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MONASH CLOSE
Strategic brilliance, encompassing innovative military practices and a profound commitment to the well-being of his troops.
Portrait of Major General Sir John Monash KCB, VD, one of Australia’s most distinguished soldiers during the First World War. During his Army career, General Monash was Colonel Commanding the 13th Infantry Brigade of the Citizen Forces, Commander of the 4th Infantry Brigade at Gallipoli, Commander of the 3rd Australian Division in France 1916-1918 and Commander of the Australian Corps from 31 May 1918 until after the Armistice. Photograph by Elliott and Fry, London. Wikipedia Commons Public Domain.
The choice of naming this street after General Sir John Monash is highly fitting, given his distinguished role as an Australian military commander and the lasting legacy he left through his significant contributions during World War I. Acknowledged as one of the most capable Allied generals, Monash’s influence surpassed strategic brilliance, encompassing innovative military practices and a profound commitment to the well-being of his troops.
One of the most capable Allied Generals of WW1
General Sir John Monash was an Australian military commander who played a significant role in World War I. He is widely regarded as one of the most capable and effective Allied generals during the conflict.
Only Street In Tanilba Bay not named by Henry F Halloran
Monash Close is the sole street in Tanilba Bay that did not receive its name from Henry F Halloran. The naming of this street emerged after the estate was subdivided. Notably, the space initially earmarked for Monash Close in Henry F Halloran’s plans was intended for a school. As a result, its name doesn’t adhere to the alliteration present in all the other streets.
General John Monash in front. 31 May 1918. Official History of Australia in the war 1914-1918. Source: Wikimedia CommonsAustralia Navy during WW1 Source: Wikimedia Commons Public Domain.
Early Career
Before the war, Monash was a successful civil engineer and businessman in Australia. He had served in the Australian Army Reserve and gained military experience.
Gallipoli: embarking the wounded. Photograph collection of Lieutenant Colonel G.J.S. Archer, RAMC. 1915. Source: Wikipedia Commons Australia Navy during WW1 Source: Wikimedia Commons Public Domain.
Gallipoli Campaign
Monash was initially involved in the Gallipoli Campaign in 1915 as the 4th Infantry Brigade of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) commander. His leadership and organisational skills were evident during this challenging campaign, though he faced health issues and was evacuated due to illness.
Western Front
Monash’s significant contributions came on the Western Front, where he played a crucial role in several key battles.
“Sir John Monash’s penetrating vision had not been so exclusively preoccupied with the events of the present as to become blind to the possibilities of the future. Like all the great leaders in the war, he had consistently regarded the warfare of positions as an indeterminate phase of the hostilities from which decisive results could never flow. And of all the Allied commanders he appears to have gauged the most accurately the precise moment at which the development of new weapons and the adoption of new tactics would permit the launching of an offensive of a scope and nature not hither to dreamed of in the Allied attacks of the past.”
Chapter XIV The Collapse of the Western Front” Ellis, A. D. The story of the 5th Division. Source: Wikipedia Commons Public Domain.
Battle of Messines Map. Source: Wikipedia Commons Public Domain.
Battle of Messines (1917)
Monash was instrumental in the planning and execution of the successful Battle of Messines, where British and Australian forces captured the Messines Ridge from the Germans.
Soldiers of the 1st Battalion, The Lancashire Fusiliers fixing bayonets prior to the attack on Beaumont Hamel. They are wearing ‘fighting order’, with the haversack in place of the pack, and with the rolled groundsheet strapped to the belt below the mess-tin which contained rations. Author Ernst Brooks 1 July 1916. Source: Wikipedia Commons Public Domain.
Battle of Hamel (1918)
Monash’s meticulous planning and innovative tactics were showcased during the Battle of Hamel. The successful operation, which involved coordinated infantry, artillery and tank attacks, became a model for future Allied offensives.
Depicts a scene during the Battle of Amiens. The view is towards the west, looking back towards Amiens. A column of German prisoners of war being led into captivity. Meanwhile horse-drawn artillery are advancing to the east. 8th August, 1918 (oil-on-linen, 107 cm x 274 cm, 1918-1919) by Will Longstaff, Australian official war artist. Source: Wikipedia Commons Public Domain.
Battle of Amiens (1918)
Monash played a key role in the Battle of Amiens, a pivotal engagement that marked the beginning of the Hundred Days Offensive, a series of successful Allied advances leading to the end of the war. Monash’s planning and coordination contributed to the rapid success of the battle.
General Monash is made a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath by King George V on 12 August 1918, at Château de Bertangles. This is the first time in 200 years that a British monarch knighted a commander on the battlefield. Australian War Memorial. Source: Wikipedia Commons Public Domain.
Promotion to Corps Commander
Monash was promoted to the rank of lieutenant general and given command of the Australian Corps in 1918. Under his leadership, the Australian Corps achieved notable successes in the later stages of the war.
Statue of General Sir John Monash in King’s Domain, Melbourne.
The plaque reads:
General Sir John Monash
Soldier and Engineer
Commander the Australian Corps France 1918
Chairman State Electricity Commission 1921–33.
Author William Leslie-Bowles. Source: Wikimedia CommonsAustralia Navy during WW1 Source: Wikimedia Commons Public Domain.
Monash’s Legacy
General John Monash’s innovative approach to warfare, his emphasis on detailed planning, and his effective use of combined arms tactics earned him a reputation as one of the most capable commanders of World War I. His success was not only due to military prowess but also his focus on the well-being and morale of his troops.
After the war, Monash continued to contribute to Australian public life, but his military career remained a central part of his legacy. He is remembered as a visionary military leader who made significant contributions to the Allied victory in World War I.
The Hundred Days Offensive, August-november 1918 A British Mark V tank (B56, 9003) of the 2 Battalion, Tank Corps crossing the ditch at the side of a road at Lamotte-en-Santerre, 8 August 1918.
Source: Wikimedia Commons
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