by Neil Dearberg

Harry Chauvel is one of the, if not the, greatest military wartime leader in Australian history. He served in three wars and peacetime, yet his story has seldom been accurately told. To mark his service the General Sir Harry Chauvel Foundation Inc has been established to commemorate his service and that of all the troops he valiantly lead; https://www.chauvelfoundation.com/

Grazier, horseman, rifleman, soldier, leader of men, compassionate and caring for his men and horses, dedicated to his wife and four children, noble and just – Sir Harry Chauvel is one of the finest soldiers Australia has been blessed with, largely due to his attitude of fairness, discipline and focus on training and welfare..

• “He fought to win, but not at any price. He sought victory on his own terms. He always retained, even in the heated moments of battle, when leaders are often careless with life, a very rare concern for the lives of his men and horses.”

– Henry Gullett, official Australian WW1 historian

CAREEER HIGHLIGHTS

Born Henry George Chauvel (thereafter known as Harry) on 16^th April 1865 on a cattle station at Tabulam NSW. Following his family generations of military service in Britain and India, Harry joined the Upper Clarence Light Horse as a Second Lieutenant during the threat in Sudan and Russian interference in India. Threats over, family fortunes disintegrated due to drought and moved to Canning Downs in SE Qld. Harry joined the Queensland Mounted Infantry QMI in 1890 age 25.

In 1891 Harry led a detachment of QMI to work with civil police to quell the strife by striking shearers. On one occasion his detachment escorted non-union labour and four striker prisoners through the ranks of other strikers; order was maintained through good discipline and respect for both sides, without incident. During the five months of strikes QMI soldiers, to ease the boredom of their duties, would chase emus and pluck their feathers and place them in their hatbands – this eventually became the symbol of the Light Horse, as it still is today.

Harry became a regular officer in 1896 when promoted Captain and became the Adjutant, Moreton Regiment. In 1897 he was promoted Major and sent to London for additional training for one year. He returned to Australia and took a Company of QMI to the war in South Africa (Boer war). He was awarded Companion of the Order St Michael and St George CMG and Mentioned-in-Despatches MID. He returned to Australia in 1901 and the military forces of the new Commonwealth of Australia.

In 1906 he married Sybil Jopps and together they had two sons and two daughters. Harry was a dedicated family man and constantly wrote to Sybil whenever he was away.

During the next decade Harry was promoted to Lieutenant-Colonel and engrossed in training our military forces and establishing the Royal Military College at Duntroon. In early 1914 he and his family were posted to London as the Australian representative on the Imperial General Staff. At the commencement of WW1 Australia committed its forces to the British war effort and our troops were intended to go to Salisbury plains where rain, mud, cold and poor quality huts awaited them. Harry knew these conditions would not suit Australia’s outdoorsmen coming from spring and summer climates. Appeals to the British staff fell on uncaring ears so Harry prevailed on the Australian High Commissioner and together they convinced Lord Kitchener, British Secretary for War, to disembark our troops in Egypt for further training and acclimatisation.

Harry became Commander 1^st Light Horse Brigade as a Brigadier-General and took them to Gallipoli as dismounted infantry. For his leadership and military skills he was awarded Companion Order of the Bath CB. Promoted Major-General, he was appointed to command the 1st Division before all troops were evacuated back to Egypt.

In Egypt he was appointed to command the Anzac Mounted Division AMD that now included the New Zealand Mounted Rifle Brigade and elements of the Imperial Camel Corps (formed in January 1916). The AMD was part of the British led Egyptian Expeditionary Force EEF under command Lt-Gen Sir Archibald Murray. In April 1916 a force of around 3,500 Turks crossed the Sinai Peninsula and routed the 5^th Yeomanry Brigade (British) on their way to attack the Suez Canal. Murray ordered Chauvel and his AMD into the Sinai to repel the Turks and save the 5^th. Too late for the 5^th but the Turks were forced to withdraw towards Palestine. Murray then placed all mounted troops under the command of Chauvel – the first time British and imperial troops came under command of a non-British officer; a remarkable achievement in a class-conscious British army. Chauvel established his troops around the Romani area, some 25 miles from the Suez Canal.

