University of Wollongong Thesis Collections University of Wollongong Thesis Collection University of Wollongong Year Champion of Anzac: General Sir Brudenell White, the First Australian Imperial Force and the emergence of the Australian military culture 1914-18 John Bentley University of Wollongong Bentley, John, Champion of Anzac: General Sir Brudenell White, the First Australian Imperial Force and the emergence of the Australian military culture 1914-18, Doctor of Philosophy thesis, School of History and Politics, University of Wollongong, 2003. http://ro.uow.edu.au/theses/1997 This paper is posted at Research Online. Champion of Anzac: General Sir Brudenell White, the First Australian Imperial Force and the Emergence of Australian Military Culture, 1914-18. A thesis submitted in (partial) fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree Doctor of Philosophy From UNIVERSITY OF WOLLONGONG by John Bentley, BA (HONS) History and Politics 2003 CERTIFICATION I, John Bentley, declare that this thesis, submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of Doctor of Philosophy, in the Department of History and Politics, University of Wollongong, is wholly my own work unless otherwise referenced or acknowledged. The document has not been submitted for qualifications at any other academic institution. 'John Bentlev 28 September 2003 11 Table of Contents Maps, Tables and Figures iii Abbreviations iv Conversions vi Abstract vii Acknowledgements ix Introduction 1 1 The Organisational Culture Perspective 17 2 The Formative Years 46 3 Defending the Periphery 68 4 A Valuable Staff Officer 89 5 Apprentice Policy Maker 115 6 The AIF and the Social Organisation of War 138 7 Ambiguity, Abrogation and ANZAC 172 8 Gallipoli: Trail by Fire 192 9 A Hitherto Unattained Masterpiece 228 10 National Interests and Imperial Priorities 250 11 'The Pitiless School of War': The Western Front 296 Epilogue 335 Conclusion 343 Bibliography 349 Ill Maps, Tables and Figures Maps: 1 Anzac Positions Between 191 and 192 2 Pozieres 306 3 Bullecourt 322 Battle of Hamel 329 Tables: 1 Staff College Curriculum, 1903-1912 103 Prior Military Experience of the 1st Division 160 2 Other ranks-1914 3 7th Battalion Formation (1914) 163 Figures: 1 Administrative Structure of the AIF, October 1914 154 2 Organisational Structure of the AIF, October 1914 165 3 AIF Reorganisation, 1916 256 IV Abbreviations AA&QMG Assistant Adjutant and Quartermaster-General AAG Assistant Adjutant-General ADC Aide-de-Camp ADFAL Australian Defence Force Library ADMS Assistant Director of Medical Services AG Adjutant-General AHQ Army Headquarters AIF Australian Imperial Force AMF Australian Military Forces ANZAC Australian and New Zealand Army Corps AQMG Assistant Quartermaster-General AWM Australian War Memorial, Canberra Bde Brigade BEF British Expeditionary Force BGGS Brigadier-General, General Staff (of a Corps) BGRA Brigadier-General, Royal Artillery (of a Corps) BGRE Brigadier-General, Royal Engineers (of a Corps) Bn Battalion Brig-Gen Brigadier General Capt Captain CGS Chief of the General Staff C-in-C Commander-in-Chief Col Colonel CPD Commonwealth Parliamentary Debates CPP Commonwealth Parliamentary Papers CRA Commander, Royal Artillery (of a Division) CRE Commander, Royal Engineers (of a Division) DA&QMG Deputy Adjutant and Quartermaster-General DAA&QMG Deputy Assistant Adjutant and Quartermaster-General DAAG Deputy Assistant Adjutant-General DAG Deputy Adjutant-General Div Division DM0 Director of Military Operations; Divisional Medical Officer DQMG Deputy Quartermaster-General Gen General GHQ General Headquarters GOC General Officer Commanding GSOl General Staff Officer, Grade 1 GS02 General Staff Officer, Grade 2 GS03 General Staff Officer, Grade 3 HQ Headquarters IGS Imperial General Staff IG Inspector General Inf Infantry LH Light Horse Lt Lieutenant Lt-Col Lieutenant-Colonel Lt-Gen Lieutenant-General Maj Major Maj-Gen Major-General MEF Mediterranean Expeditionary Force MGGS Major-General, General Staff (of an Army) NAA National Archives of Australia NCO Non Commissioned Officer NLA National Library of Australia, Canberra NSW New South Wales NZ&A New Zealand and Australian Division Qld Queensland QMG Quartermaster- General Regt Regiment SA South Australia SMH Sydney Morning Herald Tas Tasmania Vic Victoria WA Western Australia VI Conversions 1 inch 2.54 centimetres 1 foot 30.5 centimetres 1 yard 0.91 metre 1 mile 1.61 kilometres 1 acre 0.4 hectare 1 stone 6.35 kilograms 1 gallon 4.55 litres CURRENCY On 14 February 1966, Australian currency changed from pounds, shillings and pence (£, s, d) to dollars and cents at the rate of £1 = $2. 