PublishedEbury Press, August 2017 |
ISBN9780143783923 |
FormatSoftcover, 384 pages |
Dimensions23.4cm × 15.3cm |
The story of Major General Henry Gordon Bennett, the Commanding Officer of 8th Division
Major-General Gordon Bennett played a decisive role in the defence of Malaya and Singapore in World War II. A colourful character, known to sport a straw hat with a rainbow scarf tied around it, his officers found him at times abrasive and cocky, but he was also known as an outstanding commander. He is, however, best remembered for his escape by boat from Singapore in the dying days of the Japanese invasion, which led to the imprisonment of 15,000 Australian servicemen.
Bennett's decision to leave his men to their fate is one of the most controversial episodes in the fall of the island. Though he was exonerated by Prime Minister John Curtin on his return to Australia, 8th Division's commander was never forgiven by the military's top brass for what many viewed as a clear case of desertion. While Bennett alone cannot be blamed for the defeat - there were many other factors, including Britain's military failings in both tactics and defence - he was and remains a ready scapegoat.
In this vivid and comprehensive history of the 8th Division and its stoic force of fighting men, Roger Maynard investigates their conflicted leader, whose reputation as an outstanding soldier was shattered by war's end. He also examines Bennett's legacy through the prism of today's military standards to establish whether he was, indeed, a hero or deserter.
Bill is one of the founders of Boffins and has been involved in selecting the books we stock since our beginning in 1989. His favourite reading is history, with psychology, current affairs, and business books coming close behind. His hobbies are reading, food, reading, drinking, reading, and sleeping.
General Gordon Bennett was commander of the Australian 8th Division in Singapore in 1942. When the British surrendered to the Japanese, Bennett escaped to Australia because he believed that he could share useful information about Japanese fighting tactics to help in the war ahead. Prime Minister Curtin accepted this, but the army high command believed that he should have stayed with his men. It’s been one of the biggest controversies in Australian military history ever since. No-one doubts Bennett’s courage or ability – he became a General at the age of 29 years in France in World War 1, and he had a reputation in both wars as a fearless fighter.But did he do the right thing in leaving his men behind? Or did he just become a scapegoat for British military failings? It seems that most of his men thought he was right, but the top brass – and ultimately a Royal Commission – disagreed. This book is riveting – the long standing mutual dislike of Bennett and Commander in Chief Thomas Blamey started before World War One runs through it. It’s a great history of the 8th Division and of the fighting in Malaya and Singapore, and Bennett in particular.
