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 ...

Leonard Cuthbert Lucas, (6 November 1894 – 3 September 1978) was an Australian architect, public servant and Army officer. During the

First World War World War I or the First World War (28 July 1914 – 11 November 1918), also known as the Great War, was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War I, Allies (or Entente) and the Central Powers. Fighting to ...

, he served at

Gallipoli The Gallipoli Peninsula (; ; ) is located in the southern part of East Thrace, the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles strait to the east. Gallipoli is the Italian form of the Greek name (), meaning ' ...

and on the Western Front. During the

Second World War 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 ...

, he served with the 6th Division in

Libya Libya, officially the State of Libya, is a country in the Maghreb region of North Africa. It borders the Mediterranean Sea to the north, Egypt to Egypt–Libya border, the east, Sudan to Libya–Sudan border, the southeast, Chad to Chad–L ...

Greece Greece, officially the Hellenic Republic, is a country in Southeast Europe. Located on the southern tip of the Balkan peninsula, it shares land borders with Albania to the northwest, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to the north, and Turkey to th ...

and Ceylon, and was Deputy Engineer-in-Chief at Advanced Land Headquarters,

South West Pacific Area South West Pacific Area (SWPA) was the name given to the Allied supreme military command in the South West Pacific Theatre of World War II. It was one of four major Allied commands in the Pacific War. SWPA included the Philippines, Borneo, the ...

. After the war, he was in charge of the construction effort supporting the

Operation Totem Operation Totem was a pair of British atmospheric nuclear tests which took place at Emu Field in South Australia in October 1953. They followed the Operation Hurricane test of the first British atomic bomb, which had taken place at the Montebe ...

British nuclear weapons tests in Australia in 1953.

Early life

Leonard Cuthbert Lucas was born in

Townsville, Queensland The City of Townsville is a city on the north-eastern coast of Queensland, Australia. With a population of 201,313 as of 2024, it is the largest settlement in North Queensland and Northern Australia (specifically, the parts of Australia north of ...

, on 6 November 1894, the son of Robert Lucas, a sawmill manager, and his wife Thomasina Cuthbert. He attended a state school in

Charters Towers Charters Towers is a rural town in the Charters Towers Region, Queensland, Australia. It is by road south-west from Townsville on the Flinders Highway. During the last quarter of the 19th century, the town boomed as the rich gold deposits und ...

, where he served in the Senior Cadets. He then worked as a sugar cane cutter and then a journalist, and studied engineering at the local

school of mines A school is the educational institution (and, in the case of in-person learning, the building) designed to provide learning environments for the teaching of students, usually under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of ...

. He joined the 2nd Infantry (

Kennedy Regiment The 31st Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment (31 RQR) was a Reserve infantry battalion of the Australian Army. Although it was officially formed as 31 RQR in 1965 the battalion can trace its lineage back to units formed in 1881 as part of the ...

) on 1 July 1912, and was promoted to

corporal Corporal is a military rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The rank is usually the lowest ranking non-commissioned officer. In some militaries, the rank of corporal nominally corr ...

and then

sergeant Sergeant (Sgt) is a Military rank, rank in use by the armed forces of many countries. It is also a police rank in some police services. The alternative spelling, ''serjeant'', is used in The Rifles and in other units that draw their heritage f ...

the following year. On 24 September 1913, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant.

First World War

On the outbreak of the

in August 1914, the Kennedy Regiment was dispatched to

Thursday Island Thursday Island, colloquially known as TI, or in the Kalaw Lagaw Ya, Kawrareg dialect, Waiben or Waibene, is an island of the Torres Strait Islands, an archipelago of at least 274 small islands in the Torres Strait. TI is located approximately ...

. He returned to the mainland, where he enlisted in the

First Australian Imperial Force The First Australian Imperial Force (1st AIF) was the main Expeditionary warfare, expeditionary force of the Australian Army during the First World War. It was formed as the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) following United Kingdom of Great Bri ...

(AIF) as a

signaller A signaller, signalman, colloquially referred to as a radioman or signaleer in the armed forces is a specialist soldier, sailor or airman responsible for military communications. Signallers, a.k.a. Combat Signallers or signalmen or women, are ...

in Sydney on 9 March 1915, and joined the 18th Battalion on 21 June 1915. He was promoted to sergeant on 25 June, the day on which the 18th Battalion embarked for Egypt on the troop ship . He served at

, where he was wounded by a gun shot in the arm, and evacuated to hospital on

Mudros Moudros () is a town and a former municipality on the island of Lemnos, North Aegean, Greece. Since the 2011 local government reform it is part of the municipality Lemnos, of which it is a municipal unit. It covers the entire eastern peninsula o ...

