By Harold Karpin
MELBOURNE — On Sunday, Oct. 9 the Victorian Association of Jewish Ex- Servicemen and Servicewomen, will meet at the Brighton Cemetary to remember one of Australia’s greatest military icons, General Sir John Monash GCMG KCB VD. The sevice will be in the form of Yartzeit on the 80th Anniversary of his death.
I have previously asked, “Is there a scale against which greatness can be measured?” The answer is, “Perhaps not, as it is such a subjective opinion.” However, against any scale, be it greatness, brilliance or the fact that he was outstanding in just about all of his endeavours, General Sir John Monash is one of
Australia’s most highly regarded identities. But that is to underrate him – he was hailed as a Citizen of the World.
John Monash (Monasch) born in Melbourne, Australia on 27 June 1865, the son of German Polish Jewish migrants, can be researched in any military history encyclopaedia or in fact by just ‘Googling’ his name on the internet. His history and list of achievements are long and far too many to detail in this brief
summary. However, might I say that reading his history is well worth the effort and I can assure you that his deeds will amaze you. I have found that
the deeds are better labelled on more than one man and in more than one lifetime.
Monash had many careers, and it could be said that he was outstanding in all that he chose. He was a scholar; he passed the matriculation examination when only 14 years of age, at 16 he was dux of Scotch College, Melbourne. He went on and graduated from the University of Melbourne, BA in 1887, and Master of Science in Civil Engineering in 1893, Law in 1895 and Doctor of Engineering in 1921. He practiced law and became a highly regarded engineer. It is to his credit
that a number of Melbourne’s major bridges bear his name.
After joining the Melbourne University Company in 1906 it would appear that his choice of a military career was to become his main and most important aim. He was a noted academic, returning to his alma mater, Melbourne University, as Vice Chancellor. He was also known in both public and private practice as an
outstanding administrator, the most notable being head of the State Electricity Commission of Victoria (SECV).
Fate and talent was to decree that his rise up the commissioned ranks was to be stellar. He, with his brilliant ability for planning and his
adjutant General Blamey’s brilliance in strategy, changed the course of warfare. It is said that the mere fact that as he was a commander of so
many decisive battles that thousands of troops under his command were saved from being used as ‘gun fodder’. Together they realised the benefit
of providing their troops with armoured coverage, rather than the strategy of in line and waves of troop advancement against enemy fire. In fact,
this strategy alone played a large part in setting standards for modern warfare.
It is a little known fact that General Monash was to become the only Australian to command American Forces. Yet another amazing fact
is in August 1918, he was knighted as a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath on the battlefield by King George V – the first time a
British monarch had honoured a commander in such a way in 200 years. By the end of the war, Monash had acquired an outstanding reputation for
intellect, personal magnetism, management and ingenuity. He also won the respect and loyalty of his troops. He was further honoured with being
created a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of St Michael and St George (GCMG) and also received orders and decorations from Belgium, France and
the USA. Even though he was promoted to General and awarded many honours some historians suggest that the British establishment didn’t consider
colonials worthy of the one higher rank of Field Marshal.
Sir John Monash died in Melbourne on 8 October 1931 and was given a State Funeral. An estimated 250,000 mourners, the nation’s largest funeral
crowd to that time, came to pay their respects. It is hard to accept that at this same cemetery, 60,000 people mourned at General Monash’s
graveside in Melbourne’s Brighton General Cemetery .
The City of Monash, Monash Medical Centre, Monash Freeway, Monash University and the John Monash Science School all bear witness to the high regard in which he is remembered and of the greatness of the man. It is a tragedy that the funeral parade would pass another of his achievements, at that stage an uncompleted Shrine of Remembrance of which he was instrumental in construction.
And so we reach the end of the great man’s life. What was his secret? Despite his achievements, honours and titles, in his will he instructed that his
tombstone simply bear the words ‘John Monash’. Why?
May his dear soul rest in peace LEST WE FORGET
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Karpin is a member of the Victorian Association of Jewish Ex- Servicemen and Servicewomen