John Hartley (general)

John Curtis Hartley was born in Cardiff, Wales, on 5 January 1943 to Dorothy Ann Prosser and John Curtis Hartley.{{cite web|title=Maj. Gen. John Curtis Hartley|url=https://connectweb.com.au/view-biography.aspx?pid=2386&p=WWA|work=Who's Who in Australia Online|publisher=ConnectWeb|access-date=30 October 2019}}{{cite web|title=Hartley, John Curtis|url=http://www.vietnamroll.gov.au/VeteranDetails.aspx?VeteranId=1235708|work=Vietnam War Nominal Roll|publisher=Department of Veterans' Affairs|access-date=30 October 2019}} The family settled in Australia in 1953, where Hartley was educated at Nambour State High School on Queensland's Sunshine Coast. He later obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Queensland.

Hartley entered the Royal Military College, Duntroon as an Australian Army officer cadet in February 1962.{{cite news|title=Australian Military Forces|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/241008367|newspaper=Commonwealth of Australia Gazette|date=5 July 1962|access-date=30 October 2019}} On graduation, he was commissioned a lieutenant in the Royal Australian Infantry Corps on 15 December 1965 and posted to a platoon command in the 5th Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (5RAR).{{cite news|title=Australian Regular Army|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/241072233/26085723|newspaper=Commonwealth of Australia Gazette|date=3 February 1966|access-date=30 October 2019}} Shortly after, 5RAR was mobilised for deployment to Vietnam. The battalion underwent three months of rigorous training prior to emplaning for Vietnam, arriving on 8 May.{{Harvnb|O'Neill|1968|pp=21–23}} Within two weeks, Hartley and 5RAR were engaged in active operations. Alongside the United States 503rd Infantry Regiment and the 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment, 5RAR took part in Operation Hardihood to clear an area in Phước Tuy Province to establish Nui Dat, a base of operations for the 1st Australian Task Force. Hartley was twice Mentioned in Despatches for his distinguished performance in Vietnam.{{cite news|title=Government House, Canberra|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/241043332|newspaper=Commonwealth of Australia Gazette|date=30 March 1967|access-date=30 October 2019}}{{cite news|title=Government House, Canberra|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/241019348|newspaper=Commonwealth of Australia Gazette|date=23 November 1967|access-date=30 October 2019}}{{London Gazette|issue=44461|date=28 November 1967|page=12980|supp=y}}

File:Lieut John Hartley and 5RAR guard Vietnamese, 1966.jpg) and soldiers of 5RAR guard Vietnamese civilians following a house sweep, 26 May 1966.]]

Hartley returned from Vietnam in May 1967 and was posted as aide-de-camp to the General Officer Commanding Northern Command in Brisbane. He was advanced to temporary captain on 24 July that year,{{cite news|title=Australian Military Forces|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/241041703|newspaper=Commonwealth of Australia Gazette|date=31 August 1967|access-date=30 October 2019}} appointed General Staff Officer (Grade 3) Operations at headquarters 6th Task Force in 1968, and made substantive captain from 15 December 1969.{{cite news|title=Australian Military Forces|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/240557459/26030979|newspaper=Commonwealth of Australia Gazette|date=22 January 1970|access-date=30 October 2019}} In April 1970 he returned to Vietnam for a second tour, this time as a military advisor with the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam. In this capacity, Hartley was a Senior Advisor to a battalion of the Army of the Republic of Vietnam.{{cite web|title=The Board: Major General John Hartley (Retd)|url=http://www.futuredirections.org.au/people/major-general-john-hartley/|publisher=Future Directions International|access-date=30 October 2019|archive-date=30 October 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191030092652/http://www.futuredirections.org.au/people/major-general-john-hartley/|url-status=dead}} He was seriously wounded while operating in Phước Tuy Province on 21 March 1971 and was evacuated to Australia on 5 April,{{Harvnb|Davies|McKay|2005|p=190}} but in recognition of his service Hartley was awarded a Cross of Gallantry from the South Vietnamese government, as well as an Army Commendation Medal with oak leaf cluster and "V" device and an Air Medal from the United States.

In 1973, Hartley was appointed adjutant of the Australian Army Intelligence Centre in Woodside, South Australia, and advanced to temporary major from 3 August.{{cite news|title=Australian Military Forces|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/240777233|newspaper=Australian Government Gazette|date=30 August 1973|access-date=30 October 2019}} He was posted as Staff Officer (Grade 2) Operations and Intelligence to the 4th Military District in 1974, confirmed in the rank of major on 15 December 1975,{{cite news|title=Australian Regular Army|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/240841181/25967653|newspaper=Australian Government Gazette|date=3 February 1976|access-date=30 October 2019}} and appointed a senior instructor at the School of Military Intelligence in Canungra, Queensland, from 1976. Hartley was posted on a two-year exchange with the United States Army Pacific, based in Hawaii, from 1977. He returned to Australia with a second oak leaf cluster to his Army Commendation Medal and, on 15 January 1980, was made temporary lieutenant colonel and appointed to the directing staff of the Army Command and Staff College.{{cite news|title=Australian Regular Army|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/240753134|newspaper=Commonwealth of Australia Gazette|date=12 June 1979|access-date=30 October 2019}} His rank was made substantive from 14 July the same year.{{cite news|title=Australian Army|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/240772527|newspaper=Commonwealth of Australia Gazette|date=14 October 1980|access-date=30 October 2019}}

