Australians mutiny

SYDNEY: The Sydney Sun’s London representative reveals a hitherto untold story of how eight battalions of the Australian army refused to comply with an order to disband, and organise themselves under elected commanders and sustained themselves until the officers were restored, and fresh fighting began.

It appears that towards the end of September, after victoriously battering the German lines on a 20mile front, the corps felt it urgently needed rest, which was

promised after an allimportant offensive against the Hindenburg line, but the men keenly resented an order to disband eight battalions, whose numbers were terribly thinned, and possibly could not muster 500 all told. The doomed battalions lined up and were ordered to report to other units. The men refused to obey, left the parade ground, and returned to camp, and the officers were withdrawn. The mutinous units could not be arrested, as time was pressing and the corps was due to stem the battle.

The Divisional Staff stopped all supplies, yet the men lacked nothing, every camp being well supplied by sympathetic units. The men elected their own officers and organised drills and maintained perfect discipline, until the authorities, realising they had bungled, ordered the officers to return to the broken battalions which had fought so well against the Hindenburg and Beaurevoir lines.