Sir John Monash, Personal Files Book 5, 25 May - 10 June 1915, Part 7

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

<sup>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 of 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.</sup>

"A" Form.   Army Form C.2121.
MESSAGES AND SIGNALS.   No. of Message......

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

5
Army Form C. 2123.  
C. Form. (Original).            MESSAGES AND SIGNALS.           No. of Message.............

<sup>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 of 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.</sup>

2 June / 15
In his articles, Capt. Bean has on several
occasions gone out of his way to
emphasize that the troops of the 4^th Brigade
did not take part in the first landing, were
'in reserve' for several days, & did not come
into the firing line till the positions had
been won &c &c . - All this is very far
from the truth. - It is quite true that on paper
the 4^th Brigade was intended to be the last to
land, & was to be nominally in reserve, but
actually the facts were very different.
Two of the four Battalions actually
got ashore during the forenoon of Sunday
April 25, & were pushed straight into the
fight, & in fact took & held _^unaided the whole most
of the country at the head of 'Monash'
Valley throughout the first night.  These were
the 16^th & 13^th Battalions & The 15^th Battalion
landed before nightfall on the Sunday &
was pushed straight in to help M^cLagan's
Brigade _^on the night at a most critical point, &

were also in the brunt of the first night.
The remainder of the Brigade landed early
on Monday April 26^th. - xxxxx n This
was the 14^th Battalion, & this Batta   n
only was held in reserve for 24 hrs & was
then put in & took _^ the ground now known as Quinn's post & 
Courtney's post, then still held by the 
Turks. - 

L.H.B.   No. 50
Lt-Col. McGlinn
No. 3 Section Defence,
MONASH GULLY,
3/6/1915.
 
Headquarters,
N.Z. & A. Division.
 
REPORT ON ACTION AT QUINN'S POST, NO. 3 SECTION,
MONASH VALLEY, 29/5/1915.
                ****************************
At 3:20 a.m., the enemy exploded a mine immediately in
front of the fire-trench of No. 3 Section, QUINN'S POST. This 
was followed by a heavy burst of fire all along the line,, and the 
fire-trench of this Section was immediately subjected to a very heavy 
bombing. The enemy rushed it and succeeded in occupying it..
Re-inforcements were called up to the Post and endeavours were 
made to get the Turks out by way of communication trenches and 
bombing from the crest of the position. At my request Major Sykes,
Major Phillips;, and the Mountain Battery opened fire at 3:50 a.m. 
and shells were thrown continuously in front of QUINN'S POST, and 
along RAZOR BACK and DEAD MAN'S RIDGE.
At 4:15 a.m. the enemy threatened an advance down the Gully 
between QUINN'S POST and DEAD MAN'S RIDGE. The 16th. BATTN' were
sent up this valley to check this advance and were successful in 
doing so.  At.4:30 a.m. Colonel BURNIDGE, 13th. BATTN., who was
commanding QUINN'S POST was reported badly wounded and Colonel 
Pope was sent to take command of the Post. Covering fire was 
given by 1st. Battn., No. 2 Section, COURTNEY'S POST and POPE'S 
POST.
A counter-attack was attempted about 6 a.m., but was met 
by xxxxxx heavy enfilade machine gun fire and was checked on the 
crest of the position, and men were sent from the right in twos 
and threes into the fire-trench of No. 3 Section and gradually 
worked up the trench, driving the enemy before them.  As the 
Turkish trenches were being re-inforced immediately in front, 
and the process of dribbling the counter attack into the fire
trench in twos and threes appeared to be slow, I ordered Major 
Quinn to charge from the crest of the position and clear the fire 
trench; this was executed at 6:55 a.m., Major Quinn was killed, 
but the charge was successful and the fire trench was reported 
to be clear of Turks other than dead and wounded at 7: 15 a.m.
Simultaneously with Major QUINN'S charge a determined rush was made 
by the enemy on the left of QUINN'S POST.  This was repulsed from 
the fire trenches of No's 5 & 6 Sections of the POST,  the left 
crest of the Post and the machine guns of POPE'S position; it is 
estimated that about 80 of the enemy were killed in this charge
alone. By 7 xxxx a.m. all available reserves had been absorbed
in the firing line and the G.O.C. of the Division was informed, in 
response to which the CANTERBURY BATTN, N.Z. INF. BDE., was 
despatched to this Section.
Repairs on the damaged fire-trench were commenced as soon 
as it was clear of the enemy,  but at 8 a.m. it was discovered 
that a number of the enemy had established themselves in the bombproof 
shelter immediately behind the fire trench and in the saps
leading to it, and by using sand-bags and other cover were able to 
check all attempts made by way of the support trench and communication
trenches to drive them out until 9 15 a.m., when they were
induced to surrender by Major Herring of the 13th. INF.; 17 of 
them filed out and were sent to Headquarters under escort. About 
this time the offensive of the enemy had subsided. 
30 Turks were killed in about the fire trench of No. 3
Section and xx 17 prisoners were taken. It is estimated that there 
are in addition about 100 bodies in front of the Post.
I desire to express my thanks to the Officer Commanding
Divisional Artillery and Major Phillips of the Australian
Divisional Artillery for the efficient co-operation rendered and 
particularly to Major Sykes for his prompt action and the accurate 
direction of his fire which prevented the enemy from re-inforcing  
effectively their fire-trench immediately in front of QUINN'S.
I wish to specially mention the following Officers and
other ranks in connection with this action: -

