general lieutenant general april august senior australian_army officer served world war world war despite highly decorated achievements world war commanded battalion brigade level youngest general australian_army bennett best remembered role february pacific war commander 8th escaped men prisoners bennett military career waned rose command corps commanded troops battle escape caused controversy resulted found command citizen soldier world war bennett worked insurance industry conclusion hostilities pursued commercial interests continuing serve military time capacity commanding brigade divisional level retired army world war turned farming remained active world business military commentator dying age early life bennett known gordon born melbourne april south african born school teacher australian born wife sixth children attended father taught teenager having given year scholarship mathematics year old completing competitive examination accepted train turned bennett volunteered serve militia australia reserve military force joining 5th recruit officer completing month time course appointed provisional second lieutenant posted regiment company victoria continued work time devoted spare time military duties rose rank quickly reaching major age adjutant regiment outbreak world war bennett volunteered serve securing release pay appointed second command 2nd victorian assigned 1st division short period training began embark europe prior departure overseas bennett engaged met dance canterbury engagement gift bought miniature photo set gold frame bennett carried picture jacket pocket serving overseas later saved life western german bullet gallipoli transit result training camps united_kingdom diverted egypt intention complete training moving western later date decision allies force passage dardanelles interrupted process allocated landing april bennett fought southern flank led men battalion advanced position south lone pine directing defence position bennett wounded shoulder wrist forced retire beach treatment turkish forces counter attacked evening 6th battalion force isolated killed man including bennett younger brother instead accepting evacuation hospital ship having wounds treated bennett returned battalion early selected reinforce british forces second battle transferred boat bennett advanced battalion impossible conditions bennett officer 6th 2nd brigade survive advance unscathed lucky led charge turkish bullet hit ammunition wore exploding ammunition knocked feet unharmed handful men achieved advance attack commander day battalion returned shortly bennett command battalion confirmed promoted lieutenant colonel june july bennett battalion occupied line period reduced tempo fighting stalemate developed august allies launched august offensive break stalemate involved supporting attacks start battle best known attack 6th required similar attack neighbouring turkish position known german officers trench machine guns australian positions far north attempts capture trench failed attempt organised bennett resolved lead commander major general consulting corps commander lieutenant general agreed abandon attack losses totalled killed wounded following attack bennett battalion withdrawn line briefly relieving 1st brigade successfully captured lone pine august offensive failed fighting occurred following month reinforcements shape 2nd division arrived original australian units relieved basis including sent bennett hospitalised stay hospital received word appointed companion order michael returned sought return ordered sail england aboard transport treatment bennett mentioned despatches twice service gallipoli western bennett spent christmas southampton returning egypt early january rejoined battalion stationed defending canal arrived began period reorganisation expansion saw experienced units 1st division split provide newly formed split help form late february march 1st division moved france transfer infantry formations western bennett subsequently led 1st 3rd brigades captured town july 6th 8th battalions 2nd brigade moved occupy ruins endure prolonged artillery bombardment bennett battalion headquarters log received direct hits shells survived debris accumulated shortly bennett relocated finally demolished july bennett protested conditions men endure reporting men shelled hold attack launched firing line headquarters heavy guns town swept line buried capture bennett suffered casualties considerable margin battalions 1st division bennett continued serve commanding officer acting commander mid november bennett took brief leave london reunited sailed melbourne father meet november married short honeymoon scotland bennett returned december given command promoted brigadier general youngest general australian_army commanded brigade remainder war western leading brigade notable actions including road actions bennett serving wife remained england returned briefly november july war ended returned australia couple month old daughter bennett remained europe june briefly touring rhine viewing london victory parade escorted husband lord commander marched service western bennett received awards received montenegro appointed companion order bath received mentioned despatches times attitude regular officers temperament tendency act clearing actions superiors resulted criticism senior officers wars return australia bennett lived canterbury wife daughter sought return civilian life appointment terminated offered old position having time leave pay serving overseas