Sir John Monash, Personal Files Book 5, 6 May - 16 May 1915, Part 10

Conflict:

First World War, 1914–18

Subject:

Documents and letters

Status:

Finalised

Accession number:

RCDIG0000587

Difficulty:

12/5/15

Confer with Col. Chauvel

Effective Strengths: -

13^th 19-785 804

14^th 20-790 810

15^th 20-578 598 1886

16^th 9-475 484 2696

1^st Reg. 400

2^nd " 400

3^rd " 400 1200

Total 3896 3896

Posts require:- Courtney's Post 400

Quinn's Post 450

Pope's Post ~~450~~ 400

6 days 6 days

Normal Infantry Tour L.H. Tour

Name of Post	Garrison	1^st Relief 2 days	2^ndRelief 2 days	1^st Relief	2' Relief
Courtney	400	14^th/400	14^th/400	14^th/400	14^th/400
Quinn	450	15^th/450	16^th/450	L.H. 450	L.H. 450
Pope	400	13^th/400	13^th 400/~~xxx~~	L.H. 400	L.H. 400

Signals change for 6 days

M.G.Dep.

3^rd Section, Defences.

My dear Colonel

The Fortune of War & the fact that I temporarily
hold the rank of Brig. General has for the
last eleven days brought your gallant brigade
(4^th Australian) under my command so far as
the responsibility for the defence of this section,
lies.

I wish to express to you & to them that
I feel it a very great honour to have
been so placed.

With best wishes to you all
Believe me
Yrs. very sincerely

Charles Trotman

Brig. General

12^th May, 1915.

[*115*]

Colonel Monash
Commanding 4^th Australian
Inf. Brigade

Copy of letter sent May 12/15
to Mr Fink Recd July 7/15

I am sorry to have to impose upon you the
painful duty of letting M^rTheodore Fink know
all that can be told about the loss of his son. Among
the many hundreds of killed wounded & missing in
the heavy fighting which has been continuous for
the past 3 weeks, it has been very difficult to get any
~~accounts~~ accurate particulars or to trace the course of
all the details. You may well imagine that my hands
have been more than full & there has been scarcely
a moments breathing time. I have only today been able
to get reliable particulars about young Fink. On the night
of Sunday May 2/3 the 16^th Battalion was ordered to
attack a strong position held by the enemy, a ridge
from which our line of supply could be threatened &
to hold same till dawn. ~~Young~~ Fink was acting as
observer to Major Mansbridge who commanded the centre
of this attack. Preceded by a heavy artillery bombardment
I launched the attack at 7.15 p.m. & the Battalion
very gallantly gained & held the ridge later in the night
the firing line was running short of ammunition, &
young Fink volunteered to carry more out. This he
did very gallantly in the face of heavy machine gun
fire, but like so many others of his Battalion he
did not return. Altho his name is returned as missing
I am afraid he is certainly killed in action
as all the wounded were got in before the firing line
withdrew at dawn. The charge of this Battalion in
which young Fink took part was one of the most
gallant ~~fea~~ & glorious of the many feats of arms
which stand to the credit of Australian soldiers.
Tell Mr Fink how sorry I am to have to tell
him this sad news.

J.M.

"A" Form. 12 Army Form C. 2121.

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

^{Prefix....Code.....m.}

^Words

^Charge

^{This message is on a/c of:}

^{.........Service}^.

^{(Signature of "Franking Officer")}

^{Recd. at.......m.}

^Date

^From

(116)

^By

^{Office of Origin & Service Instructions.}

^Sent

^{At ... m.}

^To

^By

13^thBn √ PLene

14^th √ ChasMMDere

Capt & adjt

15^thBn HR Carter Mjr

16^{th √} H Pope

Engineers J Farqueson

Capt.R.L.

Bde Sgs JMMcWhiter

AMC Dawson Capt

A.S.C. WMc

^{*Senders Number.}

BM 131

^{Day of Month.}

Twelfth

^{In reply to Number}

AAA

Approval has been received Divisional

H.Q. to allow of COs obtaining
from Transports one⁽¹⁾ Blanket and one ⁽¹⁾
w.p. sheet per Officer & other Ranks.

