Who was John Monash?
Sir John Monash was an Australian civil engineer and military commander who led the Australian Corps on the Western Front in 1918. He is widely regarded as one of the finest Allied generals of World War I.
Monash was born in Melbourne in 1865 to Jewish parents from Prussia. He studied engineering, arts and law at the University of Melbourne and became a leading engineer, introducing reinforced concrete construction in Victoria.
He also served in the militia before World War I. In 1914, he commanded the 4th Infantry Brigade, which fought at Gallipoli.
Commander of the Australian Corps
In 1918, Monash was appointed commander of the Australian Corps. He planned the Battle of Hamel in July 1918, which used tanks, aircraft, artillery and infantry together and was won in about 93 minutes.
His forces played a key role in the Allied advance in August 1918, starting with the Battle of Amiens. He was knighted in the field by King George V.
After the war, Monash led the State Electricity Commission of Victoria and developed brown coal power in the Latrobe Valley. He died in 1931, and Monash University, founded in 1958, is named after him. He appears on the Australian $100 note.
Did You Know?
The Sir John Monash Centre at Villers-Bretonneux in France opened in 2018.