Lieutenant General Sir Stanley George Savige, (26 June 1890 – 15 May 1954) was an Australian Army soldier and officer who served in the First World War and Second World War.
In March 1915, after the outbreak of the First World War, Savige enlisted in the First Australian Imperial Force. He served in the ranks during the Gallipoli Campaign, and received a commission. He later served on the Western Front, where he was twice recommended for the Military Cross for bravery. In 1918, he joined Dunsterforce and served in the Caucasus Campaign, during which he was instrumental in protecting thousands of Assyrian refugees. He subsequently wrote a book, Stalky's Forlorn Hope, about his experiences. After the war he played a key role in the establishment of Legacy Australia, the war widows and orphans benefit fund.
During the early years of the Second World War, Savige commanded the 17th Infantry Brigade in the North African Campaign, the Battle of Greece and Syria–Lebanon Campaign. His outspoken criticism of professional soldiers earned him their rancour. He returned to Australia in early 1942, and later commanded the 3rd Division in the Salamaua–Lae campaign. He ultimately rose to the rank of lieutenant general in the Australian Army, commanding the II Corps in the Bougainville Campaign.
In later life, Savige was a director of Olympic Tyre & Rubber Ltd from 1946 to 1951 and chairman of Moran & Cato Ltd from 1950 to 1951. He was also chairman of the Central War Gratuity Board from 1946 to 1951, and a commissioner of the State Savings Bank of Victoria.
Early life Stanley Savige was born on 26 June 1890, in Morwell, Victoria, the eldest of eight children to Samuel Savige, a butcher, and his wife Ann Nora, née Walmsley. Stan Savige left Korumburra State School at the age of twelve to work as a blacksmith's striker. While at Korumburra, he enlisted in the school junior cadets as a bugler.
The family moved to Prahran, Victoria, in 1907, where Savige worked at a variety of jobs and served in the Prahran senior cadets for 18 months, from 1907 to 1909. He became a scoutmaster, forming the First Yarra Troop. Savige was an active member of the South Yarra Baptist Church, where he was a Sunday school teacher. Through his church activities, Savige met Lilian Stockton, to whom he became engaged on New Year's Day, 1914. First World War
Gallipoli Savige enlisted in the First Australian Imperial Force (AIF) on 6 March 1915, and was posted to the 24th Infantry Battalion, which departed Melbourne for Egypt on the transport Euripides on 8 May 1915. He was passed over for a commission due to his lack of education, but was promoted to corporal on 30 April and lance sergeant on 8 May. The 24th Infantry Battalion landed at Gallipoli on 5 September 1915 and took over part of the line at Lone Pine. Savige became company sergeant major on 20 September. There, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant on 9 November 1915. During the evacuation of Gallipoli in December 1915, Savige was one of three officers chosen to serve with the battalion rearguard.
Western Front
After a brief period of rest and reorganisation in Egypt, the 2nd Division—of which the 24th Infantry Battalion was part—embarked for France on 21 March 1916. Savige became commander of the battalion scout platoon and led a number of night patrols into no man's land. On 12 April, he became battalion intelligence officer and he was promoted to lieutenant on 1 May. Coming to the attention of his brigade commander, Brigadier General John Gellibrand, Savige was attached to 6th Infantry Brigade headquarters as a trainee brigade intelligence officer. "We expected a lot of the new B. I. O.," Gellibrand later recalled, "and we got it." Savige served in operations at Pozières and Mouquet Farm in July and August 1916. At one point he ran through heavy shellfire on an errand. The orderly who went into it with him was never seen again. Savige was promoted to captain on 15 September. On 8 November, he was wounded at Flers but remained on duty. However, on 20 December he was admitted to hospital, suffering from influenza. Savige rejoined the 24th Infantry Battalion on 5 January 1917 and was appointed adjutant on 3 February.
In February 1917, the German Army began a withdrawal from its positions in the Somme sector to the Hindenburg Line. Gellibrand was in temporary command of the 2nd Division, which at this time was opposite the village of Warlencourt. Patrols from the 6th Infantry Brigade found Warlencourt empty and occupied it unopposed. The 24th Infantry Battalion kept in contact with the Germans as they pulled back. On 13 March, the 24th Infantry battalion—now responsible for the entire brigade front—found Grévillers empty and occupied it. By 17 March 1917, the trenches in front of Bapaume were empty and the 6th Infantry Brigade occupied its northern suburbs.
In the Second Battle of Bullecourt during May 1917, the 6th Infantry Brigade managed to penetrate the Hindenburg Line but its hold was precarious, as the 5th Infantry Brigade on its flank had not been able to manage the same feat. The brigade then faced strong German counter-attacks. Savige was in the front trench, where he attempted to coordinate the 24th Infantry Battalion's defence. The situation, Savige realised, was "somewhat serious". Extraordinary tenacity and bravery was required to hold the position. "The 6th Brigade's achievement on this day," wrote Charles Bean, "had few parallels in the history of the AIF. In the whole line of battle from Vimy to near Quéant, theirs had been almost the only success."
