Arthur Samuel Allen Major General Arthur Samuel " Tubby " Allen CB CBE DSO VD ( 10 March 1894 – 25 January 1959 ) was an Australian soldier . During World War II he reached the rank of Major General and commanded Allied forces in the Syria - Lebanon and New Guinea campaign s . Allen was frequently referred to during World War II by the nickname " Tubby " ; an indication of his stocky build and the affection with which he was regarded by both soldiers and the Australian public . Early life . Allen was born at Hurstville , in Sydney . He attended Hurstville Superior Public School before gaining work as an audit clerk with the New South Wales Government Railways . Allen also joined the cadets and then the 39th Battalion of the Militia . World War I . He was commissioned in 1913 and joined the Australian Imperial Force ( AIF ) on 24 June 1915 . Allen embarked for Egypt with reinforcements for the 13th Battalion in August . In March 1916 he was promoted to captain and assigned to the 45th Battalion . He arrived in France on 8 June 1916 and fought at the Battle of Pozières in August . Allen remained in the front line on the Somme into 1917 and led his men through the Battle of Messines in June . His leadership amidst heavy losses earned Allen the Distinguished Service Order and a promotion to Major in July . He continued to lead men in combat , at the Battle of Dernancourt in April 1918 , and then as an acting Lieutenant Colonel , in charge of the 48th Battalion , at Battle of Monument Wood . In June 1918 , Allen went to England to attend the Senior Officer s ’ Course at Aldershot . Less than two weeks after the war ended — at the age of 24 — he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and given command of the 13th Battalion . He was awarded the French " Croix de Guerre " for his service on the Western Front . His appointment with the AIF ended on 10 November 1919 . Between the wars . He became an accountant after the war and in December 1921 married Agnes Blair . Allen returned to accounting , but remained active in the Militia . In 1933 he became a full Colonel , in charge of the 14th Brigade . Five years later , in 1938 , he became a Brigadier . World War II . In October 1939 , Allen was given command of the 16th Brigade in the Second AIF ' s 6th Division . Later in 1940 , Allen was in North Africa , where his brigade fought at Bardia and Tobruk . In March , Allen and the brigade left North Africa for the ill - fated Greek campaign , following which he was awarded the Greek War Cross . He was then given command of the 7th Division , and commanded it in the invasion of Syria and Lebanon , against Vichy French forces . Allen was officially promoted to Major General in August 1941 . Following the outbreak of war with Japan , Allen returned to Australia in March 1942 , and in August took charge of operations against the Japanese advance along the Kokoda Track . Although he was successful , Allen nevertheless came under what many consider unfair criticism from the Allied commander in the South West Pacific Area , U . S . General Douglas MacArthur and the Allied land forces commander , the Australian General Thomas Blamey , for moving too slowly in pursuit of the Japanese across the Owen Stanley Ranges . He was relieved of his command on 29 October 1942 . Lesser appointments followed , but in October 1944 , Blamey recommended Allen be made a Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire ( KBE ) , although Allen was never appointed . Later life . After the war Allen became a senior partner in a Sydney accountancy firm . He died on 25 January 1959 and was given a military funeral before being cremated . He was survived by his wife and two sons .