Frank Berryman Lieutenant General Sir Frank Horton Berryman , ( 11 April 1894 – 28 May 1981 ) was an Australian Army officer who served as a general during the Second World War . The son of an engine driver , he entered Duntroon in 1913 . His class graduated early after the First World War broke out , and he served on the Western Front with the field artillery . After the war , he spent nearly twenty years as a major . Berryman joined the Second Australian Imperial Force ( AIF ) on 4 April 1940 with the rank of full colonel , and became General Staff Officer Grade 1 ( GSO1 ) of the 6th Division . He was responsible for the staff work for the attacks on Bardia and Tobruk . In January 1941 , Berryman became Commander , Royal Artillery , 7th Division , and was promoted to brigadier . During the Syria - Lebanon campaign , he commanded " Berry Force " . He returned to Australia in 1942 , becoming Major General , General Staff , of the First Army . Later that year , he became Deputy Chief of the General Staff under the Commander in Chief , General Sir Thomas Blamey , who brought him up to Port Moresby to simultaneously act as chief of staff of New Guinea Force . Berryman was intimately involved with the planning and execution of the Salamaua - Lae campaign and the Huon Peninsula campaign . In November 1943 , he became acting commander of II Corps , which he led in the Battle of Sio . In the final part of the war , he was Blamey ' s representative at General of the Army Douglas MacArthur ' s headquarters and the Australian Army representative at the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay . After the war , Berryman commanded Eastern Command . He directed the military response to the 1949 Australian coal strike . Berryman hoped to become Chief of the General Staff but was passed over as he was seen as a " Blamey man " by Prime Minister Ben Chifley . He retired and became the Director General of the Royal Tour of Queen Elizabeth II in 1954 . He was Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Agricultural Society of New South Wales from 1954 to 1961 . Education and early life . Frank Horton Berryman was born in Geelong , Victoria , on 11 April 1894 , the fourth of six children and the eldest of three sons of William Lee Berryman , a Victorian Railways engine driver , and his wife Annie Jane née Horton . William Berryman joined in the 1903 Victorian Railways strike and , when it failed , was reinstated with a 14 per cent pay cut , only regaining his 1903 pay level in 1916 . Frank was educated at Melbourne High School , where he served in the school Cadet Unit , and won the Rix prize for academic excellence . On graduation , he took a job with the Victorian railways as a junior draughtsman . In 1913 , Berryman entered the Royal Military College , Duntroon , having ranked first among the 154 candidates on the entrance examination . Of the 33 members in his class , nine died in the First World War , and six later became generals : Leslie Beavis , Berryman , William Bridgeford , John Chapman , Edward Milford and Alan Vasey . Berryman rose to fifth in order of merit before his class graduated early , in June 1915 , because of the outbreak of the First World War . First World War . Berryman ' s Duntroon class had not yet completed its military training . Major General William Throsby Bridges decided that regimental duty would rectify that deficiency , so he assigned the Duntroon cadets as regimental officers of the First Australian Imperial Force ( AIF ) , rather than as staff officers . Cadets were given the choice of service in the infantry or light horse . One cadet , Lawrence Wackett , protested that he wished to serve in the technical services . When asked if they would prefer the technical services , twelve cadets , including Berryman , Beavis , Clowes , Vasey , and Wackett stepped forward . Berryman was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Permanent Military Forces ( PMF ) on 29 June 1915 and again in the First AIF on 1 July 1915 . He was posted to Lieutenant Colonel Harold Grimwade ' s 4th Field Artillery Brigade of the 2nd Division Artillery , along with Vasey and Milford . Berryman embarked for Egypt with the 4th Field Artillery Brigade on the transport " Wiltshire " on 17 November 1915 . In Egypt , Berryman briefly commanded the 4th Brigade Ammunition Column before it was absorbed into the 2nd Division Ammunition Column . The 2nd Division moved to France in March 1916 . Berryman became a temporary captain on 1 April 1916 , a rank which