67 Facts About Leslie Morshead

Leslie Morshead's soldiers nicknamed him "Ming the Merciless", later simply "Ming", after the villain in the Flash Gordon comics.

Leslie Morshead landed at Anzac Cove, Gallipoli on 25 April 1915, and his battalion made the farthest advance of any Australian unit that day.

Between the wars Leslie Morshead made a successful business career with the Orient Steam Navigation Company, and remained active in the part-time Militia, commanding battalions and brigades.

Leslie Morshead returned to Australia in 1943, where he was appointed to command II Corps, which he led during the New Guinea campaign.

Leslie Morshead was educated at Mount Pleasant High School, where he was appointed a junior teacher in 1906.

Leslie Morshead became a schoolteacher, teaching first at Tragowell in the Swan Hill district, and then at Fine View State School in the Horsham district.

Leslie Morshead had been commissioned as a lieutenant in the Australian Army Cadets in 1908.

Leslie Morshead's teaching career was interrupted by the outbreak of the First World War in August 1914.

Leslie Morshead resigned both his teaching position and his commission in the Cadet Corps and travelled up to Sydney to enlist as a private in the 2nd Infantry Battalion of the First Australian Imperial Force because it was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel George Braund, whom Morshead knew well from his time teaching in Armidale.

Leslie Morshead embarked for Egypt on the transport Suffolk on 18 October 1914.

Leslie Morshead was evacuated to the 3rd General Hospital on Lemnos, and then to England on the hospital ship Aquitania, where he was admitted to the 3rd London General Hospital in Wandsworth, England.

Leslie Morshead returned to Australia on 22 January 1916 where he was treated at the 4th General Hospital at Randwick, New South Wales.

Leslie Morshead embarked for England again with his battalion on 4 May 1916.

Leslie Morshead was mentioned in despatches, and awarded the Distinguished Service Order.

Leslie Morshead's citation, written by his division commander, Major General John Monash, read:.

Leslie Morshead organised and controlled two raids on the enemy's trenches and carried them out successfully.

Leslie Morshead subsequently led the 33rd Infantry Battalion through the Battle of Messines in June 1917, and the disastrous Battle of Passchendaele in October, where the 3rd Division suffered heavy losses.

Leslie Morshead again led the 33rd Infantry Battalion in the Battle of Amiens.

Leslie Morshead's citation, written by his new division commander, Major General John Gellibrand, read:.

On 8 August 1918, during the attack east of Hamel, Lieutenant Colonel Leslie Morshead was in command of the special force for the purpose of clearing Accroche Wood.

Leslie Morshead executed this task with great skill, and then fought his battalion to its objectives, capturing 500 prisoners, many guns and a large quantity of materiel at very little cost to his own force.

Subsequently during the advance north of Bray on 22 to 24 August 1918, when the situation on his left flank was uncertain, Lieutenant Colonel Leslie Morshead gallantly maintained his position refusing his left flank, thus enabling the remainder of his brigade to maintain its position.

Leslie Morshead returned to Australia in November 1919 and his AIF appointment was terminated in March 1920.

Leslie Morshead considered applying for a regular army commission, but found that these were reserved for graduates of the Royal Military College, Duntroon.

Leslie Morshead tried farming, accepting a soldier settlement block of 23,000 acres near Quilpie, Queensland, but this venture was a failure, and he returned to Melbourne, where he married Myrtle at Scots Church, on 17 November 1921.

Leslie Morshead was appointed passenger manager of the Sydney office in 1926.

Leslie Morshead became publicity manager in January 1927, acting manager of the Melbourne office in May 1928, passenger and publicity superintendent, and then temporary business manager of the Brisbane office in April 1931.

Leslie Morshead returned to Sydney, and then moved to the Melbourne office, where he became temporary office manager, a position which became permanent in December 1933; in 1937 he went back to the Sydney office.

Leslie Morshead became commander of the 36th Infantry Battalion on 1 August 1926.

Leslie Morshead was promoted to colonel in 1933, and was appointed to command the 14th Infantry Brigade on 1 January 1933.

Leslie Morshead realised that the Australian Army was lagging a long way behind in both human and technical resources.

On 6 October 1939, Leslie Morshead was selected by Blamey to command the 18th Infantry Brigade in the new 6th Division.

Leslie Morshead formally enlisted in the Second Australian Imperial Force on 10 October 1939 and was given the AIF serial number NX8.

Leslie Morshead was given the rank of colonel and made temporary brigadier three days later.

