Sir John Monash, Personal Files Book 1, 15 December 1914 - 5 January 1915 - Part 8

25/12/14 
S.S."Ulysses". 
Certum Pete Finem 
The Blue Funnel Line 
Diner - Table d' hote. 
Queen Olives 
Consomme Brunoise 
Salmon, Hollandaise 
Aparagus au Beurre 
Sirloin of Beef, Yorkshire Pudding 
Parsnips au Gratin   Croquette Potatoes 
Turkey, St. James    Salad, Francaise 
Peach Meringue  Christmas Cake  Chartreuse Jelly 
Devilled Sardines 
Dessert  Coffee 
CHRISTMAS DAY      25th Dec., 1914 

John Monash Col. 
JP McGlinn Lt Col 
C A Jones Staff Captain 
Chas P. Smith "Argus" 
J.Barker  Skipper 
[?le?ctuly?]A.C.T. 
Andrew Gillison (Padré)

4^th Inf [[5?]] Brigade A.I.F. 
26/12/14
  
Suggested
Instruction of Transport Personnel 
  
The following programme will be carried out by all 
Units ; under Battalion arrangements : — 
Dec. 8. Overhaul of all Transport Equipment comprising  
Carts, waggons, pack, draught & riding horses, saddlery 
& harness, & all tools & equipment belonging to the 
Transport details, as per Australian War Establishments 
& final letting allocation off of Transport Personnel & animals. 
Dec. 9. Training of Transport Personnel in harnessing 
& unharnessing. — Training of s  personnel detailed 
in loading & unloading vehicles 
Dec. 10. Route Marching of Transport, in prescribed order 
of march (Infantry Training 1911 Section 107 para 1) 
(except vehicles urgently required in connection with Field 
Training) 
On Dec.11  the whole Transport of the Brigade will Route  
March under Brigade arrangements to be promulgated 
later. — 
8 

J.M.D. 
AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL FORCE. 
SECOND AUSTRALIAN CONVOY. 
TRANSPORT "A.38." 
AT SEA. 
27th December, 1914. 
  
CONVOY ORDER NO. 3.  
by 
COLONEL. J. MONASH. V.D. 
SENIOR MILITARY OFFICER OF THE CONVOY. 
--------------------------------------------------------------- 
His Excellency 
the Governor-
General. 
- Greetings from- 
1. - The Senior Military Officer of the Second   
  Australian Australian Convoy has much pleasure in promulgating 
the following message received at sea on 26th instant 
from His Excellency the Governor-General of the 
Commonwealth of Australia, and also the reply which 
has been sent on behalf of the troops:- 
"Colonel Monash. 
Transport A. 38. At Sea. 
I wish you, your Brigade and all along with you 
a Happy Christmas and all success and good 
fortune in the New Year. 
(Sgd.) Ferguson. Governor-General."
  
REPLY 
"His Excellency the Governor-General, 
Commonwealth of Australia, 
Melbourne. 
The soldiers of the Second Australian Convoy 
deeply appreciate Your Excellency's greetings 
and good wishes." 
{*Recd at 9.30 am [[pde?]]  28/12/14*} 
  
Senior Military Officer. - Greetings. - 
2. - The Senior Military Officer, Second Australian 
Convoy, avails himself of the opportunity of wishing 
the troops of the Convoy a very Happy New Year.
  
(Signed.) J.P. MCGLINN. 
Lieut.-Colonel. 
Staff Officer. 2nd Australian Convoy 
  
(*Checked[[?]]*) 
(*JPMcG*) 
(*27*) 

J.M.D. 
  
AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL FORCE. 
SECOND AUSTRALIAN CONVOY. 
TRANSPORT "A.38". 
AT SEA.  27th Dec. 1914. 
  
CONVOY ORDER NO. 4. 
by 
COLONEL J. MONASH.  V.D. 
SENIOR MILITARY OFFICER OF THE CONVOY. 
[[any?]]
[[tries?]]
on [[nsports?]] 

1.-(a) - O.C. Troops on each Transport will make arrangements  
to mount armed guards sentries, with usual reliefs, as 
under, the tour of duty to extend from "Retreat" on one 
day to "Reveille" on the next. 
Ship's Gangway  - 1 officer. 
Poop                       - 1 N.C.O. 
Fo'castle                 - 1 N.C.O. 
  