(2)
1st. A.L.H. Brigade.
Lieut. T.R. McSharry, 2nd. A.L.H. Regt. (vide report of O.C. 
4th.  A.I.Bde  attached.)
No.582 L/Cpl C. Grimson, A. Sqdn. 1st. A.L.H. (vide report attahd)
N.Z. Engineers.
F.
Captain/Ferguson, R.E.  This Officer was unremitting in his
supervision of the duties of his Command in the Post and
displayed considerable gallantry in the carrying out of his
duties
Sapper (No.4/911a) S. Carlyon (killed on June 1st.) for great 
gallantry on several occasions in carrying in wounded men
under very heavy fire. 
No.4/115a Sgt. W.H. Newman for general excellent work in QUINN!S 
POST since it was first occupied.  He has been senior Sergeant 
in charge of the Engineers and has supervised the entire
sapping forward and construction of the present fire trench and 
bomb proof shelters. 
No. 4/41a Sgt. A. Foote for gallantry on May 30th. in attacking 
with hand grenades a party of Turks who were working in
a mined crater at QUINN'S POST  killing three and driving off 
the remainder.  Also excellent work in repairing the fire trench
under heavy bomb fire..
4th. AUSTRALIAN INFANTRY BRIGADE.
Lieut-Colonel H. Pope, 16th. AUSTRALIAN INF' BATTN, Officer
Commanding Post.
Major S.C. Herring, 13th. AUSTRALIAN INF. BATTN. (vide report
of O.C. 4th. A.I.Bde attached).
Captain W.A. Forsyth, 13th. AUSTRALIAN INF.BATTn. (vide report
of O.C. 4th. A.I.Bde attached)
Lieut. C.W.L. Pulling 13th. AUSTRALIAN INF. BATTN. (vide report
of O.C. 4th. A.I.Bde attached)
No. 787 Sgt. H. Scott, 13th. BATTN (vide report of O.C. 4th.
A.I.B.de attached)
Lieut. J. Hill, 15th. A.I.BTTN (vide report of 4th. A.I.Bde
attached.)
Lieut. E.M. Little, 15th. BATTN (vide report of O.C. 4th A.I.
Bde. attached.)
No. 1393 Cpl. E.W. Symon, 15th. A.I.BTTn. (vide report of 4th.
A.I.Bde attached)
No. 241 Cpl L.J. Bry Briand 16th. A.I.BATTN. (vide report of
O.C. 4th. A.I.Bde attached)
Report of the O.C. POST attached.
Colonel.
C.O. 1st. A.L.H. Bde.         

