52 Facts About Stanley Savige

In March 1915, after the outbreak of the First World War, Savige enlisted in the First Australian Imperial Force.

Stanley Savige served in the ranks during the Gallipoli Campaign, and received a commission.

Stanley Savige later served on the Western Front, where he was twice recommended for the Military Cross for bravery.

Stanley Savige subsequently wrote a book, Stalky's Forlorn Hope, about his experiences.

Stanley Savige ultimately rose to the rank of lieutenant general in the Australian Army, commanding the II Corps in the Bougainville Campaign.

Stanley Savige was chairman of the Central War Gratuity Board from 1946 to 1951, and a commissioner of the State Savings Bank of Victoria.

Stanley Savige was born on 26 June 1890, in Morwell, Victoria, the eldest of eight children to Samuel Savige, a butcher, and his wife Ann Nora, nee Walmsley.

Stan Stanley Savige left Korumburra State School at the age of twelve to work as a blacksmith's striker.

Stanley Savige became a scoutmaster, forming the First Yarra Troop.

Stanley Savige was an active member of the South Yarra Baptist Church, where he was a Sunday school teacher.

Stanley Savige became commander of the battalion scout platoon and led a number of night patrols into no man's land.

Stanley Savige was mentioned in despatches for Bullecourt, and recommended for the Military Cross.

Stanley Savige was mentioned in despatches a second time for his role in the Battle of Passchendaele, although he was originally recommended for a bar to his Military Cross.

Stanley Savige then helped to guide the attackers to their positions.

Stanley Savige deployed a small group of volunteers from his own force, along with refugees, to form a rearguard to hold back the Kurds who were murdering the refugees and carrying off the young girls as slaves.

Stanley Savige was decorated with the Distinguished Service Order for his efforts on this occasion.

Stanley Savige hung on to position after position until nearly surrounded, and on each occasion extricated his command most skilfully.

Stanley Savige later wrote a book about his experiences, entitled Stalky's Forlorn Hope, which was published in Melbourne in 1920.

Stanley Savige married Lilian Stockton on 28 June 1919 at the South Yarra Baptist Church.

Stanley Savige had to struggle to re-establish himself in civilian life.

Stanley Savige was unemployed for a time before finding work with a Melbourne wholesale firm.

Stanley Savige was successful as a salesman and eventually became sole agent for all of Australia.

Stanley Savige visited Gellibrand in Hobart during August 1923, and Gellibrand urged him to set up a similar club in Melbourne.

Stanley Savige used this opportunity to bring up the idea of a club similar to Gellibrand's Remembrance Club.

Stanley Savige joined the Militia on 19 February 1920, with his AIF rank of captain.

Stanley Savige bore some of the blame, for failing to ensure that his subordinates understood and carried out the plan.

Stanley Savige was a skilful manager of men, using an easy friendly manner to decrease the distance that separated him from his subordinates.

Stanley Savige was a sage leader in battle whose approach to all problems was practical and objective.

Stanley Savige could write clearly and interestingly and enjoyed writing, whether it was of orders and doctrine for future operations or accounts of past battles; he had a sense of history and the doings of his commands were usually more fully recorded than those of companion formations.

Stanley Savige showed fine control organisation and leadership throughout, culminating in an excellent example of initiative and drive which broke the enemy flank west of Derna thus accelerating the enemy retreat and final defeat.

Stanley Savige was given the mission of covering the Allied flank around Kalabaka.

Stanley Savige elected to disregard his orders and hold his position until the road was clear.

Stanley Savige then managed to withdraw, although his driver's foot was broken in an air raid.

Stanley Savige arrived back in Palestine on 1 May 1941 and began the task of rebuilding his brigade.

Stanley Savige did not pretend to be a military genius but only a commander who knew his way around the battlefield because he had learned soldiering the hard way.

Stanley Savige scored a notable success in the Battle of Damour, which he rated as his most successful battle of the war, although his conduct was not above criticism by Berryman, who felt that Savige had located his headquarters too far back, resulting in failure to seize an important opportunity.

Stanley Savige said goodbye to the three battalions of the 17th Brigade at a special parade at Edsaya in Syria on 15 December 1941.

The outbreak of war with Japan prompted a wholesale reorganisation of the forces in Australia and Stanley Savige was one of a number of officers with experience in the Middle East who was promoted and given command of a Home Army formation.

Stanley Savige threw himself into the task of preparing his command for the war, weeding out the physically unfit and incompetent.

The division was at less than half strength when Stanley Savige assumed command and was filled with large numbers of 18-year-old conscripts.

Stanley Savige was awarded a Companion of the Order of the Bath for his services in the Salamaua campaign.

Stanley Savige triumphed over all these difficulties, his men were kept supplied, they were encouraged to endure the most dreadful hardships, and to overcome great difficulties of terrain.

Stanley Savige's plans were well conceived and he saw them carried through.

Stanley Savige continued to tour the front lines wearing his scarlet cap band and flying his car flag.

Stanley Savige maintained his concern for, and rapport with, the ordinary soldiers under his command.

On 8 September 1945, Stanley Savige accepted their surrender at Torokina.

From October 1945 to May 1946, Stanley Savige served as co-ordinator of demobilisation and dispersal.

Stanley Savige was chairman of the Central War Gratuity Board from 1946 to 1951 and from 1951 a commissioner of the State Savings Bank of Victoria.

Stanley Savige died of coronary artery disease at his home in Kew, Victoria on 15 May 1954.

Stanley Savige was accorded a funeral with full military honours at St Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne.

Stanley Savige thought that they were not there just to be used, but to be helped.

Stanley Savige was survived by his daughter Gwendolyn and his nephew Stanley, his wife having died two months earlier.