He was educated at Bundaburg and Maryborough State Schools and joined the Department of Public Instruction as a teacher in November 1887 . On 17 February 1898 , Brand was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Queensland Volunteer Infantry . On the outbreak of the Second Boer War in South Africa , he enlisted as a sergeant in the 3rd Queensland ( Mounted Infantry ) Contingent . Brand served with the Rhodesian Field Force from 26 April 1900 to 25 May 1900 . He was promoted to lieutenant on 25 June 1900 and then in Transvaal participating in the action at Renosterkop on 29 November 1900 . He then served in the Orange Free State , the Cape Colony and then returned to Transvaal . He returned to Australia in June 1901 , but in May 1902 , he volunteered for a second tour , and was promoted to captain in command of a squadron the 7th Commonwealth Light Horse . However peace was declared before the unit reached South Africa . When he returned to Australia a second time , Brand resumed his pre - war career as a teacher , teaching at Charters Towers State School from 1903 to 1904 . He was promoted to captain in the Queensland Volunteer Infantry on 27 March 1903 , serving as adjutant from 1 September 1902 to 30 November 1905 . In 1905 , Brand joined the permanent forces as a lieutenant and joined the Administrative and Instructional Corps located in Melbourne . He was promoted to the rank of captain in July 1909 . In 1910 , he was sent to India on an officer exchange . He served as a General Staff Officer ( GSO ) at Secunderabad , as Deputy Adjutant and Quartermaster General of the 1st and 2nd Secunderabad Infantry Brigades , as a staff captain with the Secunderabad Cavalry Brigade . He also attended the transport and musketry schools in 1911 . Brand returned to Australia in September 1911 holding the position of General Staff Officer ( third grade ) ( GSO3 ) in Adelaide until 26 November 1913 . For a short time in late 1913 Brand took temporary command of the 4th Military District ( South Australia ) , in June 1914 Brand returned to his previous post of GSO3 . World War I . Brand joined the First Australian Imperial Force as a major on 15 August 1914 . Major General William Throsby Bridges selected Brand as the brigade major of the 3rd Infantry Brigade . Brand departed for Egypt on board the Orvieto on 21 October 1914 . During his stay in Egypt Brand became a recognisable sight , going about his duties on a donkey when other transport was scare . The 3rd Brigade was the first unit to hit the beaches at Anzac Cove on 25 April 1915 , Brand landed at around 7AM . Brand was ordered to take the 400 Plateau , later in the day Brand attempted to create defensive positions here with elements of the Australian 9th and 10th battalions . On 16 May 1915 , Brand took over temporary command of the 3rd Infantry Battalion . Then on the 20 May he was transferred to the 8th Infantry Battalion . The following day he was wounded when a German naval shell struck its headquarters but remained on duty . On 2 June 1915 , he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order ( DSO ) , becoming the first Australian to receive the award for the Gallipoli campaign . On 14 July 1915 , he took over permanent command of the 8th Battalion , and was promoted to the rank of lieutenant colonel . The 8th Battalion relieved the 6th and 7th Battalions at Steele ' s Post on 18 July so that they could participate in the attack on Lone Pine . The 8th battalion held Steele ' s Post for the rest of the campaign . The 8th Battalion moved to the Western Front during March 1916 . From 6 to 27 June 1916 , Brand was acting commander of the 6th Infantry Brigade , standing in for Brigadier John Gellibrand , who had been wounded . After this , Brand was marked for the next brigade appointment , and on 10 July 1916 , he succeeded Brigadier General John Monash in command of the 4th Infantry Brigade , and was promoted to colonel and temporary brigadier general . Brand led the brigade at Pozieres in July 1916 . Brand was a vocal opponent to the attack on Bullecourt during the Battle of Arras in April 1917 which cost his brigade 2 , 339 casualties out of 3 , 000 engaged , of whom about 1 , 000 were prisoners . Later Brand and Lieutenant General William Birdwood apologised to the brigade , with tears in their eyes . The brigade took part in the Battle of Messines in June . On 6 July 1917 , the staff of the 4th Brigade was sitting down to dinner when a German 5 . 9 inch shell landed among them . Lieutenant Markam the brigade intelligence officer , was killed and Brand , his brigade major , Major Johnston , staff captain , Captain Thomson , and signal officer , Lieutenant Beazley , were all wounded . Brand rejoined the brigade on 18 July and led it at the Third battle of Ypres . During the German Offensive of 1918 , the 4th Brigade was sent to cover a gap around the town of Hebuterne , which it managed to hold for three weeks . From 9 to 25 July 1918 , Brand was acting commander of the 4th Division . During the attack on the Hindenburg Line , Brand was the head of a contingent of 109 Australian advisors attached to the 27th Division and helped lead it through its first divisional strength battle . On 5 October 1918 , Brand left the 4th Brigade to return to Australia on Anzac Leave . Before sailing for Australia he was awarded with the Companion of the Order of the Bath ( CB ) , Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George ( CMG ) and Distinguished Service Order ( DSO ) at Buckingham Palace . For his services during World War I , he had been Mentioned in Despatches eight times . Brand arrived in Australia on 21 December 1918 and his appointment to the AIF was terminated on 21 February 1919 . Post war . From 1919 to 1920 , Brand was commandant of the 3rd Military District ( Victoria ) . He was confirmed in the rank of brigadier general on 1 April 1920 and was base commandant of the 2nd Military District ( New South Wales ) from 1921 to 1925 . He became 2nd Chief of the General Staff ( CGS ) and a member of the Military Board in 1926 . In 1927 , Brand was appointed a Commander of the Royal Victorian Order ( CVO ) following his services in the Duke and Dutchess of York ' s visit to Australia in order to open the new Federal capital in Canberra . From 1928 to 1933 he was Quartermaster General . He retired in 1933 with the rank of major general . In 1934 Brand won an Australian Senate seat for the United Australia Party which he held until June 1947 . He was most concerned with defence policy and veterans ' affairs and was chairman of the Parliamentary Ex - Servicemen ' s Committee from 1942 to 1947 . Brand died on 31 July 1961 , and was cremated with full military honours .