Major General John Meredith Rockingham, (24 August 1911 – 7 July 1987), nicknamed "Rocky," was an Australian-Canadian senior military officer who fought with the

Canadian Army The Canadian Army () is the command (military formation), command responsible for the operational readiness of the conventional ground forces of the Canadian Armed Forces. It maintains regular forces units at bases across Canada, and is also re ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

and the

Korean War The Korean War (25 June 1950 – 27 July 1953) was an armed conflict on the Korean Peninsula fought between North Korea (Democratic People's Republic of Korea; DPRK) and South Korea (Republic of Korea; ROK) and their allies. North Korea was s ...

. In 1940 Rockingham went overseas as a lieutenant with the

Canadian Scottish Regiment The Canadian Scottish Regiment (Princess Mary's) is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army based on Vancouver Island in British Columbia. The regiment is in Victoria, Nanaimo, and Courtenay, British Columbia. It is part of the ...

, but after the

Dieppe Raid Operation Jubilee or the Dieppe Raid (19 August 1942) was a disastrous Allied amphibious attack on the German-occupied port of Dieppe in northern France, during the Second World War. Over 6,050 infantry, predominantly Canadian, supported by a ...

of August 1942 he was transferred to the

Royal Hamilton Light Infantry The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (Wentworth Regiment) (RHLI) is a Primary Reserve infantry regiment of the Canadian Army, based at John Weir Foote VC Armoury in Hamilton, Ontario. The RHLI is part of 31 Canadian Brigade Group, which is part of 4t ...

(RHLI) and promoted to major. Following the

invasion of Normandy Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allied operation that launched the successful liberation of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II. The operation was launched on 6 June 1944 ( D-Day) with the ...

in June 1944, Rockingham played a significant role in

Operation Overlord Operation Overlord was the codename for the Battle of Normandy, the Allies of World War II, Allied operation that launched the successful liberation of German-occupied Western Front (World War II), Western Europe during World War II. The ope ...

and the North West Europe Campaign both as

Commanding Officer The commanding officer (CO) or commander, or sometimes, if the incumbent is a general officer, commanding general (CG), is the officer in command of a military unit. The commanding officer has ultimate authority over the unit, and is usually give ...

of the RHLI and as

General Officer Commanding General officer commanding (GOC) is the usual title given in the armies of the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth (and some other nations, such as Ireland) to a general officer who holds a command appointment. Thus, a general might be the GOC ...

the

9th Canadian Infantry Brigade The 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade was an infantry brigade of the Canadian Army that saw active service during World War I and World War II as part of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division. The brigade fought on the Western Front during World War I ...

. Rockingham returned to civilian life in 1946, obtaining a job with the

British Columbia Electric Railway The British Columbia Electric Railway (BCER) was an historic railway which operated in southwestern British Columbia, Canada. Originally the parent company for, and later a division of, BC Electric Company (now BC Hydro), the BCER assumed cont ...

. However, in 1950 he was recalled by the military to command the

25th Canadian Infantry Brigade The 25th Canadian Infantry Brigade was Canada's primary combat-formation intending to be sent as part of the British Commonwealth Forces Korea. Originally composed of three infantry battalions and two armoured squadrons, several individual unit ...

in the

. After his stint as a brigadier in Korea ended, Rockingham returned to Canada where he remained in the military until 1966. Rockingham died in British Columbia in 1987 at age 75.

Early life

John Meredith Rockingham was born in

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

New South Wales New South Wales (commonly abbreviated as NSW) is a States and territories of Australia, state on the Eastern states of Australia, east coast of :Australia. It borders Queensland to the north, Victoria (state), Victoria to the south, and South ...

, on 24 August 1911 to Walter Edward Rockingham (1877–1966) and Ethel Vincent Meredith Rockingham (1882–1941). Walter Rockingham worked for the Pacific Cable Board and took his family with him as he traveled the world laying telegraph lines. In 1919 the Rockinghams moved to

Halifax, Nova Scotia Halifax is the capital and most populous municipality of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Nova Scotia, and the most populous municipality in Atlantic Canada. As of 2024, it is estimated that the population of the H ...

, where John stayed for two years before returning to Australia. In 1926 the family moved to Barbados, staying for two years. Following this the family moved to England, then back to Australia. In Australia, Rockingham completed his

Sixth Form In the education systems of Barbados, England, Jamaica, Northern Ireland, Trinidad and Tobago, Wales, and some other Commonwealth countries, sixth form represents the final two years of secondary education, ages 16 to 18. Pupils typically prepa ...

at the

Melbourne Grammar School Melbourne Grammar School is an Australian private school, private Anglican Church of Australia, Anglican Day school, day and boarding school. It comprises a co-educational preparatory school from Prep to Year 6 and a middle school and senior s ...

