John Monash
Biography
Lieutenant General Sir John Monash, GCMG, KCB, (1865–1931) joined the Garrison Artillery in 1887, but it was not until he became the Officer Commanding the Victorian Section of the Australian Intelligence Corps that his militia career started to prosper. It was during this period that Monash penned this prize-winning essay. At the outbreak of World War I, Monash was given the command of the 4th Brigade of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) in the Gallipoli campaign. In Britain, in mid-1916, he was promoted to Major General and given command of the 3rd Australian Division. Under Monash the division served on the Western Front until he was promoted to command the Australian Corps in May 1918. During this climactic period of the war, Monash won an outstanding reputation for leadership and planning, and is regarded by many observers as Australia’s greatest general.
