Service notebook of Harold Gordon Cornell - 1917 - Part 1

24/21
The Official War Historian of the Commonwealth
Government (Dr. C. E. W. Bean), after his study of the
collection of private war records preserved in the Australian 
War Memorial Library, wrote:
"The private diaries in this collection furnish some of its most
valuable historical records, but, like all private memoirs which were
not compiled with any historical purpose, they should not be
regarded as first-hand evidence except where it is certain that they
are so. The diarist is almost always sincere in his desire to record
accurately, but he is subject to no obligation or inducement to
indicate whether he is recording his own observations or incidents
told to him by friends or heard at third or fourth hand at the mess-table.
Thus, in some of the diaries in this collection, scenes described with
vivid detail, and without warning that they are told at second 
or third hand, have been found to be completely inaccurate in
important details. A certain number also have been written up
or revised long after the events, though doubtless usually from notes
made at the time. In most cases the student must rely on his
experience and on internal evidence to guide him in judging what is
and what is not likely to be historically accurate." 

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11-764
3937
35292
10588
353
52
1443.15
3.5'-7"
Queens College Oxford
Hand drawn diagram - see original document
H G Cornell No 9 Squad
No 715 A.F.C.

SOLE MAKERS:

J. W. RUDDOCK & SONS

LINCOLN

MAURICE FARMAN BI-PLANE
Measurements
                              ft     in
Span  over all       51 - 8 ¾       Length     30' 6"
   "   Lower plane  38' - 7 1⁄8"      Chord.     6' 7 ½"
   "     Tail               18 - 0 1⁄8"      Gap        6' 2 ¾"
Propellor                 9'   6 1⁄8"      Extension 8' 3 5⁄8"
Incidence              6.5 at root.    5.7  rt hand edge 7.3" l.h.
 

Conventional Signs in Map-reading.
Hand drawn diagrams - see original document
 

Conventional Signs in Map-Reading.
Hand drawn diagrams - see original document
 

— Map Scales —
In all maps used in France the scale is represented by a
fraction e.g. 1/5000, 1/10000 etc.
To convert a Representative Fraction into a definite
statement, divide 63,360 (inches in mile) by denominator of R.F.
Contours, Vertical Interval, Horizontal Equivalent.
True North, Magnetic North, Magnetic Variation
Maps used in France.
1/5000 Used for Contact Patrol Work.
1/10,000 For Trench Work
1/20,000 For Artillery Map.
1/40,000 Short Reconnaissance
1/100,000}  Long Reconnaissance
1/250,000}
Line of Flight
Hand drawn diagram - see original document.
 

— Artillery Map —
Hand drawn tables - see original document.
 

— R.F.C in the Field —
Brigades (one for each army) = 3 Wings {Army
                                                                 {Corps
                                                                 {Balloon
Army Wing = 3 to 4 Squadrons of 18 machines ea
Squadron = 3 Flights of 6 Machines.
Corps Wing = as many squadrons as corps in the line
squadron = 2 Counter Battery Flights {5 machines
                                                   each {1 Photo mach
Total 18 machines. 1 Trench Flight, 6 Machines.
Balloon Wing. = 1 Company per Corps
Balloon Company = 2 Sections of
                                            1 Balloon
Duties  Army Wing. (Distant Work)
(1)  Drive hostile machines from air
(2)  Protect our own machines.
(3)  Distant reconnaissances
(4)       "    Photography
(5)  Bombing Raids
 

R.F.C in the Field
2
Duties  Corps Wing
(1)  Artillery Co-operation
(2)  Close Reconnaissance
(3)     "      Photography
(4)  Contact Patrol.
Balloon Wing.
(1) Artillery Observation
(2) Gen. observation of hostile territory.
Wireless personnel attached to R.F.C.
                                        Operators  Stations
Corps Headquarters                2                1
Counter Battery "                      2                1
At each heavy & siege battery  3 to each  2
l
Divisional & Siege Battery Hqrs 2              1
Divisional Art. Brig. Hqrs             2              1
 

1
Formation of Troops
Formation of Troops
Importance of some knowledge of army organisation
Infantry  Battns', Brigades, Divisions, Corps, Armies (5 in France)
Hand drawn diagram - see original document.
Artillery of a corps is organised as follows.
 

2
Formation of Troops
Artillery of a corps is organised as follows:-
Hand drawn diagram - see original document.
 

3.
Natures of Artillery.
(I) Field Guns  13 & 18 pdr guns used in:-
barrage file, repelling attacks in open
raking communications, & wire cutting.
Sometime C.B. work on near h. batteries.
II.) Medium Guns. 4.7 & 60 p.d.r.s
used for.  Raking Communication
Forming barrage beyond range of R.F.A.
Also in C.B work, especially neutralisation
III) Heavy Guns :- 6"  9.2"  & 12
used against; Rest billets, stations,
H.Q's etc in back areas
Also O.P's (Chimneys, Church Towers)
6" Guns sometimes used for long
range C.B. work.
IV.) Field Howitzer  4.5"
Bombardment of weaker defences
Enfilading communication trenches
& Against badly entrenched troops
Also wire cutting beyond the wire cutting
range of Field Guns (3200 - 3400 yds)