, and subsequently enrolled in the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne (colloquially known as Melbourne University) is a public university, public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in the state ...

. After he ran out of money, Rockingham quit university and worked as a jackaroo. Having retired, Walter purchased a piece of land at Millstream, British Columbia, on which he began a sheep farm. In 1930 Rockingham joined his parents in Canada, this time staying for good. He worked on the sheep farm for three years before enlisting in the

Military career

Enlistment

While working on the sheep farm, Rockingham had played

rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby union: 15 players per side *** American flag rugby *** Beach rugby *** Mini rugby *** Rugby sevens, 7 players per side *** Rugby tens, 10 players per side *** Snow rugby *** Tou ...

for the Canadian Scottish Regiment in

Victoria Victoria most commonly refers to: * Queen Victoria (1819–1901), Queen of the United Kingdom and Empress of India * Victoria (state), a state of Australia * Victoria, British Columbia, Canada, a provincial capital * Victoria, Seychelles, the capi ...

and rowed for the

James Bay Athletic Association The James Bay Athletic Association is a Canadian rugby club based in Victoria, British Columbia, Victoria, British Columbia. The JBAA were formed in 1886 and are said to be the oldest sports organization west of Montreal. James Bay play their ho ...

. In 1933 he enlisted in the Scottish Regiment's 1st Battalion as a

private Private or privates may refer to: Music * "In Private", by Dusty Springfield from the 1990 album ''Reputation'' * Private (band), a Denmark-based band * "Private" (Ryōko Hirosue song), from the 1999 album ''Private'', written and also recorded ...

, but was quickly commissioned as a second lieutenant. Rockingham served with the militia until 1939, serving in a machine gun platoon, and lived at the

Bay Street Armoury Bay Street Armoury is located at 715 Bay Street in Victoria, British Columbia. The Bay Street Drill Hall was completed in 1915. It was created to provide training facilities for local militia units such as the Fifth Regiment of artillery, as w ...

. During this time he also worked for the British Columbia Electric Railway. On 11 January 1936, Rockingham married Mary Carlyle Hammond (1912–1997) of

Winnipeg Winnipeg () is the capital and largest city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Manitoba. It is centred on the confluence of the Red River of the North, Red and Assiniboine River, Assiniboine rivers. , Winnipeg h ...

, Manitoba. Rockingham had met Hammond when she was giving the

highland dance Highland dance or Highland dancing () is a style of competitive dancing developed in the Scottish Highlands in the 19th and 20th centuries, in the context of competitions at public events such as the Highland games. It was created from the Ga ...

lessons that were mandatory for all officers in the Canadian Scottish Regiment.

World War II

When World War II broke out in September 1939, Rockingham's regiment was mobilized and assigned to protect vital areas around Victoria. In 1940 the regiment's 1st Battalion was selected to go overseas. Rockingham had recently been made a captain, but was told that if he wanted to go with the battalion he would have to revert to his previous rank of lieutenant, which he elected to do. The battalion traveled to Halifax, from where it sailed to

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

. Soon after arrival, the battalion was transferred to

Aldershot Aldershot ( ) is a town in the Rushmoor district, Hampshire, England. It lies on heathland in the extreme north-east corner of the county, south-west of London. The town has a population of 37,131, while the Farnborough/Aldershot built-up are ...

. There, Rockingham was appointed commander of a

guard of honour A guard of honour (Commonwealth English), honor guard (American English) or ceremonial guard, is a group of people, typically drawn from the military, appointed to perform ceremonial duties – for example, to receive or guard a head of state ...

for

King George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of In ...

and

Queen Elizabeth Queen Elizabeth, Queen Elisabeth or Elizabeth the Queen may refer to: Queens regnant * Elizabeth I (1533–1603; ), Queen of England and Ireland * Elizabeth II (1926–2022; ), Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms * Queen B ...

, who visited that December. He was later sent to the Canadian company command school. Rockingham was at the school when Canada undertook the

on 19 August 1942. A significant portion of the

(RHLI) was killed during this raid, and Rockingham was subsequently transferred to the depleted regiment as a major. Stationed on the south coast of England as part of the anti-invasion force, on 14 April 1943 Rockingham was promoted to lieutenant colonel and made commanding officer of the regiment. On 19 February 1944, Rockingham was relieved of his command and sent to the

Staff College, Camberley Staff College, Camberley, Surrey, was a staff college for the British Army and the presidency armies of British India (later merged to form the Indian Army). It had its origins in the Royal Military College, High Wycombe, founded in 1799, which ...