became substantive on 10 June 1916 . In January 1917 , he was posted to the 7th Infantry Brigade as a trainee staff captain . During the Second Battle of Bullecourt he served with 2nd Division headquarters . He was appointed to command the 18th Field Artillery Battery , and became a temporary major on 1 September 1917 , which became substantive on 10 September 1917 . This was as far as he could go , for Duntroon graduates could not be promoted above major in the AIF . This policy was aimed at giving them a broad a range of experience , which would benefit the Army , while not allowing them to outnumber the available post - war positions . While commanding the 18th Field Battery , he saw action at the Battle of Passchendaele . For his service as a battery commander in this battle , he received a Mention in Despatches : In September 1918 , he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order . His citation , signed by Major General Charles Rosenthal , read : Berryman was later nominated for a bar to his Distinguished Service Order for the September 1918 fighting , but this was subsequently downgraded to a second Mention in Despatches . He was wounded in the right eye in September 1918 while he was commanding the 14th Field Artillery Battery . Although his wound was serious enough to warrant hospitalisation , there was no permanent damage to his vision . However , it was the end of his career as a battery commander , as the Army took the opportunity to transfer him to a staff post . From 28 October 1918 to 1 July 1919 , he was Brigade Major of the 7th Infantry Brigade . With the war over , he returned to Australia in October 1919 . Between the wars . Berryman was appointed to the Staff Corps on 1 October 1920 . Although he was entitled to keep his AIF rank of major as an honorary rank , his substantive rank — and pay grade — was still lieutenant . Promotion was painfully slow . He was promoted to captain and brevet major on 1 March 1923 , but was not promoted to the substantive rank of major until 1 March 1935 . Berryman attended the Royal Military Academy , Woolwich , from 1920 to 1923 . On returning to Australia , he became an inspecting ordnance officer at the 2nd Military District . From its headquarters at Victoria Barracks , Sydney , the 2nd Military District administered the Army in most of New South Wales . He enrolled in a Bachelor of Science program at the University of Sydney . On 30 November 1925 , he married Muriel Whipp . They eventually had a daughter and a son . Berryman discontinued his university studies to prepare for the entrance examination for Staff College , Camberley . Eighteen Australian Army officers sat the exam that year , but only Berryman and one other officer passed . Only two Australian officers were accepted into staff college each year , so Berryman ' s attendance from 1926 to 1928 marked him out as one of the Australian Army ' s rising talents . It also allowed him to forge useful contacts with the British Army . Berryman later recalled , " The advantage of this was that in war we had the same doctrine of tactics and administration , which was essential if we had to work together . More than that , the officers who had to carry out their duties in cooperation knew each other personally . " After graduation he was posted to the High Commission of Australia , London , from 1929 to 1932 , where he served under the Military Liaison Officer , Major General Julius Bruche . After nearly twenty years as a major , Berryman was promoted to brevet lieutenant colonel on 12 May 1935 . Promotion to substantive rank , which carried the rank ' s pay as well as status , occurred on 1 July 1938 , when he became Assistant Director of Military Operations at Army Headquarters . From December 1938 to April 1940 he was General Staff Officer Grade 1 ( GSO1 ) of the 3rd Division . The slow rate of promotion of regular officers in the inter - war years fostered a sense of injustice and frustration among officers with good war records who found themselves outranked by Militia officers who had enjoyed faster promotion . Second World War . Libya . The final straw for many regular officers was Prime Minister Robert Menzies ' announcement that all commands in the Second AIF would go to Militia officers , which Berryman considered " a damn insult to the professional soldier , calculated to split the Army down the centre . We were to be the hewers of wood and the drawers of water . We , the only people who really knew the job , were to assist these Militia