Hartley was appointed as Staff Officer (Grade 1) Operations at the headquarters 1st Division in 1981, made Deputy Director of Military Intelligence at Australian Army headquarters in Canberra in 1983 and, promoted colonel on 17 December 1984,{{cite news|title=Promotion of Officers|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/240826244|newspaper=Commonwealth of Australia Gazette|date=26 February 1985|access-date=30 October 2019}} was posted as Commander of the Albury–Wodonga Military Area and Commandant of the Army Apprentices' School. For his performance in the latter command, Hartley was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in the 1987 Birthday Honours.{{cite news|title=The Queen's Birthday 1987 Honours|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/240701834/25891584|newspaper=Commonwealth of Australia Gazette|date=8 June 1987|access-date=30 October 2019}} He completed the course at the United States Army War College in 1987–88 and, with the rank of brigadier, was posted as Military Secretary at Australian Army headquarters from 1988. As a major general, Hartley was appointed General Officer Commanding Training Command in 1991, advanced to an Officer of the Order of Australia in the Birthday Honours the following June,{{cite news|title=The Queen's Birthday 1992 Honours|url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/newspaper/article/240697228/26076998|newspaper=Commonwealth of Australia Gazette|date=8 June 1992|access-date=30 October 2019}} and succeeded Major General John Baker as Director of the Defence Intelligence Organisation in 1992. After three years as head of Australia's military intelligence agency, he was appointed Deputy Chief of Army in 1995. In 1998, Hartley was awarded a Knight Commander's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany and made Land Commander Australia; his final military appointment before he retired in 2000 after 38 years of military service.

Since retiring from the army, Hartley has been active in community and veterans' organisations and a contributor to research on defence and strategic issues. He has lectured on geo-strategic issues at the University of Queensland and Griffith University, has published on military and strategic matters in a range of newspapers and defence magazines, and was the commentator on SBS television and ABC Radio National for the initial phase of the Iraq War in 2003. He was also appointed National President of the Australian Army Training Team Vietnam Association in 2000, President of the National Rifle Association of Australia in 2006,{{Clarify|date=March 2023|reason= NRAA Article states 2007}} and Chairman of the Battle Honours Committee in 2007.{{cite web |title=The NRAA President |url=https://nraa.com.au/history/the-nraa-president/ |website=NRAA History |publisher=National Rifle Association of Australia |access-date=10 March 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220810055404/https://nraa.com.au/history/the-nraa-president/ |archive-date=10 August 2022 |language=English |date=24 May 2022 |url-status=live}} He has been Institute Director and CEO of the strategic research institute Future Directions International since 2009, and is on the board of Soils for Life, an organisation that promotes regenerative landscape management practices.{{cite web|title=Board|url=https://www.soilsforlife.org.au/about/board.html|publisher=Soils for Life|access-date=30 October 2019}}

Hartley has two daughters, and lives in the Perth suburb of Nedlands, Western Australia.

{{reflist}}

• {{cite book|last1=Davies|first1=Bruce|last2=McKay|first2=Gary|authorlink2=Gary McKay|title=The Men Who Persevered: The AATTV – The Most Highly Decorated Australian Unit of the Viet Nam War|year=2005|location=Crows Nest|publisher=Allen & Unwin|isbn=9781741144253}}
• {{cite book|last=O'Neill|first=Robert|author-link=Robert O'Neill (historian)|title=Vietnam Task: The 5th Battalion, the Royal Australian Regiment, 1966/67|year=1968|location=Melbourne|publisher=Cassell Australia|oclc=20116}}

{{s-start}}

{{s-mil}}

{{s-bef|before=Major General Frank Hickling}}

{{s-ttl|title=Land Commander Australia|years=1998–2000}}

{{s-aft|after=Major General Peter Cosgrove}}

|-

{{s-bef|before=Major General Geoffrey Carter}}

{{s-ttl|title=Deputy Chief of Army|years=1995–1998}}

{{s-aft|after=Major General Peter Abigail}}

|-

{{s-bef|before=Major General John Baker}}

{{s-ttl|title=Director of the Defence Intelligence Organisation|years=1992–1995}}

{{s-aft|after=Major General James Connolly}}

{{s-end}}

{{authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hartley, John (general)}}

Category:1943 births

Category:Australian generals

Category:Australian military personnel of the Vietnam War

Category:Australian writers

Category:Knights Commander of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany

Category:Living people

Category:Military strategists

Category:Officers of the Order of Australia

Category:People from Nambour, Queensland

Category:Australian recipients of the Gallantry Cross (Vietnam)

Category:Royal Military College, Duntroon graduates

Category:United States Army War College alumni

Category:University of Queensland alumni

Category:Military personnel from Cardiff

Category:Welsh emigrants to Australia