Action in above direction to be
at once taken.
JP McGlinn Lt Col
Bde major
4^thInfy Bde
9 am 12-5-15
Monash Valley
Gallipoli Pensla
NOTED H Pope Lt Col COG 16 Bn AIF. 12.5.15

_From

_Place

_Time

_{The above may be forwarded as now corrected.}

_Censor

_(Z)

_{Signature or Addressor or person authorized to telegraph in his name.}

_{*This line should be erased if not required.}

"A" Form. 12 Army Form C. 2121.

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

^{Prefix....Code.....m.}

^Words

^Charge

T^{his message is on a/c of:}

^{.........Service}^.

^{(Signature of "Franking Officer")}

^{Recd. at.......m.}

^Date

^From

(108)

^By

^{Office of Origin & Service Instructions.}

^Sent

^{At ... m.}

^To

^By

OC 13^thBn J Simpson Capt & Adj

OC 14^{th "}ChasMMDere

Capt & adjt

OC 15^thBn HR Carter Mjr

OC 16^{th "} H Pope Lt. Col.

^{*Senders Number.}

BM 132

^{Day of Month.}

Twelfth

^{In reply to Number}

AAA

(1) The Commander of each post will arrange for a reliable Ofcr
to visit other posts on his right and left and also those in Sections
of Defence under Brigadier Generals Walker and Mercer respectively,
with a view to studying the lie of the Country as affecting his
own post, its field of fire and the opportunities for mutual
support during attack, or in dealing with sharpshooters.

(2) Many fire trenches are very inefficient, being too deep
or too shallow, or not bullet proof, and without proper loop
holes or means of exit for a charge etc. The CO of
the post will be held responsible that these defects receive
immediate attention. The Engineers are available to supervise
the Execution of what is required, but the CO of the post
is responsible for seeing that the work is done on
proper lines and as soon as possible.

(To be noted & returned)

JP McGlinn Lt Colonel

Bde major

From 4^thInf Bde

Place Monash Valley

Time 9.45am Gallipoli Peninsula 12.5.15

_{The above may be forwarded as now corrected.}

_Censor

_(Z)

_{Signature or Addressor or person authorized to telegraph in his name.}

_{*This line should be erased if not required.}

12 "C" Form (Duplicate). Army Form C. 2123.

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

SM QW

^{Charges to Pay.}

^{£ s. d.}

^{Office Stamp}

12th May

(109)

Handed in at......... Office................m. Received 248 pm.

TO COLONEL MONASH

^{*Senders Number.}

NZG 294

^{Day of Month.}

12^th

^{In reply to Number}

-----

AAA

Colonel CHAUVEL Commanding

Light Horse Bde will take
over command of No 3
Section of Defence from
Br General TROTMAN This day
aaa Marine bde are being
relieved by Light Horse Bde
this day aaa Please
acknowledge

[* Acknowledged
in BM 139
JR McGlinn
Lt C
3.24p *]

FROM NZA Div 2.20pm

PLACE & TIME

MESSAGES AND SIGNALS.

SM 12 QW

^{Charges to Pay.}

^{£ s. d.}

^{Office Stamp}

12th May 15

(110)

Handed in at......... Office................m. Received 330 pm.

TO No III Section

^{*Senders Number.}

NZG 300

^{Day of Month.}

12^th

^{In reply to Number}

-----

AAA

A patrol is going out
from No IV section to look
for snipers in Square 224 B 8
on Southern Slope of Razor
Edge. Connecting PLUGGES
PLATEAU with WALKERS RIDGE
AAA Please warn all men
in your Section not to
fire in their direction
AAA Acknowledge

[*Done & passed to Col Burnage
Popes Hill JPMcG*]

FROM NZA DIV 3.25pm

PLACE & TIME

"A" Form. 12 Army Form C. 2121.

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

^{Prefix....Code.....m.}

^Words

^Charge

T^{his message is on a/c of:}

^{.........Service}^.

