Henry Wells (1898–1973) was a senior officer in the Australian Army. Serving as Chief of the General Staff from 1954 to 1958, Wells' career culminated with his appointment as the first Chairman, Chiefs of Staff Committee, a position marking him as the professional head of the Australian Military. He served in this capacity from March 1958 until March 1959, when he retired from the army. Born in Victoria, Wells' career in the Australian Army began in 1916 when he entered the Royal Military College, Duntroon. Graduating as a lieutenant three years later, he served in a variety of staff and instructional positions before the outbreak of the Second World War. Initially posted to the 7th Division as a staff officer in 1940, Wells was promoted to lieutenant colonel and made senior liaison officer to I Corps. Serving in Greece and North Africa, he was awarded the Distinguished Service Order for his leadership at El Alamein. Transferred to the South West Pacific theatre in 1943 as a brigadier, he served in the New Guinea Campaign with the headquarters of II Corps and later in the Borneo campaign with I Corps. Following promotion to lieutenant general, he was made Commander-in-Chief, British Commonwealth Forces Korea from 1953 to 1954, serving during the last days of the war. In retirement, Wells was a director of several companies.
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_______________________________ Today's selected anniversaries:
1443:
Rebelling against the Ottoman Empire, Skanderbeg and his forces liberated Kruja in Middle Albania and raised the Albanian flag. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skanderbeg
1520:
Three ships under the command of Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan reached the Pacific Ocean from the now-eponymous Strait of Magellan, becoming the first Europeans to sail from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferdinand_Magellan
1785:
The United States signed the first Treaty of Hopewell with the Cherokee Indians, laying out a western boundary for white settlement. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Treaty_of_Hopewell
1990:
After being elected as leader of the British Conservative Party one day earlier, John Major officially succeeded Margaret Thatcher as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Major
1998:
The current Constitution of Albania, sanctioning a parliamentary republic, people's sovereignty, fundamental rights of the citizens, and other important points, was ratified via a voter-approved referendum. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Constitution_of_Albania
_____________________________ Wiktionary's word of the day:
astrobleme (n): A pit-like structure created by an impacting meteoroid, asteroid or comet http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/astrobleme
___________________________ Wikiquote quote of the day:
One must be very naïve or dishonest to imagine that men choose their beliefs independently of their situation. --Claude Lévi-Strauss http://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Claude_L%C3%A9vi-Strauss