RAA Liaison Letter – 2025 / 2026 Edition 92 The author assessed that Rommel did not have Auchinleck’s strategic ability and brainpower, but what he and Churchill had one thing in common - they saw the immediate problem and focused on that alone. Despite Rommel admitting that it was Auchinleck who wrested the initiative from him and made this the beginning of the end for him in North Africa. The author observed that “it is a measure of Rommel that he could recognise with generosity the achievement of a worthy opponent and a flaw in Mongomery’s humanity that he could not allow the glow of his own achievement to be overshadowed by his predecessor’s success.” The author also addresses Dunkirk, Battle of Britian, Far East and Victorious Generals in the remainder of the book. The Last 100 Days: The Australian Road to Victory in the First World War By Will Davies Reviewed by Major DT (Terry) Brennan RAA Liaison Letter Editor ISBN 978 0 14378 496 8; PUBLISHED BY PENGUIN RANDOM HOUSE AUSTRALIA; PUBLISHED IN 2018; SOFTCOVER; 340 PAGES; MAPS AND BLACK AND WHITE PHOTOGRAPHS This is a book I started ages ago and carried it around with me for what seemed an eternity, in fact for so long, over the Christmas break I decided to re-read it. I am very pleased I did, and if you have any interest Australia’s involvement in the WWI in 1918, especially the later stages, this is a very worthwhile read, In September 2019 I spent a week participating in a walking tour of the Australia battlefields in France and Belgium. The tour was with an Australia company however our guide was a knowledgeable Englishmen. I vividly recall one of his opening comments as we drove to our first walk in the vicinity of Mont St Quentin. He said something along the lines of “that although this was an Australian tour and he was required to discuss Australia’s involvement, that despite what we Australians may believe, Monash did not singlehandedly achieve victory over Germany”. Once Monash was in command of all the Australian forces on the Western front, it was immediately evident that there was change in strategic thinking and leadership. Apart from a having a game changing understanding and appreciation of the application of manoeuvre warfare, a concept somewhat foreign to many leaders at the time, he brought to the war a clarity of thought and detailed planning supported by rehearsals, speed and surprise and an insight to what motivated his soldiers in tough times. This included simple yet important gestures like regularly receiving a warn cooked warm meal and a hot brew He had an unwavering faith in the skills, endurance and determination of his soldiers to carry out his plan. He pushed his troops to their physical and mental limits and beyond. This at times what not without its challenges. I have always been amazed by the stupidity of the WWI tactics used by commanders for most of the war on both sides. Not a single senior commander appeared to have learnt anything from the American civil war in terms of fighting static battles. When I visited France and Belgium one thing that struck me was the relatively small geographic area of the Western Front. The futileness of this static warfare fought by Generals from Headquarters located in Chateau’s safely behind the trenches is no more evident than what seems to the eye of a visitor an endless sea of war cemeteries. The affect this senseless human carnage had on the future develop of many counties cannot be underestimated or overstated. Yes, I acknowledge the words of our battlefield guide, Monash “did not win” the war single handedly, but he most certainly “broke the paradigm” of tactics used by commanders on the Western Front. He changed the strategic mindset of his peers and superiors with regard to what was required to end of the war which was set to drag on for another cold wet winter. Through this last 100 days on the Western Front the allies often struggled to “keep pace” with the speed of movement and agility of the Australian
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