A' GREAT SOLDIER

Evening Star, Issue 17085, 2 July 1919, Page 6

A' GREAT SOLDIER

SIR-CYRIL WHTTEH RECORD. Tho Melbourne ‘ Aaigus ’ has an interest* I ing uxticio on Lieui-cmaiit-genoroi Sir Qyvtt 1 Brudmell White, K.C.M.G, Jtt • an age in which we are citcn told eonal “ push ” ®nd self -a-dvertisomcot are ; essential to success, it is worth, notiite; .that, the present eminence' of Sir Cyril Wfcirtoj has been duo to merit alone. .) It -meant very 'much that when. mpsaaft*.-/ deafly cams Australia -was prepared wttli i plans for mobilisation, Tho Common* J wpalth wan ready because the tbca White had been ready. Having adoptetjG tho military profession, lie had brqugiofil j hie keen, alert brain to bear on_ all tfejO purposes ,and possibilities -for which, profession -exists- The son of Mr J.«Wa»q ren 'White, of South Brisbane, he had A token up military work ins 1896, when ho| was a young towilc clerk in a Queensland | country town, and had served in thio South | AMoain War. As a yomw officer he had 3 experience under General Hutton, and hie S Staff College career in England was spa distinguished! toat his services WOTpicoTotodl by the Imperial authorities. At that time 1 ho was allowed to return to Australia only ’•f after .strong representations Trad been mad© | as to the need for such & man in his own 1 country. It was then toat lie had the fdife- ; sight to prepare a mobilisation scheme to, i bo used iu the event of . sudden, war, and. | tliis was acted upon when, in a flash, the | need came. And nob only in this way wag -j Major White a man for the hour. When ! war was decJarod ho was Acting Chief of toe Australian General Staff. He was chosen as Chief of Staff by General Bridges when the Australian Imperial Force was in its earliest stages, and, remaining with the force through all its time of heroism and hardship on Gallipoli and in Europe, he was still Chief of Staff when it had -grown into the groat army that the increasing determiamti-on of the opposed nations demanded. Always, ho had proved to have the combinod qualities of solidity -and brilliance that make the groat soldier. His skill had been very largely -drawn up in consultation when General Bird-wood and his first Chief of Staff were preparing toe plans for the Gallipoli landing. To his individual credit •he has the subtle detail® of too Lone Pine attack, the development of tho Anzao evacuation scheme, and the suggestions which, aided in the doubling of the size of the A.I.F. in Egypt after the evacuation. While still on Gallipoli he had succeeded Brigadier-generai A. Skene, who was suffering from typhoid, as Chief of Staff of tho Australian and New Zealand Army Corps. The Distinguished Service Order was awarded him “in recognition of distinguished service during operations near Gaba n Tepo on April 25, 1915, and later iu co-ordinating the Staff work and effecting a general reorganisation after the inevitable dislocation’ and confusion- arising from tho first landing operations.’-’ For his Gallipoli work, also, he gained the honor of Companionship of to® Order of tho Bath. He has been awarded toe Belgian Croix i do Guerre and the Montenegrin-Gold Medal ; for Merit, and lias been mentioned, in despatches on six occasions. He is A.D.C. to the King—an honor eharod by only five other generals in too Empire—and ie, tho youngest lieutenant-general in the Empire, li-aviaig reached to© age of only 42 yearn Ever fearless of danger, Sir Cyril White has had many near approaches to death, both on Gallipoli and in France. On on© occasion ho returned to the place where ho had left bis motor -car, and found that the driver and the car bad been blown to pieces by a thcll. With a -comprehensive mid-cnrtandirsg of all sections of war work, bo lias proved himself invaluable not only in the preparation of plans for fighting and -braining, which have been his official work as Chief of Staff under General Bird wood, but in advice on many other questions o£ tho most varied nature. His knowledge -and skill have -been, recognised not only in the A.1.F., hut by allied experts. He is one of the most distinguished of the Australians who have been associated with the war. Many of those who are qualified to judge class him as- the most distinguished" of all. There is nothing in his character of the fire-eating soldier of tradition. He is quietly courteous in manner and speech, ajsthetio in temperament, and in too best sense of the word 1 a gentle- , man. At times hia manner is almost apologetic; but a certain set of the jaw and e-loam of the eye indicate the real strength of tho underlying character. When closely in touch with bis troops Sir Cyril White gained their affection as well as their obeddon.ee-. In Egypt, until the burden of official work grow too great, ho •found time nearly every day to_ be with thorn. Tho -tenet of his men has boon paralleled by tho trust of the highest officers, end he baa been tho roomily- relied upon as right-band l man both by General Bridges and by General Bird-wood. He is young enough to have a- great many years of good work before Mm, and his present brilliant record will no doubt receive many worthy additions. He is stated to have said on ono occasion that be would rather be a corporal in- the Australian army than a field-marshal in any other. Lieutenant-general White, v.'bo has returned to Australia, will resume duty with -tlic Pormaiient Forces at Central Administration, and will be employed on very important duties. He has -been brought back specially to advise the Commonwealth Go- . vernment on the question of the future • milite-ry organisation of Australia.