SIDE-TRACKED

Grey River Argus, 2 May 1944, Page 5

SIDE-TRACKED

General Bennett’s Complaint

RETURN TO CIVIL 1 LIFE. (Rec. 11.20.) ' SYDNEY, May 1. The complaint that he had been side-tracked to Western Australia and not given the opr. >r i unity of applying the costly lessons learnt in Malaya was made to-dav by Lieutenant-Gen-eral Gorden Bennett on his arrival here. He said that after his escape from Singapore he had exposed the weakness of the Brisbane Line theor in time to have Australian defend plans altered so that Australians fought in New Guinea and not on the outskirts of Brisbane. “Being Australia’s senior corps commander I feel it is mv right to be given the opportunity of returning with the A.I.F. to M'alaya and enemyoccupied islands,” stated LieutenantGeneral Bennett. “I have been denied that right and relegated to an administrative command tor rne duration of the war. I cannot accept this and therefore 1 am returning civil life. Given the opportunity 1 will definitely return to a suitable Army post, but not to an armchair After Lieutenant-General Bennett has obtained his tha! from the ArmV he has declared tnat he will speak on Arm-v matters with “greater freedom and vigour.