pp. xv, 339 illusts First Edition #0819
First World War. On 7 August 1905, Lavarack was commissioned as a lieutenant in the Royal Australian Artillery. In early 1913, he trained as an officer at the Staff College, Camberley in England, and upon the outbreak of the First World War was assigned first to the War Office, then as a brigade major of the 22nd Division artillery. Lavarack’s division spent a month in France during September 1915, but was transferred to Salonica in Greece, where it fought in the Balkans Campaign.
In February 1915, Lavarack was assigned to the Australian Imperial Force, but did not join it until July 1916 when he joined the Australian 2nd Division for the Battle of Pozières. He was subsequently assigned as brigade major for the 5th Division, commanding two field artillery batteries during fighting at the Somme and the advance on the Hindenburg Line. In May 1917, his staff college training saw him transferred to 1st Divisionheadquarters, which instigated a lifelong mutual antagonism between Lavarack and his superior at HQ, Thomas Blamey.[1][2]
By December 1917, Lavarack was a lieutenant colonel and general staff officer, 1st grade, in the Australian 4th Division, and took part in battles at Dernancourt, Villers-Bretonneux, Hamel and Amiens, with Lavarack’s hand in planning for the Battle of Hamelsetting the stage for several subsequent Australian victories.[1][2]
Between the wars[edit]
After the war, Lavarack returned to Australia, where he took up a post at the Royal Military College, Duntroon. In 1926, he was promoted to brevetcolonel, and in 1927 attended the Imperial Defence College in London. Back in Australia in 1929, he found himself in heavy debate with fellow IDC student Frederick Shedden over the Australian government’s adoption of the Singapore strategy”. Shedden believed that the presence of the Royal Navy in Singapore would deter any aggression from Japan