Canberra Times (ACT : 1926 - 1995), Tuesday 29 January 1952, page 4


After a brief illness, the Direc-tor of the Australian War Mem-orial Lieut-Colonel J. L. Tre-loar, O.BE., 57, died in Canberra Community hospital yesterday.

He had served in both wars, reaching the rank of major in the First World War, and of lieut-colonel in the second.

He is survied by his widow, two daughters, and one son, Alan, who served with the Sec-ond A.I.F. in the Middle East, and was a Victorian Rhodes Scholar. His other son, Ian, an R.A.A.F. pilot, was lost in the attack on Sicily.

In 1924 Colonel Treloar was loaned from the War Memorial to organise the Australian sec-tion of the Wembley Exhibition Colonel Treloar was admitted to hospital following a collapse three weeks ago, but seemed to be progressing well until shortly before his death.

A tribute to him was paid last night by Mr. A. W. Bazley, publicity officer of the A.C.T. branch of the R.S.L., and form-er associate of the late Colonel Treloar.

He said that John Treloar was born in Melbourne in 1894, spen-ding his youth both there and at Hamilton. He was educated at Albert Park State School, where he won recognition as a promin-

ent athlete.

In 1911 he entered the Defence

Department as a military staff clerk and enlisted in the A.I.F. in August, 1914, as a staff-ser-geant in the 1st Division.

Serving under Lieut.-Colonel White, he was at the landing at Anzac, and served until after the August offensive when he was evacuated and invalided to Aus-tralia in December, 1915.

He recovered and served as equipment officer of No. 1

Squadron, of the Australian Fly-ing Corps.

When that unit arrived in Egypt, he was called to France as superintending clerk at the headquarters of General Bird-

wood's Anzac Corps.

In 1917 he was selected to or-ganise the Australian War Rec-ords section, performing his task so efficiently that he won com-mendation from the Australian War Historian, Dr E. E W. Bean, and the late Col. Graham Butler, who wrote the medical history of the A.I.F.

In September, 1939, he be-came executive head of the newly-formed Department of Information under Sir Henry Gullett, and laid the foundation for the collection of records and relics of that war.

From this post he went to the Middle East as Officer in Charge of the Military History Section.

He was responsible for the production of a Christmas book, written and illustrated by the troops, which has grown into a well-known Services series.

Returning to Australia in 19-42, he established the Military History Section in Queen's Road, Melbourne, where he worked un-til 1946 to ensure that the rec-ords and relics of World War II "were worthy of the men and women of the three services, for whom he had an intense admira-tion."

Mr. Bazley continued, "His death at the comparatively early age of 57 was unquestionably the result of overwork. Even be-fore 1939, his friends eared that he would have a physical break-down, but, possessed as he was with an exceedingly strong con-stitution, he was able to with-stand the strain of long hours of concentration, with hardly a break and never a holiday."

Despite recent warnings he continued to drive himself at

the same pace of his youth un-til inevitably his great heart gave in, said Mr. Bazley.

"With Johnny Treloar's pass-

ing, Australia has lost, far too early, one of her noblest sons."

Mr R Rowe, former president

of the A.C.T. branch of the R.S.L. last night paid tribute to the work of the late Colonel Treloar.

"John Treloar gave his life and

services to the Australian nation in maintaining the clear vision of the form in which the nation's tribute to its honoured dead would be finally expressed, and in devoting himself self-sacrificingly to its completion,' said Mr. Rowe

"Within its hallowed cloisters he will be remembered with the legion of those who have gone before, for it shall be also his lasting memorial."