THE innovations and painstaking preparations of Lieutenant-General John Monash were on the agenda at the most recent monthly meeting of the Bathurst Men’s Probus Club.
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The speaker at the meeting was retired Army Reserve Lieutenant Colonel Peter Sweeney, who recently completed a Master of Military History degree through the Australian Defence Force Academy campus of the University of NSW.
Mr Sweeney is a military historian, noted speaker on Australian military history and a battlefield guide.
The topic of his presentation was the Battle of Hamel, the centenary of which occurred on July 4 this year.
In speaking to the Bathurst Men’s Probus Club members, Mr Sweeney covered the details of the battle, focusing on the thorough preparation and planning by Lt-Gen Monash, the commander of the Australian Corps.
Mr Sweeney detailed the many innovations introduced by the celebrated Lt-Gen Monash.
These included close co-operation between infantry and tanks, the use of aeroplanes for reconnaissance, reporting, re-supply, covering the noise of the tanks, and the use of tanks to accompany the infantry.
A number of members asked questions at the end and Mr Sweeney took the opportunity to explain some aspects of the battle in more detail.
Mr Sweeney is a director of Battle Honours Australia and, in concert with Battle Honours UK, conducts walking tours of Australian battlefields at Gallipoli, on the Western Front and in the Pacific region.
He will be escorting a group from Australia to Gallipoli in May next year and further information is available via email to enquiries@battle-honours.com.au.