John Gellibrand
Encyclopedia
Major General
Sir John Gellibrand KCB
, DSO
& Bar
(5 December 1872 – 3 June 1945) was an Australian Army
Major General in World War I
and member of the Australian House of Representatives
, representing the Tasmania
n Division of Denison
as a Nationalist Party
member from 1925 to 1928.
on 5 December 1872, the sixth child and third son of a grazier, landowner and local politician. His father died in 1874 and in 1876 his mother took her seven children to live in England
. Young John Gellibrand was initially educated at Crespigny Preparatory School at Aldeburgh
, Suffolk, England. In 1883 the family moved to Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany
where he continued his education before completing it at King's School, Canterbury in 1888-89. After a visit to Tasmania
, Jack returned to Frankfurt in 1891 to study for the entrance exam to the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He passed the exam and was admitted in 1892.
Gellibrand graduated at the top of his class in 1893 and was awarded the General Proficiency Sword for gaining the highest aggregate marks in the final exams. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Prince of Wales' Volunteers (South Lancashire Regiment)
on 21 October 1893 and posted to its 1st Battalion, then on garrison duty in Ireland
. He was promoted to 1st lieutenant on 24 April 1895.
When war
broke out in South Africa
, Gellibrand became adjutant of the 2nd Battalion, South Lancashire Regiment. He arrived in South Africa on 25 January 1900. Soon after, he was given command of a company. As such he participated in the campaign to relieve Ladysmith
, which concluded on 3 March 1900. On 8 March 1900, Gellibrand became ill with typhoid and lay in a coma
tose state for a month, after which he was evacuated to England
.
On 26 May 1900, Gellibrand was promoted to captain in the newly raised 3rd Battalion of the Manchester Regiment, joining his new command at Aldershot
on 29 November 1900. On 28 July 1902, the battalion moved to St Helena where its primary task was guarding of the 6000 Boer
prisoners there. These were released when the war ended in 1902, and most of the battalion moved to South Africa, where Gellibrand joined it on 5 January 1904, becoming adjutant on 24 January.
In August 1905, Gellibrand passed the staff college entrance exam and entered the Staff College at Camberley
in January 1906. On graduation in 1908, he was posted to Ceylon as Deputy Assistant Adjutant and Quartermaster General (DAA & QMG). On 27 April 1912, Gellibrand's four year posting to Ceylon ended and he resigned his commission, returning to Tasmania, where he bought an orchard and settled into life as a farmer.
When war broke out on 4 August 1914, Gellibrand immediately offered his services to the commandant of the 6th Military District (Tasmania
). On 20 August 1914, he was appointed to the AIF
as a captain and given the post of Deputy Assistant Quartermaster General (DAQMG) on the staff of the 1st Division. Staff college graduates like Gellibrand were relatively scarce in Australia
, with only 6 officers available for service. On 23 September 1914 Gellibrand was promoted to major, the usual rank for his post.
The 1st Division staff was shuffled in Egypt
when Colonel V Sellheim left to command the new Intermediate Base Depot on 12 January 1915. Gellibrand stepped up to become DAA & QMG while Major Cecil Henry Foott
took his place as DAQMG. Gellibrand landed at Anzac
with the 1st Division Headquarters at around 7:30 am on 25 April 1915. As DAA & QMG, he was responsible for supply. Gellibrand helped organise the beach parties, rounded up stragglers and organised the movement of supplies and ammunition forward. His superior, Lieutenant Colonel W. G. Patterson had a nervous breakdown and was evacuated on 28 April 1915 and Gellibrand performed his job as well until Lieutenant Colonel John Kealty Forsyth
arrived on 7 May 1915.
Major General W Bridges
was not impressed with Gellibrand's staff work. He felt that Gellibrand had mishandled the move of the 2nd Infantry Brigade to Cape Helles
. Bridges also expected Gellibrand to organise a proper officers' mess at Gallipoli
and was annoyed at the poor quality of what Gellibrand had scrounged from ships' canteen supplies. Gellibrand might have even been dismissed by Bridges but fate intervened. On 1 May Gellibrand had been wounded in the ankle by shrapnel. Then on 11 May, while laughing at two men whose water bottles had been holed, he received a severe wound in his right shoulder and was evacuated to the hospital ship Gascon. While it was still anchored off Anzac Cove, Bridges was also wounded and brought on board the same ship (and to the same bed, Gellibrand was moved out of the way), where Bridges died on 18 May 1915.
