 On 26 January 1940 , Northcott became acting Chief of the General Staff ( CGS ) following the death of Lieutenant General Ernest Ker Squires . In August , his successor , General Sir Brudenell White , died in an air crash and Lieutenant General Vernon Sturdee succeeded him . The post of commander of the 8th Division thereby became available but Northcott was excluded from consideration because his knowledge was vital to the new CGS . When the commander of the 9th Division , Major General Henry Wynter , fell ill in January 1941 , Lieutenant General Sir Thomas Blamey asked for Northcott to replace him , but Northcott was involved in organising the 1st Armoured Division and the appointment instead went to Brigadier Leslie Morshead . 
