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COMMANDING OFFICERS

OF THE

ROYAL REGIMENT of AUSTRALIAN ARTILLERY

Commanding Officer

Lieutenant Colonel Bill Ford  G psc

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Commanding Officer-Chief Instructor School of Artillery 1956-1960

Lieutenant Colonel Bill Ford, G psc

Lieutenant Colonel Bill Ford was appointed as the Chief Instructor of the School of Artillery at North Head in November 1956. During his tour of duty the title of the appointment was changed to Commanding Officer- Chief Instructor.

Bill Ford was born in Seymour Victoria and raised in Ballarat becoming a teacher. In 1931 he joined the Citizen Military Forces and was a promoted to Lieutenant in the 8th Battalion (City of Ballarat Regt) in 1935. He subsequently applied to enter the Royal Military College and after undertaking 12 month short course graduated into the Australian Staff Corps into an Army now at war.

During World War II, Bill served as a Lieutenant and Captain in 2/3rd Field Regiment RAA in the Middle East, Crete and Greece. He was wounded in Crete and subsequently served in the Australian Army Artillery Training Regiment Middle East before returning to Australia to join 1st Armoured Division’s 16th Regiment in WA. In 1944 he was again on operations with the 2/8th Regiment in the SW Pacific where he was MID.

Bill remained in the RAA post war, attending no 3 Long Gunnery Staff Course in the UK in 1946. He was SI Gunnery Wing at the School of Artillery in 1948. He also had postings as BMRA 3rd Division and artillery staff officer in Southern Command and the Directorate of Artillery. Immediately prior to his posting as CO/CI School of Artillery he was in the Army Directorate of Military Training.

During his four-year period as CO/CI at North Head, Bill Ford set and demanded very high standards of Gunnery from both the staff and students. The School conducted a range of basic recruit, NCO and officer training courses in Gunnery and Anti Aircraft including some early Army courses on Nuclear Warfare. During this period the Army PT wing and 111 Light Anti Aircraft Battery was moved to North Head.  Under Bill’s leadership the School also strengthened its links with Manly Council and with the Manly Rugby Union Club.

In 1960 Bill was posted as a Staff Officer Grade 1 to HQ Eastern Command and he retired from the ARA in 1963.

   
         
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