Ba doman  J. Ranscombe 
B.Co.14^th Batt. Inf.
2nd Australian A.L.H.
Monash. Valley
Gallipoli Peninsula
POSTAGE REVENUE
1 ONE PENNY 1
This is a letter from England dated June 3/15
showing that by that date, people in England Knew
our exact address. -   1916.

Wireless Press News
TURKISH DEFEAT ON THE TIGRIS.
General Nixon wires from Amara on June 4th, as follows:
General Townsend accompanied by Captain Nunn R.N. and Sir Percy 
Cox in a small gunboat flotilla received the surrender of the 
Governor of Amara with some xx 30 officers and about 700 soldiers 
on June 3rd.   Amara is now occupied by us in force. The captured 
troops comprised the advance guard of the Turkish forces. Returning
before us the main body which was following was seen to disperse into 
the marshes.  our total captures up to date including the above, 
amount to about 30 officers, 2000 men 7 field guns, 6 naval guns 
on gunboats 12 large steel barges, one large river steamer, a considerable 
number of rifles and ammunition of all sorts. Further
surrenders are expected of six Germans with the Turks, three are 
prisoners, two were killed by Arabs in the marshes and the fate of 
the sixth is doubtful. From wireless messages which suffered in 
transmission we learned that towards the end of last month a 
combined naval and military force marched north of Kurna, the 
traditional site of the Garden of Eden, to Kura's tomb on the 
Tigris. Our troops, some wading, others in boats, captured the 
enemy's position; the heights held by the Turks were carried by 
assault at noon, the enemy leaving dead and wounded besides 150 
prisoners. A further advance was made on June 1st. when the 
Turks hastily evacuated their camp and retreated up the Tigris in 
steamers and boats, pursued by the British flotilla.
ZEPPELIN RAID ON LONDON.
The long threatened raid on London was made on the night of 
June 1st. when 20 airships reached certain outlying districts of the 
capital. The wireless message announcing the raid gives no 
details beyond the fact 20 bombs, mostly incendiary, were
dropped. One woman, one boy, a man and one infant were killed
and there were three fires.   Much amusement has been caused in 
England by the German reports that extensive damage was done by the 
raid. 
BOMBING THE CROWN PRINCE'S QUARTERS.
Twenty nine French aeroplanes bombarded the headquarters 
of the German Crown Prince on June 3rd.   They dropped 172 bombs 
and several thousand darts.  The machines were subjected to heavy 
fire but all returned unhurt.
On the night of 3rd, and 4th. June the Turks, having heavily 
bombarded the small fort which the French had captured in front of 
their extreme right and launched an infantry attack against it 
which was repulsed about the same time, set fire to the scrub in 
front of the left centre of the 38th. Division and attacked but 
without success. On the morning of the 4th. inst. we made a 
general attack on the Turkish trenches in the southern area of the 
peninsula commencing with a heavy bombardment of all guns including 
two battleships, two cruisers and several destroyers with 4 in. xx
guns. On the cessation of the bombardment our troops rushedxx  
forward with the bayonet and were immediately successful all along 
the line except in one spot where heavy entanglements had not been 
destroyed by gun fire.  The Gurkhas on the extreme left made a 
fine advance and took two lines of trenches but owing to the regiment 
on their right being hung up by this wire they were eventually 
obliged to retire again to their original trenches. The 38th Div.
made good progress in the left centre capturing a strong redoubt 
and two lines of trenches beyond it about 400 yards in advance of 
their original line. The Territorials in the centre did brilliantly 
advancing 600 yards and capturing three lines of trenches, and though 

"A" Form.    Army Form C. 2121.
MESSAGES AND SIGNALS.   No. of Message......

* This line should be erased if not required.