[FONT="]Who’s who in Australian Military History Reginald William Winchester (Chester) Wilmot Date of birth: 21 June 1911 Place of birth: Brighton, VIC Date of death: 10 January 1954 Place of death: Mediterranean Sea Reginald William Winchester (Chester) Wilmot 008619 One of Australia's pre-eminent war correspondents, Chester Wilmot was born on 21 June 1911 at Brighton, Melbourne. Having completed secondary school Wilmot attended Melbourne University where he studied history, politics and law. He graduated in 1936 and the following year, having been a champion debater at university, embarked on an international debating tour, at one point visiting Germany where he witnessed a Nazi Party rally in Nuremberg. In 1939 he began work as a legal clerk, but at the beginning of the Second World War he joined the Australian Broadcasting Commission's field unit as a correspondent and sailed for the Middle East in 1940. He quickly gained recognition as a fine correspondent covering fighting in North Africa, Greece and Syria, and lived in Tobruk for several months during the siege. Wilmot returned to Australia when Japan entered the war and became the ABC's principal correspondent in the Pacific. Covering the Papuan campaign in 1942, Wilmot became one of a small band of correspondents to walk the Kokoda Track where he grew increasingly critical of high command, at one point protesting to the Prime Minister when General Blamey sacked Lieutenant General Rowell. Blamey, as a result, cancelled Wilmot's accreditation. With the support of the ABC, Wilmot returned to Australia where he continued to broadcast from Sydney, wrote a book about Tobruk and worked on a documentary, Sons of Anzac, for the Australian War Memorial. In May 1944 Wilmot began work in London for the BBC. On D-Day he flew in a glider with the British 6th Airborne Division and landed in France early on the morning of the invasion. He soon earned fame as a correspondent covering many of Britain's major operations during the remaining months of the war. He was present at the German surrender in May 1945 and returned to England to live after the war. Wilmot continued to work as a broadcaster and journalist. His book, The struggle for Europe, became a best seller and remains one of the more highly regarded works on the war in Europe. Having returned to Australia to participate in the BBC's 1953 round-the-world Christmas Day broadcast, Wilmot was killed when the Comet aircraft in which he was flying back to England, crashed into the Mediterranean on 10 January 1954. [/FONT]
Would I be right in supposing that Blamey angry at Wilmot for a supposed article about a certain Australian General and hookers in the Mid East, tried to use his powers under the man power act to have Wilmot drafted and then posted to Blamey's HQ where Blamey wanted him used solely in hand digging and cleaning latrines for Blamey for the duration of war. i imagine Blamey was angry not only at being accused of being a drunken womaniser but on Wilmots accuracy of reporting most especially of the conditions in PNG and ignorance of the Allied Generals in Australia
I know next to nothing about Blamey but if he did try to have Wilmot drafted for such a petty reason, I would suggest he wasn't as focussed on his job as he should have been. Noted in Steve Lewis' Chasing Shadows that even Aussies in Europe (Bob Cowper, RAAF night fighter ace with 456 Squadron in this case) had heard rumours of inept senior command in Australia.
Andy Mate look up Blamey Yes he was more focused on himself and was a very petty man. or read about the Aussie Ops in PNG 1942 this would show just how vain and stupid Blamey really was. In 1941 he fought tooth and nail to keep the Aussie Divisions as Divisions as GB Generals wanted the Bgd to be the fighting force of this fight. Once back in Australia he reorganised the Militia and AIF showing his talents at organising through paper work etc large forces. However he allowed Australian Forces to be split up and shipped all over the Sth west Pacific islands allowing the Japanese to take their time destroying the small forces who where spread out with little or no support. Aussie Senior command was very good the only problem was Blamey. He would do anything to retain his job,Why he was not replaced is a mystery as he could or should of been replaced by 1943 at latest IMHO. He quit his job just after end of war as he knew he would pay publicly for his stupidity if he tried to remain. he was given the Field Marshal's baton in 1952 but never got his substantive rank raised to this level. Blamey was a pr^@ with no real experience of operational command, he was given the job as GOC 2nd AIF by the strong support from General White who was WW1 Chief of staff 1st Australian Corps ( 5 Divisions) in France. Unfortunately White was listened too and Blamey kept the job for Duration even though he should of been replaced most especially after his idiocy in Commanding Australian Forces 1942 Sth West Pacific Their were Generals who out ranked him and who had lots of experience of leading Btn's,Bgd's and Divisions in the first war in particular his old enemy Gen Bennett who was i think along with General Lavarack were the senior Regular officers in the Australian Army in 1939 In 1918 Blamey was given Whites job under General Monash when White and Birdwood left 1st Aussie Corps to take command of a Brit Field army, it was due to Blamey's work in this position along with his experience as Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police in 1920's (which lead to the only Police strike in Ozzie history). That the old Generals decided he was the man for the job. I
Blamey in the Pacific - What a joke. Macarthur and Blamey lambasted the Aussies from Australia without having any clue as to the conditions these lads were fighting in. Macarthur pulled Blameys' strings to the detriment of our lads. How he could have been called a great General is beyond me.
Macarthur's office was found to be responsible for an erroneous press release about 'The Day the Spitfires all fell in the sea" when it mentioned, among other things, a headwind that didn't exist. Nothing like altering the truth to dump on your Allies.
Never heard of that Andy, who and what was Macarthur talking about. It intrests me. ( Andy Ya living in West Wylong mate, I haven't been their for years used to stay their at the pub, when ever traveling around that area. Macarthur was a media wench and manipulated everything as all media release about any forces in the Sth West Pacific had to be approved by his clique. They tried to direct the fighting from Townsville thousands of K's away. This is something that Blamey fought with the Brits about especially at the start of Syrian campaign when the fighting was being directed from a hotel in Jerusalem. Once he met Macarthur, OK he fought at times for Australia and her troops, but quickly became lazy, even letting Macarthur push him away from the PM as Mac wanted to be the man running it, with the ear of the PM and Curtain let him. They wanted the men on the ground rush in and fight without any recon or anything, slagging them off because they thought they were the ones who outnumbered the enemy yet it was the enemy who vastly outnumbered and out equip the boys on the ground. Not listening to virtually anything that was coming back from the men on the ground. Told a bloke who was a expert of the track (A Planter from PNG) he had two months to build a road for jeeps and 25 pounders over the Owen Stanley's to Kokoda, he never even attemted to start it just got on with his other war work. They told the 39th who were fighting the enemy non stop that they only needed to blow the Owen Stanley Pass and a Ptn could hold it, problem was their was no pass it was just a name. Refusing to allow mortars to accompany the 39th as they "would be no use in a jungle" oh man when do i stop as it could go on. Or that the highest ranking officer to step on the Kokoda track were Lt Cols and eventually a Brigadier and even these men who had fought in WW1 and the battles allready fought in Western Desert,Syria,Greece,Crete,Tobruk were not listened to, Men Blamey would of wanted to talk to about conditions in the desert or Syria and Greece he suddenly knew more about the conditions and enemy etc than they did. Man it's a wonder the IJA didn't invade with these dumb arsses running the war Oh and the 39th who were the first Milita Btn sent up the Kokoda Track had a shortage of Brens so where issued Lewis Guns. 1942 Lewis Guns yes. it's hard to fathom the most forward troops, fighting with only rifle bayonet a few grenades, lewis guns and a few Brens. Against Mopuntain guns, mortars, grenades and thousands of troops who thought it a honour to die.
Read a piece on it here by Caldwell. The day the planes "all fell into the sea": Darwin Raid 54-2 May 1943 | Sabretache | Find Articles at BNET
