On the outbreak of the Second World War, Dougherty offered his services to Lieutenant Colonel George Wootten, commander-designate of the 2/2nd Infantry Battalion, as his second-on-command even though this involved a reduction in rank to major.

[7] This was accepted and Dougherty joined the Second Australian Imperial Force on 13 October 1939, receiving the AIF serial number of NX148.

The ship sailed through the Suez Canal and the battalion moved by rail to an encampment at Julis, a town in the British Mandate of Palestine about 26 km north east of Gaza.

[8] On 19 August 1940 Dougherty was appointed to command the 2/4th Infantry Battalion, with the substantive AIF rank of lieutenant colonel.

Although he had been commissioned seven years before Dougherty, Wells was now his junior owing to the slower rate of promotion in the regular Army.

[10] The 19th Infantry Brigade moved to Borg El Arab in November 1940 to participate in General Sir Archibald Wavell's Operation Compass.

In the featureless desert, Dougherty was confronted with some difficulty in locating the start line for the advance, and made a series of adjustments to the battalion position.

[13] At Derna, Robertson employed his brigade boldly in support of Lieutenant General Richard O'Connor's attempt to cut off the retreating Italian Army.

His lead company reached the wadi and a platoon crossed it, establishing itself on the far side after a fight in which an Australian was killed and nine Italians captured.

His troops soon ran into a large Italian force which was beaten off only with the help of fire from the Vickers machine guns of the Royal Northumberland Fusiliers and 25 pounders of the 2/1st Field Regiment.

His mail had been stopped on the order of Major General Iven Mackay who wanted to personally break the sad news to Dougherty that his daughter Margaret had been killed in a playground accident in Mosman, New South Wales.

[26] On arrival in Adelaide Dougherty was informed that he was being promoted to brigadier and given command of the 23rd Infantry Brigade, a part of Major General Edmund Herring's Northern Territory Force.

[28] In October 1942, Herring summoned Dougherty to Port Moresby to take over command of the 21st Infantry Brigade from Brigadier Arnold Potts.

Several days of bitter and costly fighting followed as the 21st Infantry Brigade fought for Gona and the nearby Japanese positions.

Dougherty suffered an attack of malaria and arranged to be admitted to hospital in Goulburn, New South Wales in order to be near his family.

Dougherty rebuilt his brigade, once again ruthlessly weeding out officers who did not meet his standards, including two of his battalion commanders.

As amphibious warfare was contemplated for the brigade's next operation, Dougherty observed the invasion of Morotai, sailing on HMAS Kanimbla.

Despite this, the 7th Division's casualties were significantly lighter than they had suffered in previous campaigns, mainly due to the employment of staggering amounts of firepower.

[37] Following the surrender of Japan the 21st Brigade was detached to Makassar where Dougherty became Military Governor, a role he had already carried out in Benghazi with the 2/4th Infantry Battalion.

[38] In recognition of "gallant and distinguished services in the South West Pacific", Dougherty was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire in 1947.

[39] Returning to civilian life, Dougherty contested the seat of East Sydney as a Liberal candidate in the 1946 election.

[48] The Ivan Dougherty Gallery at the College of Fine Arts, at the University of New South Wales was also named in his honour.

More than 500 people, including an estimated 200 men who had served under him in the Second World War, gathered at St. Andrew's Cathedral, Sydney to pay tribute to him.