Brigadier Arnold Potts was one of Australia's truly great military leaders. In PNG, he inspired his soldiers to thwart the Japanese troops despite being ill equipped, malnourished and up against overwhelming odds. From my reading he was only dismissed because neither Blamey nor Macarthur understood the situation on the ground. It is long overdue to properly honour his contribution to defending Australia. "Brigadier Arnold William Potts DSO, OBE, MC (16 September 1896 – 1 January 1968) was an Australian grazier who served in the First World War and led 21st Brigade of the Second AIF during its defence of the Kokoda Trail during the Second World War. He had a distinguished career, however, his place in history has largely been unacknowledged due to his dismissal by General Sir Thomas Blamey, at the very point when Potts had fought the Japanese to exhaustion. His fighting withdrawal over the Kokoda Trail has been called "one of the most critical triumphs in Australian military history and one that an apathetic nation has still to honour"." Source Wikipedia Arnold Potts - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Accessed 19 Feb 2012
Hi Wills Thanks for adding to this thread. All points of view are good; the books I have read cover his contribution much more favourably. It is amazing what our troops went through in PNG; I can't think which is worst, a concentration camp in Europe, a POW camp in Changi or the Kokoda Trail/Track in PNG.
Kokoda Track WW2 Kokoda 1942. Papua-New Guinea View attachment 74589 Hi Will, maybe you have already read this, but here is a link to a review of Peter Brune's second book about the PNG campaign, published in 2004: A Bastard of a Place - www.theage.com.au Regards Barbara
Hi Barbara, We've just finished 5 years of research into the career of General (Later FM) Thomas Blamey for a two-part TV documentary. In January, we recorded an interview with Major-General Gordon Maitland who went to great lengths to tell our viewers that it was NOT General Blamey who sacked Arnold Potts and Allen during the NG campaign. It was, he says, Sydney Rowell who removed Potts and Allen. We have uncovered, only last week, documents from the AWM that support what Maj-Gen Maitland told us. Another example, as we've discovered of TAB getting the blame for the actions of others. Authors such as Peter Brune, Neil McDonald and Raymond Paull et al, have repeated yarns about General Blamey that, to date, we have simply not been able to substantiate with documents and/or eye witness accounts. We are guessing that it's the old story of when there's no one to logically blame; blame it on the man at the top. In the case of the controversial sackings in NG - TAB was only responsible for one sacking and that was the sacking - and well deserved - of Syd Rowell himself. Rowell even commented in a letter that he was amazed that he got away with talking like he did to the C-i-C. We have extensive evidence of what Tom Blamey did do wrong in WW2 but the sackings you mention, as many others do, are not down to Tom Blamey. Cheers, Bill Halliwell (raafbloke) C-i-C Productions www.OurTom.id.au
A bit of indecision about level of award is evident on the recommendation The National Archives | DocumentsOnline | Image Details Name Potts, Arnold William Rank: Major Service No: WX 1574 Regiment: Australian Military Forces Theatre of Combat or Operation: Middle East (Syria, Iraq and Iran) Award: Distinguished Service Order Date of Announcement in London Gazette: 30 December 1941 Date 1941-1943 Catalogue reference WO 373/27
Hi Barbara, We've just finished 5 years of research into the career of General (Later FM) Thomas Blamey for a two-part TV documentary. In January, we recorded an interview with Major-General Gordon Maitland who went to great lengths to tell our viewers that it was NOT General Blamey who sacked Arnold Potts and Allen during the NG campaign. It was, he says, Sydney Rowell who removed Potts and Allen. We have uncovered, only last week, documents from the AWM that support what Maj-Gen Maitland told us. Another example, as we've discovered of TAB getting the blame for the actions of others. Authors such as Peter Brune, Neil McDonald and Raymond Paull et al, have repeated yarns about General Blamey that, to date, we have simply not been able to substantiate with documents and/or eye witness accounts. We are guessing that it's the old story of when there's no one to logically blame; blame it on the man at the top. In the case of the controversial sackings in NG - TAB was only responsible for one sacking and that was the sacking - and well deserved - of Syd Rowell himself. Rowell even commented in a letter that he was amazed that he got away with talking like he did to the C-i-C. We have extensive evidence of what Tom Blamey did do wrong in WW2 but the sackings you mention, as many others do, are not down to Tom Blamey. Cheers, Bill Halliwell (raafbloke) C-i-C Productions www.OurTom.id.au Hi Bill Thanks for your comment. All points of view welcome. I'm not a historian, but it does seem fair to say that Blamey didn't show enough faith in our fine troops who suffered appalling conditions and received little recognition at the time. Regards Barbara
