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George Salmon was born in Mosman, NSW in 1938. After education at North Sydney Boys High School, he entered the Royal Military College, Duntroon in 1956. On graduation in 1959 he was allocated to the Royal Australian Artillery.
He spent the next two years at Sydney University, gaining the Degree of Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering and was then posted to 4th Field Regiment at Wacol, Queensland, where he served in 105th Field Battery. From late 1995 to 1996 he attended a Gunnery Staff Course (Field) at the School of Artillery, Larkhill, UK and instructed at the Royal Artillery Gunnery Training Establishment, British Army of the Rhine at Hohne, Germany.
In 1967 he was posted to the School of Artillery as an Instructor in Gunnery then in 1969-70 commanded 107th Field Battery, 4th Field Regiment in Townsville and South Vietnam. On return to Townsville he served briefly as the Deputy Assistant Adjutant General at HQ 3rd Task Force/North Queensland Area. In 1971 he attended a Guided Weapons Systems Course at the Royal Military College of Science, Shrivenham, UK, gaining the degree of Master of Science. He spent 1972 in the Rapier Project Office, Ministry of Defence (Procurement Executive) UK, returning to Australia as the Australian Rapier Project Manager in Materiel Branch, Army Headquarters in 1973.
After attendance at the Australian Army Staff College in 1974, he was promoted Lieutenant Colonel, returning to Materiel Branch to manage the evaluation and preparation for introduction into service of the 105 mm Light Gun, the 155 mm M198 Howitzer, the Field Artillery Computer Equipment and Surface-to-air Guided Weapons Systems. |
From 1978 to 1980 he was the Commanding Officer/Chief Instructor of the School of Artillery at North Head, Manly, NSW.
In 1981 he attended the Australian Joint Services Staff College then, on promotion to Colonel, was appointed Director of Logistic Plans-Army.
In 1983-84 he was seconded to the Ordnance Board, UK Ministry of Defence as the Member responsible for evaluation of Safety and Suitability for Service of British Army weapon system fuzes, mines and counter-mine and demolition equipment. On return to Australia he was promoted Brigadier and appointed Commander of Army’s Engineering Development Establishment, Maribyrnong, Victoria from 1985 to late 1987. From then until his retirement from Army in 1993 he was Director General of Materiel-Army in the Department of Defence (Army Office), responsible for project management of Army’s New Capital Equipment Procurement Program.
From 1996 to 2000 he served as the RAA Colonel Commandant Eastern Region and Representative Colonel Commandant.
Following retirement from Army he worked as a consultant to US companies Martin Marietta Defence Systems, Lockheed Martin Defence Systems and L-3 Communications Systems.
Since 1991 he has been a member of Canberra Legacy.
His wife, Tess,whom he married in 1962 died in July 2018.They had four children,Paul, Andrew,Mark and Therese; Mark was killed in a motorcycle accident in 1987.
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