Hero or deserter? : Gordon Bennett and the tragic defeat of the 8th division
Maynard, Roger2017
Book
Major-General Gordon Bennett played a decisive role in the defence of Malaya and Singapore in World War II. A colourful character, known to sport a straw hat with a rainbow scarf tied around it, his officers found him at times abrasive and cocky, but he was also known as an outstanding commander. He is, however, best remembered for his escape by boat from Singapore in the dying days of the Japanese invasion, which led to the imprisonment of 15,000 Australian servicemen. Bennett's decision to leave his men to their fate is one of the most controversial episodes in the fall of the island. Though he was exonerated by Prime Minister John Curtin on his return to Australia, 8th Division's commander was never forgiven by the military's top brass for what many viewed as a clear case of desertion. While Bennett alone cannot be blamed for the defeat - there were many other factors, including Britain's military failings in both tactics and defence - he was and remains a ready scapegoat. In this vivid and comprehensive history of the 8th Division and its stoic force of fighting men, Roger Maynard investigates their conflicted leader, whose reputation as an outstanding soldier was shattered by war's end. He also examines Bennett's legacy through the prism of today's military standards to establish whether he was, indeed, a hero or deserter.
Main title:
Author:
Maynard, Roger, author
Imprint:
North Sydney, NSW : Penguin Random House Australia, 2017.©2017.
Collation:
[viii], 374 pages, 16 unnumbered pages of plates : illustrations (some colour), maps, portraits (some colour) ; 24 cm.
Notes:
Includes bibliographical references (pages 344-366) and index.
Contents:
Machine generated contents note: 1.The Early Days -- 2.Readying for War -- 3.`Give Us More Men' -- 4.Attack, Attack, Attack -- 5.`It Was a Bloody Show, I Can Tell You' -- 6.Kill or Be Killed -- 7.`If Anyone Tells You They Weren't Frightened, They're a Bloody Liar' -- 8.A Terrible Revenge -- 9.`We'll Blow Them All Away' -- 10.The Battle Must Be Fought to the Bitter End -- 11.Singapore Crumbles -- The Getaway Begins -- 12.`I Could Not Fall into Japanese Hands' -- 13.Deserters or Stragglers? -- 14.Inside Changi -- 15.All at Sea -- 16.Bennett's Fall from Grace -- 17.Living Cadavers in Filthy Rags -- 18.Bennett Pleads His Case -- 19.Rallying to Bennett's Defence.
ISBN:
9780143783923
Dewey class:
940.5425
Language:
English
Subject:
Bennett, Henry Gordon, 1887-1962Australia. Army. Division, 8th -- HistoryAustralia. Australian Army. Division, 8th -- HistoryGenerals -- Australia -- HistoryCapitulations, MilitaryGovernmental investigations -- AustraliaWorld War, 1939-1945 -- Campaigns -- SingaporeSingapore -- History -- Siege, 1942
BRN:
325012