“THIS is a disappointment but it takes away nothing — Monash will always be an example to everyone.”
Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has decided not to posthumously promote World War One hero Sir John Monash to field marshall, the highest rank in the Australian Army, it emerged today.
The decision was made after lobbying from military leaders against the change, which has been the subject of a vocal campaign, with supporters including Opposition Leader Bill Shorten and various coalition MPs.
Even Mr Turnbull initially backed the idea, pledging his support in a 2013 speech at the Jewish Museum in Sydney.
Monash is widely regarded as Australia’s greatest ever military commander. He is also a figurehead to the Jewish community, of which he was a part.
Read the article by Justin Lees and AAP, News Corp Australia Network in the Herald Sun.