Sir John Monash, Personal Files Book 1, 14 August - 3 November 1914 - Part 7

(Copy) 
  
Adjutant-General, 

The selection of an officer to command 13th Battalion
presents considerable difficulty.  Reducing those available
to the best two, I have considered :- 
(i)  Lieut.-Col. G.J. Burnage,  age 55 -9/12 yrs. 
(ii) Lieut.-Col. W.K.S. Mackenzie, "  42 -8/12 " 

The first is recommended by Commandant, 2nd Military
District, the second by a majority of the Selection Committee -
Lieut.-Colonel Burnage has war experience and is known
to be a self-reliant, experienced, keen and active officer, his
only disqualification being his age.
After full consideration, I recommend that Lieut.-Col.
Burnage be appointed to command the 13th Battalion. He is
Camp Commandant and already in charge of the troops recruits
who are to form the 13th Battalion.
  
26:9:1914.

M.87.                                                    
AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL FORCE
FOURTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 
[*85/100*]
  
VICTORIA BARRACKS,
MELBOURNE, 26th September, 1914. 

Lieut.-Col. McGlinn,
P.M.G's Dept.
516 Kent. St. SYDNEY.
  
Dear McGlinn,
I have just come in after a long day at Broadmeadows,
looking after arrangements for Brigade Camp. I found your telegram
with a mass of other urgent correspondence. I hasten to reply
briefly on one or two of the principal points.
Concerning commander of 13th Battalion, I have been very
much exercised over this, but, in the end, felt certain that you
would not have expressed so confident an opinion of the suitability
of Burnage if you had not felt quite satisfied that he was the more
suitable man as against McKenzie. Relying, therefore, upon your
judgment in this important matter, as you are the man on the spot,
and have doubtless fully considered both men, I have today
recommended the appointment of Lieut.-Colonel Burnage. I know
that Legge and Wallack both favour him and therefore I think it
likely that this recommendation will go through.
If you have influence with the Selection Committee, please
suggest to them that, in selecting subordinate officers for the 13th
Battalion, I should be very glad if they could consult Lieut.-Col.
Burnage so that, when their recommendations reach me through the
A.G., they may be accompanied by an expression of the concurrence
or otherwise of the O.C., 13th Battalion. If it were not done
this way it would be necessary for me to refer each batch back to
Burnage, as I am resolved that no officers are to be forced upon
him without his full concurrence. Thus, if the telegram which the
Commandant will ultimately send to the A.G. contains the phrase 

-2- 

"Commander, 13th Battalion also concurs", that would expedite
matters considerably.
Another urgent point is as to your suggestion to visit
Brisbane.  Now, I wish you to understand that I have on the Head-
Quarters Staff at Brisbane a very dear friend, Bruche, on whom I
can most thoroughly rely and who has already written me promising
that he will, himself, personally superintend the organizing,
equipment, and training of the Queensland quota as thoroughly and
conscientiously as if I were myself on the ground.  For this
reason I feel that your time would be better spent by devoting the
three or four days, that the visit to Brisbane would take, by
giving Burnage a hand in his preliminary organizing of his Battalion.
I do not know whether I have called your special attention
to Brigade Order No. 1, paragraph 8. Officially, the Minister has
only provisionally agreed to one permanent officer and 4 N.C.O's
per Battalion, but unofficially I am told that if the Commandant
reports that no sufficiently qualified Militia are available for
these positions, he will agree to permanent officers and other ranks
being appointed. I am hoping, therefore, that Burnage will be able
to persuade his Commandant that there is nobody available as
Adjutant or in the four grades of N.C.O's names in the para. quoted.
Please have this hint acted upon as fully as possible as I think
a good permanent staff of assistants will be invaluable, and their
presence with us most useful from many points of view.
As regards concentration of Brigade in Melbourne by 15th
October, I have only a very qualified concurrence in this and do not
regard it as by any means settled. 

In great haste,
Yours faithfully, 

Should Minister not approve
of Burnage my above remarks of
course apply to man selected. sig JM.

Fort Gellibrand.
27^th Sept 1914. 

From W. O. Hollingworth. A.
To Colonel J Monash.
Brigadier. in Command of
2^nd Expeditionary Force
Sir.
With reference to
my interview, with you as
regards going away with
the 2^nd Expeditionary
Force, In the event of
any permanent Staff
Warrant and N.C.Os.
being allowed to go
I would very much like
to have the opportunity
of serving in your
Command either as
Regimental Sergeant 
Major, or Regimental
Quartermaster Sergeant,
Wishing you Sir
every success in your
new Command
Yours obediently
A Hollingworth
WO
  
N.B.
I shall be at
Fort Nepean 
from 28/9/14
[*p.a JM*]

5 S^t. James Buildings
William St
Sep^{t 28}/₁₄ 

Dear Col. Monash.
Many thanks for your kind
letter which reached me a day or
two ago - I was afraid from your
first reply that my hopes were at an 
end but I trust that circumstances
may be so that I may yet be
selected for service under your
Command.
Yours  Truly 
F Hill
  
JM

28:9:1914.
AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL FORCE
FOURTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 

BRIGADE HEAD-QUARTERS STAFF.
----------------------------------------------
 Provisional Allotment of Duties  -
during preliminary stages. 

