Basil Morris
Basil Moorhouse Morris | |
|---|---|
First World War
Second World War
| |
| Awards | Mentioned in Despatches (4) |
Early life
Basil Morris was born on 19 December 1888 at
First World War
Morris volunteered for the Australian Imperial Force (AIF) after the commencement of the First World War. He was promoted to lieutenant in May 1915 and was posted to 'O' Siege Brigade (soon to be designated 36th (Australian) Heavy Artillery Group). He served on the
Interwar period
Morris was discharged from the AIF after the war and returned to Australia in 1919. He chose to remain a professional soldier and transferred to the Staff Corps. He held a number of staff positions for the next several years.[1]
Second World War
Morris was promoted to
The following year Morris was appointed as the commandant of the 8th Military District, which covered the Australian administered
Promoted temporary major general in January 1942, Morris was based at Port Moresby.[1] His available forces, mainly Australian militia, were of poor quality, and he was ill-prepared to deal with the spate of looting by the militia that followed the Japanese air raids on the town in early February 1942.[5] His superior officer (and friend), General Sir Thomas Blamey, later defended Morris from criticism of his handling of the militia during this time.[1]
In June 1942, Morris was queried by General Douglas MacArthur on his plans for defending Kokoda, recognised for its value as an airstrip for the advancing Japanese. Initially relying on patrols by the Papuan Infantry Battalion,[6] he later sent 39th Battalion to guard Kokoda. This proved to be a fortuitous decision as the Japanese began attacking Kokoda in late July.[7]
Morris was not known for his tactical nous[6] and indeed this was partly why he had been made commander of the 8th Military District, a military backwater, in the first place.[4] Much to Morris' relief, in August 1942, Blamey replaced him as commander of Australian forces in New Guinea, which would shortly be expanded by experienced elements of the 2nd AIF recalled from North Africa, with Lieutenant General Sydney Rowell.[8] Morris then took over responsibility for the New Guinea Lines of Communication Area and ANGAU for the rest of the war.[1] In September 1944, while on an inspection tour, he was injured in an Beaufort crash at Cape Gloucester. Suffering a broken arm, he had to be extracted from the wreckage by his chauffeur.[9]
Later life
Morris retired from the army on 19 October 1946 and the following year was appointed
Notes
- ^ Melbourne University Press. Retrieved 26 December 2012.
- ^ Long 1961, p. 68.
- ^ Long 1961, p. 71.
- ^ a b FitzSimons 2005, pp. 67–68.
- ^ Ham 2010, pp. 32–33.
- ^ a b Ham 2010, p. 19.
- ^ Ham 2010, p. 40.
- ^ Ham 2010, pp. 123–124.
- ^ "Native Rescues General From Burning Plane". The Argus (Melbourne, Vic). 14 September 1944. Retrieved 13 September 2010.
References
- ISBN 0-7336-1962-2.
- ISBN 978-0-7333-2827-5.
- Long, Gavin (1961). Australia in the War of 1939–1945. Series 1 – Army: Volume I – To Benghazi. Canberra, Australia: Australian War Memorial.