Gellibrand returned to Anzac on 31 May 1915, to find that Forsyth had been given command of the 2nd Infantry Brigade and Foott had become AA & QMG and was now his superior. Gellibrand took this in bad grace although Foott was in fact the senior major. Dissatisfied, Gellibrand put in for a transfer to the 2nd Division, then forming in Egypt. He became DAA & QMG of the 2nd Division in Egypt on 25 August 1915. Because the 2nd Division's AA & QMG, Lieutenant Colonel T Blamey
was forced to remain in Egypt for medical reasons, Gellibrand became acting AA & QMG on 29 August, embarking for Anzac once again on the Southland that day. On 2 September, the ship was torpedoed. Gellibrand eventually reached Anzac on 6 September. The August offensives being over, Gellibrand settled into routine administration. He was struck down by typhoid again on 11 October and evacuated a second time, returning on 23 October 1915. For his services at Anzac, Gellibrand was Mentioned in Despatches and awarded the Distinguished Service Order
(DSO).
On 4 December 1915, Gellibrand finally received a promotion to lieutenant colonel and was given command of the 12th Battalion, the 1st Division's Tasmanian battalion, then resting on Lemnos
. It did not return to Anzac, which was evacuated on 20 December 1915. Instead, the battalion returned to Egypt on 6 January 1916.
Gellibrand expected to get another senior staff post in the reorganisation of the AIF but on 1 March 1916 he was again promoted, this time to full colonel and temporary brigadier general, and given a brigade, the 6th brigade, on the specific request of the division commander, Major General James Gordon Legge
. Apparently Gellibrand had greatly impressed Legge during his time as AA & QMG.
The 6th Brigade sailed for the Western Front
just a few days later, on 18 March 1916, and entered the line there on 10 April. On 31 May, Gellibrand was wounded by a German
shell that landed close to his headquarters, and evacuated to England
, returning on 28 June. The brigade fought at Pozieres
, where it performed well in the attack on 4 August 1916. Gellibrand was criticised for having his headquarters in Sausage Valley, some 3 km behind the front.
Gellibrand went to England on leave on 25 November 1916. While there he had to have four teeth extracted and did not return until December. He was evacuated again on 13 December 1916 with influenza
, returning on 30 January 1917. In the meantime he was promoted to brevet
major in the British Army
's Reserve of Officer's List.
Gellibrand was acting commander of the 2nd Division until 4 March 1917, directing it in probing attacks against Malt Trench when it was suspected that the Germans were withdrawing. Gellibrand's advance began well but ended with a disastrous, ill-planned and ill-executed "unauthorised" attack on Noreuil
. This caused Birdwood to lose confidence in Gellibrand, although General Hubert Gough
accepted it as part of the risk that had been accepted.
The 6th Brigade next attack was on the Hindenburg Line
near Bullecourt
. In this attack, Gellibrand had his headquarters well forward and his planning was meticulous and detailed. Nonetheless, the attack was very nearly a disaster and only decisive and forceful leadership from Gellibrand retrieved the situation. For this battle he was awarded a bar
to his Distinguished Service Order
(DSO).
From 25 May to 5 June 1917 Gellibrand again was acting commander of the 2nd Division. For some reason he asked to be relieved of his command. Birdwood granted the request, and Gellibrand was sent to the AIF Depots in the United Kingdom
as Brigadier General, General Staff (BGGS) to Major General James Whiteside McCay
. McCay was known as a hard task master, but he had nothing but praise for the work of Gellibrand, who helped him overhaul the organisation and the training syllabus. Likewise, Gellibrand held McCay in high regard. For his services, Gellibrand was awarded the Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB).
Gellibrand returned to the Western Front on November 1917, taking over command of the 12th Infantry Brigade from Brigadier General James Campbell Robertson on 13 November 1917. He soon placed his own distinctive stamp on his new command. In April 1918, the brigade was committed to battle in the path of the advancing German Army
at Dernancourt
. The brigade held and defeated the German advance.
On 30 May 1918, as a consequence of the Australian government's directive that all senior commands be held by Australians, Major General J. Monash
was appointed to command the Australian Corps
and General Sir William Birdwood selected Gellibrand to take Monash's place in command of the 3rd Division
. Gellibrand was promoted to Major General
on 1 June 1918.
