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[Page 14]
professional reputation was further enhanced on the 7 April 1918 when he was mentioned in despatches.
It was four days later, on Thursday 11 April 1918., that the British Commander-in-Chief, Field-Marshal Sir Douglas Haig, issued his "Backs to the Wall’ Order of the Day which became a much publicised historic document. It reads as follows:
There is no other course open to us but to fight it out. Every position must be held to the last man; there must be no retirement. With our backs to the wall, and believing in the justice of our cause, each one of us must fight on to the end. The safety of our homes and the freedom of mankind depends alike upon the conduct of each one of us at this critical moment.
Before this crisis could be brought under control by the Allied forces misfortune struck for Tristram James personally. On Wednesday 24 April 1918 he was badly "gassed’ and he had to be relieved of his command. His health was never again to return to normal.
Hostilities in the War of 1914-18 ceased on 11 November 1918 but the British Armies did not end these hostiities with an artillery salvo along their part of the Western Front in Europe. To quote Barrie Pitt "The British managed to finish the was as so many of them would have liked to conduct it, with a cavalry charge4’. How and where Tristram James celebrated this jubilant day in history extant evidence does not reveal.
In January 1919, soon after General Moriash had begun the repatriation of the A.I.F. in Europe, Tristram James was appointed to command the 3rd Brigade, A.F.A The Brigade wqas then located possibly somewhere in England awaiting disbandment and the embarkation of its officers and other ranks for Australia.
This appointment was Tristram James´ last one in the A.I.F. After his return to Australia his services in the A.I.F. were terminated on 28 March 1920.