TOUGH A.I.F. LEADER IN MALAYA

Timaru Herald, Volume CLI, Issue 22201, 19 February 1942, Page 2

TOUGH A.I.F. LEADER IN MALAYA

“GINGER” BENNETT Melbourne-bora Major-General H. Gordon Bennett, leader of the A.I.F. in Malaya, is known to his fellow officers and troops (oft parade) as “Ginger” Bennett. The nickname is applied as much because of his inexhaustible energy and “pep" as because of his shock of red hair. The A.I.F. leader is In every sense a fighting soldier. He believes in finding things out from the battle field, not from text-books, and it is largely because of his tremendous energy and driving power that he has been able to weld his Australian division into a tough and highly efficient force of jungle fighters. He trained the men arduously in swamp and jungle under the worst possible conditions for military training. But he asked his men to do nothing that he was not willing to do himself. Soldiers unaccustomed to the constant steaming heat of the “green hell” north of Singapore could only admire the spirit of their leader . . . and follow his example. One senior officer with experience in Malaya recently said that Bennett had created from the raw material of the Sth Division the most deadly jungle fighters in the world. “The greatest shock of the war for me Was to read the earlier reports that Bennett had been captured,” he said. "I was the most delighted man in Australia when I discovered that the rumour was untrue. We need a man like ‘Ginger’ Bennett in Malaya.” Major-General Sydney accountant and company director in private life—had a most distinguished career in the Great War. When appointed to command of the 3rd Infantry Brigade in France in April, 1916. he was the youngest brigadier-general in the A.I.F. He led the brigade through some of the bitterest fighting of the Great War for the next two and a half years. He was mentioned in despatches eight times, and was awarded the C. 8., C.M.G., D. 5.0.. and the Montenegrin Order of Danilo. Before going to France Bennett had shown the greatest personal bravery throughout the Galipoli campaign, in spite of the fact that he was twice wounded during the bloody battles of the Anzac landing and the days that followed. He went to Gallipoli as a major with the 6th Battalion, which he later commanded in France. During the second battle of Krithia, when the 2nd Australian Infantry Brigade, with British and French troops, launched a terrific attack against Achi Baba, Bennett was the only senior officer of the brigade left standing after some of the most terrible fighting of the Gallipoli campaign. In the last war he was described by a senior staff officer as “an admirable commander and one of the toughest and most resourceful fighters in the A.1.F.” After the war he commanded successively the fith Infantry Brigade and the N.S.W. 2nd Division. He recently flew to the Middle East to see how the lessons learnt in Libya, Greece, and Syria could be adapted to the training of his own men in Malaya. As a result of this trip the A.I.F. defences In Malaya were immeasurably improved. Major-General Bennett was born in Melbourne 54 years ago and was educated at Hawthorn College.