St John's Cathedral, Brisbane and the Anzac Legend

A group of Australian soldiers resting in the Western Desert of Egypt shortly after the great Battle of El Alamein.

Australian War Memorial 013352

After victory in North Africa, Montgomery commanded the British Eighth Army during the Allied invasion of Sicily and Italy. He then commanded all Allied ground forces during Operation Overlord when American, British, Canadian and other forces landed in German-occupied France on D-Day: 6 June 1944. He subsequently commanded British and Canadian forces in the great Allied thrust eastwards across Europe towards Berlin and the eventual overthrow of the Nazi regime. He personally accepted the German surrender at Lüneburg Heath in northern Germany in May 1945. Australia’s 9th Division did not take part in the European campaign, having been relocated to Atherton in Queensland, from where it fought alongside American forces against the Japanese in New Guinea and Borneo. But its contribution to the defeat of Germany in North Africa was never forgotten. Perhaps the ultimate compliment was paid to the Division by Major-General Sir Francis de Guingand, Chief of Staff of Monty’s D-Day headquarters. On that day when the freedom of Europe was at stake, Guingand remarked, “My God, I wish we had the 9th Australian Division with us this morning”. Prior to visiting Australia in 1947 where, among other engagements, Monty unveiled the Stone of Remembrance at St John’s, he had been made a lord in the British Order of Peerage. He took the title ‘Viscount Montgomery of Alamein’ in recognition of the great North African battle which he had commanded. In the course of his lifetime, this distinguished general who had spent his formative years in Australia, was bestowed with honours from 12 countries aside from the United Kingdom. His funeral was held at St George’s Chapel, Windsor Castle in 1976, the location of many historic royal ceremonies, weddings and burials, including the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle (the Duke and Duchess of Sussex) in 2018. El Alamein was the last major land battle conducted by British Empire forces under British command. Following the Second World War, the United States emerged as the leader of the newly-termed ‘free world.’ Britain was significantly weakened and over the course of the next few decades her far-flung Empire was dissolved, to be replaced by the Commonwealth of Nations, an association of 53 independent countries whose symbolic head is Queen Elizabeth II. While Australia as a former British dominion and member of the Commonwealth retained strong sentimental ties with Britain, its major strategic and defence partner is now the United States.

77