Gellibrand found the 3rd Division a difficult assignment. The division staff had been together for two years, and were accustomed to Monash. A number of other brigadier generals were understandably disappointed at missing out on a division command. At Amiens
, Monash and Gellibrand had serious disagreements over tactics and troop dispositions. Gellibrand disliked part of the plan that called for the leapfrogging of divisions, generally regarded as Monash's master stroke. Monash overruled him. On 27 September 1918, the two had a more heated clash over the merits of Gellibrand's intention to attack on a narrow front, something not normally considered advisable. Gellibrand angrily claimed that his battalions were only 200 strong. Monash countered that some were 600 strong. The strength returns show the average strength of Gellibrand's battalions as 648 on 26 October 1918. The attack went in as Monash directed, and was successful, mainly because the Germans
began to withdraw.
For his services, Gellibrand was created a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in June 1919.
After the war, Gellibrand returned to Tasmania
. In August 1919 he accepted the Tasmanian government's offer of the post of Public Service Commissioner. Gellibrand investigated the conditions of the service, and resigned in 1920 after the Tasmanian government chose to ignore his recommendations. He then took up a position as Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police in Victoria, but failed to get the Victorian government to agree with his recommendations for reform and resigned in 1922.
While in Melbourne, Gellibrand was appointed commander of the 3rd Division in 1921. He had to resign when he returned to Tasmania in 1922.
Gellibrand entered Federal politics
in November 1925, being elected the member for Denison
. Acting as his own campaign manager, he was defeated in the 1928 election, and again in 1929. After that he returned to farming, first in Tasmania
and then from 1936 near Yea, Victoria
.
As the Federal government's interest in military matters began to grow again in the late 1930s, Gellibrand was consulted by Prime Ministers
Joseph Lyons
and Robert Menzies
about defence matters. He campaigned for an increase in the size of the Army
and after the outbreak of war
Gellibrand lobbied the Menzies government to appoint Major General Thomas Blamey
as commander in chief. In June 1940, Gellibrand was appointed commandant of the Victorian Volunteer Defence Corps
, the Australian version of the Home Guard
, but ill-health forced him to resign in July.
Gellibrand died on 3 June 1945 and was buried in Yea Cemetery.
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
Sir John Gellibrand KCB
Order of the Bath
The Most Honourable Order of the Bath is a British order of chivalry founded by George I on 18 May 1725. The name derives from the elaborate mediæval ceremony for creating a knight, which involved bathing as one of its elements. The knights so created were known as Knights of the Bath...
, DSO
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
& Bar
Medal bar
A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...
(5 December 1872 – 3 June 1945) was an Australian Army
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
Major General in World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
and member of the Australian House of Representatives
Australian House of Representatives
The House of Representatives is one of the two houses of the Parliament of Australia; it is the lower house; the upper house is the Senate. Members of Parliament serve for terms of approximately three years....
, representing the Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
n Division of Denison
Division of Denison
The Division of Denison is anAustralian Electoral Division in Tasmania.The division was created in 1903 and is named for Sir William Denison, who was Lt-Governor of Van Diemens Land 1847-55...
as a Nationalist Party
Nationalist Party of Australia
The Nationalist Party of Australia was an Australian political party. It was formed on 17 February 1917 from a merger between the conservative Commonwealth Liberal Party and the National Labor Party, the name given to the pro-conscription defectors from the Australian Labor Party led by Prime...
member from 1925 to 1928.
Early life and career
John "Jack" Gellibrand was born at Leintwarden, near Ouse, TasmaniaCentral Highlands, Tasmania
The Central Highlands Council is a Local Government Area in the central highland region of Tasmania. It is the second largest Local Government Area of Tasmania, after the West Coast, and the least densely populated, with only 0.3 people per square kilometre....
on 5 December 1872, the sixth child and third son of a grazier, landowner and local politician. His father died in 1874 and in 1876 his mother took her seven children to live in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. Young John Gellibrand was initially educated at Crespigny Preparatory School at Aldeburgh
Aldeburgh
Aldeburgh is a coastal town in Suffolk, East Anglia, England. Located on the River Alde, the town is notable for its Blue Flag shingle beach and fisherman huts where freshly caught fish are sold daily, and the Aldeburgh Yacht Club...
