'Ali Baba' Morshead, so called by Lord Haw Haw, led the 9th Australian Division in both Tobruk and El Alamein. Among his personal papers in the collection at the Australian War Memorial are a number of copies of this poem. It was apparently written in response to a statement made by the German propagandist, Lord Haw Haw, that 'Ali Baba' Morshead and his 20,000 thieves had despoiled Syria and had then moved on to desecrate Egypt. Among his own troops, Morshead was known – apparently affectionately – as "Ming the Merciless". Ming was the name of the villain in the popular science fiction comic strip, Flash Gordon.
Leslie James Morshead was born in Ballarat in 1889. He became a school teacher and taught in schools in regional Victoria and New South Wales before enlisting in the First AIF in September 1914. He took part in actions in both Gallipoli and on the Western Front in Europe before returning to Australia at the end of World War I. He joined the Orient shipping line but also remained active in the CMF (Citizen Military Forces) during the next twenty years being promoted to the rank of temporary Brigadier in 1938.
Morshead was appointed to the Second AIF when war broke out again and was given command of 18th Brigade. In 1941, he moved to the Middle East to command the 9th Australian Division. He was ordered to prepare to defend Cairo and Alexandria in Egypt but after being pushed west by Rommel's Afrika Korps, the newly promoted Major General Morshead took his 9th Division to Tobruk where they stayed throughout the Siege. After handing over the Tobruk garrison to the British 70th Division in October 1941, Morshead took the 9th Australian Division to Palestine and Syria where they remained until early 1942.
Two other Australian Divisions, the 6th and 7th Divisions, returned to Australia and the south-west Pacific (after some controversy between the British and Australian governments) in early 1942 but Morshead, now promoted to Lieutenant-General, remained in the Middle East and returned to Egypt with the 9th Division to fight at El Alamein.
Among the large collection of personal papers, official correspondence and records documenting Morshead's experiences in both World Wars at the Australian War Memorial is a letter to his wife Myrtle. It was written on 23 October 1942, on the eve of the battle of El Alamein.
Between 24 October and 4 November 1942, the units of the 9th Division took part in 'the greatest battle ever fought in the Middle East' until Rommel broke and started to withdraw to the Libyan border. It was the last major battle fought by Australian ground forces in the Middle East and the Australians had played an important role in the German defeat in North Africa. The Australians acquitted themselves well in the battles and Morshead received congratulatory cables from American President Roosevelt, British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and the Australian Prime Minister John Curtin.
Morshead was full of praise for his troops and his pride in his Division was evident in a letter he wrote to a friend after the battle.
It was a very hard and long battle, twelve days and nights of continuous and really bloody fighting, and it was not until the last day that the issue was decided.A big battle is very much like a tug-of-war between two very heavy and evenly matched teams, and the one which can maintain the pressure and put forward that last ounce wins. Our men were truly wonderful and our reputation here has never been so high. It's a great feeling for a commander to be sure that his men will respond to every demand and God knows I demanded a great deal of them in this battle.
[Letter to D L Dowdell, 12 November 1942. AWM 3DRL 2562]
At their final parade at Gaza Airport, Palestine on 22 December 1942, Morshead addressed his 9th Division:
The battle of Alamein has made history, and you are in the proud position of having taken a major part in that great victory. Your reputation as fighters has always been famous but I do not believe you have ever fought with greater bravery or distinction than you did during that battle when you broke the German and Italian armies in the Western Desert.
[Barton Maughan, Tobruk and El Alamein, Canberra, 1966, p. 752]
In February 1943, Lieutenant–General Sir Leslie Morshead and his 9th Division returned to Australia where they prepared for action against the Japanese in New Guinea. He and his men were involved in battles around Finschhafen and Lae and he led the final campaigns in Borneo in 1945.
After the war ended Sir Leslie Morshead returned to work with the Orient Line and he became the Australian General Manager of the company in 1948. Despite his senior position and busy life he still spent a lot of time delivering lectures and talks about his wartime experiences. He also played a prominent role in the Legacy organisation in New South Wales.
When Lieutenant-General Sir Leslie Morshead died on 26 September 1959, Australians had not forgotten his leadership in World War II. Newspaper reports vary on the size of the crowds that lined the streets in Sydney to see his funeral cortege: between 70,000 and 150,000 according to observers. Amongst the crowds farewelling 'Ali Baba' Morshead were many of his 20,000 thieves.
Letter from Sir Leslie Morshead to his wife, Myrtle.
No 154 HQ 9 Australian Division,
23 October 1942
My darling Myrtle,
It is now 8.40 pm and in exactly two hours time by far the greatest battle ever fought in the Middle East will be launched. I have settled down in my hole in the ground at my …headquarters which are little more than 2000 yards [1,800 metres] from our start line. I have always been a firm believer in having HQ well forward – it makes the job easier, saves a great deal of time, in fact it has every possible advantage and I know of no disadvantage. At the present time I can see and hear all the movements forward to battle positions – it is high moonlight, tomorrow being full moon.
We are on the right flank, which is open, and we have been given a full and responsible task. On our left are Highlanders, New Zealanders and South Africans. Through us will eventually pass the British Armoured Corps. Much further south other British formations will be attacking.
A hard fight is expected, and it will be no doubt last a long time. We have no delusions about that. But we shall win and I trust put an end to this turning forward and backward to and from Benghazi. It is to be a supreme effort to finish this war in North Africa and if successful as we feel it will be, it should have a very material influence on the war.
We have been working very hard on the plans and preparation for some weeks. And now the stage is set. The men are full of determination and confidence. Going round them, talking with them, and addressing them I have noticed an air of quiet and confident purposefulness. That augers well, even though these grand fellows have never once failed to respond fully.
In the preliminary and opening stages of a battle a commander can do little or nothing. He merely waits and hopes. It is only as the battle develops that he can really act. From then on he is a very busy man.
With all the moves and preparations which a prepared battle such as this is involved it is not possible to hide the intention from the enemy, and for surprise we have had to rely on the date and hour, and the place of the attack. We know that the enemy is expecting this offensive and hope that he has with his crew that it is about to commence. We do not think he has. At 9.40 every gun we have opens on the enemy guns, that is called counter battery fire. My adjutant has just called to say that today air photographs reveal that he has moved three batteries to positions previously empty. That is a usual procedure. Had he anticipated tonight"™s the night he would have moved almost all his guns, so that information is encouraging.
It is exactly a year ago today since we came out of Tobruk, and I hope that tonight is the start of our return there, not to stay of course, but merely to pass through on our way westwards.
As always you are very much in my thoughts tonight darling. It has been a very happy relaxation to have these few words with you.
God bless you my dear girl and all my love to you.
Your loving husband,
Les.
[AWM 3DRL 2632, Series 1 Wallet 3]