, for further training. Following the

on 6 June 1944, the RHLI went to France. Its commanding officer was soon wounded, and Rockingham was withdrawn from the Staff College and, on 18 July, given command of the regiment once more and sent to France. In July 1944 the RHLI was stationed near

Caen Caen (; ; ) is a Communes of France, commune inland from the northwestern coast of France. It is the Prefectures in France, prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Calvados (department), Calvados. The city proper has 105,512 inha ...

. Rockingham fought with the regiment as it moved south towards Verrières. For his actions during the

Battle of Verrières Ridge The Battle of Verrières Ridge was a series of engagements fought as part of the Battle of Normandy, in Calvados, during the Second World War. The main combatants were two Canadian infantry divisions—with additional support from the Canadian ...

on 24 and 25 July, Rockingham was awarded the

Distinguished Service Order The Distinguished Service Order (DSO) is a Military awards and decorations, military award of the United Kingdom, as well as formerly throughout the Commonwealth of Nations, Commonwealth, awarded for operational gallantry for highly successful ...

(DSO). In August he was again removed from the RHLI, and this time promoted to

brigadier Brigadier ( ) is a military rank, the seniority of which depends on the country. In some countries, it is a senior rank above colonel, equivalent to a brigadier general or commodore (rank), commodore, typically commanding a brigade of several t ...

and on 8 August made

(GOC) of the

. As GOC his first conflict with the 9th was the

Battle of the Falaise Pocket The Falaise pocket or battle of the Falaise pocket (; 12–21 August 1944) was the decisive engagement of the Battle of Normandy in the Second World War. Allied forces formed a pocket around Falaise, Calvados, in which German Army Group B, cons ...

from 12 to 21 August. In September 1944 he accepted the German surrender at

Boulogne-sur-Mer Boulogne-sur-Mer (; ; ; or ''Bononia''), often called just Boulogne (, ), is a coastal city in Hauts-de-France, Northern France. It is a Subprefectures in France, sub-prefecture of the Departments of France, department of Pas-de-Calais. Boul ...

after

Operation Wellhit Operation Wellhit (the Battle of Boulogne) from 17 to 22 September 1944, was an operation of the Second World War by the 3rd Canadian Division of the First Canadian Army to take the fortified port of Boulogne in northern France. The 9th Canadia ...

. In February 1945 Rockingham's brigade was placed under command of the

51st (Highland) Division The 51st (Highland) Division was an infantry Division (military), division of the British Army that fought on the Western Front (World War I), Western Front in France during the World War I, First World War from 1915 to 1918. The division was ra ...

in anticipation of the Rhine Crossing. For his part in the crossing, he received a

Bar Bar or BAR may refer to: Food and drink * Bar (establishment), selling alcoholic beverages * Candy bar ** Chocolate bar * Protein bar Science and technology * Bar (river morphology), a deposit of sediment * Bar (tropical cyclone), a laye ...

to his DSO. Rockingham was in

Emden Emden () is an Independent city (Germany), independent town and seaport in Lower Saxony in the north-west of Germany and lies on the River Ems (river), Ems, close to the Germany–Netherlands border, Netherlands border. It is the main town in t ...

, Germany, on

VE Day Victory in Europe Day is the day celebrating the formal acceptance by the Allies of World War II of Germany's unconditional surrender of its armed forces on Tuesday, 8 May 1945; it marked the official surrender of all German military operations ...

Inter-war period

Following his demobilization, Rockingham returned to civilian life in 1946. He settled again in Victoria where he found work with his pre-war employer, the BC Electric Railway. His first position was as a personnel supervisor, however, in 1949 he transferred to Vancouver where he was promoted to Staff Assistant to the General Manager of Transportation. In early 1950 he became the company's superintendent.

Korea

On 7 August 1950 while in his Vancouver office, Rockingham received a telephone call from

Brooke Claxton Brian Brooke Claxton (23 August 1898 – 13 June 1960) was a Canadian veteran of World War I, federal Minister of National Health and Welfare and Minister of National Defence. Early life He was born in Montreal and received his early ed ...

, Minister of National Defence in

Louis St. Laurent Louis Stephen St. Laurent (; February 1, 1882 – July 25, 1973) was a Canadian lawyer and politician who served as the 12th prime minister of Canada from 1948 to 1957. Born and raised in southeastern Quebec, St. Laurent was a leading la ...