fellows . " Berryman joined the Second AIF on 4 April 1940 with the rank of full colonel , receiving the AIF serial number of VX20308 , and became General Staff Officer Grade 1 ( GSO1 ) of Major General Iven Mackay ' s 6th Division , in succession to Sydney Rowell who stepped up to become chief of staff of I Corps . Berryman soon established a good working relationship with Mackay . Despite the friction between Militia and Staff Corps officers , Berryman chose to assess officers on performance . This meant that while Berryman viewed some Militia officers , like Brigadier Stanley Savige of the 17th Infantry Brigade , with disdain , he maintained good relations with others . There were also personal and professional rivalries with other Staff Corps officers , such as Alan Vasey . Yet even those who disliked Berryman personally for his lack of patience and tact and referred to him as " Berry the Bastard " respected his abilities as a staff officer . Mackay and Berryman were determined that the Battle of Bardia would not be a repeat of the disastrous landing at Anzac Cove in 1915 . Berryman ' s talent for operational staff work came to the fore . From studies of aerial photographs , he selected a spot for the attack where the terrain was most favourable . His plan provided for the coordination of infantry , armour and artillery . While at times he proved secretive and hard to deal with , during the battle his forceful personality provided a good foil to the sometimes indecisive Mackay . Later that month Berryman planned the equally successful Battle of Tobruk . For his services in this campaign , he was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire ( CBE ) . Syria . In January 1941 , Berryman became Commander , Royal Artillery , in Arthur " Tubby " Allen ' s 7th Division , and was promoted to brigadier . During the Syria - Lebanon campaign , Berryman demonstrated that he was a thrusting commander who led from the front and repeatedly demonstrated his coolness under fire . When his headquarters came under shell fire for the first time , Berryman sat calmly eating his breakfast " among the flying brick dust and bursting shells " , simply telling the men to shut the door , " so they can eat breakfast without being covered in dust " . During the Vichy French counterattack , Berryman was given command of the Australian forces in the centre of the position around Merdjayoun . This scratch force became known as " Berryforce " . His mission was to check the enemy advance in the Merdjayoun area . Berryman decided that the best way to do this would be to recapture Merdjayoun . This presented considerable difficulty , for although his force contained two infantry battalions , the 2 / 25th and 2 / 33rd , and a pioneer battalion , the 2 / 2nd , his headquarters was not equipped to control a battle in the manner of an infantry brigade , as it lacked appropriate staff and communications . Moreover , while he was supported by mechanised cavalry and 22 artillery pieces , the opposing French forces had tanks . For the next two weeks , the outnumbered Berryforce attempted to retake the strategically important town in the Battle of Merdjayoun . His first attempt was a failure . After carrying out a personal reconnaissance on 18 June , Berryman tried again . This time his attack was halted by staunch defence by the French Foreign Legion and tanks . Berryman then tried a different approach . Instead of attempting to capture the town , he seized high ground overlooking the French supply lines . Faced with being cut off , the French withdrew from the town . Berryforce was then dissolved and Berryman returned to his role as commander of the 7th Division artillery . The 7th Division was now concentrated in the coastal sector . Berryman clashed with Brigadier Jack Stevens of the 21st Infantry Brigade over the siting of Berryman ' s artillery observation posts , which were forward of the infantry ' s front lines . Berryman wanted Stevens ' positions advanced so as to obtain effective observation of the enemy ' s lines for Berryman ' s gunners . Stevens refused , hampering Berryman ' s efforts to support him in the Battle of Damour . Despite this , Berryman implemented an effective artillery plan . In the final stage of the battle , Berryman , without authority , ordered Lieutenant Colonel Denzil MacArthur - Onslow of the 2 / 6th Cavalry Regiment to pursue the retreating French forces , but was overruled by Savige and Allen . For his part in the campaign , Berryman received a third Mention