Heathcote Hammer

Heathcote Hammer
Brigadier Heathcote Hammer at Siar, New Guinea in June 1944
Nickname(s)	"Tack", "Sledge"
Born	(1905-02-15)15 February 1905 Southern Cross, Western Australia
Died	10 March 1961(1961-03-10) (aged 56) Brighton, Victoria
Buried	Springvale Botanical Cemetery
Allegiance	Australia
Service/branch	Australian Army
Years of service	1923–1959
Rank	Major General
Commands held	3rd Division (1956–59) 2nd Armoured Brigade (1953–56) 15th Brigade (1943–45) 2/48th Infantry Battalion (1942–43)
Battles/wars	Second World War Battle of Greece North African Campaign First Battle of El Alamein Second Battle of El Alamein South West Pacific theatre New Guinea Campaign Bougainville Campaign
Awards	Commander of the Order of the British Empire Distinguished Service Order & Bar Efficiency Decoration Mentioned in Despatches

Major General Heathcote Howard Hammer, CBE, DSO & Bar, ED (15 February 1905 – 10 March 1961) was a senior officer in the Australian Army, seeing service during the Second World War. After working as a traveling salesman he joined the Militia, Australia's part-time military force, in 1923, starting out as an enlisted soldier before being commissioned as an officer. By 1939, having served with several infantry units, he had reached the rank of major. Following the outbreak of the Second World War, Hammer volunteered for overseas service and fought in Greece, North Africa, New Guinea and Bougainville. He remained in the military after the war, rising to command at divisional level before retiring in 1959. He died in 1961 at the age of 56.