unhappy eventually offered position sydney moved family later purchased textile factory worked clothing manufacturer public appointed chairman role able help returned soldiers appointed administrator commissioners president australia involved conservative political groups australia league bennett remained active military continuing serve militia reorganised following conclusion process served commander appointed command 2nd division promoted rank major general ensuing years increasingly small permanent staff corps transferred list amidst increasing tensions europe came conflict wrote number newspaper articles expressing concerns defence policy efficiency regular officers world war world war broke bennett passed command position going general chief general staff general sir opposed bennett given active command bennett biographer australian dictionary biography comments temperament considered unsuitable semi diplomatic command involved british generals bennett scathing british officers australian regulars bennett instead given command australian version july took command white death canberra air disaster august bennett appointed commander newly formed replacing promoted white role february 8th division headquarters brigades 22nd posted malaya february request british australia contribute troops bolster garrison amid growing concerns war japanese plans formulated pre war singapore strategy 27th brigade dispatched august division brigade 23rd brigade remained australia relations bennett superiors subordinate brigade commander good lodge comments bennett dealings british senior officers especially general officer commanding malaya lieutenant general devoid harmony december japanese invasion malaya began bennett found command hoc force known included australian 27th brigade 22nd transferred indian units bennett command engaged early stages fighting initial japanese attacks fell british indian units thai border japanese pushed defenders advanced australians fought actions january significant came australians experienced local success forced withdraw singapore rest allied forces end month singapore bennett command included australian brigades 22nd 27th allocated task defending north western sector island february japanese launched assault concentrating sector held bennett troops weight fell 22nd brigade area fought fend japanese divisions eventually forced withdraw centre island 27th brigade initially managed hold sector subjected follow assault february 22nd fell forced withdraw heavy fighting followed week eventually allied troops pushed island singapore urban areas february began surrender negotiations japanese night bennett decided duty escape singapore surrender handed command 8th junior officers local europeans bennett crossed east coast sumatra transferred launch sailed proceeded car west coast sumatra bennett flew java australia arriving melbourne march fall singapore largest capitulation british military history shocked australians resulting capture australians indian british soldiers bennett escape initially regarded publicly prime minister issued statement read desire inform nation proud pay tribute efficiency gallantry devotion forces struggle expressed confidence leadership conduct complete duty men command country remained men end completed connection surrender took opportunity risk escaping military particularly senior bennett criticised leaving troops april promoted lieutenant general given command perth time important post possibility japanese invasion australia faded bennett told given active command transferred soon published account campaign critical british officers opinions later challenged australian officers including unsuccessfully tried prevent book publication retirement active service bennett began writing sydney newspaper correspondent remained concerned soldiers met group recently freed 8th division prisoners war arrived sydney transport majority soldiers welcomed hung sign ship read want bennett later car gesture support postwar inquiries controversy bennett actions public war ended released japanese captivity got bennett wrote letter accusing command permission delivered letter release convened court lieutenant general found bennett justified handing command leaving singapore veterans 8th division generally loyal bennett protested finding november prime minister appointed justice commission concluded bennett order surrender lodge wrote questioning bennett personal courage concluded action bennett stated reason leaving singapore learned defeat japanese let british indian troops obliged communicate knowledge military authorities proved proficient commanders malaya tactics outdated important wish lead australian army consuming given early command prejudice regular officers ambition professional judgement important point career goals convinced blame failure lay lieutenant colonel military lawyer published opinion royal commissioner based report interpretation international law discuss general bennett action standpoint australian military law placed obligation remain post military retirement bennett later purchasing property living deteriorating health following sold orchard moved sydney travelled singapore wife attend opening war memorial travelled japan meet officers fought malaya wrote number articles military topics served board number companies chairman directors insurance died august survived wife daughter state funeral andrew cathedral body cremated diary bennett kept serving malaya held
Gordon Bennett (general)