Sir John Monash, Personal Files Book 4, 2 May - 4 May 1915, Part 3

Conflict:

First World War, 1914–18

Part of Quest:

Sir John Monash (General, b.1865 - d.1931)

Subject:

Documents and letters

Status:

Finalised

Accession number:

RCDIG0000585

Difficulty:

11.55p
2/5/15
Col Pope
Have reached
106
Ridge. Send
Stretcher Bearers &
A.M.C. men up slope.
Also Ammunition, Water & Sand Bags-
Badly hit by snipers
on opposite side of ~~ridge~~ Valley.
Geddes & about 50 men
sent up to clear. Please
send up to help him
at dawn. ~~not ye.~~ No contact
with 13th on our left but trying
to find them
Baker
10.50 pm

Col Pope
11.55pm
2-5-15
105
Send supplies of Ammunition
& water
along Creek. I will have a
man posted there to guide
Sand Bags required on
my Right flank in prolongation
of the 13th trenches.
Important that hill at our
rear to be cleared at Dawn
Try to get telephone_∧^line up
to me as I will be unable
to move in Daylight, Baker

From 13 Bn A I F
To 4th A I Bde
12.15am
3-5-15
The 13th Battalion is in
touch with the might of the [*113*]
New Zealanders (Otago Battalion)
We have a firing line and
a supporting line digging in
rapidly since about 10.15pm.
~~The 16th Battalion is on a~~
[*delete*~~] ridge to our right, separated from~~
~~rest by the gully we advanced up.~~
The O.C. Otago Battalion states
that the troops sent to capture
Turkish trenches have failed.
The ridge we are entrenching
runs in a South Easterly direction
(approximately).
We are now going to report progress to C.O. 16th.
JMA Durrant Capt
Adjt 13th Bn
11.30pm
2.5.15

[*2-5-1915*]
Army Form C. 2123.
C. Form. (Original). MESSAGES AND SIGNALS. No. of Message ...........

^Recd. ^{from.........} ^{..................} ^{By [[CP]]}	Prefix................................ Code...................... Words....................				^{Sent, or sent out} ^{At.................... .M} ^{...............................} ^{By........................} ^{Returned...........} ^{at....................... .M}	^{Office Stamp.} 2 May 15
^Recd. ^{from.........} ^{..................} ^{By [[CP]]}	^Delivery	^{Means....................} ^{..................................} ^{Distance................}	^{Charges for} ^Delivery	^{Collected..........} ^{Paid out...........}
^{Service Instructions.}
^{Handed in at the Office at M. Received here at}3-19PM.
TO	4	Bde	H	Q

^{*Sender's Number}		^{Day of Month.}		^{In reply to Number.}		^AAA
Sniper just wounded Major Snowden & signaller both in the leg. AAA. Position of sniper not known
FROM PLACE TIME	Signalling Officer

	3-12PM
^{All Porterage, Redirection, or other charges collected on delivery are to be bought to accouat by me ans of Stamps affixed to the face of the} ^{form, and the particulars of such charges and amounts paid out are to be set forth in writing above, in the spaces headed "Delivery" and} ^{"Charges for Delivery".} ^{*This line should be erased if not required.}

3w
"C" Form (Duplicate). Army Form C. 2123
MESSAGES AND SIGNALS. No. of Message........

[SM] [QW Nw]		^{Charges to Pay.} ^{£ s. d.} 12.58am 3-5-15	^{Office Stamps} 3/5/15. 115
^{Service Instructions}
^{Handed in at ....................................................................................... Office...........................................................................m. Received 12-50am.}
^TO	O.C. 4th Austln Bde
^{Sender's Number} ZE3	^{Day of Month.} 3rd	^{In reply to Number} ___	^AAA
1000 sandbags and some entrenching tools are being sent up to your head- quarters
^FROM ^{PLACE & TIME}	C R E 12.35am

"A" Form. Army Form C. 2121.

