 Northcott joined the Second Australian Imperial Force ( AIF ) as a major general on 1 September 1941 and was given the AIF serial number <unk> . He was attached to the British 7th Armoured Division in the Middle East to study armoured warfare , returning to Australia in December 1941 to organise the new 1st Armoured Division . The job was a challenging one that some of his subordinates felt that Northcott was not up to , given his lack of command experience . In March 1942 , Northcott found out from The Herald newspaper that he was to be promoted to command II Corps . " This is what they do to me " , was his comment , " just as my first tank is coming down the road " . The new post came with a promotion to the temporary rank of lieutenant general on 6 April 1942 , which became substantive on 12 December 1945 . Northcott was succeeded as commander by Major General Horace Robertson , an officer with a distinguished combat record in the desert . 
