Monash, Sir John (1865-1931), was a leading Australian military commander in World War I (1914-1918). From May 1918, he commanded the Australian Army Corps in France . In July 1918, Monash’s troops captured the Hamel Valley, in northern France, in the Battle of Hamel . But Monash’s greatest victory was at the Battle of Amiens, which was fought in August 1918. In this battle, Australian and Canadian troops broke through the German lines for a considerable distance. It was the first battle of the advance that was to lead to the final Allied victory in the war.
Monash was born in West Melbourne , Victoria , on June 27, 1865. The son of Prussian Jewish immigrants, young John was a talented pianist and excelled as a student at Scotch College. He later attended the University of Melbourne. He studied engineering and specialized in the use of reinforced concrete. While practicing as an engineer, Monash served as an artillery officer in the militia.
After World War I began, Monash joined the full-time army, where he took command of the Fourth Infantry Brigade of the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) . His brigade sailed for Egypt late in 1914 and took part in the 1915 Gallipoli campaign in Turkey. Promoted to major general, Monash went to England where he took command of the AIF’s Third Division. His troops fought at the June 1917 Battle of Messines in Belgium , as well as the bloody Third Battle of Ypres beginning in July. In May 1918, Lieutenant General Monash took command of the independent Australian Army Corps.
In July 1918, Monash’s troops won a major victory at the Battle of Hamel in northern France. In August, they participated in the great Allied victory at Amiens. In September and October, his troops were part of a giant Allied offensive through Belgium and northern France. Germany accepted an armistice (agreement to stop fighting) on November 11, ending the war.
After the war, Monash became general manager and, later, chairman of the State Electricity Commission of Victoria. He was responsible for developing the large deposits of brown coal at Yallourn, in the La Trobe Valley of Victoria, used for generating electric power. Monash died of heart disease in Melbourne on Oct. 8, 1931.
