To Villers-Bretonneux with Brigadier-General ... - Australian Army

Book ReviewPeter Edgar, To Villers-Bretonneux with Brigadier-GeneralWilliam Glasgow, DSO and the 13th Australian Infantry Brigade,Australian Military History Publications, NSW, 20061Reviewed by Lieutenant Colonel Miles Farmer, OAM (Retd)Readers interested in the study of the battles on the Western Front in WorldWar I will be familiar with the battle of Villers-Bretonneux on 25 April1918—said by many to have been the turning point of the war. Be that asit may, it certainly won Brigadier General William Glasgow a well-deserved namefor himself. At the outset I will say that this is an excellent book, enlightening, andenjoyable to read, despite the sadness of the casualty lists it includes.The author, Peter Edgar, examines the ‘work’ of the 13th Australian InfantryBrigade from its formation in Egypt on 16 February 1916 through to its success atVillers-Bretonneux on 24–25 April 1918. He dedicates the book to his great uncle,Private Leslie Edgar of the 50th Battalion, 13th Brigade, who was killed in actionat Noreuil on 2 April 1917.The ‘Anzac legend’ and the varying views of the Australian soldier are considered,debunking many of the opinions of the ‘revisionists’. Without going into detail as tohow the war came about, Peter Edgar provides a number of compelling reasons forAustralia’s participation—this was not onlyin Australia’s national interest, but to ‘ridthe world of would-be tyrants’.The problems facing the armies onThe difficulties of applyingthe Western Front are discussed againstfire and movement requiredthe backdrop of Waterloo in 1815, andnew tactics which constantlyGettysburg in 1863, and an outline of thecharacteristics of the weapons and arma-evolved as the First Worldments of the times. Crossing ‘no-man’sWar progressed.land’ was common to all of the battles. TheAustralian Army Journal • Volume III, Number 2 • page 239

Book Review • Lieutenant Colonel Miles Farmerdifficulties of applying fire and movement required new tactics which constantlyevolved as the First World War progressed. Command and control was an everpresentproblem.To understand something of the qualities and experience of the officers andmen who made up the 13th Brigade, Peter Edgar reviews the part played by the3rd Brigade, the first to land at Anzac Cove. The chapter on the landing at AnzacCove makes interesting reading, with brief sketches of some of the officers andmen who were to make up the nucleus of the 13th Brigade, several later gainingcommand of its battalions.Glasgow has a well-deserved chapter to himself. The importance of his trainingas a part-time soldier, his service in the Boer War and at Gallipoli, paints a pictureof the man who formed, trained, and took his men into their first encounterwith the Germans in France in August 1916. The 13th Brigade, 4th Division, hadbeen formed from the 3rd Brigade and its battalions as well as a body of newreinforcements.The brigade trained in Egypt before arriving in Marseilles, France, on11 June 1916, then moving north to an area west of Messines. Within two monthsthe brigade was engaged in the first attack on Mouquet Farm in August 1916. Theauthor then takes the reader in some detailthrough the major battles in which the brigadetook part—Noreuil, April 1917; Messines, June1917; Zonnebeke; Dernancourt March–April 1918,Edgar also shows howand finally Villers-Bretonneux, April 1918. ThereGlasgow develops asare also detailed descriptions of many days spenta leader, with growingin the trenches holding the line.At this point it is worthwhile to look at mapsconfidence in himselfin the book. Generally speaking they are good,and his brigade.although, in common with most books of militaryhistory, there has to be much turning back of pagesto follow the description of a complex operation.Slim’s book, Defeat into Victory, probably has the best placement of fold-out maps,allowing the battles to be followed easily. These days, the cost of printing no doubtprohibits such luxury. The acid test is whether the maps adequately support theaction being described: my answer is ‘yes, they do.’There was usually some time for rest following the battles of World War I, andoccasionally time for sport. Reorganisation was essential for the absorbing of reinforcements,and to make good the losses in officers and men. Then came training,and re-training at all levels, and in all aspects of preparing for the next operation.Peter Edgar shows how the brigade, through this attention to detail, retained itsintegrity and built on lessons learned.page 240 • Volume III, Number 2 • Australian Army Journal

To Villers-Bretonneux with Brigadier-General William GlasgowEdgar also shows how Glasgow develops as a leader, with growing confidencein himself and his brigade. Thus he was ready to challenge the army and divisionalplan, and timings for the counter-attack on Villers-Bretonneux. He is also shown tobe fallible, when he orders a daylight move to fill a gap during the battle. Fortunatelyhe has the good sense to accept the advice of two of his battalion commanders towait until darkness. It was not long after this that Glasgow was promoted to MajorGeneral and given command of the 1st Australian Infantry Division.In his concluding chapter, Peter Edgar answers the question on the Australiansoldier which he posed himself at the beginning of the book—‘how effective was heand, if he was effective, how did he become so?’ He demonstrates how the earlierbattles, including the landing at Anzac Cove, did not display anything of the controland cooperation of all elements of the brigade demonstrated at Dernancourt andVillers-Bretonneux. The constant training and the actual experience of battle turnedthe gifted amateurs of 1915 into the seasoned professionals of 1918.The comprehensive endnotes and extensive bibliography reflect the wide-rangingand depth of research which Peter Edgar has put into his writing. The book is 290pages long in a well-presented hardback. As I said at the outset, it is an excellentbook, enlightening and enjoyable. I commend it, and hope that other readers willfind it as interesting as I have.Endnote1 Copies of this book may be obtained through The War Bookshop, tel: (02) 9542 6771;fax (02) 9542 6787; warbookshop@bigpond.com, cost: $45.00 (post free in Australia).Australian Army Journal • Volume III, Number 2 • page 241