Hugh Wrigley

Brigadier Hugh Wrigley, After returning to Australia in 1922, Wrigley worked as an oil company representative in New South Wales and Victoria and served in the Citizens Military Force. During the Second World War he volunteered for overseas service and fought in Greece, where he commanded the 2/6th Battalion. In North Africa, Wrigley commanded the 20th Brigade, leading them during the Second Battle of El Alamein. Later in the war he commanded the 33rd Brigade in the Netherlands East Indies where he took responsibility for overseeing the repatriation of a large number of Australian and British personnel. After the war, Wrigley worked as a public servant in the area of trade and commerce, serving in a number of overseas posts. He died in 1980 at the age of 88.

Early life

Wrigley was born on 1 December 1891 at Scarsdale, Victoria, the sixth and youngest child of John Wrigley and Isabella, née McGeachin. He was educated at a number of public and private schools. After completing his education he gained employment as a military staff clerk at the Department of Defence in Melbourne in May 1911. After spending two months in hospital in England, he was promoted to captain in November. He rejoined the 60th Battalion in January 1917 and resumed duties as adjutant in May.

Indian Army Transferring to the Indian Army in July 1917, he was appointed as a second lieutenant, although was later promoted to captain. In 1922, these two regiments were amalgamated to form the 6th Rajputana Rifles. While serving in the Indian Army Wrigley participated in the campaigns in Afghanistan during the Third Anglo-Afghan War in 1919, Iraq during the Iraqi revolt against the British between 1920 and 1921 and in Waziristan in 1922. He returned to Australia later in 1922.

Promoted to colonel in January 1942, Wrigley was posted as the officer in charge Australian Imperial Force Reinforcement Depot in Palestine in February. He was later promoted to temporary brigadier on 28 September, and placed in command of the 20th Brigade at the Second Battle of El Alamein, Egypt. Relinquishing his acting rank, he resumed his post at the reinforcement depot on 27 October. He was Mentioned in Despatches and appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1943.

Returning to Australia in February 1943, Wrigley was commandant of various training depots and bases as a temporary brigadier. Appointed to the command of the 1st Base Sub-Area in September 1944, he travelled with the unit to Morotai, Netherlands East Indies in March 1945. Following the surrender of the Japanese in August, he was appointed in command of the 3rd Australian Prisoner of War Reception Group located in Manila and helped the return home of over 12,000 British and 3,000 Australian personnel. He was given command of the 33rd Brigade on Ambon, Netherlands East Indies from November until February 1946 when he returned to Australia and was transferred to the Reserve of Officers on 30 April.

Later life Wrigley was appointed to a position in the Department of Commerce and Agriculture in November 1946 and later as a commercial counsellor at the Australian mission in Japan. He was the trade commissioner in Hong Kong and the Philippines between 1949 and 1952, Bombay, India between 1953 and 1955, and Vancouver, Canada between 1955 and 1957.

After retiring from the Department of Commerce and Agriculture, Wrigley became a company director and bought property at Bringelly and Wagga Wagga, with his son. He married widower Jean Stewart, née Pirrit, at Burleigh Heads, Queensland on 18 September 1968.

Wrigley died on 3 June 1980 at Caringbah, Sydney, and was cremated. He was survived by his wife and the son of his first marriage.

A portrait painted by W. H. Parry of Wrigley was submitted for the 1944 Archibald prize.