in Despatches . Papua . On 3 August 1941 , Berryman became Brigadier , General Staff ( chief of staff ) of I Corps under Lieutenant General John Lavarack , again in succession to Rowell , who became Deputy Chief of the General Staff ( DCGS ) . Berryman arrived in Jakarta by air with the advanced party of the I Corps headquarters staff on 26 January 1942 to plan its defence . Berryman reconnoitred Java and prepared an appreciation of the situation . Berryman also attempted to find out as much as possible about Japanese tactics through interviewing Colonel Ian MacAlister Stewart . This information found its way into papers circulated throughout the Army in Australia . It soon became apparent that the situation was hopeless and any troops committed to the defence of Java would be lost . Berryman returned to Australia , where he was promoted to major general on 6 April 1942 , when he became Major General , General Staff ( chief of staff ) of Lavarack ' s First Army . On 14 September 1942 , Berryman became DCGS under the Commander in Chief , General Sir Thomas Blamey , in succession to Vasey . When New Guinea Force split into a rear headquarters under Blamey and an advanced headquarters under Lieutenant General Edmund Herring , so the latter could go forward to direct the Battle of Buna - Gona , Blamey brought Berryman up from Advanced LHQ in Brisbane to simultaneously act as chief of staff of New Guinea Force from 11 December 1942 . Berryman formed a very close professional and personal relationship with Blamey , and henceforth Berryman would be Blamey ' s chief of staff and head of operational planning , which made him " one of the most important officers in the Australian Army in its struggle against the Japanese . " New Guinea . Blamey and Berryman remained close for the rest of the war , and Blamey came to rely heavily on Berryman for advice . It was Berryman who was sent to Wau to investigate the difficulties that Savige was having , and it was Berryman who exonerated Savige . " I reported the situation [ to Blamey and Herring ] , " Berryman record in his diary , " and said Savige had done well and we had misjudged him . " Berryman was intimately involved with the planning of the Salamaua - Lae campaign , working closely with Brigadier General Stephen J . Chamberlin at General Douglas MacArthur ' s General Headquarters ( GHQ ) in Brisbane . Berryman established good working relations with the Americans , even though their staff practices were quite different to those of the Australian Army . Berryman was also involved in the plan ' s execution , once more becoming chief of staff at New Guinea Force under Blamey in August 1943 . Berryman was frustrated at the failure of Vasey ' s 7th Division to destroy the Japanese retreating from Lae , and personally annoyed by the way that Vasey forwarded compliments to Major General Ennis Whitehead while leaving any complaints about air support to be taken up by Berryman . Berryman was next involved with the planning for the landing at Finschhafen , brokering a compromise landing plan between Rear Admiral Daniel E . Barbey and Lieutenant General Sir Edmund Herring . When Berryman discovered that the United States Seventh Fleet did not intend to reinforce the 9th Division he immediately went to Blamey , who took the matter up with MacArthur . However , it was Berryman who brokered a compromise deal with Vice Admiral Arthur S . Carpender to reinforce Finschhafen with a battalion in APDs . On 7 November 1943 , Berryman became acting commander of II Corps , a post which became permanent on 20 January 1944 , superseding Vasey , whose 7th Division was diplomatically placed directly under Lieutenant General Sir Leslie Morshead ' s New Guinea Force . II Corps was left with the 5th and 9th Divisions . Berryman was promoted to lieutenant general on 20 January 1944 . As in Syria , Berryman proved a hard - driving commander . In December 1943 , II Corps broke out of the position around Finschhafen and began a pursuit along the coast . Whenever the Japanese Army attempted to make a stand , Berryman attacked with 25 - pounder artillery barrages and Matilda tank s . Berryman was aware that seasonal changes were making the surf rougher and making it ever harder to operate the US Army landing craft ( LCM s ) and Australian Army amphibious trucks ( DUKW s ) that he depended for the logistical support of his troops , but he realised that the Japanese Army ' s supply difficulties were greater than his own , and he gambled that if he pushed hard