Brigade-Major.
 1.  - Administration of Command. 
 2.  - Organization of Brigade Head-Quarters office,
        routine and procedure. 
 3.  - All questions of personnel, appointments, promotions,
        allotment to duties, and discipline throughout
         the Brigade. 
 4.  - Drafting and issue of all Orders. 
 5.  - Preparation of Training Programmes and supervision of
        training throughout the Brigade, while in Australia. 
 6.  - Co-ordination of the action of the several departments
        of the Military Board and of the several Military
        Districts, so far as it affects the Brigade. 
 7.  - Preparation and issue of Training Programmes for use
        while the Brigade is at sea. 
 8.  - Organization and supervision of the service of intercommunication  - signallers,         
cyclists, &c., both  within the Brigade, and between Brigade and Divisional 
        Head-Quarters. 
 9.  - Supervision of training of all Specialists. 
10.  - War Diary. 

Staff Captain.
 1.  - In direct charge of Head-Quarters personnel - their
       enlistment, personal equipment and preliminary
       training in their specialist duties - except that
       clerical staff will be under Brigade-Major. 
 2.  - Quartering of Brigade Head-Quarters. 
 3.  - War Equipment of Brigade Head-Quarters including
        chargers and saddlery, Transport, and the
        organization of a mobile Brigade office. 
 4.  - Supervision of equipment throughout the Brigade, both
        personal and regimental. 
 5.  - Assist Brigade-Major and C.O's units, in field training.

(2) 
Staff Captain. (Ctd.) 

 6.  - All questions relating to the movement of the Brigade
         by sea, or of units by rail in Australia. 
 7.  - All questions of finance and pay. 
 8.  - Supply of ammunition and blank for musketry training
         on land and at sea. 
 9.  - Supply of Handbooks, Text books and Training Manuals
         to all Units. 
10.  - Drafting instructions to C.O's Units on any of above
         matters for issue by Brigade Major.

AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL FORCE 
FOURTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 
[*0/111*] [*M92*]
  
VICTORIA BARRACKS,
MELBOURNE, 29th September, 1914.
  
Lieut.-Col. G.J. Burnage,
c/o Lieut.-Col. McGlinn,
P.M.G's Dept.
516 Kent St. SYDNEY. 

Dear Colonel Burnage,
Let me begin by expressing to you the pleasure I feel
at the prospect of our being associated on active service. I
hope, soon, to make your personal acquaintance.
I have already sent an advance copy of Brigade Order No.
1 to Lieut.-Colonel McGlinn and have asked him to hand same to
you as soon as your appointment had been officially approved.
As to this Brigade Order, some of the paragraphs must be held
in abeyance owing to the creation of the Selection Committees,
which took place since the order was framed. The paragraphs in
question are Nos. 3 to 6 but the spirit of them can be
followed out as far as possible with the Selection Committee. 
[*[Cr?] Memo 1,2,3.*] 
I have also written to Lieut.-Colonel McGlinn asking
him to convey to you my views regarding para. 8 of this order.
In all ∧^other respects, please give immediate effect to Brigade
Order No. 1, especially as regards addresses, acknowledgements,
&c.
I am enclosing herewith some letters received from
Major Roberts. If this officer, who is unknown to me,
appears to you as suitable, you will doubtless bring him under
the notice of the Selection Committee.
Regarding the appointment of your subordinate officers,
please understand that I have brought about the position that
while you have not any power of selection, you will have power
to reject any selected officers of whom you do not approve,
and/

-2- 

and you can make this quite clear to the Selection
Committee so that they need not trouble to forward names
unless they have your previous concurrence.
I am also forwarding you herewith Circular
Memos. Nos. 1, 2, and 3, already issued to the C.O's
already appointed, upon which please act. 

Yours faithfully,

AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL FORCE
FOURTH INFANTRY BRIGADE 
[*100*] 

VICTORIA BARRACKS,
M.101.     MELBOURNE,  30th September,  1914.
  
Dear McGlinn,
I wire you as follows in reply to your telegram of September
30th, received this afternoon:-
"Thanks wire (stop) Getting Smith or any other permanent
staff depends entirely amount pressure exerted by Burnage
and Wallack on grounds no suitable militia available (stop)
Same questions arising all districts (stop) Personally
unable do more this end (stop)".
The position is that Colonel Legge is opposing the
appointment of any permanent officers tooth and nail, and My
emphatic recommendations are being disregarded and there is no
hope of getting any permanent officer or N.C.O. unless the
Commandant, the C.O. concerned and the Selection Committee,
definitely and emphatically declare that there is no suitable
militia officer or N.C.O. available;  then, and only then,
will Legge give way, and even them we may have to take a man of
his selection and not of ours.
Regarding Captain W.J. Smith, he could quite well be
spared and is very anxious to go, but he falls under the
general embargo. The C.O. 14th Battalion also has his eye on
him as his second-in-command but has so far made no headway.
I note that you will be coming to Melbourne by Friday
evening's express, reaching Melbourne about one o'clock on
Saturday. It is probable I shall not spend Saturday afternoon
at the Barracks, but will be at my home. I want you and
Captain Jess to come to dinner at my home that evening and spend
the evening with me, laying down a general organization for
Brigade Head-Quarters.