Savige was mentioned in despatches for Bullecourt, MID – Bullecourt and recommended for the Military Cross. His citation read:
Savige was ultimately awarded the Military Cross on 1 January 1918, MC for both his "consistent good work and devotion to duty" in the period spanning 26 February to 17 March 1917 and his "coolness under fire and tenacity of purpose" during the Second Battle of Bullecourt from April–May 1917. He was mentioned in despatches a second time for his role in the Battle of Passchendaele, MID – Passchendaele although he was originally recommended for a bar to his Military Cross. His citation read:
Although Savige was informed that the citation had gone through, the medal was never gazetted. He became assistant brigade major of the 6th Infantry Brigade on 10 September and was acting brigade major from 22 November until 11 January 1918.
Iran
Following the abdication of the Russian Tsar in 1917, the Caucasus Front collapsed, leaving the region open to the Turkish Army's Islamic Army of the Caucasus under the command of Enver Pasha and resulting in the flight of thousands of Christian Armenian and Assyrian refugees. The British War Office responded with a plan to send a force of hand-picked British officers and NCOs to organise any remaining Russian forces or civilians who were ready to fight the Turkish forces. A request for Australian officers to participate was sent to the commander of the Australian Corps, General Sir William Birdwood. Some twenty officers, drawn from "the cream of the cream" of Australian leaders, were chosen, including Savige. This force became known as Dunsterforce after its commander, Major General Lionel Charles Dunsterville, the inspiration for the titular character of Rudyard Kipling's novel Stalky & Co. Dunsterforce arrived in Baku in August 1918. It was hoped that, from the Christian Georgian, Armenian and Assyrian people who had supported the Russians and historically feared the Turks, Dunsterforce could raise an army to contain the Turks but "the task proved superhuman".
Following the capture of Urmia by the Turks, Savige discovered tens of thousands of fleeing Assyrian refugees. He deployed a small group of volunteers from his own force, along with refugees, to form a rearguard to hold back the Kurds who were murdering the refugees and carrying off the young girls as slaves. Official Historian Charles Bean later wrote that:
Savige was subsequently decorated with the Distinguished Service Order for his efforts on this occasion. DSO announcement His citation read:
For his services in Iran, Savige was also mentioned in despatches a third time. MID – Persia He later wrote a book about his experiences, entitled Stalky's Forlorn Hope, which was published in Melbourne in 1920. In November 1918, he was evacuated to a hospital in Bombay, suffering an attack of malaria, and returned to Australia in January 1919 on the City of Exeter.
Between the wars Savige married Lilian Stockton on 28 June 1919 at the South Yarra Baptist Church. Their marriage produced a daughter, Gwendolyn Lesley, who was born in 1920. Savige also raised his two nephews, Stanley James and William, after his sister Hilda died in 1924. Savige had to struggle to re-establish himself in civilian life. He was unemployed for a time before finding work with a Melbourne wholesale firm. In 1923 he became sole agent for the Returned Soldiers' Mill in Geelong. He was successful as a salesman and eventually became sole agent for all of Australia. In 1930, he ran unsuccessfully for the Victorian Legislative Assembly Electoral district of Caulfield on the Nationalist Party of Australia ticket.
In 1923, Gellibrand founded the Remembrance Club in Hobart, with the aim of encouraging returned servicemen in business. Savige visited Gellibrand in Hobart during August 1923, and Gellibrand urged him to set up a similar club in Melbourne. Soon after Savige's return to Melbourne, a group of ex-servicemen met to say farewell to one of their number who was about to go to England. Savige used this opportunity to bring up the idea of a club similar to Gellibrand's Remembrance Club. After several informal meetings, the Melbourne club's inaugural meeting was held in Anzac House, Melbourne. Legacy Australia was founded as an ex-servicemen's club, but soon became a charitable organisation focusing on war widows and orphans. For the next 26 years, due to his commitment, energy and enthusiasm, Savige's name became inseparable from both the club and the movement.
Savige joined the Militia on 19 February 1920, with his AIF rank of captain. He served with Headquarters 3rd Division—then under Gellibrand—from July 1921 to November 1924. He commanded the 37th Infantry Battalion from 1 December 1924 to 31 July 1928, the 24th Infantry Battalion from 1 August 1928 to 31 May 1935, and the 10th Infantry Brigade from 1 June 1935 to 12 October 1939. Along the way, he was promoted to major on 1 July 1924, lieutenant colonel on 1 July 1926, colonel on 1 June 1935, and brigadier on 1 May 1938. His promotion, while neither meteoric nor exceptional, was still far faster than that enjoyed by regular officers like Frank Berryman, Horace Robertson, or George Alan Vasey, who had been majors in the AIF but remained at that rank for nearly twenty years, only to find themselves junior to Militia officers like Savige. For his part, Savige was a critic of the regulars. While commander of 10th Infantry Brigade, he insisted that Royal Military College, Duntroon graduates serve first as platoon commanders before assuming staff posts, so they could acquire an understanding of the men. He wrote to Gellibrand:
Second World War
Libya