Douglas Vincent

Major General Douglas (Tim) Vincent, (10 March 1916 – 8 October 1995) was a senior officer in the Australian Army, seeing active service during the Second World War and the Vietnam War. Graduating from the Royal Military College, Duntroon in 1938 into the Signals Corps, he volunteered for service in the Second Australian Imperial Force soon after the outbreak of the Second World War and served in Syria, Western Europe and Borneo. Later, he served as Commander Australian Force Vietnam (COMAFV) during the Vietnam War. After a number of senior staff positions he retired in 1973. He was actively involved in defence issues in his retirement and served as a chairperson of the Returned and Services League of Australia (RSL) prior to his death.

Early life and education Vincent was born in Brisbane, Queensland, on 10 March 1916, the son of William Vincent. For much of his life he was better known as Tim. Educated at Brisbane State High School, he entered the Royal Military College, Duntroon in 1935 to pursue a career in the Australian Army as a regular officer. Following the outbreak of the Second World War, he volunteered for service with the Second Australian Imperial Force on 10 May 1940. By then a major, Vincent was attached to the headquarters of the British XXX Corps and was involved in planning the landing. Later, after going ashore the day after D-Day, he served with the XXX Corps as well as the 7th Armoured and 43rd (Wessex) Infantry Divisions during the advance across northern France and Belgium. The 43rd Infantry Division was involved in the Battle of Arnhem, during which Vincent commanded the divisional signals regiment. In December 1944 he again returned to Australia and was promoted to lieutenant colonel before taking command of the signals unit attached to the I Australian Corps, which was subsequently involved in the amphibious landings on Tarakan, Labuan and Balikpapan against the Japanese during the Borneo Campaign in 1945. Promoted to brigadier in 1962, he commanded the Australian Army Force in the Far East Land Forces, headquartered in Singapore, during which he gained an understanding of the situation in Vietnam. He commanded the 1st Task Force between 1963 and 1965, and was involved in preparing infantry battalions prior to their deployment to Vietnam. In mid-1966 he was promoted to major general and assumed command of the 1st Division. Vincent took over as Commander, Australian Force Vietnam (COMAFV) in Saigon on 29 January 1967 from Major General Ken Mackay, a former classmate at Duntroon, due to the latter's illness. During his period in Vietnam the size of the Australian force in Phuoc Tuy Province grew significantly and he was instrumental in the eventual deployment of Centurion tanks to the theatre, while he also approved the deployment of the 1st Australian Task Force out of the province in late-1967 and its use in helping to disrupt the Viet Cong Tet Offensive in January 1968.

During 1968 and 1969 Vincent was posted to Washington, D.C. as head of the Australian Joint Service Staff. He was made a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1969. Returning to Australia in 1970 he served on the Military Board as Adjutant-General until he retired in 1973. He died unexpectedly at his home in Canberra on 8 October 1995, aged 79. He was survived by his wife Margaret and their three children and three grandchildren.