Sent by John Evans:
Julie, this is an interesting evaluation of John monash's second great achievement!
Soon after, General Monash gained a small but decisive victory at Hamel. It was important for the tactics that Monash used. A combination of infantry, air support, tanks and artillery that had not been used before.
This became the blueprint for the Battle of Amiens, on 8 August, ‘a black day’ for the German army according to General Ludendorff.
The ANZAC divisions (which included one NZ division) along with the Canadians formed the spearhead for this attack and all subsequent attacks right up until October 1918.
The ANZACs formed the main fighting force in the main battles that year for the first and (probably) last time in history. The contribution of their Commander, General John Monash, did not go unnoticed.
On 12 August 1918 Monash was knighted in the field, the first such honour to be awarded by a British Monarch in over 200 years. Fittingly, Monash now graces our highest currency denomination, the $100 note.
But back then, the ANZACs were a part of the British Army. Their victories were therefore attributed to the British. Their heroics were lost to society for many years.
While the mythology of Gallipoli grew, the magnitude of the ANZAC’s feats on the Western Front, particularly in 1918, remained locked in war dairies and history books.
But in recent years that has changed. And that is a good thing.
Happy ANZAC Day.
Greg Canavan
The Daily Reckoning Australia
