Notre Dame academic's new biography throws light forgotten WWII hero

Document Type

Media Release

Publication Date

Summer 8-2-2011

Publisher Name

The University of Notre Dame Australia, Sydney Campus

Publication Place

Sydney

Abstract

Associate Professor Peter Dean from The University of Notre Dame Australia throws light onto the history of a forgotten war hero in his new book; The Architect of Victory: The Military Career of Lieutenant-General Sir Frank Horton Berryman.

The biography is part of the Australian Army History series published by Cambridge University Press in association with the Army History Unit, under the editorship of Professor David Horner AM.

In this biography of Berryman, Assoc Prof Dean provides a fascinating insight into the man who made a significant contribution to the defeat of Japan.

To many, he was the Australian Army’s finest operational planner and from late 1942, he served as General Blamey’s chief of staff and head of operational planning until the end of the war.

He was the key Australian officer for liaison with the US forces under General MacArthur and at the forefront of operations against the Japanese. His operational planning secured Australia’s victories at Bardia, Tobruk and Lae in Papua New Guinea.

With access to rare private papers, Assoc Prof Dean charts Berryman’s special relationships with senior US and Australian officers including MacArthur, Chamberlin, Blamey and Lavarack and explains why the man known as ‘Berry the Bastard’ expected to become the next Chief of Staff, would never fulfil his ambition.

“Lt-Gen Berryman is the last of Australia’s corps commanders to be covered by a major work of history,” said Assoc Prof Dean.

“Hopefully this book will make a significant impact on our understanding of an important but largely overlooked, and often misunderstood, commander and reveal some insights into our wartime relationship with the United States as well as the contribution of the Australian military to the defeat of Japan.”

Assoc Prof Dean is a military historian and researcher and is Director of the Office of Research at Notre Dame in Sydney.

Media Contact: Moira Saunders (+61) 2 8204 4407

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