(b) - Sentries to be armed with ball ammunition. 
  
(c) - The duties of the sentries are to prevent any 
hostile interference with the safety of the ship. 
Sentries will hail all boats approaching the ship and 
order them to proceed to the Gangway for examination; 
any boats refusing to answer challenge or to obey the 
foregoing orders, or otherwise behaving suspiciously 
are to be fired on and the matter promptly reported to 
O.C. Troops.
  
[[rigenda?]].  2. - Vide "Instructions relating to Correspondence" issued 
with Convoy Order No. 1 of 24th instant, para.6: in 
example of envelope endorsement delete the words 
"Battalion or Corps".; after the word "Initials" insert 
"only".
  
(Sgd.) J.P. MC.GLINN. 
Lieut.-Col. 
Staff Officer Second Australian Convoy. 
Checked CSC
Lynch 
27 
JM

Rec^d. from Col. Bruche 28/12/14 
EXTRACTS FROM LETTERS RECEIVED FROM VARIOUS SENIOR OFFICERS AT THE 
FRONT 

___________________________________________________ 
(A) Cavalry. - Up to the present long distance reconnaissance by cavalry 
has been entirely replaced by aeroplanes, the cavalry work being 
confined to covering the immediate front, or to being massed for 
operations against a flank. The training of the cavalry with the 
rifle has been invaluable, and has given great advantage over the 
enemy. There have been no cases up to the present of large cavalry 
charges with the arme blanche, but the latter has been used a good 
deal in small affairs. 
(B) Flying Corps. - No words could exaggerate the magnificent work 
performed by the aeroplanes. Their information has been extraordinarily  
correct. 
(C) Infantry. - I think we may congratulate ourselves on the soundness 
of our training in peace. Men are learning now, and indeed have 
learned, that when ordered to dig they must do it with a will in 
order to escape heavy loss from shell fire. Digging in is as important 
as shooting.  The country being easy to dig in, the germans quickly 
get right under ground, making head cover good enough to save them 
from any shell which does not hit directly. They also cover the 
front of their trenches with a network of entanglements.  
(  The choice of infantry fields of fire is largely governed by the 
necessity for avoiding their being exposed to artillery fire. 
(Sec 11 (a) Entrenchments) A field of fire of 300 to 500 yards 
is quite sufficient. This indicates the necessity for accurate 
shooting at short ranges. 
(E) Insist on the training of scouts, and particularly on the training 
 of non-commissioned-officers as patrol leaders. 
An advance should not be made in rigid lines but with clouds of 
skirmishers, 5 or 6 yards apart, thrown forward according to XX 
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- 
From other sources, the enemy is reported to make use of dummy 
trenches in front of his true position. The trenches actually o 
occupied are well concealed, and between them and the dummy xxx 
trenches are wire entanglements swept by fire from the former.

XX  2. 
the ground and available cover. 
There seems little now to be learnt. The essential thing is to pay 
attention to the principles on which our training has been based. 
                                    ------------------------------------------ 
11.Notes from a conversation with the Commanding Officer of an Infantry 
Battalion who has recently come home wounded. 
                            --------------------------------------------------- 
(a) Entrenchments. It has been found that the best form of trench is 
a deep narrow trench without parapet or head cover. Parapet and head 
cover form too much of a mark for the German artillery. Trenches  2 
feet wide for "fire standing", with earth thrown in rear, are 
recommended. The draining of trenches is a difficulty; if possible 
they should be dug so as to communicate with hollow lanes. 
(For method of siting trenches at night, see under signalling). 
When the men are once esconsed in these trenches they have little to 
fear. An entrenched company of the .................Battalion was fired 
on all day by all types of German guns, and onlt one man was wounded. 
Battalions which have not dug themselves in at once have suffered 
in consequence. Small trenches constructed with the portable tools 
are worse than no trenches at all against artillery fire, as they  
give the German artillery a better target. When siting trenches by 
day it is very sound to occupy a position with a false crest on the 
enemy's side, rather than occupy a crest with no dead ground to the  
front.  
  
