YOUNG MEN’S WAR

Otago Daily Times, Issue 24525, 6 February 1941, Page 9

YOUNG MEN’S WAR

VIEW OF ARMY CHIEF DESERT HARDSHIPS (By Tasman Air Mail) SYDNEY, Jan. 29. Chief of the Australian General Staff (Lieutenant-general Sturdee). who returned from a liaison visit to the Middle East, is convinced that this is a young man’s war. He is borne out by a report of doctors on the hospital ship “Manunda,” which brought back

to Australia the first contingent of sick and wounded. ■ Lieutenant-general Sturdee said that there was no doubt that, as a general rule, men over 45 could not stand the severe physical conditions soldiers are meeting in the desert. “Blinding sands, bad roads and lack of water are the greatest difficulties of the desert campaign.” he said, “but the men of the A.I.F. are showing their superiority to the enemy in all these difficulties. Experience has shown that brigade commanders are on the old side after 40 and battalion commanders after 30. That was inevitable as methods of making war progressed.” “ By speaking thus I am in no way decrying the efforts of the older men on whom we had to rely at the beginning of this war.” he said. “But

young men. formerly inexperienced, have been trained up to a high standard of efficiency, and now they can carry on. I have been very impressed: by the leadership Qualities of the A.I.F. abroad.” , .. . . The report of the “Manunda ” doctors. published; in the Medical Journftof Australia, revealed that eight 0f,320 A.I.F. men sent home as unfit for further sendee aged between 50 end 60. 118 were between 20 and_29. .I*o Between 30 and 39. and 54 between 4f and 49. " ;v : .■