, Suffolk, England. In 1883 the family moved to Frankfurt-am-Main, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
where he continued his education before completing it at King's School, Canterbury in 1888-89. After a visit to Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
, Jack returned to Frankfurt in 1891 to study for the entrance exam to the Royal Military College, Sandhurst. He passed the exam and was admitted in 1892.
Gellibrand graduated at the top of his class in 1893 and was awarded the General Proficiency Sword for gaining the highest aggregate marks in the final exams. He was commissioned a second lieutenant in the Prince of Wales' Volunteers (South Lancashire Regiment)
The South Lancashire Regiment (The Prince of Wales's Volunteers)
The South Lancashire Regiment was a regiment of the British Army from 1881 to 1958. It was formed as part of the Childers reforms as the Prince of Wales's Volunteers Regiment by the amalgamation of the 40th Regiment of Foot and the 82nd Regiment of Foot...
on 21 October 1893 and posted to its 1st Battalion, then on garrison duty in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. He was promoted to 1st lieutenant on 24 April 1895.
When war
Second Boer War
The Second Boer War was fought from 11 October 1899 until 31 May 1902 between the British Empire and the Afrikaans-speaking Dutch settlers of two independent Boer republics, the South African Republic and the Orange Free State...
broke out in South Africa
South Africa
The Republic of South Africa is a country in southern Africa. Located at the southern tip of Africa, it is divided into nine provinces, with of coastline on the Atlantic and Indian oceans...
, Gellibrand became adjutant of the 2nd Battalion, South Lancashire Regiment. He arrived in South Africa on 25 January 1900. Soon after, he was given command of a company. As such he participated in the campaign to relieve Ladysmith
Ladysmith, KwaZulu-Natal
Ladysmith is a city in the Uthukela District of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It is north-west of Durban and south of Johannesburg. Important industries in the area include food processing, textile and tyre production...
, which concluded on 3 March 1900. On 8 March 1900, Gellibrand became ill with typhoid and lay in a coma
Coma
In medicine, a coma is a state of unconsciousness, lasting more than 6 hours in which a person cannot be awakened, fails to respond normally to painful stimuli, light or sound, lacks a normal sleep-wake cycle and does not initiate voluntary actions. A person in a state of coma is described as...
tose state for a month, after which he was evacuated to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
On 26 May 1900, Gellibrand was promoted to captain in the newly raised 3rd Battalion of the Manchester Regiment, joining his new command at Aldershot
Aldershot
Aldershot is a town in the English county of Hampshire, located on heathland about southwest of London. The town is administered by Rushmoor Borough Council...
on 29 November 1900. On 28 July 1902, the battalion moved to St Helena where its primary task was guarding of the 6000 Boer
Boer
Boer is the Dutch and Afrikaans word for farmer, which came to denote the descendants of the Dutch-speaking settlers of the eastern Cape frontier in Southern Africa during the 18th century, as well as those who left the Cape Colony during the 19th century to settle in the Orange Free State,...
prisoners there. These were released when the war ended in 1902, and most of the battalion moved to South Africa, where Gellibrand joined it on 5 January 1904, becoming adjutant on 24 January.
In August 1905, Gellibrand passed the staff college entrance exam and entered the Staff College at Camberley
Camberley
Camberley is a town in Surrey, England, situated 31 miles southwest of central London, in the corridor between the M3 and M4 motorways. The town lies close to the borders of both Hampshire and Berkshire; the boundaries intersect on the western edge of the town where all three counties...
in January 1906. On graduation in 1908, he was posted to Ceylon as Deputy Assistant Adjutant and Quartermaster General (DAA & QMG). On 27 April 1912, Gellibrand's four year posting to Ceylon ended and he resigned his commission, returning to Tasmania, where he bought an orchard and settled into life as a farmer.
World War I
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
). On 20 August 1914, he was appointed to the AIF
First Australian Imperial Force
The First Australian Imperial Force was the main expeditionary force of the Australian Army during World War I. It was formed from 15 August 1914, following Britain's declaration of war on Germany. Generally known at the time as the AIF, it is today referred to as the 1st AIF to distinguish from...
as a captain and given the post of Deputy Assistant Quartermaster General (DAQMG) on the staff of the 1st Division. Staff college graduates like Gellibrand were relatively scarce in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, with only 6 officers available for service. On 23 September 1914 Gellibrand was promoted to major, the usual rank for his post.
