Leslie Morshead

Sir Leslie Morshead
Sir Leslie Morshead
	Leslie Morshead in 1941
Nickname(s)	'Ming the Merciless'
Born	18 September 1889; Ballarat, Colony of Victoria
Died	26 September 1959 (aged 70); Sydney, Australia
Allegiance	Australia
Service / branch	Australian Army
Years of service	1913–1946
Rank	Lieutenant general
Service number	NX8
Commands	I Corps (1944–45); Second Army (1944); New Guinea Force (1944); II Corps (1943); 9th Division (1941–43); 18th Infantry Brigade (1939–41); 5th Infantry Brigade (1937–39); 15th Infantry Brigade (1934–36); 14th Infantry Brigade (1933); 36th Infantry Battalion (1926–31); 19th Infantry Battalion (1921–25); 33rd Infantry Battalion (1916–19)
Battles / wars	First World War Gallipoli Campaign; Battle of Messines; Battle of Passchendaele; German spring offensive; Hundred Days Offensive; ; Second World War Siege of Tobruk; First Battle of El Alamein; Second Battle of El Alamein; New Guinea campaign; Borneo campaign; ;
Awards	Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath; Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire; Companion of the Order of St Michael and St George; Distinguished Service Order; Efficiency Decoration; Mentioned in Despatches (8); Légion d'honneur (France); Virtuti Militari (Poland); Medal of Freedom (United States)
Other work	Teacher, farmer, manager of the Orient Steam Navigation Company

Lieutenant General Sir Leslie James Morshead, KCB, KBE, CMG, DSO, ED (18 September 1889 – 26 September 1959) was an Australian soldier, teacher, businessman, and farmer, whose military career spanned both world wars. During the Second World War, he led the Australian and British troops at the Siege of Tobruk (1941) and at the Second Battle of El Alamein, achieving decisive victories over Erwin Rommel's Afrika Korps. His soldiers nicknamed him "Ming the Merciless", later simply "Ming", after the villain in the Flash Gordon comics.

When the First World War broke out in August 1914, Morshead resigned his teaching position and his commission in the Cadet Corps to travel to Sydney and enlist as a private in the 2nd Infantry Battalion of the First Australian Imperial Force. He was commissioned as a lieutenant in September. He landed at Anzac Cove, Gallipoli on 25 April 1915, and his battalion made the farthest advance of any Australian unit that day. Invalided to Australia, he became commander of the 33rd Infantry Battalion, which he led on the Western Front at Messines, Passchendaele, Villers-Bretonneux, and Amiens.

Between the wars Morshead made a successful business career with the Orient Steam Navigation Company, and remained active in the part-time Militia, commanding battalions and brigades. In 1939, he was appointed to command the 18th Infantry Brigade of the 6th Division in the Second Australian Imperial Force. In 1941, he became commander of the 9th Division, which he led in the Siege of Tobruk and the Second Battle of El Alamein. He returned to Australia in 1943, where he was appointed to command II Corps, which he led during the New Guinea campaign. In 1945, he commanded I Corps in the Borneo campaign.