AUSTRALIAN UNITS.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 April 1920, Page 5

AUSTRALIAN UNITS.

REFUSAL TO DISBAND. A PIECE OF SECRET HISTORY. Mr. F. M. Cutlack, one of the Australian war correspondents in Vrance, commenting in tin Sydney Morning Herald about the diabandment of some of the Australian brigades, mentioned by Sir .John Momish in bin book, says that the incident has hitherto been regarded as "secret history." In September, I'.US. the War Oliice ordered certain brigades to be disbanded of the lack of recruits. General Monash politely "noted" the order until lie received a peremptory instruction. Mr. Curlaek sayis that "by a system of communica,H'n between the men of the units concerned—a system which still excites the amazement of their officer; when they recall those electric days—the action of all 'other ranks' in the 'marked battalions' was perfectly synchronised. It was as if some one had touched a button at an arranged contact centre. The battalions, informed on special parade of what was to happen (the most painful and disagrceab l " duty that fell to their commanding oncers during the war), received the news with deadly calm, and then refused to "obey the usual order to dismiss. 1 For the' day or two which followed, it was nearly touch and go in some eases. Officers were ordered to leave their units and to join others specified \ they had to obey, and their men informed them that they recognised there was_ no option in the officers' cases; but the officerless battalions appointed 'acting officers' from their N.C.O.'s and carried on for a time." jMr. Cutlaek stresses the fact that the action of the "'diggers'' ivau not lack of discipline, but intense love of their battalions. The incident was entirely due to the inadequacy of recruits, and to the chagrin of the men at hearing their glorious battalions had to be disbanded.