Gympie Greats - Charles (Jock) Geddes

Padre to the 'Rats' 
By ESTHER PINN

One man who represented The Salvation Army during wartime was Brigadier Charles Mathers Geddes. Brigadier Geddes always preferred his nickname. He would say: “He’s not my friend till he calls me Jock.”
A Salvation Army officer, a military chaplain and Red Shield War Services representative for the Australia Defence Force during World War Two, Jock lived an exceptional servant life. He quickly became known as “padre”during war time and had an ability to be a great morale booster.
No longer after the war broke out, Jock volunteered for military service and spent time many years in several war zones including the Middle East, New Guinea, Korea and Japan. Jock was a prominent Red Shield figure during the famous siege of Tobruk, in the Middle East in 1941 and became a well-known “Rat”. 
The men of the Torbuk garrison, a majority Australian, were honourably labelled as the notorious “Rats of Tobruk” because they endured extreme warfare but refused to surrender. They became a source of inspiration during some of the war’s darkest days.
During his time at Tobruk, Jock helped to establish a Red Shield Headquarters for soldiers, as a place for temporary respite from the gruelling business of war. Along with dodging bombs, Jock witnessed many deaths and performed a number of funerals to honour their lives. Jock exceeded in his role as a “padre”.

Highest honour
After the war, Jock became the official padre of the “Rats”, was presented with the War Veteran’s Cross after years of association with military services and in 1976 he was named as one of seven servicemen in the Australian “Anzac of the Year”awards. 
Jock’s life was honoured publicly on Channel Seven’s former television show, This is your Life on 2 July 1976. And finally Jock received the highest honour in The Salvation Army when he was admitted to the Order of the Founder in 1976. 
Aside from his exemplary war service, Jock has been described as a “showman for Christ” through his unconventional evangelistic methods.
Jock had only been a Salvationist for two months before he entered the Training College to become a Salvation Army officer in 1927.
He was famous for captivating his audiences when holding open-air congregations, wearing kilts while preaching to reflect his Scottish background and once he even preached from the inside of a coffin.
Following his war service, Jock was appointed as the Australia Eastern Territorial Evangelist. Unfortunately he suffered a heart attack at age 55 and retired from officership in 1968. Jock, however, did not let his failing health stop him from completing ministry. He continued to study while suffering poor health and in 1960 undertook a counselling role as a Salvation Army Rehabilitation Officer.
Prior to retirement he was appointed as Social Services Chaplain to Sydney Social Institutions and President of the Red Shield and Chaplains’Association. Jock also faithfully served as the Corps Sergeant Major of Sydney Congress Hall after retirement. He continued all three roles until he passed away in 1979. 
Alongside his honour of being admitted to the Order of the Founder, Jock Geddes is named after a room called the “Geddes room” at the Sydney Congress Hall Function Centre at territorial headquarters.
Jock married Mrs Brigadier Stella Geddes (nee Cork) in 1932 and together they had four daughters –Claire, Joy, Beth and Dawn.

This article first appeared in The Salvation Army's Pipeline magazine.