MESSAGES AND SIGNALS. No. of Message ..............

^{Prefix...............Code................M.} SB	^{Words. Charge.} ^{__________________} ^Sent ^{At.............................m.} ^{To................................} ^{By...................................}		^{This message is on a/c of:} ^{________3_____Service} ^{______________________} ^{(Signature of "Franking Officer.")}	^{Recd. at___________m.} ^{Date _______________} ^{From ______________} ^{By ______}116^_________
( TO ( 4th (	BDE		HQ
^{Sender's Number} CP 12	^{Day of Month} third		^{In reply to Number}	AAA
Turks	are	now	creeping	up
and	occupying	the	trenches	vacated
by	the	sixteenth	Battallion	this
morning	AAA	the	machine	guns
220	SW	at	800	yards
are	enfilading	and	sweeping	my
trenches	so	that	I	have
to	keep	my	men	heads
down	AAA	I	would	like
some	marines	to	do	some
fatigue	work	and	to	hold
in	readiness	in	case	I
am	rushed


^From CAPT	QUINN
^Place
^Time12-50	AM
^{The above may be forwarded as now corrected.}			^(Z)
^Censor.			^{Signature of Addressor or person authorised to telegraph in his name}

*This line should be erased if not required.
(24473). M.R.Co.,Ltd. Wt W4843/541. 50,000. 9/14. Forms C2121/10.

1-10am
From 13^thBattalion 12.40am
To 4^th A. I. Brigade [ 3 ^5/75] 3.5.15
114
Our left flank is weakly held.
The Otago Battalion reports heavy
losses and state that they are
out of touch on their left; also
they have not made good
progress with their digging.
[*3*]
The 13^th has ~~bad~~ about 40
casualties that I know of.
The ridge we are on is
evidently the green ridge that
overlooks the Brigade Head Quarters
to the North East of Captain
Forsythes trenches, but cannot
say for certain xx in this light.
N^o. 4 Coy 15^th Bn is with us, but
~~and~~ we require support on our
left.
Our trenches on our ~~lef~~ right make
good the gully between us and the
16^th as far as we can tell now.
JMA Durrant Captain
Adjutant 13^th Bn.

[*1 55am 3-5-14*]
1-30am
3.5.15
From 13th Bn
To 4th A.I. Bde
117
Our position is critical on
our left, Otago Battalion having
failed to connect with their main
body, and we are not in
possession of high ground on
our left.
Naval Division (strength
unknown) have reinforced us.
Want support at dawn from
ships to keep down shrapnel
fire.
Our stretcher bearers have not
reached us and are urgently required
JMA Durrant Capt
Adjt 13^th Bn

[*2-5-15*]
"C" Form (Duplicate). Army Form C. 2123.
MESSAGES AND SIGNALS. No. of Message

[SM] [QW Nw]		^{Charges to Pay.} ^{£ s. d.}	^{Office Stamps} 120 3/5 2 10a.m.
^{Service Instructions}
^{Handed in at ....................................................................................... Office...........................................................................m. Received 2am.}
^TO	O.C. 4^thAUST Inf Bde
^{Sender's Number} NZG102	^{Day of Month.} Third	^{In reply to Number} _______	^AAA
You will be responsible for the completion of tonights operations for the thorough connection of the line of trenches from the left of Otago Battln to right of your position aaa Please give orders to Otago Bn to immediately dig itself in where it is aaa The NZ Inf Bdes has been ordered to establish connection with left of Otago Bn and to assist it in making of supporting and communication trenches aaa For the same purpose two Battlns of marines
^FROM ^{PLACE & TIME}

"C" Form (Duplicate). Army Form C. 2123.
MESSAGES AND SIGNALS. No. of Message

		^{Charges to Pay.} ^{£ s. d.}	^{Office Stamps} 119
^{Service Instructions}
^{Handed in at ......................................................}2.^{................................ Office.....................................................m. Received ........................}
^TO
^{Sender's Number}	^{Day of Month.}	^{In reply to Number}	^AAA
are being sent to reinforce you to make supporting and communicating trenches for your Battalions and to act as a reserve for you aaa Brig General Trotman who commands these Battalions being Senior to you will not come under your command but will receive his orders direct from Div H.q. aaa He will however be only too glad to act on any suggestions you may make to him and if his Battlns should
^FROM ^{PLACE & TIME}

"C" Form (Duplicate). Army Form C. 2123.
MESSAGES AND SIGNALS. No. of Message .........

