The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia
|
| Previous: Latin America | Table of Contents | Next: Laverton |
"Joe" Lavarack alternated in artillery and staff assignments
throughout the First World War, including a stint with 1 Australian
Division in which he developed a strong antipathy to Thomas Blamey. Between the wars, he was a strong critic of the "Singapore Strategy", which assumed that the British stronghold of Singapore ensured that there would be no threat of a Japanese invasion. This led to clashes both with his colleagues and with the Australian government.
Lavarack was appointed to command of 7 Division over the objections of Blamey, accepting a reduction in rank to do so. Blamey was more successful at blocking Lavarack's promotion to command of Western Desert Force. However, Wavell thought highly of his performance in Syria and Africa, during which time Lavarack received command of I Corps. When war broke out in the Pacific, Lavarack flew to Java, recommended that Australian troops not be diverted there, then put himself again at odds with his government by supporting Churchill's proposal to send the Australian corps to Burma. Laverack was instead given command of 1 Australian Army, essentially a training formation, and was pointedly ignored by Blamey when an army commander was required in New Guinea.
Laverack ended the war as head of the military mission to Washington, retiring shortly after the war to become governor of Queensland.
A subordinate wrote of Lavarack that he "had a fine brain; he wrote brilliantly and spoke convincingly.... did not possess the most equable of temperaments and could be a difficult master ... at other times he was a delightful character with a wide range of interests" (ADB 2011). Others recalled that he had a ferocious temper, did not like to lose sports matches, and was inwardly shy and overly sensitive to slights.
| 1885-12-19 |
Born at Kangaroo Point, Brisbane |
|
| 1905-8-7 |
Second lieutenant |
Commissioned in the artillery |
| 1913 |
Staff College Camberley |
|
| 1915-2 |
Major |
22 Division |
| 1916-5 |
Staff, XVI Corps |
|
| 1916-7 |
2 Australian Division |
|
| 1917-5 |
Staff, 1 Australian Division |
|
| 1917-12 |
Lieutenant colonel |
Staff, 4 Australian Division |
| 1919 |
Director, Military Art |
|
| 1925 |
Colonel |
Director, Military Training |
| 1928 |
Imperial Defence College |
|
| 1929 |
Director, Military Operations, Military Intelligence |
|
| 1933 |
Commandant, Royal Military College |
|
| 1935-4-21 |
Major general |
Chief, General Staff |
| 1939 |
Lieutenant general |
Commander, Southern Command |
| 1939 |
Commander, 3 Military District |
|
| 1940 |
Major general |
Commander, 7 Division |
| 1941 |
Commander, Cyrenaica Command |
|
| 1941-6-18 |
Lieutenant general |
Commander, I Australian Corps |
| 1942-4 |
Commander, 1 Australian Army | |
| 1944-2 |
Head, Australian Military Mission, United States |
|
| 1946-9-18 |
Retires |
|
| 1946-10-1 |
Governor of Queensland |
|
| 1957-1-25 |
Retires due to ill health |
|
| 1957-12-4 |
Dies |
Australian Dictionary of Biography (accessed 2011-3-19)
Generals.dk (accessed 2011-3-19)
Dennis (2002; accessed 2011-3-19)
The Pacific War Online Encyclopedia © 2011 by Kent G. Budge. Index