Hi Barbara, Fair enough. We too, some years ago, thought that TAB was uncaring about his troops. That was, and has been, the 'official' line for decades. Our work has uncovered, literally, hundreds of documents that just don't back up this popular view of Blamey. As we will demonstrate, TAB went out of his way and spent huge amounts of his time to ensure that his troops "our boys" as he and his wife, Olga, referred to them, were in fact looked after. Their welfare, entertainment, health and training were of paramount importance to him. Again, we have boxes of documents that clearly attest to this. The big mystery now, seems to be, why - over the past 80 years - have so many writers on WW2 failed to find documents that prove TAB did, in fact, go out of his way and beyond his duty to look after his troops. Well, we think we've found the answer to that one as well. It's the main reason we're doing the doco called "The Blamey Enigma" because this man has been consigned to the 'sin bin' of Australian military history. We were prepared for that but just haven't found any documentary evidence to support it. Around ANZAC Day 2013 we hope to present our findings to the public when our documentary goes to air. I think some authors will end up with red faces because they just didn't do the work we did. The documents were there at the AWM for the asking. It's a very strange case indeed. Kind regards, Bill Halliwell
Hi Bill I'll look forward to your documentary. Isn't it funny how "fashion" even affects history writing! Regards Barbara
Very interesting edits on that document! However, MacArthur wanted to blame the commanders so it would have been difficult to give Allen the recognition he deserves. He conducted an offensive retreat with 200 men that against 5,000 Japanese which slowed the Jap advance at a critical time. The fighting took place in a remote, densely jungled, mosquito and leech infested bog. I'd have wanted a medal just for turning up! Regards Barbara
Whilst travellng in Western Australia recently, I drove into Brigadier Potts home town of Kojonup. The town proudly announce their famous resident on a road sign as you drive in. There is a memorial to him in the local Park. This photo is a detail from the Memorial about the PNG campaign.
Hi Barbara, I look forward to Bill's (RAAFbloke) documentary and to see/hear some alternate evidence. I have spoken with officers who served under Brigadier Potts and they enormously respected him as a commander and leader. This came through clearly even after 60+ years. Arnold Potts has not received the recognition he deserves. Recent publications about Kokoda (see Peter Williams) have criticised his tactical ability... however, the analysis over emphasises mathema-tactics (ie numbers) and doesn't grasp the human factors. Potts was an outstanding leader.
Hi Barbara, I look forward to Bill's (RAAFbloke) documentary and to see/hear some alternate evidence. I have spoken with officers who served under Brigadier Potts and they enormously respected him as a commander and leader. This came through clearly even after 60+ years. Arnold Potts has not received the recognition he deserves. Recent publications about Kokoda (see Peter Williams) have criticised his tactical ability... however, the analysis over emphasises mathema-tactics (ie numbers) and doesn't grasp the human factors. Potts was an outstanding leader. Hi Peter I'd be pleased if you could post some quotes from your interviews here. I read a few good books on the PNG campaign and concluded that he and Ralph Honner and Cyril Clowes were all great leaders who deserved to be featured more in our history of World War 2. So I started a thread on each person but they need 'fleshing out'! Regards Barbara
Is their a link anywhere for the documetary on Blamey, I am interested as to if it is historically correct that he escaped by plane from Greece taking his son with him and leaving many other people's sons behind to die or be captured.and also if there was any truth in Chester Wilmot was caught up in the clash between the commander-in-chief, General Blamy, and the commander of New Guinea Force, General Rowell. When Blamey sacked Rowell, Wilmot protested to Prime Minister Curtin. His representations failed and in November Blamey cancelled his accreditation as a war correspondent. The stated reason was that Wilmot was undermining the authority of the commander-in-chief by continuing to express in public his suspicions that Blamey had engaged in corrupt conduct in the Middle East. It is more likely, however, that Wilmot was removed from Papua because a report on the campaign that he had written for Rowell (who included it in his dispatch) implied inefficiency on the part of Blamey's headquarters. The A.B.C. supported Wilmot throughout the dispute. So much doubt has been cast Blamey that it is difficult to see him as a great leader, the scandal of 1936 when Blamey attempted to cover up details of the shooting of the superintendent of the Criminal Investigation Branch, John O'Connell Brophy, whom Blamey had appointed to the post. Brophy had taken two women friends along with him to a meeting with a police informant. While they were waiting for the informant, they had been approached by armed bandits, and Brophy had opened fire and had himself been wounded. In order to cover up the identities of the two women involved, Blamey initially issued a press release to the effect that Brophy had accidentally shot himself. The Premier Dunstan, gave Blamey the choice of resigning or being dismissed. The latter meant the loss of pension rights and any future prospects of employment in the Public Service or the Army. Blamey reluctantly submitted his resignation on 9 July 1936
A very good biography on Arnold Potts is called Warrior of Kokoda by Bill Edgar. Don't know if it is still available as the book was published in 1999. David
