Duncan Maxwell
Duncan Maxwell | |
---|---|
Born | First World War
Second World War
| 8 January 1892
Awards | Military Cross |
Early life
Maxwell was born on 8 January 1892 in
After Gallipoli, Maxwell transferred to the
For conspicuous gallantry in action. He held the portion of his trench captured by his company, repulsing three counter-attacks. He displayed great courage and initiative throughout, and set a splendid example to his men.[4]
Between the wars
Returning to civilian life after the war, Maxwell studied medicine at the University of Sydney. He became a doctor and established his own practice in the town of Cootamundra, in New South Wales. He joined the militia in 1939, serving as the second-in-command of the 56th Battalion,[2] although he had difficulty reconciling his duties as a soldier with his professional obligation to save lives.[5]
Second World War
When the 22nd Brigade was being formed in 1940 as part of the 8th Division, Maxwell was selected by its commander, Brigadier Harold Taylor, to lead the 2/19th Battalion.[2] However, when the original commander of the 27th Brigade became ill before it travelled to British Malaya to reinforce the British presence there, Maxwell was selected to replace him by the commander of 8th Division, Major General Gordon Bennett. This caused tension between Maxwell,[6] who had been promoted to temporary rank of brigadier,[1] and Lieutenant Colonel Frederick Galleghan, not only the senior battalion commander within 27th Brigade but also the 8th Division.[6] Maxwell also did not engender the respect of the other battalion commander in his brigade, Lieutenant Colonel Arthur Boyes.[7]
Following the
In the morning of 9 February, after the Japanese landed and broke through the lines of the adjacent
However, soon Maxwell, on receiving orders from his now divisional commander to attack towards his abandoned sector, claimed that he had received differing orders from Percival. To divisional staff, he stated the orders came from Bennett. He was to move the brigade to recapture Bukit Panjang. Percival and Bennett both later denied any knowledge of these orders.[14] In any event, the move failed and Maxwell's brigade began to break down into companies and platoons and retreated back into Singapore.[15]
Made a prisoner of war after the fall of Singapore, Maxwell was held by the Japanese in a camp on Taiwan.[1] Here he conceded to another prisoner, Brigadier Arthur Blackburn who had been captured on Java, that he deliberately directed his men to retreat from the causeway to let the Japanese land unopposed as he considered his position to be hopeless.[16] He was conscious of the lives of his men and did not wish to see them wasted defending British Malaya.[5]
Later life
At the end of the war, he returned to Australia and placed on the retired list with the honorary rank of brigadier.[1] Soon afterwards he gave evidence in the Military Court of Inquiry raised to investigate allegations that Bennett had abandoned his command after the fall of Singapore.[17] Maxwell died on 21 December 1969.[1]
Notes
- ^ a b c d e "NX12610 Duncan Stuart Maxwell, Duncan Struan, MC". War history/Units/People, Australian War Memorial. Retrieved 9 September 2008.
- ^ a b c d e Brune 2014, p. 297.
- ^ a b Bean 1941, p. 847.
- ^ "No. 29824". The London Gazette (Supplement). 14 November 1916. p. 11075.
- ^ a b Smith 2005, pp. 448–449.
- ^ a b Brune 2014, p. 299.
- ^ Brune 2014, p. 440.
- ^ Brune 2014, p. 386.
- ^ Brune 2014, p. 437.
- ^ Brune 2014, p. 439.
- ^ Brune 2014, pp. 439–440.
- ^ Brune 2014, p. 444.
- ^ Brune 2014, p. 451.
- ^ Brune 2014, p. 470.
- ^ Smith 2005, pp. 514–515.
- ^ Brune 2014, p. 442.
- ^ Clisby 1992, p. 67.
References
- OCLC 271462387.
- Brune, Peter (2014). Descent into Hell: The Fall of Singapore — Pudu and Changi — the Thai-Burma Railway. Sydney: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 978-1-74114-534-2.
- Clisby, Mark (1992). Guilty or Innocent? The Gordon Bennett Case. Sydney: Allen & Unwin. ISBN 1-86373-186-5.
- Smith, Colin (2005). Singapore Burning: Heroism and Surrender in World War II. London: Penguin Books. ISBN 0-670-91341-3.