. He returned to his unit on 28 September, but was hospitalised with

jaundice Jaundice, also known as icterus, is a yellowish or, less frequently, greenish pigmentation of the skin and sclera due to high bilirubin levels. Jaundice in adults is typically a sign indicating the presence of underlying diseases involving ...

on 13 October, and evacuated, this time to Malta. Instead of returning directly to the 18th Battalion, Lucas was sent to Egypt, where he disembarked on 6 December 1915. He rejoined the 18th Battalion on 15 January 1916 after it had returned from Gallipoli. He was promoted to second lieutenant on 24 February 1916. As part of the 2nd Division, the 18th Battalion embarked at

Alexandria Alexandria ( ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Egypt#Largest cities, second largest city in Egypt and the List of coastal settlements of the Mediterranean Sea, largest city on the Mediterranean coast. It lies at the western edge of the Nile ...

on 18 March 1916, bound for

Marseilles Marseille (; ; see below) is a city in southern France, the prefecture of the department of Bouches-du-Rhône and of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region. Situated in the Provence region, it is located on the coast of the Mediterranean S ...

and the Western Front, where he was promoted to the temporary rank of

lieutenant A lieutenant ( , ; abbreviated Lt., Lt, LT, Lieut and similar) is a Junior officer, junior commissioned officer rank in the armed forces of many nations, as well as fire services, emergency medical services, Security agency, security services ...

on 16 June 1916. On 13 February 1917, this became substantive, and he was transferred to the 2nd Division Signal Company. He was

mentioned in despatches To be mentioned in dispatches (or despatches) describes a member of the armed forces whose name appears in an official report written by a superior officer and sent to the high command, in which their gallant or meritorious action in the face of t ...

on 1 June 1917, and awarded the

Military Cross The Military Cross (MC) is the third-level (second-level until 1993) military decoration awarded to officers and (since 1993) Other ranks (UK), other ranks of the British Armed Forces, and formerly awarded to officers of other Commonwealth of ...

on 18 July 1917. His citation read: Lucas was wounded in the legs and feet by shell fragments on 5 November 1917, and was evacuated to England, where he was treated at the 3rd London General Hospital in

Wandsworth Wandsworth Town () is a district of south London, within the London Borough of Wandsworth southwest of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London. Toponymy Wandsworth takes its name ...

. He returned to duty with the 2nd Division Signal on 11 April 1918. He was promoted to

captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader or highest rank officer of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police depa ...

on 14 June 1918. On 28 March 1919, he married his cousin, Whilhemina Shields, a 19-year-old typist, at St John's parish church in

Glasgow, Scotland 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 ...

. On 16 April 1919, he took non-military employment leave to work at Bridgman & Bridgman, a firm of architects and surveyors in

Torquay, England Torquay ( ) is a seaside town in Devon, England, part of the unitary authority area of Torbay. It lies south of the county town of Exeter and east-north-east of Plymouth, on the north of Tor Bay, adjoining the neighbouring town of Paignton o ...

, where he was able to pursue his technical qualifications. This ended on 21 July 1919, and the following day he boarded the SS ''Wahehe'' to return to Australia, arriving on 30 October 1919. His AIF appointment was terminated on 13 March 1920.

Between the wars

Lucas took a job as an assistant at H. J. Brownlee, a

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 ...

architectural firm. In 1922, he joined the

War Service Homes Commission Defence Housing Australia (DHA) is an Australian government business enterprise established by the ''Defence Housing Australia Act 1987''. DHA supplies housing and related services to Australian Defence Force members and their families in line ...

as a

draughtsman A draughtsman (British spelling) or draftsman (American spelling) may refer to: * An architectural drafter, who produced architectural drawings until the late 20th century * An artist who produces drawings that rival or surpass their other types o ...

. He was officially registered as an architect on 26 June 1923. He also returned to the

Militia A militia ( ) is a military or paramilitary force that comprises civilian members, as opposed to a professional standing army of regular, full-time military personnel. Militias may be raised in times of need to support regular troops or se ...

. He had been promoted to lieutenant in the 2nd Battalion, 31st Infantry Regiment on 1 October 1918. In Sydney he joined the 2nd Battalion, 1st Infantry Regiment as a signals officer. He was posted to the 8th Double Field Company on 31 March 1921, and promoted to captain in the

Australian Engineers Australian(s) may refer to: Australia * Australia, a country * Australians, citizens of the Commonwealth of Australia ** European Australians ** Anglo-Celtic Australians, Australians descended principally from British colonists ** Aboriginal Aus ...

on 1 July 1924. He served with the 1st Division Engineers from 22 November 1926 to 30 June 1927, and was promoted to

major Major most commonly refers to: * Major (rank), a military rank * Academic major, an academic discipline to which an undergraduate student formally commits * People named Major, including given names, surnames, nicknames * Major and minor in musi ...

on 13 March 1930. He became a lieutenant colonel on 1 June 1933, and commanded the 1st Division Engineers until 1 August 1939, when he was placed on the unattached list.