		^{Charges to Pay.} ^{£ s. d.}	^{Office Stamps} 118
^{Service Instructions}
^{Handed in at ..................................................................................... Office...........................................................................m. Received ............m.}
^TO	3
^{Sender's Number}	^{Day of Month.}	^{In reply to Number}	^AAA
arrive independently you will give them orders on arrival aaa Please report as soon as possible what distance of ground [.] to the front You have gained to the front during the night
^FROM ^{PLACE & TIME}	Div Hq Beach 1.35am

3-5-15
"C" Form (Original). Army Form C. 2123.
MESSAGES AND SIGNALS. No. of Message ...........

^{Prefix ........}SM^{................. Code..........................Words.....................}	^Received ^{From..........QW} ^{By................NW}	^{Sent, or sent out} ^{At ........................m.} ^{To .........................} ^{By ............................}	^{Office Stamp.} ^3-5-15 121
^{£ s. d} ^{Charges to collect}
^{Service Instructions.}
^{Handed in at .........................................................Office .............................m. Received .................1.53am}
TO	4^th AUST INF BDE
^{*Sender's Number} NZG101	^{Day of Month.} 3^rd	^{In reply to Number.}	^AAA
Please send guides to Gen Walkers Hdqrs and down your gully respectively to meet the Marine Battalions Coming to act as reserve to you and guide them into the places where they are required
^FROM ^{PLACE & TIME}	DIV H Q 1.45AM

*This line should be erased if not required.

3/5/15 C.M. Form A. 39.
"A" Form. Army Form C. 121.
MESSAGES AND SIGNALS. No. of Message …

^{Prefix ........ Code .........m.}	^{Words I Charge.}	^{This message is on a/c of:} Gallipoli 2am ^{..........................................} ^{(Signature of "Franking Officer"}}	^{Recd. at ................m} ^{Date ......................} ^{From .......................} 3/5/15 122
Copy to Lt Col [[?]] 13 Bn	^Sent ^{At 3.30 am} ^{To 3/1/15}
To	Lieut Colonel ~~Pope~~ Cannan Commanding 15th Bn
	OC Leading Bn RM L I
^{Sender's Number} ^BM99	^{Date of Month}	^{In reply to Number}	^AAA
The Battalion R in L I is placed at ~~your~~ the Disposal of L^t Col ~~Pope~~ Cannan is at once occupy a Supporting Line behind the front trenches now being prepared by the Troops in position. This Battalion will be distributed by Colonel ~~Pope~~ Cannan as uniformly as possible for a length of frontage of approximately 400 yards commencing from your present ~~right~~ left flank. The supporting line will at once entrench & if in time permits dig Communication trenches with the front line. The main trenches will be frequently trav- ersed. If insufficient tools are available the supports ~~xxxxxxx~~ will take up a position under cover as close as possible to firing line.
From	Action coordinated with the above is being taken by the other Bn RM L1 placed at Col. Cannan's disposal.
Place
Time
^{The above may be forwarded as now corrected.}
		^(Z) ^{J P McGlinn Lt Col} ^{Bde Major} ^{4th Inf Bn}
^Censor.		^{Signature of Addressor or person authorized to telegraph in his name}

210/9.13. - C.9258 *This line should be erased if not required.

Last edited by:

Jacqueline Kennedy

Last edited on:

26 June 2024, 10:23 pm

Last updated: 26 June 2024