The 1st Division staff was shuffled in Egypt
Egypt
Egypt , officially the Arab Republic of Egypt, Arabic: , is a country mainly in North Africa, with the Sinai Peninsula forming a land bridge in Southwest Asia. Egypt is thus a transcontinental country, and a major power in Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Middle East and the Muslim world...
when Colonel V Sellheim left to command the new Intermediate Base Depot on 12 January 1915. Gellibrand stepped up to become DAA & QMG while Major Cecil Henry Foott
Cecil Henry Foott
Major General Cecil Henry Foott CB, CMG was an Australian Army colonel and temporary Brigadier General in World War I...
took his place as DAQMG. Gellibrand landed at Anzac
Anzac Cove
Anzac Cove is a small cove on the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey. It became famous as the site of World War I landing of the ANZAC on April 25, 1915. The cove is a mere long, bounded by the headlands of Ari Burnu to the north and Little Ari Burnu, known as Hell Spit, to the south...
with the 1st Division Headquarters at around 7:30 am on 25 April 1915. As DAA & QMG, he was responsible for supply. Gellibrand helped organise the beach parties, rounded up stragglers and organised the movement of supplies and ammunition forward. His superior, Lieutenant Colonel W. G. Patterson had a nervous breakdown and was evacuated on 28 April 1915 and Gellibrand performed his job as well until Lieutenant Colonel John Kealty Forsyth
John Kealty Forsyth
Major General John Kealty Forsyth CMG was an Australian Army colonel and temporary brigadier general in World War I. He retired in 1925 as a Major General.-Early life and career:...
arrived on 7 May 1915.
Major General W Bridges
William Throsby Bridges
Major General Sir William Throsby Bridges KCB, CMG served with Australian forces during World War I, and was the first Australian to reach general officer rank...
was not impressed with Gellibrand's staff work. He felt that Gellibrand had mishandled the move of the 2nd Infantry Brigade to Cape Helles
Cape Helles
Cape Helles is the rocky headland at the south-westernmost tip of the Gallipoli peninsula, Turkey. It was the scene of heavy fighting between Turkish and British troops during the landing at Cape Helles at the beginning of the Gallipoli Campaign in 1915....
. Bridges also expected Gellibrand to organise a proper officers' mess at Gallipoli
Gallipoli
The Gallipoli peninsula is located in Turkish Thrace , the European part of Turkey, with the Aegean Sea to the west and the Dardanelles straits to the east. Gallipoli derives its name from the Greek "Καλλίπολις" , meaning "Beautiful City"...
and was annoyed at the poor quality of what Gellibrand had scrounged from ships' canteen supplies. Gellibrand might have even been dismissed by Bridges but fate intervened. On 1 May Gellibrand had been wounded in the ankle by shrapnel. Then on 11 May, while laughing at two men whose water bottles had been holed, he received a severe wound in his right shoulder and was evacuated to the hospital ship Gascon. While it was still anchored off Anzac Cove, Bridges was also wounded and brought on board the same ship (and to the same bed, Gellibrand was moved out of the way), where Bridges died on 18 May 1915.
Gellibrand returned to Anzac on 31 May 1915, to find that Forsyth had been given command of the 2nd Infantry Brigade and Foott had become AA & QMG and was now his superior. Gellibrand took this in bad grace although Foott was in fact the senior major. Dissatisfied, Gellibrand put in for a transfer to the 2nd Division, then forming in Egypt. He became DAA & QMG of the 2nd Division in Egypt on 25 August 1915. Because the 2nd Division's AA & QMG, Lieutenant Colonel T Blamey
Thomas Blamey
Field Marshal Sir Thomas Albert Blamey GBE, KCB, CMG, DSO, ED was an Australian general of the First and Second World Wars, and the only Australian to date to attain the rank of field marshal....
was forced to remain in Egypt for medical reasons, Gellibrand became acting AA & QMG on 29 August, embarking for Anzac once again on the Southland that day. On 2 September, the ship was torpedoed. Gellibrand eventually reached Anzac on 6 September. The August offensives being over, Gellibrand settled into routine administration. He was struck down by typhoid again on 11 October and evacuated a second time, returning on 23 October 1915. For his services at Anzac, Gellibrand was Mentioned in Despatches and awarded the Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(DSO).