The vital ground for the whole of WW1 was the Suez Canal, through which all resupplies of men, materiel, munitions, food and gold from Australasia, India and the Pacific were required for France/Western Front and the Middle East. The alternative was to go around South Africa, a much longer journey and susceptible to losses from German U-boats and warships in the Atlantic. The Turks had first attacked the canal in February 1915, again in April when they routed the 5^th Yeomanry but repelled by Chauvel and the AMD. But they tried again.

In August 1916 a 6,000man Turko-German force attacked at Romani on their way to the canal. After nine days the Anzacs repelled the Turks who again retreated towards Palestine. Chauvel’s leadership and tactics not only saved the Suez Canal but arguably, saved the British Empire as had the canal been lost, it is highly likely the war would have been lost in France and England. Romani was the first British victory of the whole war, three years after it had started. The Suez Canal was never again threatened and the Anzacs under Chauvel were never defeated in the next two years.

Chauvel led the Anzacs through Sinai and was awarded Knight Commander St Michael and St George KCMG. General Murray led the EEF to the gates of Gaza at the border of the Sinai and Palestine. He failed twice to take it with poorly devised frontal assaults and was replaced by General Allenby in June 1917.

Allenby re-organised his force, promoted Chauvel to Lieutenant- General, the first Australian to that rank, and appointed him Commander, Desert Mounted Corps DMC. Allenby needed to capture Gaza to enable the advance into Palestine. To do so he planned to capture Beersheba to its east then roll through Gaza. On 31^st October an all-day attack by infantry had made little progress on Beersheba. Late in the afternoon Allenby ordered Chauvel to attack. The only option was a potentially slaughterous mounted frontal charge before darkness set in and the day lost. Chauvel gave the order for Brigadier Grant’s 4^th Light Horse Brigade to charge. They did so, amazingly, with just 32 deaths from his 800man brigade; they captured over 1,000 prisoners and the vital water wells. This success allowed Allenby to move on Gaza and capture it, thus enabling the advance into Palestine and final destruction of the Turkish armies.

By now, Chauvel had provided two of the most significant British victories of the whole war: Romani and Beersheba. He was also present at the capture of Jerusalem after 730 years of Muslim control. He was awarded Knight Commander of the Bath KCB in the 1918 New Year Honours List.

Allenby’s EEF with Chauvel’s DMC continued through Palestine. Necessitated by the return of trained and seasoned British cavalry and infantry to France/Western Front they were replaced by untrained Indians. A three-month delay for resupply and training saw man and animal welfare in heat, dust, mosquitoes, scorpions, snakes and the enemy at the top of Chauvel’s priority list.

Finally, on 19^th September 1918, Allenby’s final assault began. An initial night time air attack that destroyed Turko-German communications was followed by an artillery bombardment and a massive infantry attack that opened the Turkish lines so that the mounted troops of the DMC could pour through. Chauvel so led his troops that within a month three Turkish armies were destroyed, some 90,000 prisoners taken, Damascus and Aleppo captured and on 30^th October the Turks signed an armistice that took effect on 31^st. War in the east was over.

In this campaign, only our Chauvel and New Zealand’s Major-General Chaytor served continuously while at least six British generals were replaced.

Chauvel returned to Australia in early 1919 and was appointed Inspector-General then Chief of the General Staff, Australia’s top soldier. In June 1919 his knighthood was upgraded to Knight Grand Cross of the Order St Michael and St George GCMG.

In 1929 he was promoted General, the first Australian to that rank. He retired in 1930 age 65.

In 1939 he was recalled to WW2 service until his death in 1945.

General Sir Harry Chauvel should be remembered for his focus on discipline, training, fairness, man and animal welfare, dedication to his family, establishment of the finest military force possible and his remarkable ability to tactically appreciate his enemy and his own forces with the military objective uppermost. His decorations and awards were the least of his concerns, albeit appreciated in recognition of what his Anzacs achieved under his leadership.

For greater detail of his life and service see the book Desert Anzacs: the under-told story by Neil Dearberg or visit www.desertanzacs.com.au