Trenches sited at A will probably not suffer at all from hostile 
gun fire. Those at B will be "pounded" with great accuracy by hostile 
artillery. From A only 1,000 yards field of fire is possible. The 
field of fire from B is anything up to two miles. Of these A is by 
far the best, and the enemy's artillery will find great difficulty in 
locating the trenches. 

3. 
(b) Tools. Infantry Battalions have been often handicapped owing to the 
p 
picks and shovels being a long way in the rear in a wagon which has 
been unable to reach the Battalion. When the Battalion is sent forward 
to secure an important point (e.g. at the passage of a river), there 
should be at least 200 picks and shovels actually distributed amongst 
the men as they go forward. The small portable tools are useful, 
however, for improving a bank or ditchat the side of a road. Whenever 
possible tools should be collected from all farms etc. in the neighbourhood. 
(c) Outposts. The rule of standing to arms an hour before daybreak should 
always be observed. In the forward lines a quarter to half of the  
force is on outpost, and even in the third line one-eighth of the 
troops are on outpost duty. 
(d) Intel-communication. Operations in woods call for the most deliberate 
preparation, the work of the scouts being of the utmost importance. 
Careful pre-arrangement is necessary in order that friend may not be 
(* X) mistaken for foe. In this connection experience has emphasized the 
importance of employing all possible means of maintaining communication 
between infantry and artillery. 
(e) Signalling. Electric Torches have been found most useful by Battalion 
and Company Commanders. Much valuable intercommunication can be carried 
out at night by this means. 
In siting trenches at night it has been found most useful to send out 
a man with an electric torch in front of a proposed trench, holding it 
some two or three feet from the ground and going gradually backwards 
towards the enemy. If this is not done, trenches may be made at night 
with a field of fire of perhaps only 50 yards. 
(f) Billets. The difficulty of finding officers at night in billets where 
they are covered up in straw, or on roads, must be recognized. 
An Adjutant must know exactly where the Captain of each Company is 
lying, so that he can wake him up without disturbing others. In the 
same way a Battalion Commander must sleep at a spot where the Brigade  
Major can instantly find him.

4.  
(g) Advance under artillery fire. Several times it has been necessary to 
advance under unsubdued hostile artillery fire. If the ground to be 
traversed is open, small colums at 50 yards intervals and 300 yards 
distance seem to be the best method of avoiding casualties. 
A Brigade lying in the open in this formation was shelled by two 
Batteries for half an hour and had only 25 casualties. 
                       -------------------------------------------------------- 
Note. In almost every letter received from the theatre of war 
emphasis is laid on the fact that a high standard of discipline is 
vitally necessary under the conditions which have to be faced in 
modern warfare, too much stress cannot be laid upon this essential. 
                   --------------------------------------------------------------- 

For Private Circulation only 
DIVISIONAL HEADQUARTERS 
MENA, 28^th Dec. 1914 
  
THE FOLLOWING LETTER WRITTEN BY 
Major-General W.R. BIRDWOOD, C.B.,  C.S.I.,  C.I.E.,  D.S.O. Commanding 
the Australian & New Zealand Army Corps to Major-General W.T. BRIDGES, C.M.G. 
Commanding the 1^st Australian Division, has been printed for private circulation. 
V.C.M.  SELLHEIM  Colonel 
A.A. & Q.M.G.  
                            --------------------------------------------- 
HEADQUARTERS; AUSTRALIAN & NEW ZEALAND ARMY CORPS. 
Shepheard's Hotel; 
CAIRO. 
27^th December, 1914. 
  
My dear General, 
You will, I know, not misunderstand me if I write to you about the behaviour of 
a very small proportion of our contingents in Cairo, as I know well that not only you, but all 
your officers and no-commissioned officers and nearly all the men must be of one mind in 
wishing only for the good name of our contingents. 
Sir John Maxwell had to write recently complaining of the drunkenness of some of our 
men in the Cairo streets. During Xmas time some small license might perhaps have been 
anticipated, but that time is now over and I still hear of many cases of drunkenness and this 
the men must stop. 
I advisedly say <<the men must stop>>, because I feel it is up to the men themselves 
to put a stop to it by their own good feeling. I wonder if they fully realize that only a few 
days sailing from us our fellow-countrymen are fighting for their lives, and fighting as we have 
never had to do before, simply because they know the very existence of their country is at 
stake as the result of their efforts.