enough the Japanese would be unable to regroup and organise a successful defence . In the first phase of the Battle of Sio , the advance from Finschhafen to Sio , 3 , 099 Japanese dead were counted and 38 prisoners taken , at a cost of 8 Australians killed and 48 wounded . In the 5th Division ' s subsequent drive from Sio to link up with the US 32nd Infantry Division at Saidor , 734 Japanese were killed and 1 , 775 found dead , while 48 prisoners were taken . Australian casualties came to 4 killed and 6 wounded . MacArthur considered Berryman ' s performance " quite brilliant " . For his part in the campaign , Berryman was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath ( CB ) on 8 March 1945 . Borneo . II Corps was renumbered I Corps on 13 April 1944 and returned to Australia , where Blamey gave Berryman his next assignment . In preparation for the Philippines Campaign , General MacArthur moved the advanced element of GHQ to Hollandia in Dutch West Papua , where it opened in late August 1944 . To maintain contact with GHQ , Blamey formed a new headquarters , Forward Echelon LHQ , which opened at Hollandia on 7 September under Berryman , who became Blamey ' s personal representative at GHQ . Forward Echelon LHQ subsequently moved with GHQ to Leyte in February 1945 , and Manila in April 1945 . Berryman ' s role was to " safeguard Australian interests " at GHQ , but he also defended GHQ against criticism from the Australian Army . As well as liaising with GHQ , Forward Echelon LHQ became responsible for planning operations involving Australian troops . It worked on plans for operations on Luzon and Mindanao before it was finally decided that Borneo would be the Australian Army ' s next objective . In all of this Berrymen kept in close contact with Blamey , and the two were Australian Army representatives at the Japanese surrender in Tokyo Bay in September 1945 . For his services in the final campaigns , Berryman received a fourth and final Mention in Despatches on 6 March 1947 . Later life . After the war , Berryman took charge of Eastern Command , an appointment he held from March 1946 until his retirement at age 60 in April 1954 . Berryman became known for his involvement in charitable organisations such as the War Widows Association , and as head of the Remembrance Drive Project . For this and his commitment to beautifying the Army barracks , Berryman became colloquially known in the Army as " Frank the Florist " . In June 1949 , the country was rocked by the 1949 Australian coal strike . The strike began when stocks of coal were already low , especially in New South Wales , and rationing was introduced . Prime Minister Ben Chifley turned to the Army to get the troops to mine coal . This became possible when the transport unions agreed to transport coal that was mined . Responsibility for planning and organising the effort fell to Berryman . Soldiers began mining at Muswellbrook and Lithgow on 1 August , and by 15 August , when the strike ended , some 4 , 000 soldiers and airmen were employed . They continued work until production was fully restored . Berryman hoped to become Chief of the General Staff in succession to Lieutenant General Vernon Sturdee but he was seen as a " Blamey man " by Chifley and his Labor government colleagues , who disliked the former Commander - in - Chief . The job was instead given to Rowell . The United States government awarded Berryman the Medal of Freedom with Silver Palm in 1948 . Following the change of government in 1949 , Berryman lobbied Sir Eric Harrison , the Liberal Minister for Defence Production , for the job on the retirement of Rowell in 1954 , but he was now considered too old for the job . Berryman became the Director General of the Royal Tour of Queen Elizabeth II in 1954 , for which he was made a Knight Commander of the Royal Victorian Order ( KCVO ) . He was Chief Executive Officer of the Royal Agricultural Society of New South Wales from 1954 to 1961 . He died on 28 May 1981 at Rose Bay , New South Wales , and was cremated with full military honours . At the time of his funeral the Ambassador for Lebanon , Raymond Heneine , wrote in the " Canberra Times " : " The inhabitants of Jezzine will never forget General Berryman , who liberated their town from the forces of the Vichy French in collaboration with the Italian and German forces . He was for them not only a great general but also a great benefactor who provided them with food supplies and medical care . In fact he was the example of humanitarianism " .