Godfrey Irving - World War I

World War I

On 24 May 1915, Irving was appointed Chief of the General Staff, replacing Legge who had been appointed. His chief responsibility was overseeing the expansion of the training establishment in Australia to provide reinforcements for the First Australian Imperial Force units overseas and raising and training what would become the 2nd Division.

By late 1915, the General Staff and the Minister of Defence, Hon. Senator George Pearce, had become concerned by the way that the Australian Intermediate Base and the AIF training depot in Egypt were being run. Lacking confidence in the base commander, Colonel V. Sellheim, Pearce ordered Irving, an officer he regarded as more capable than Sellheim, to take charge of the base in November 1915 as GOC Australian Troops in Egypt.

The evacuation of Gallipoli lead to Irving not taking command of the Australian Intermediate Base and the AIF training depot, he was instead given command of the 15th Infantry Brigade on 21 February 1916. On 1 March 1916, he was switched to command of the 14th Infantry Brigade. He was also acting commander of the 5th Division from 1 March until the arrival of Major General McCay. On 20 March, the 4th and 5th Divisions were ordered to move from their training area at Tel el Kebir to the Suez Canal, where they would replace the 1st and 2nd Divisions, which had recently left for France.

Irving returned him to Australia in June and once again became Commandant of the 4th Military District (South Australia).In February 1917, he became Commandant of the 1st Military District (Queensland).