It is with great sadness that I pass on the news, which some of you will no doubt have already heard, of the recent death of Brigadier Geoffrey Solomon. Brigadier Solomon entered the Royal Military College in 1938 and graduated in August 1940 into the Royal Australian Artillery. He is remembered by many for his service with the Regiment in war and peace, and also for his time as Director of Military Art at Royal Military College in 1964/1965, as Military Secretary in 1966/1967, and as Director of Military Training at Army Headquarters between 1968 and 1971. He left the Army in 1971 to become the Executive Director of the Australian Council for Overseas Aid. After retirement he lived in Canberra.
In retirement, among many other activities, Geoffrey Solomon wrote a book about his time as a cadet: 'A Poor Sort Of Memory'. In his Forward to the book, Lieutenant General Sir Mervyn Brogan, Chief of the General Staff 1971-1973, described Brigadier Solomon as a 'soldier, sportsman and savant'. He went on to characterize him as a 'dapper, urbane and lively' man, who had a great sense of fun, a zest for life, and a strong feeling for fair play. Those who knew Brigadier Solomon will recognize the accuracy of these comments.
He was one of the Regiment's quiet characters, and his passing is greatly regretted. |