Sandy Pearson

Major General Cedric Maudsley Ingram "Sandy" Pearson, AO, DSO, OBE, MC (24 August 1918[3] – 7 November 2012) was an Australian Army officer. He was a Commander of Australian Forces during the Vietnam War, Commandant of the Royal Military College, Duntroon and Director of the Royal Agricultural Society of New South Wales.[4]

Cedric Maudsley Ingram Pearson
Nickname(s)	"Sandy"
Born	24 August 1918 Kurri Kurri, New South Wales
Died	7 November 2012 (aged 94) Narrabeen, New South Wales
Allegiance	Australia
Service/branch	Australian Army
Years of service	1937–1975
Rank	Major General
Commands held	Royal Military College, Duntroon (1970–73) 1st Division (1969–70) 1st Australian Task Force (1968–69) 1st Battalion, Royal Australian Regiment (1962–64)
Battles/wars	Second World War Indonesia–Malaysia confrontation Vietnam War
Awards	Officer of the Order of Australia Distinguished Service Order Officer of the Order of the British Empire Military Cross Legion of Merit (United States)[1] Knight of the National Order of Vietnam[2] Cross of Gallantry with Palm (Vietnam)[2]

Early life and family

CMI Pearson (known as Sandy) was born in Kurri Kurri, New South Wales,[3] the son of Margaret and the Rev. George Ingram Pearson, a Methodist minister.[5] He was the younger brother of Dr H. H. Pearson.[6] Pearson attended Newington College (1932–1936)[7] before graduating from the Royal Military College, Duntroon, in 1940.

Army career

• Served Second World War, (1942–1945)[3]
• Served Singapore, (1966–1968)
• Commander 1st Australian Task Force, Vietnam, (1968–1969)[8][9]
• Commandant, Royal Military College, Duntroon, (1970–1973)[9]
• Chief of Personnel, Australian Army, (1973–1975)

Post army career

• Exexcutive Director, Royal Agricultural Society of NSW, (1976–1983)
• Director, Brickworks Ltd, (1983–1998)

Committees

• RSL Committees, (1977–2002)
• Newington College Council, (1978–1998)
• NSW Homeless Children, (1981–1990)

Death

Aged 94, Pearson died on 7 November 2012 at the RSL Village in Narrabeen, New South Wales.[10] His funeral was held eight days later at the Newington College Chapel, Stanmore.

Notes

1. Barnes 1974, p. 80.
2. Barnes 1974, p. 84.
3. PEARSON, Cedric Mandsley Ingram, memorial.act.gov.au
4. Crown Content Who's Who in Australia 2007 p. 1622
5. "LATE REV. G. INGRAM PEARSON". The Methodist (Sydney, NSW : 1892 – 1954). Sydney, NSW: National Library of Australia. 7 September 1940. p. 4. Retrieved 17 January 2015.
6. Herbert Hilary (Hugh) Ingram Pearson
7. Newington College Register of Past Students 1863–1998 (Syd, 1999) p. 154
8. Commander 1st Australian Task Force at the time of the Battle of Binh Ba (image)
9. Vietnam vets honoured – Local News – News – The Manly Daily. Manly-daily.whereilive.com.au. Retrieved on 2011-04-06.
10. "Vale: Major General 'Sandy' Pearson". 7th Battalion, The Royal Australian Regiment Association website. 7 November 2012. Retrieved 9 November 2012.

References

• Barnes, I.L. (1974). Australian Gallant and Distinguished Service, Vietnam 1962–1973: Being a Record of British and Foreign Decorations Awarded to Australian Servicemen. Canberra, Australia: Military Historical Society of Australia. ISBN 0909859108.CS1 maint: ref=harv (link)