On 12 September 1918 a tank attack was led by Colonel George S. Patton – the legendary leader of American tank forces in France in World War II. Patton was just a young colonel in World War I. He walked along the top of American trenches, with an American infantry brigade sensibly taking shelter in their trenches. Sensible because a creeping German artillery barrage was moving their way. Patton commented that the commanding general of those infantry, General Douglas MacArthur, was standing on a small hill near him. Patton walked over to him and together they stood watching the enemy artillery explosions as they came closer … and closer. Patton wrote that he thought both of them wanted to take cover but didn’t want to show fear in the presence of the other. One shell exploded close to them covering them in dirt. Patton remained standing but visibly flinched. MacArthur said to him: “Don’t worry Colonel. You never hear the one that gets you.” Patton wrote to his family that he thought MacArthur was the bravest man he’d ever met.

So let’s find out how MacArthur came to be staying at Room 80 at the Hides Hotel in Cairns?

Tag words: Colonel George S Patton; General Douglas MacArthur; Bataan Peninsula; Corregidor; Philippines; President Roosevelt; World War II; Tokyo Rose; PT boat; Mindanoa; B-17 bomber; Arthur MacArthur; Jean MacArthur; Del Monte; Trans Australian Airways; TAA; DC-3; Alice Springs; Darwin; Australian Army; Terowie Railway Station; Adelaide; Melbourne; I shall return; Kooinga; Dick Marshall; Spencer Street station; Menzies Hotel; Trustees Executive & Agency Co Building; Supreme Commander South West Pacific Area; Victoria Barracks; General Brett; Hides Hotel; General George C Kenney; Allied Air Forces Southwest Pacific Area; corn cob pipe; Cairns; General Gordon Bennett;