On 4 December 1915, Gellibrand finally received a promotion to lieutenant colonel and was given command of the 12th Battalion, the 1st Division's Tasmanian battalion, then resting on Lemnos
Lemnos
Lemnos is an island of Greece in the northern part of the Aegean Sea. Administratively the island forms a separate municipality within the Lemnos peripheral unit, which is part of the North Aegean Periphery. The principal town of the island and seat of the municipality is Myrina...
. It did not return to Anzac, which was evacuated on 20 December 1915. Instead, the battalion returned to Egypt on 6 January 1916.
Gellibrand expected to get another senior staff post in the reorganisation of the AIF but on 1 March 1916 he was again promoted, this time to full colonel and temporary brigadier general, and given a brigade, the 6th brigade, on the specific request of the division commander, Major General James Gordon Legge
James Gordon Legge
Lieutenant General James Gordon Legge CB, CMG was an Australian Army Lieutenant General who served in World War I. His son Stanley Ferguson Legge reached the rank of Major General.-Early life and career:...
. Apparently Gellibrand had greatly impressed Legge during his time as AA & QMG.
The 6th Brigade sailed for the Western Front
Western Front (World War I)
Following the outbreak of World War I in 1914, the German Army opened the Western Front by first invading Luxembourg and Belgium, then gaining military control of important industrial regions in France. The tide of the advance was dramatically turned with the Battle of the Marne...
just a few days later, on 18 March 1916, and entered the line there on 10 April. On 31 May, Gellibrand was wounded by a German
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
shell that landed close to his headquarters, and evacuated to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, returning on 28 June. The brigade fought at Pozieres
Battle of Pozières
The Battle of Pozières was a two week struggle for the French village of Pozières and the ridge on which it stands, during the middle stages of the 1916 Battle of the Somme. Though British divisions were involved in most phases of the fighting, Pozières is primarily remembered as an Australian battle...
, where it performed well in the attack on 4 August 1916. Gellibrand was criticised for having his headquarters in Sausage Valley, some 3 km behind the front.
Gellibrand went to England on leave on 25 November 1916. While there he had to have four teeth extracted and did not return until December. He was evacuated again on 13 December 1916 with influenza
Influenza
Influenza, commonly referred to as the flu, is an infectious disease caused by RNA viruses of the family Orthomyxoviridae , that affects birds and mammals...
, returning on 30 January 1917. In the meantime he was promoted to brevet
Brevet (military)
In many of the world's military establishments, brevet referred to a warrant authorizing a commissioned officer to hold a higher rank temporarily, but usually without receiving the pay of that higher rank except when actually serving in that role. An officer so promoted may be referred to as being...
major in the British Army
British Army
The British Army is the land warfare branch of Her Majesty's Armed Forces in the United Kingdom. It came into being with the unification of the Kingdom of England and Scotland into the Kingdom of Great Britain in 1707. The new British Army incorporated Regiments that had already existed in England...
's Reserve of Officer's List.
Gellibrand was acting commander of the 2nd Division until 4 March 1917, directing it in probing attacks against Malt Trench when it was suspected that the Germans were withdrawing. Gellibrand's advance began well but ended with a disastrous, ill-planned and ill-executed "unauthorised" attack on Noreuil
Noreuil
Noreuil is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region of France.-Population:-World War One:In 1917 it was the location of fighting during World War I. In early 1917, General John Gellibrand, acting commander of the 2nd Division, advanced as he suspected that the...
. This caused Birdwood to lose confidence in Gellibrand, although General Hubert Gough
Hubert Gough
General Sir Hubert de la Poer Gough GCB, GCMG, KCVO was a senior officer in the British Army, who commanded the British Fifth Army from 1916 to 1918 during the First World War.-Family background:...
accepted it as part of the risk that had been accepted.
The 6th Brigade next attack was on the Hindenburg Line
Hindenburg Line
The Hindenburg Line was a vast system of defences in northeastern France during World War I. It was constructed by the Germans during the winter of 1916–17. The line stretched from Lens to beyond Verdun...
near Bullecourt
Bullecourt
Bullecourt is a commune in the Pas-de-Calais department in the Nord-Pas-de-Calais region in France.-Geography:Bullecourt lies on the Upper Cretaceous plain of Artois between Arras and Bapaume and east of the A1 motorway. This shows Bullecourt just north of centre. Quéant is the larger of the two...