^{(Signature of "Franking Officer")}

^{Recd. at.......m.}

^Date

^From

(112)

^By

^{Office of Origin & Service Instructions.}

^Sent

^{At ... m.}

^To

^By

TO Colonel Chauvel CMG O.C. No 3 Section

copies for information to General Mercer, & 1^st Aust Division

^{*Senders Number.}

NZG 302

^{Day of Month.}

12 May

^{In reply to Number}

-----

AAA

The GOC NZ & A Div wishes a party detailed from the
4^th Aust Inf Brigade to ~~survey~~ search the ground between
the MONASH VALLEY Road and ~~xxx~~ Plugges Plateau ~~xxx~~ square

224 B 5 + 6 C 4 + 5 (inclusive) for enemy sharp shooters.

The 'drive' is to be carefully & systematically carried
out and arrangements are to be made to prevent
enemy sharpshooters escaping round the flanks
of the line while the drive is in progress. Before
the drive starts observation stations (with signallers)
are to be posted at convenient points on the Eastern slopes

of MONASH GULLY to give notice of any movement in front
of the line. The bayonet only is to be used except under
very exceptional circumstances. The time the drive is to
start will be notified by the O.C. No 3 Section to NZ & A Div
1^st Aust Div, O.C. No 4 Section (General Mercer), G.O.C. No 2
Section (General Walker) - ~~Acknowledged~~

From NZ & A Div

Place ANZAC COVE

Time ~~5.30pm~~

_{The above may be forwarded as now corrected.}

_Censor

_(Z)

_{Signature or Addressor or person authorized to telegraph in his name.}

_{*This line should be erased if not required.}

"A" Form. Army Form C. 2121.

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

^{Prefix....Code.....m.}

^Words

^Charge

T^{his message is on a/c of:}

^{.........Service}^.

^{(Signature of "Franking Officer")}

^{Recd. at.......m.}

^Date

^From

(111)

^By

^{Office of Origin & Service Instructions.}

^Sent

^{At ... m.}

^To

^By

TO 2

^{*Senders Number.}

^{Day of Month.}

^{In reply to Number}

-----

AAA

Your attention is invited to the detailed
arrangements made by Captain LATHBURY
RMLI for last nights drive aaa The GOC
will be pleased to see a copy of the
detailed arrangements aaa When once
arranged the drive is on no account to
be abandoned on account of bad weather
Please acknowledge

From NZ & A Div

Place ANZAC COVE N R Pinnill Major

Time 5.15. p.m. General Staff

_{The above may be forwarded as now corrected.}

_Censor

_(Z)

_{Signature or Addressor or person authorized to telegraph in his name.}

_{*This line should be erased if not required.}

12 "C" Form (Original). Army Form C. 2121.

MESSAGES AND SIGNALS. No. of Messages....

^{Prefix.... Code..... Words....}

^Received

^From12^th

^ByDMcB

^{Sent, or sent out}

^{At.............m.}

^To.........

^By.....

^{Office Stamp}

12/5/15

DMcB

^{£ s. d.}

^{Charges to collect}

^{Service Instructions.}

Handed in at................. Office...............m. Received..............m.

TO FOURTH BDE. (113)

^{*Senders Number.}

^{Day of Month.}

twelfth

^{In reply to Number}

-----

AAA

In reply to message BM134

instructions re patrol received AAA

Issued accordingly

FROM 13^th Bn

PLACE & TIME 5-25 PM

_{*This line should be erased if not required.}

Capn Jess 12

H Quarter 115

Dear Carl

Our left advises the
Turkish Battery is firing
almost into their trenches.

Can our artillery do anything
to relieve us

H R Carter

6 PM

12.5.15

[*49*]

12 C.M. Form A 39(b).

Army Form C 2123.

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

^{Inquiries respecting this Message, or application for repetition of the same, may be made at}

^{the Delivering Office; but any complaint as to its delay, &c., should be amde in writing and addressed}

^{to the officer in charge. In either case this form must accompany such inquiries or complaint.}

^{Office Stamp}

(114)

^{Service Instructions}

^{£ s. d.}

^{Charges to Pay}

Handed in at the Office at M. Received here at M.

TO 4^th Bgde Hdqrs

^{*Senders Number.}

^{Day of Month.}

12/5/15

^{In reply to Number}

-----

AAA

Report from Pope's Hill 11/5/15 - 12/5/15
Nothing of note to report today - Enemy very
quiet except for occasional sniping.

Capt Durrant is making a personal
tour of all positions occupied by
our troops. for the purpose of
viewing positions

FROM JS 13^thBttn

PLACE Pope's Hill

TIME 5-45

_{D.862/7.14.-C.7220.}

Last edited by:

Jacqueline Kennedy

Last edited on:

3 August 2024, 9:35 pm

Last updated: 3 August 2024