Liberal Liberal or liberalism may refer to: Politics * Generally, a supporter of the political philosophy liberalism. Liberals may be politically left or right but tend to be centrist. * An adherent of a Liberal Party (See also Liberal parties by country ...

government. Claxton offered Rockingham the opportunity to command a Canadian brigade that the government had decided to send into the

. Rockingham accepted the appointment and prepared to go overseas with the new brigade, called the Canadian Army Special Force (CASF), under the command of the

United Nations The United Nations (UN) is the Earth, global intergovernmental organization established by the signing of the Charter of the United Nations, UN Charter on 26 June 1945 with the stated purpose of maintaining international peace and internationa ...

. The brigade trained at

Fort Lewis Fort Lewis may refer to: * Fort Lewis (Colorado), a former United States Army post (1878–1891) in the U.S. State of Colorado ** Fort Lewis College, a college in the Durango, Colorado, United States ** Fort Lewis Skyhawks, athletic teams of Fort L ...

in Washington before travelling to Korea. Rockingham commanded the brigade until 10 April 1952, when Mortimer Patrick Bogert took over command.

Later military career

In April 1952 Rockingham returned to

Ottawa Ottawa is the capital city of Canada. It is located in the southern Ontario, southern portion of the province of Ontario, at the confluence of the Ottawa River and the Rideau River. Ottawa borders Gatineau, Gatineau, Quebec, and forms the cor ...

to the National Defence Headquarters. For the remainder of his military career Rockingham served as a staff officer in the Canadian Army. In 1953 he took command of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Brigade, in 1954 the

1st Canadian Infantry Brigade The 1st Canadian Infantry Brigade was a Canadian Army formation that served with the 1st Canadian Division in World Wars I and II. In 1953 it was reformed in Germany to become the 1 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group in 1992. William Antrobus ...

, in 1957 Quebec Command, and in 1961 Western Command Edmonton. In 1954 he was promoted to major general. Rockingham retired from the military in 1966, and that same year was made Honorary Colonel of the Canadian Scottish.

Retirement and final years

In his later years Rockingham served as a volunteer for various organizations. He was at various times a member of the

Canadian Olympic Committee The Canadian Olympic Committee (COC; ), also known as Team Canada, is a private nonprofit organization that represents Canada at the International Olympic Committee. It is also a member of the Pan American Sports Organization. History Cana ...

, a counselor for the

Canada West Foundation The Canada West Foundation is a conservative non-partisan think tank based in Calgary, Alberta. It researches issues of concern in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan, and Manitoba and issues of national significance. The foundation focuses o ...

, Honorary Chairman of the Canadian National Ski Team, and Director of the Vancouver Island Colleges Foundation. John and Mary had two children: John Robert Meredith and Audrey Vincent. He died in

Qualicum Beach, British Columbia Qualicum Beach () is a town located on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. In the 2021 census, it had a population of 9,303. It is situated at the foot of Mount Arrowsmith, along the Strait of Georgia on Vancouver Island's northeastern ...

on 7 July 1987 at age 75.

References

* Bercuson, David J, ''Blood On The Hills: The Canadian Army In The Korean War'', Toronto Buffalo London, University of Toronto Press, 1999 * Bercuson, David J, ''The Fighting Canadians'': ''Our Regimental History from New France to Afghanistan'', Toronto, HarperCollins Publishing Ltd, 2008

External links

* British Pathé.
King with the Canadians: Aldershot 1940
" In this short film Rockingham can be seen commanding the ceremonial guard which received King George VI and Queen Elizabeth at Aldershot in December 1940. * The Department of National Defence.
Korea Brigade
'. Canadian Government film from 1952 about the Canadian Army contingent in Korea. Rockingham can be seen on several occasions. * Rockingham, J. M.
My Army Recollections
" Oral history of Rockingham's military career recorded in June 1979 by the

University of Victoria The University of Victoria (UVic) is a public research university located in the municipalities of Oak Bay, British Columbia, Oak Bay and Saanich, British Columbia, Canada. Established in 1903 as Victoria College, British Columbia, Victoria Col ...

.
Generals of World War IICanada's 25 Most Renowned Military Leaders
{{DEFAULTSORT:Rockingham, John Meredith 1911 births 1987 deaths Australian emigrants to Canada Canadian Army personnel of World War II Canadian generals Canadian military personnel of the Korean War Canadian Militia officers Commanders of the Order of the British Empire Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Companions of the Order of the Bath Military personnel from New South Wales Officers of the Legion of Merit Recipients of the Croix de guerre (Belgium) Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (Wentworth Regiment) officers