The following information about the sad passing of Brigadier (Rtd) George “Warrie George” Mansford AM (1934 – 2026) was passed on by Brig (Rtd) Chris Hamilton. George was 11Bde Comd in the late 1980. As recently as Oct 2025 we posted a report on this website from John Caligari AO DSC who visited George at the time of his 91st Birthday.
Chris Hamilton goes on to say:
The Australian Army has lost one of its most authentic and formidable leaders. George Mansford passed away this morning, (Thursday 19th Feb 2026) aged 91.
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A veteran of Korea, Malaya, and Vietnam, George was a soldier’s soldier. He was the visionary founder of the Jungle Training Centre (Battle School) at Tully, where he instilled a standard of realism and discipline that has saved countless lives.
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His philosophy was simple but profound: “knowing your people, understanding people, valuing people”. Whether through his book Leadership on the Battlefield, his novel about the ‘Mad Gallahs’, or his work raising the profile of 11th Brigade and Northern Surveillance units, he remained a relentless advocate for the quintessential Australian soldier.
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To the world, he was a Brigadier; to those in the trenches, he was a legend who understood that mateship is the most powerful weapon an army has.
Our thoughts and prayers go out to George’s family.
Lest We Forget.
RIP George
hdsr
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