Leslie Morshead was made a Commander of the Order of the British Empire on 1 January 1941.

Leslie Morshead's slight build and seemingly mild facial expression masked a strong personality, the impact of which, even on a slight acquaintance, was quickly felt.

Leslie Morshead was given command of the Tobruk garrison which, as the retreat continued, became surrounded, hundreds of miles behind enemy lines.

Lieutenant General John Lavarack determined that Tobruk could be held and ordered Leslie Morshead to defend it.

Leslie Morshead ordered the 18th Infantry Brigade to reinforce the garrison, bringing it up to four brigades, with British artillery and tank units brought up to provide support.

General Sir Archibald Wavell instructed Leslie Morshead to hold the fortress for two months while the rest of Wavell's forces reorganised and mounted a relief mission.

An important part of Leslie Morshead's tactics was conducting offensive operations when these were possible.

Leslie Morshead's men referred to him humorously as "Ming the Merciless", and later simply as "Ming", after the villain in Flash Gordon comics.

Leslie Morshead informed Generals Blamey and Auchinleck that they should be relieved.

Leslie Morshead had hopes that he might be given command of a corps, as Harry Chauvel had been in the Great War.

Many war correspondents, including Gavin Long, thought that Leslie Morshead would be an excellent choice, but disagreements with Auchinleck had led to the latter labelling Leslie Morshead "a difficult subordinate", who, while an excellent division commander, was not up to the demands of commanding a corps.

Leslie Morshead was passed over in favour of Oliver Leese, a British regular officer, who was junior to him and had never commanded a division in action.

Leslie Morshead received yet another mention in despatches in June 1942, and in November 1942 he was created a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath.

Leslie Morshead arrived in Fremantle on 19 February 1943 where he was welcomed home by Lieutenant General Gordon Bennett, who had been his divisional commander in Sydney between the wars.

In March 1943, Leslie Morshead became commander of II Corps, handing over command of the 9th Division to Major General George Wootten.

In late September 1943, Leslie Morshead was summoned to New Guinea to relieve Herring by Lieutenant General Sir Iven Mackay, the commander of New Guinea Force, which he did on 7 October 1943.

Leslie Morshead demanded and got critical reinforcements, including Matilda tanks of the 1st Tank Battalion.

Leslie Morshead relieved Brigadier Bernard Evans of command of the 24th Infantry Brigade, replacing him with Brigadier Selwyn Porter, who had commanded a brigade in the Kokoda Track campaign.

On 7 November 1943, Leslie Morshead became acting commander of New Guinea Force and Second Army on Mackay's departure to become the Australian High Commissioner to India.

Vasey soon chafed under Leslie Morshead's command, feeling that "he has too many favourites both individually and collectively", with men who had served at El Alamein receiving preferential treatment.

Leslie Morshead was in overall charge of the forces in New Guinea in the battles of Sattelberg, Jivevaneng, Sio and Shaggy Ridge.

Leslie Morshead's perseverance was rewarded with the capture of Madang in April 1944.

Leslie Morshead handed over command of New Guinea Force to Lieutenant General Stanley Savige on 6 May 1944, and returned to Australia, where he remained the commander of the Second Army.

In July 1944, Leslie Morshead was appointed as commander of I Corps on the Atherton Tableland.

In February 1945, Leslie Morshead received word that his objective would be Borneo.

Leslie Morshead had to make a series of landings at Tarakan, North Borneo and Balikpapan on the east and north west coasts of the island.

Leslie Morshead continued to receive honours for his military service, including a further mention in despatches in 1947 and the American Medal of Freedom with Silver Palm.

Leslie Morshead was president of the Bank of New South Wales, the chairman of David Jones, and director of several companies.

In later life, Leslie Morshead turned down various offers of military and diplomatic posts, as well as the governorship of Queensland.

Leslie Morshead did serve as president of the Boy Scouts Association of New South Wales and the Big Brother Movement, a British youth emigration support scheme, and was a trustee of the Gowrie scholarship trust fund, which provided assistance to the descendants of Second World War veterans.

Leslie Morshead died of cancer on 26 September 1959 at St Vincent's Hospital, Sydney.

Leslie Morshead was given a military funeral at which former soldiers of the 9th Division paid their respects, after which his body was cremated.

Leslie Morshead Drive, which runs past the Royal Military College, Duntroon, in Canberra is named after him, as was Leslie Morshead Avenue, Carlingford, New South Wales.