Leslie Morshead

General Leslie James Morshead (18 September, 1889 - 26 September, 1959) was an Australian soldier with a distinguished career in both world wars. Together with Sir John Monash, Morshead is regarded as Australia's greatest soldier.

Morshead was born in Ballarat and became a schoolmaster before joining the First AIF on the outbreak of the Great War 1914. He served in Gallipoli and in France, reaching the rank of lieutenant colonel and having been six times mentioned in dispatches.

Post-war, Morshead became the Sydney manager for the Orient Line but remained in the army reserve (then known as the Citizens Military Force or CMF).

When World War II broke out, Morshead was sent to North Africa as commander of the 18th Brigade AIF. In February 1941, a reorganisation led to the formation of the 9th Division, AIF, with Morshead as its commander. The 9th Division was pitched into the thick of the action almost immediately, steadying the precipitate retreat of the Commonwealth forces from the newly-arrived Afrika Korps under Rommel, and occupying the vital port of Tobruk in Libya. Morshead was given command of the Tobruk garrison which, as the retreat continued, was soon isolated hundreds of miles behind the front lines.

General Archibald Wavell instructed Morshead to hold the fortress for eight weeks while the remaining forces reorganised and mounted a relief mission. With the 9th Division and supporting forces of tanks and artillery (from various Commonwealth nations, mostly British), Morshead decisively defeated Rommel's powerful initial assaults, and retained possession of the fortress. It was the first time in the war that German land forces had been defeated.

Not content with a purely defensive role, Morshead insisted on vigorous application of the traditional Australian doctrine of aggressive patrolling. His attitude was well summed up on the celebrated occasion when he was made aware of a British propaganda article titled Tobruk can take it!

Morshead thundered "We're not here to take it, we're here to give it!".

Widely known as Ming the Merciless after the character in the Flash Gordon comic, Morshead was regarded with rueful admiration by the troops who served under him. He turned Tobruk into a running sore in Rommel's side and held it not for the eight weeks initially planned, but for eight months, during which time three separate relief campaigns by the main force in Egypt failed miserably, and the Axis troops learned to fear the aggressive patrolling of the Australian infantry who, as Morshead instructed, soon dominated no-man's-land and made constant raids on the enemy forward positions for intelligence, to take prisoners, to disrupt attack preparations and minelaying operations, even to steal supplies that were not available in Tobruk.

Axis propagandists described him as Ali Baba Morshead and his 20,000 thieves and branded the defenders of the port as the Rats of Tobruk: a sobriquet that they seized on and wore as a badge of pride.

At this point, political considerations came into play. The newly installed Curtin Government in Australia wanted to relieve the 9th Division before the next election, and the overall Australian commander in the Middle East, General Thomas Blamey wanted to have all the Australian forces in that theatre serve in one corps (under himself). Over several months between August and October 1941, Morshead and most of the 9th Division was replaced by the British 70th Division and the Polish 1st Carpathian Brigade, moving to Syria to serve as an occupation force, rest, refit, and train replacements.

The entry of Japan into the war at the end of 1941 and the imminent threat of invasion saw Blamey and the AIF 6th and 7th Divisions return to Australia early in 1942, and in March that year, Morshead was given command of all Australian forces in the Mediteranian theatre. Morshead, along with New Zealand general Bernard Freyberg was one of the very few divisional commanders with a marked record of success, but like Freyberg was consistently overlooked by the British establishment: at the time this was said to be because Morshead, having worked in commerce between the wars, was not a real "professional soldier": in fact it was simply prejudice against the "colonials".

When the Battle of El Alamein began, the heaviest responsibilities were placed on the shoulders of the colonial generals once again, and Morshead rose to the challenge: his 9th Division taking on the burden of Montgomery's slogging "crumbling" campaign against the Axis infantry positions.

After El Alamein, Morshead and the 9th Division were recalled to assist in the defence of Australia against the Japanese. Morshead was promoted commander of the 1st Australian Corps in 1944, and commanded it both in New Guinea and in Borneo.

After the war Morshead returned to civilian life and died at the age of 70.

Further Reading