Brigadier General Patrick McGlinn

11 April 1869 - 7 July 1946

P01138.001 Caption: SYDNEY, NSW. 1908-1909. GROUP PORTRAIT OF SENIOR MILITARY PERSONNEL.
LEFT TO RIGHT: BACK ROW: BRIGADE MAJOR J. PATRICK MCGLINN, WARRANT OFFICER COSTELLO, CAPTAIN (CAPT) W. J. SMITH, UNKNOWN, CAPT C. B. B. WHITE, CAPT F. B. HERITAGE, CAPT ALEXANDER HORE-RUTHVEN VC (AIDE-DE-CAMP TO THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL, LATER GOVERNOR-GENERAL OF AUSTRALIA HIMSELF WITH THE TITLE LORD GOWRIE); FRONT ROW: UNKNOWN, THE GOVERNOR-GENERAL DESIGNATE OF AUSTRALIA LORD DUDLEY, MR GEORGE PEARCE (THE MINISTER FOR DEFENCE), UNKNOWN. (DONOR G. COCKERILL)

McGlinn was promoted to captain in 1905, major in 1906, becoming brigade major of the 1st Infantry Brigade, and lieutenant colonel on 23 December 1911.

In September 1914, Colonel John Monash of the 4th Infantry Brigade chose McGlinn for his brigade major, after being denied his first choice, Major J. H. Bruche, a regular officer, by the Chief of the General Staff, Colonel J. G. Legge, who claimed that the country was being too quickly stripped of all its best officers. Monash thus became the only brigadier without a regular army brigade major, although Monash secured a regular, Captain C. H. Jess, as staff captain. McGlinn joined the AIF on 23 September 1914. While training the 4th Brigade in Egypt, Monash and McGlinn became close.

The 4th Brigade began landing at Anzac Cove on the evening of 25 April 1915. The brigade took over the critical left centre of the line, including Quinn's, Courtney's and Steele's Posts and Pope's Hill at the head of Monash Valley. McGlinn worked hard to improve the quality of the brigade's defences, and the rule of thumb became that a trench had to be wide enough for McGlinn to walk down without touching the sides. Of his work, Monash wrote: "McGlinn is... calm, cool, collected and a man of sound judgement. He works late and early and nothing is too much for him."

McGlinn was acting commander of the 4th Brigade on Imbros from 17 October 1915 to 8 November 1915, while Monash was in Egypt. For his services at Gallipoli, McGlinn was twice mentioned in dispatches and was appointed a Companion of St Michael and St George (CMG).

On 12 March 1916, McGlinn became AA & QMG of the newly formed 5th Division, under Major General J. W. McCay. He performed this task until he was evacuated sick on 9 November 1916. He was replaced by Lieutenant Colonel J. H. Bruche and did not return to the 5th Division.

McGlinn was appointed commander of the 4th Command Depot at Codford, England on 28 April 1917, again under McCay. Then on 24 October 1917, he took over the 2nd Command Depot at Weymouth. In this role he responsible for the processing of "casual reinforcements" -- wounded men who had recovered and were being returned to their units. He was promoted to colonel on 8 December 1917.

On 17 March 1918, McGlinn was promoted to temporary brigadier general and appointed Deputy Adjutant and Quartermaster General (DA & QMG) of AIF Depots in the United Kingdom. For this work, he was appointed a Companion of the British Empire (CBE) in the 1919 New Years List. On 31 August 1919, he became liaison officer in England for the Department of Repatriation.

On 11 November 1919, McGlinn was attached to AIF Headquarters as president of the court martial which tried Father O'Donnell, the Australian Catholic Chaplain. Unlike most Catholic clergy, O'Donnell had been a strong advocate of the war, and of conscription, and had made an interstate speaking tour in support of them. He tried enlisting in the AIF as a private but was rejected as too old at 41. Then on 22 February 1918, he joined the AIF as a chaplain with the rank of captain and was posted to France where he served with the 11th Battalion. On 14 October 1919, O'Donnell was arrested in Ireland for traitorous and disloyal statements concerning British policy in Ireland, allegedly uttered at the International Hotel, Killarney. He also stated that Britain would have lost the war if not for the AIF.

In spite of protests from Prime Minister W. M. Hughes, O'Donnell was held in the Tower of London in the same cell once occupied by Sir Roger Casement. He was tried by McGlinn's court martial on 26-27 November 1929 and acquitted, although not honourably. O'Donnell wrote to newspapers about his ill treatment and billed the AIF for his legal costs. It's possible that O'Donnell had been confused with someone else. It's also possible that his stated intention to hand over to Sinn Feiners a pistol presented to supporters of the Irish rebel John Mitchel in Tasmania was unwise.

McGlinn returned to Australia in March 1920. He commanded the 6th Brigade and was placed on the unattached list as a brigadier general in July 1920.

Returning to the PMG, McGlinn became deputy State Engineer (lines) for New South Wales. On Monash's recommendation, he was appointed a commissioner of the Public Service Board in 1923 and served until 1930. He was chairman of the Commonwealth (AIF) Canteens Trust Fund, the Sir Samuel McCaughy AIF Bequest and the John Monash Memorial Fund.

He died on 7 July 1946 and was buried at St Kilda Cemetery with full military honours after a requiem mass at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Kew.

McGlinn was a skilled staff officer who gave the service and devotion to the troops and the officers he served, particularly Monash.

Sources: Australian Dictionary of Biography, 1899-1939, Vol 10, pp. 61-62, 272-273; AWM43/A530; Pederson, P.A., Monash as Military Companion, p. 43, 81,