"My tanks were not to blame"

One of the oft-repeated stories of the Battle of Bullecourt is that Australian troops were badly let down by British tanks. Senior Australian officers, including Major General William Holmes, who commanded the 4th Australian Infantry Division during the battle, provided damning critiques of the tanks and their crews. However, despite the flaws in these new wonder weapons, it was the manner in which they were employed and by whom that should have come under scrutiny.  Dr Meleah Hampton traces the origins of the man who came up with the plans for using tanks at Bullecourt, and how his ideas, and those who implemented them, were responsible for one of the worst days in Australia’s military history.

To read Meleah’s article in full, purchase your copy of Wartime here.