Second World War

On 15 August 1939, Lucas was appointed Deputy Assistant Quartermaster General of the

7th Military District Seventh is the ordinal form of the number seven. Seventh may refer to: * Seventh Amendment to the United States Constitution * A fraction (mathematics), , equal to one of seven equal parts Film and television *"The Seventh", a second-season epi ...

, the military district encompassing the

Northern Territory The Northern Territory (abbreviated as NT; known formally as the Northern Territory of Australia and informally as the Territory) is an states and territories of Australia, Australian internal territory in the central and central-northern regi ...

. On 4 September 1939, the day after Australia declared war on Germany, he was called back to full-time duty. He joined the Second AIF as a lieutenant colonel, with the AIF

service number A service number or roll number is an identification code used to identify a person within a large group. Service numbers are most often associated with the military; however, they also may be used in civilian organizations. National identificati ...

DX200, on 2 April 1940, and assumed command of the 6th Division Engineers. He embarked for the Middle East on 15 April 1940. He participated in the campaigns in

and

, and 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 ...

for the former. His citation read: Advanced Land Headquarters Staff 4120622

On 12 March 1942, the 6th Division embarked for the Far East, but was diverted to defend Ceylon. On 6 April 1942, he relinquished command of the 6th Division Engineers and became the Chief Engineer of the garrison of Ceylon with the temporary rank of

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 ...

. He finally embarked for Australia on 24 April, reaching

Adelaide Adelaide ( , ; ) is the list of Australian capital cities, capital and most populous city of South Australia, as well as the list of cities in Australia by population, fifth-most populous city in Australia. The name "Adelaide" may refer to ei ...

on 27 May. He was posted to the G staff at Second Army Headquarters. On 5 June, he became Deputy Engineer-in-Chief at Advanced Land Headquarters (LHQ),

, with the substantive rank of

colonel Colonel ( ; abbreviated as Col., Col, or COL) is a senior military Officer (armed forces), officer rank used in many countries. It is also used in some police forces and paramilitary organizations. In the 17th, 18th, and 19th centuries, a colon ...

from 1 September, although he retained the temporary rank of brigadier. On 18 May 1945, he became Chief Engineer of Second Army and commander of Royal Australian Engineers Training Centre at Kapooka. He was the co-author of a booklet, ''The Royal Australian Engineers—Lessons from The War 1939–45''. After the war ended, he relinquished these appointments on 8 November 1945, and was placed on the supernumerary list. On 18 December he was transferred to the Reserve of Officers with the rank of colonel, retaining brigadier as an honorary rank. He served as an aide-de-camp to the Governor General of Australia from 17 January 1946 to 9 January 1947.

Later life

Returning to civilian life, Lucas became the Commonwealth Director of Works in the Northern Territory. He was a member of the

Northern Territory Legislative Council The Northern Territory Legislative Council was the partly elected governing body of the Northern Territory of Australia from 1947 until its replacement by the fully elected Northern Territory Legislative Assembly in 1974. Prior to 1947, there h ...

in 1948. In 1950 he was transferred to

Western Australia Western Australia (WA) is the westernmost state of Australia. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to the south, the Northern Territory to the north-east, and South Australia to the south-east. Western Aust ...

. In 1953 he was placed in charge of construction of facilities for the British

nuclear test Nuclear weapons tests are experiments carried out to determine the performance of nuclear weapons and the effects of their explosion. Nuclear testing is a sensitive political issue. Governments have often performed tests to signal strength. Bec ...

s at

Emu Field Emu Field (also Emu Junction or simply Emu) is the site of Operation Totem, a pair of nuclear tests conducted by the British Government in South Australia during October 1953. The site was surveyed by Len Beadell in 1952. A village and ai ...

South Australia South Australia (commonly abbreviated as SA) is a States and territories of Australia, state in the southern central part of Australia. With a total land area of , it is the fourth-largest of Australia's states and territories by area, which in ...

. For this work, he was made an

Officer of the Order of the British Empire The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding valuable service in a wide range of useful activities. It comprises five classes of awards across both civil and military divisions, the most senior two o ...

on 1 January 1954. He retired in 1957. Lucas died in

St Leonards, New South Wales St Leonards is a suburb on the lower North Shore (Sydney), North Shore of Sydney, Australia. St Leonards is located north-west of the Sydney central business district and lies across the Local government in Australia, local government areas of ...

, on 3 September 1978, and his remains were cremated. He was survived by his daughter and one of his two sons.

List of honours

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lucas, Leonard Cuthbert 1894 births 1978 deaths Military personnel from Queensland Australian Army personnel of World War II Australian military engineers Officers of the Order of the British Empire Australian Companions of the Distinguished Service Order Australian recipients of the Military Cross Australian brigadiers People from Townsville Members of the Northern Territory Legislative Council Australian military personnel of World War I Royal Australian Engineers officers