History Greatest Australian ever?

[clivewaterhousen]

Clive Waterhouse

 

[Impunity!]

Me!!

That's "great" as in "unusually or comparatively large in dimensions", right?

 

[DarwinRoo]

G'day All,
I have followed this thread with interest. If you look at the question it's a bit of a poser because it's just as difficult as asking one what is their greatest film of all time. There are different types of films and differing levels of how one judges them. Same with 'greatest music ever'.

I do disagree with politicians and generals being excluded. I reckon if you're an Australian you should qualify.

I say this because, in my opinion, Field Marshal Sir Thomas Blamey was the Greatest Australian. Like the above films and music, this choice needs qualification.

1. Prof. (Col.) David Horner wrote a 700+page book on the man and it looks at many of Blamey's attributes and unique talents that the 'neo-historians' have all chosen to overlook.

2. I knew Norman Carlyon who was Blamey's closest ADC and a personal friend. I can tell you beyond a shadow of a doubt that Norman Carlyon was a man of complete integrity and honesty. If he says Blamey was a great man then that's good enough for me. (See Carlyon's book: 'I Remember Blamey')

3. Just in case Norman's word was not good enough for me I, and a colleague, have completed more than 3 years of research into the life and times of Tom Blamey. His exploits, adventures, talents and faults make him one of the truly great people on the face of the earth during the 20th Century.

4. During this research we discovered why most Australians don't even know who Blamey is these days and why those that do know of him, the overwhelming majority dislike him or even loath him with a passion, no matter that he died 59 years ago. The answer is General Douglas MacArthur.

5. General Douglas MacArthur should get the gurnsey for the Greatest Self-Promoting Liar In The History Of The World. He fled the Philippines and once in Australia, in 1942 he was terrified that if New Guinea also fell to the Japanese that Roosevelt and Gen. George Marshall would find the excuse they desperately needed to sack MacArthur for a lifetime of military bungling, wasting of lives, corruption and misinformation.

6. When John Curtain asked Roosevelt for an American General, MacArthur couldn't believe his luck. He knew he couldn't go back to the US because he'd be relieved of his command.

7. MacArthur spent two years in Australia churning out press releases telling the world that he was, single-handedly, saving the South Pacific from the Japanese Peril, while bad-mouthing Tom Blamey, Curtin and the Australian fighting men. Reporting to Washington at one point that "...Australian's are not dying in sufficient numbers..." Implying that we had amateur soldiers who didn't want or know how to fight.

8. Tom Blamey was sent to New Guinea in 1942 on the strength of a lie told by MacArthur to Roosevelt and Gen. George Marshall. He told Curtin that it was the President and the Joint Chiefs who ordered that Blamey should go to New Guinea, NOT that it was his stupid, inept idea.
So for the first time in modern warfare a Commander-In-Chief was sent to command a local force in a front-line war zone.

9. The irony was that Tom Blamey was always eager to put himself in harm's way and be with his troops. He'd done so in WW1 and he was repeatedly told by his subordinate commanders in WW2 to take himself out of the line of fire.

Anyway, all of this, and more is fact. We can back it up and we will be telling the amazing story of this deeply flawed, but extraordinary Australian soon in a film and a documentary.

That's why Tom Blamey gets my vote for the Greatest Australian.
Thank you.

If you disagree with me, and lord knows many will, right after the election we will have a web site where you can read more about Tom Blamey and give us your opinions directly. That web site will be: www.OurTom.id.au
Cheers,
Dees 31
(Bill Halliwell)
Go the Mighty Dees!

I didn't read anything in that that would distinguish him from quite a few other candidates mentioned in this thread.

 

[jerry springer]

Captain Albert Jacka VC

 

[Impunity!]

Grant Denyer

 

[Lurker1]

Warnie. Possibly the greatest man to ever live.

 

[Dean3]

Can't believe that Richo hasn't been mentioned. What are people thinking?!

 

[ScarfacePacino]

Simple a pink puppet called Ossie Ostritch.

 

[Caesar]

Wyatt Roy.

 

[DeanoT]

John Alexander gets my vote today.

 

[Rustin Cohle]

Mark Latham.