. In this attack, Gellibrand had his headquarters well forward and his planning was meticulous and detailed. Nonetheless, the attack was very nearly a disaster and only decisive and forceful leadership from Gellibrand retrieved the situation. For this battle he was awarded a bar
Medal bar
A medal bar or medal clasp is a thin metal bar attached to the ribbon of a military decoration, civil decoration, or other medal. It is most commonly used to indicate the campaign or operation the recipient received the award for, and multiple bars on the same medal are used to indicate that the...
to his Distinguished Service Order
Distinguished Service Order
The Distinguished Service Order is a military decoration of the United Kingdom, and formerly of other parts of the British Commonwealth and Empire, awarded for meritorious or distinguished service by officers of the armed forces during wartime, typically in actual combat.Instituted on 6 September...
(DSO).
From 25 May to 5 June 1917 Gellibrand again was acting commander of the 2nd Division. For some reason he asked to be relieved of his command. Birdwood granted the request, and Gellibrand was sent to the AIF Depots in the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
as Brigadier General, General Staff (BGGS) to Major General James Whiteside McCay
James Whiteside McCay
Lieutenant General Sir James Whiteside McCay KCMG, KBE, CB, VD was an Australian general and politician. A graduate of the University of Melbourne, where he earned Master of Arts and Master of Laws degrees, he established a successful legal practice, McCay & Thwaites...
. McCay was known as a hard task master, but he had nothing but praise for the work of Gellibrand, who helped him overhaul the organisation and the training syllabus. Likewise, Gellibrand held McCay in high regard. For his services, Gellibrand was awarded the Companion of the Order of the Bath (CB).
Gellibrand returned to the Western Front on November 1917, taking over command of the 12th Infantry Brigade from Brigadier General James Campbell Robertson on 13 November 1917. He soon placed his own distinctive stamp on his new command. In April 1918, the brigade was committed to battle in the path of the advancing German Army
German Army
The German Army is the land component of the armed forces of the Federal Republic of Germany. Following the disbanding of the Wehrmacht after World War II, it was re-established in 1955 as the Bundesheer, part of the newly formed West German Bundeswehr along with the Navy and the Air Force...
at Dernancourt
Dernancourt
Dernancourt is a commune in the Somme department in Picardie in northern France.-Geography:Dernancourt is situated on the D52 road, some northeast of Amiens.-Population:-Places and monuments:...
. The brigade held and defeated the German advance.
On 30 May 1918, as a consequence of the Australian government's directive that all senior commands be held by Australians, Major General J. Monash
John Monash
General Sir John Monash GCMG, KCB, VD was a civil engineer who became the Australian military commander in the First World War. He commanded the 13th Infantry Brigade before the War and then became commander of the 4th Brigade in Egypt shortly after the outbreak of the War with whom he took part...
was appointed to command the Australian Corps
Australian Corps
The Australian Corps was a World War I army corps that contained all five Australian infantry divisions serving on the Western Front. It was the largest corps fielded by the British Empire army in France...
and General Sir William Birdwood selected Gellibrand to take Monash's place in command of the 3rd Division
Australian 3rd Division (World War I)
The 3rd Division was an infantry division of the Australian Army. Existing during various periods between 1916 and 1991, it is considered the "longest serving Australian Army division". It was first formed during World War I, as an infantry division of the Australian Imperial Force and saw service...
. Gellibrand was promoted to Major General
Major General
Major general or major-general is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. A major general is a high-ranking officer, normally subordinate to the rank of lieutenant general and senior to the ranks of brigadier and brigadier general...
on 1 June 1918.
Gellibrand found the 3rd Division a difficult assignment. The division staff had been together for two years, and were accustomed to Monash. A number of other brigadier generals were understandably disappointed at missing out on a division command. At Amiens
Amiens
Amiens is a city and commune in northern France, north of Paris and south-west of Lille. It is the capital of the Somme department in Picardy...
