 During Blamey 's absence in Greece , AIF units had become widely scattered , with forces being deployed to Cyprus , and the 9th Division and the 18th Infantry Brigade coming under siege in Tobruk . Blamey would spend the rest of the year attempting to reassemble his forces . This led to a clash with Auchinleck over the relief of Tobruk , where Blamey accepted Burston 's advice that the Australian troops there should be relieved on medical grounds . Menzies , and later his successor , John Curtin , backed Blamey , and Auchinleck and Churchill were forced to give way resulting in the relief of most of the Australian troops by the British 70th Division . For his campaigns in the Middle East , Blamey was created a Knight Commander of the Order of the Bath on 1 January 1942 . He was Mentioned in Despatches for the eighth time , and was awarded the Greek War Cross , First Class . 