12 pence 1 shilling 20 shillings 1 pound 1 pound and 1 shilling 1 Guinea Amounts such as 2s 6d were frequently written as 2/6. Vll Abstract It is a curious fact that Brudenell White remains one of the least known and least analysed of Australia's military commanders. It is curious because White had a profound influence not only on the organisational culture of the First AIF but on the organisational history of the Australian military. This thesis examines White's influence from the perspective of organisational culture theory. According to Peters and Waterman founders create both the tangible aspects of an organisation, such as structure and technology, as well as the symbols, ideologies, language, and beliefs that embody the organisation's culture. The founder provides the momentum that gets the organisation moving and chooses the original core members. As the organisation takes form the founder's responses to organisational problems create new values, beliefs and procedures to be followed by the group which are accepted as the way of doing things. In the First Australian Imperial Force this task fell largely to White. At the outbreak of hostilities in 1914 White was a relatively junior Major, but was fulfilling the extremely important functions of both Director of Military Operations and Chief of the General Staff. It was White who shouldered the very large responsibility of advising the Government and organising Australia's initial military contribution which later became known as the Australian Imperial Force. It was his ideology and world view that shaped the new organisation and from that point on. White became a key figure in the development of the Australian Imperial Force. White was appointed Chief of Staff, the most senior staff officer in the Australian Imperial Force. Under General Birdwood, White's inherent aptitude for administrative and operational matters was recognised and consequently White became the de facto commander of the Australian Imperial Force. During this period White plarmed and directed the two most successful Australian operations. The first, a tactical operation, resulted in the withdrawal of Australian troops from Gallipoli, an operation that was Vlll achieved with only two minor casualties. The second operation was administrative and resulted in the expansion and restructuring of the AIF fi-om two divisions to four divisions. Whilst in Egypt White began to construct the administrative machinery that would lead to the administrative self-government of the Australian Imperial Force. This process began with the formation of an intermediate administrative base in Cairo. In France this was expanded when White successfully pressed for the establishment of an Australian Administrative Headquarters. White designed the principles upon which it would operate. At Gallipoli and in France White quickly demonstrated his tactical aptitude. In the early operations White established tactical principles that guided the operational development of the Australian Imperial Force. Over time even British commanders came to regard White as the driving force behind the Australian Imperial Force. Hamel is often seen as the ultimate example of Australian expertise in the art of war. Although Monash gained the credit the original plans for the operation were prepared by White. Throughout the war White played a major role in every facet of the development of the organisational culture of the Australian Imperial Force and protected what he had built by marginalising Australian officers he believed represented a threat to the First AIF. The beliefs, values and principles that were established during this period became the foundations upon which Australian military culture later developed. White established himself as the champion of Anzac and Australia's foremost soldier. IX Acknowledgements This thesis could not have been attempted without the wonderful support of my wife, Stephanie. During the long gestation of this work she lived this thesis me, listening to my ideas, reading the many drafts, offering advice and always providing her support and much needed encouragement. This thesis is dedicated to her with much love and affection. I am deeply indebted to my thesis supervisor and mentor, Dr John McQuilton, who has been a source of patient advice, valuable criticism, and suffered through the many manuscript drafts. Over the years he taught me to value scholarship and to pursue my interests. My sincere thanks must also go to Lady Rosemary Derham, the daughter of General Sir C.B.B. White, who supported my idea of studying her father's career and kindly gave me access to his papers. I must also thank the staff, and my fellow postgraduate students, of the University of Wollongong History Department who provided constant encouragement and engaged me in many discussions of the material covered in this thesis. I would also like