, Monash and Gellibrand had serious disagreements over tactics and troop dispositions. Gellibrand disliked part of the plan that called for the leapfrogging of divisions, generally regarded as Monash's master stroke. Monash overruled him. On 27 September 1918, the two had a more heated clash over the merits of Gellibrand's intention to attack on a narrow front, something not normally considered advisable. Gellibrand angrily claimed that his battalions were only 200 strong. Monash countered that some were 600 strong. The strength returns show the average strength of Gellibrand's battalions as 648 on 26 October 1918. The attack went in as Monash directed, and was successful, mainly because the Germans
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
began to withdraw.
For his services, Gellibrand was created a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath (KCB) in June 1919.
Post war
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
. In August 1919 he accepted the Tasmanian government's offer of the post of Public Service Commissioner. Gellibrand investigated the conditions of the service, and resigned in 1920 after the Tasmanian government chose to ignore his recommendations. He then took up a position as Chief Commissioner of Victoria Police in Victoria, but failed to get the Victorian government to agree with his recommendations for reform and resigned in 1922.
While in Melbourne, Gellibrand was appointed commander of the 3rd Division in 1921. He had to resign when he returned to Tasmania in 1922.
Gellibrand entered Federal politics
Government of Australia
The Commonwealth of Australia is a federal constitutional monarchy under a parliamentary democracy. The Commonwealth of Australia was formed in 1901 as a result of an agreement among six self-governing British colonies, which became the six states...
in November 1925, being elected the member for Denison
Division of Denison
The Division of Denison is anAustralian Electoral Division in Tasmania.The division was created in 1903 and is named for Sir William Denison, who was Lt-Governor of Van Diemens Land 1847-55...
. Acting as his own campaign manager, he was defeated in the 1928 election, and again in 1929. After that he returned to farming, first in Tasmania
Tasmania
Tasmania is an Australian island and state. It is south of the continent, separated by Bass Strait. The state includes the island of Tasmania—the 26th largest island in the world—and the surrounding islands. The state has a population of 507,626 , of whom almost half reside in the greater Hobart...
and then from 1936 near Yea, Victoria
Yea, Victoria
Yea is a town in Victoria, Australia. It is in the Shire of Murrindindi local government area. Located north-east of Melbourne via the Melba Highway, Yea sits at the junction with the Goulburn Valley Highway, and above sea-level. At the 2006 Census, Yea had a population of 1,052.- History :The...
.
As the Federal government's interest in military matters began to grow again in the late 1930s, Gellibrand was consulted by Prime Ministers
Prime Minister of Australia
The Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia is the highest minister of the Crown, leader of the Cabinet and Head of Her Majesty's Australian Government, holding office on commission from the Governor-General of Australia. The office of Prime Minister is, in practice, the most powerful...
Joseph Lyons
Joseph Lyons
Joseph Aloysius Lyons, CH was an Australian politician. He was Labor Premier of Tasmania from 1923 to 1928 and a Minister in the James Scullin government from 1929 until his resignation from the Labor Party in March 1931...
and Robert Menzies
Robert Menzies
Sir Robert Gordon Menzies, , Australian politician, was the 12th and longest-serving Prime Minister of Australia....
about defence matters. He campaigned for an increase in the size of the Army
Australian Army
The Australian Army is Australia's military land force. It is part of the Australian Defence Force along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Royal Australian Air Force. While the Chief of Defence commands the Australian Defence Force , the Army is commanded by the Chief of Army...
and after the outbreak of war
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Gellibrand lobbied the Menzies government to appoint Major General Thomas Blamey
Thomas Blamey
Field Marshal Sir Thomas Albert Blamey GBE, KCB, CMG, DSO, ED was an Australian general of the First and Second World Wars, and the only Australian to date to attain the rank of field marshal....
as commander in chief. In June 1940, Gellibrand was appointed commandant of the Victorian Volunteer Defence Corps
Volunteer Defence Corps (Australia)
The Volunteer Defence Corps was an Australian part time volunteer military force of World War II modelled on the British Home Guard. The VDC was established in July 1940 by the Returned and Services League of Australia and was initially composed of ex-servicemen who had served in World War I...
, the Australian version of the Home Guard
British Home Guard
The Home Guard was a defence organisation of the British Army during the Second World War...
, but ill-health forced him to resign in July.
Gellibrand died on 3 June 1945 and was buried in Yea Cemetery.