Denzil Macarthur-Onslow

Major General Sir Denzil Macarthur-Onslow, CBE, DSO, ED (5 March 1904 – 30 November 1984) was an Australian Army officer, businessman and grazier.

Sir Denzil Macarthur-Onslow
Macarthur-Onslow, 1953
Born	(1904-03-05)5 March 1904 Whataupoko, New Zealand
Died	30 November 1984(1984-11-30) (aged 80) Castle Hill, Australia
Allegiance	Australia
Service / branch	Australian Army
Years of service	1924–1932 1935–1946 1947–1960
Rank	Major General
Commands	2nd Division (1954–58) 4th Armoured Brigade (1943–46) 1st Armoured Brigade (1942–43, 1947–53) 6th Division Cavalry Regiment (1941–42)
Battles / wars	Second World War Western Desert Campaign Battle of Bardia Syria–Lebanon Campaign Battle of Merdjayoun New Guinea campaign
Awards	Knight Bachelor Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Service Order Mentioned in Despatches (2) Efficiency Decoration
Relations	Arthur Macarthur-Onslow (father) James Macarthur-Onslow (uncle) George Macarthur-Onslow (uncle)

Macarthur-Onslow (right) with men training in anti-tank mines, c.1942

Biography

Macarthur-Onslow, the son of grazier Arthur Macarthur-Onslow, enlisted in the Citizens Military Force in 1924. In 1935, he was appointed captain Ex Reserve of Officers in the 2nd Military District of the Australian Field Artillery; on 31 June 1936 he was appointed a captain in the Royal Australian Artillery. On 26 May 1939, he was appointed captain of the 2nd Australian Armoured Regiment and a captain in the Second Australian Imperial Force. He was promoted major in October 1939 and served with the 6th Australian Division Reconnaissance Regiment. On 11 June 1941 he was promoted lieutenant colonel and placed in command of the 6th Division Cavalry Regiment, and on 23 April 1942 was appointed second in command of the 1st Armoured Brigade. On 14 July he was promoted temporary brigadier to command of the brigade. From February 1943 until February 1946 Macarthur-Onslow commanded the 4th Armoured Brigade. He relinquished command in March 1946 and was granted the rank of honorary brigadier; he was promoted brigadier on 4 January 1949. He was discharged in August 1953 but re-enlisted in August 1954, commanding the 2nd Division; he transferred to the Reserve on 1 December 1957 and was appointed to the Military Board on 1 December 1958 as a major general.^[1]

Between 1966 and 1979, he served as President of the National Rifle Association of Australia.^[2]

Macarthur-Onslow was also politically active; he was by far the most successful candidate for the Liberal Democratic Party at the 1943 federal election, coming close to winning the seat of Eden-Monaro. He contested Eden-Monaro again for the Liberal Party in 1946 and 1949.^[3]

References

1. "Macarthur-Onslow D." 2/6 Cavalry Commando Regiment Association. Retrieved 30 December 2015.
2. "The NRAA President". NRAA History. National Rifle Association of Australia. 24 May 2022. Archived from the original on 10 August 2022. Retrieved 10 March 2023.
3. McCarthy, Dayton (2012). "Macarthur-Onslow, Sir Denzil (1904–1984)". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Vol. 18. Canberra: National Centre of Biography, Australian National University. ISBN 978-0-522-84459-7. ISSN 1833-7538. OCLC 70677943. Retrieved 22 June 2018.