Guilty or Innocent? The Gordon Bennett Case

Many Australians, in a typically Australian fashion, recall Gordon Bennett as "the bloke who shot through and left his troops at Singapore". Whether this is a fair assessment or not, there is no doubt that General Gordon Bennett's escape from Singapore in February 1942 left an ineradicable mark on Australia's military and legal history, and that the rights and wrongs of his actions will be debated forever. This work seeks to examine an issue which, over the years, has proved to be the source of an enduring controversy - a controversy which, in the words of Michael Willesee, "simply refuses to die". Should Gordon Bennett have escaped to fight another day or should he have surrendered with his men? Mark Clisby's impartial and concise account sets out the details of Bennett's career and the events leading to the campaign in Malaya, the fall of Singapore and Bennett's escape. Making detailed use of the public commission of inquiry into Bennett's escape the author sets out the case for and against Bennett, his evidence revealing that the bonds of loyalty, comradeship and brotherly love Bennett inspired amongst his soldiers and friends were as strong as the fierce condemnation and bitter indignity he suffered at the hands of his enemies. This text should appeal not only to military and civilian historians, lawyers and students but to anyone interested in the issue of justice.