Thanks to Wikipedia for this information. See Wikipedia for the full biography of this remarkable Australian.

Gibber! Gibber!

Chugley

General Sir John Monash, GCMG, KCB, VD ; 27 June 1865 – 8 October 1931), was a civil engineer and an Australian military commander of the First World War. He commanded the 13th Infantry Brigade before the war and then, shortly after its outbreak, became commander of the 4th Brigade in Egypt, with whom he took part in the Gallipoli campaign. In July 1916 he took charge of the newly raised 3rd Division in northwestern France and in May 1918 became commander of the Australian Corps, at the time the largest corps on the Western Front. Monash is considered one of the best allied generals of the First World War and the most famous commander in Australian history.

Military impact

According to British historian A. J. P. Taylor, Monash was “the only general of creative originality produced by the First World War.”^[3] Monash’s impact on Australian military thinking was significant in three areas. First, he was the first Australian to fully command Australian forces and he took, as following Australian commanders did, a relatively independent line with his British superiors. Second, he promoted the concept of the commander’s duty to ensure the safety and well-being of his troops to a pre-eminent position in a philosophy of “collective individualism”. And finally, he, along with staff officer Thomas Blamey, forcefully demonstrated the benefit of thorough planning and integration of all arms of the forces available, and of all of the components supporting the front line forces, including logistical, medical and recreational services. Troops later recounted that one of the most extraordinary things about the Battle of Hamel was not the use of armoured tanks, nor the tremendous success of the operation, but the fact that in the midst of battle Monash had arranged delivery of hot meals up to the front line.^[63]

Cultural impact

In recognition of his enduring influence, Monash’s face is on Australia’s highest value currency note ($100).^[63] Monash’s success in part reflected the tolerance of Australian society, but to a larger degree his success – in the harshest experience the young nation had suffered – shaped that tolerance and demonstrated to Australians that the Australian character was diverse, multi-ethnic and a blend of the traditions of the “bush” and the “city”. According to author Colin MacInnes, as recounted by Monash’s biographer, Geoffrey Serle, Monash’s “presence and prestige…made anti-Semitism…impossible in Australia”.^[3] He is also honoured in a Cantata for chorus, soloists and orchestra called Peace – A Cantata for John Monash by composer/conductor Dr David Ian Kram.^[64]