MUTINY IN THE FIELD

Dominion, Volume 12, Issue 138, 6 March 1919, Page 7

MUTINY IN THE FIELD

STORY OF EIGHT AUSTRALIAN

BATTALIONS

ECHO OF THE HINDENBURG LINE By' Telegraph-Press Association-CopyTielit (Rec. March 5, 10.25 p.m.) Sydney, March 5. The "Suit's" London representative reveals a hitherto untold story of how eight battalions of the Australian army refused to comply with an order to disband, organised themselves under elected commanders, and sustained themselves until their officers were restored and fresh fighting began. It appears that towards the end of September, after victoriously battering the German lines on a twenty-mile front, the corps felt that it urgently needed the rest which had been promised after the all-important offensive against the Hindenburg line. Lut the men keenly resented the order to disband. The eight battalions, whose numbers had been terribly thinned, possibly could not muster five hundred all told. The doomed battalions were lined up and ordered to report to other units. The men refused to obey, left the parade ground, and returnc-i to camp. Their officers bad been withdrawn, and 'he mutinous units could not be arrested, as time was pressing and the corps was due to stem the battle. . All.arguments failed except with one battalion, which wa6 unable to resist the appeal of Brigadier-General Elliott. _ it defied authority until the fame arrived to leave their packs and march to batt e. Then it paraded obediently. The strike of the remaining limits continued ior several days. The Divisional Staff stopped all supplies, yet the men lacked nothing. Rvery camp was well supplied by sympathetic units. The men elected their own officers, organised drills, and maintained perfect discipline, until the authorities, realising .that they had bungled, ordeied the officers to return to the broken battalions which had fought so well against the Hindenburg and Beaurevoir lines. Press Assn.