Sir John Monash, Personal Files Book 6, 10 June - 12 July 1915, Part 2

10

Major General Sir A.J. Godley
10/6/15

Dear General.

I saw Lt Col. Lesslie today as you directed
& fully discussed with him the urgent need of my
getting proper & prompt information from the O.C. Advanced
Base Alexandria, about the fate & disposal
of our casualties. - While he was quite sympathetic,
he would not act upon my request, but said that
if Div. H.Q. put up a request that Army Corps
should take steps to get this information expedited
he would be glad to do so.

John Monash
Col. 

Extract from General Routine Orders
of 10^th June 1915

265. Time Recording:-
In order to assimilate the methods of recording time in
the Royal Navy.. the French and the British Force
respectively and to secure uniformity in referring to hours
of issue and despatch of orders instructions and messages
the method of recording time in vogue in the Royal Navy
will be adopted throughout the Mediterranean Expeditionary
Force.
All times to be indicated will be written in a group of
four figures.  The times between 12 Midnight and Noon
will be written as heretofore but without the addition
of "A.M." and the figure "0" must appear at the commencement
of any group indicating a time earlier than 10.A.M.
Figure "0" must also be inserted immediately in front of the
last figure when less than 10 minutes are indicated.  Thus
8.15 a.m will be written 0815
9. 7 a.m will be written 0907
The times between 12 Noon and 12 Midnight will be
recorded by writing the hours 1.2.3.4. . . . . . . 11.12 as 13.14.15.16
. . . . . . 23.24. and omitting "P.M."  The figure "0" will be
inserted immediately in front of the last figure when less
than 10 minutes are indicated thus 4.30.pm. will be written
as "1630" and 10. 9 p.m. as "2209"
The system of recording time will be brought into force
at midnight on the 15^th June. 

10

(11)

10/6/15
TO  4th Aust. Inf Bde
*Sender's Number        Day of Month.    
          NZG 68                      10/6/15

At 2 a.m. tomorrow both sections
will carry out feints and
(*device*) devices with a view to drawing
the enemy's fire AAA At the
same time the Mountain Guns
will fire ten star shells
in direction of L O N E  P I N E on right
and B A B Y  700  on left.
AAA.  Section Commanders have been
requested to open rifle and machine
gun fire at same time.  AAA
Please acknowledge
From  NZA Div
ime  6.30pm
Ackd Bm 236                  PTO

7.30pm
10-6-15
WG Braithwaite Lt Col
GS 

O.C. 14^th Bn
H
For information as O.C.
Inlying Picquet.  Pls
note return
JP McGlinn
BRIGADE MAJOR, 4^TH INF. BRIGADE
AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL FORCE
10 JUN 1915
9-15 pm
B.M.    III
Noted and Returned
9.52 P.M
Chas MM Dare
Major of Adjt
for C.O. 14^th Bn

10/6/15

Headquarters N.Z & A. Div.
This case is resubmitted for favor of reconsideration
on the further grounds set forth below, in view of Army Corps Minute
of 23/5/15 :-
1.  Australian Establishments provide as follows: -
(a) To command a Signal Troop - A Subaltern (W.E, A.M.F. p. 56)
1912
(b) To command a Signal Company - A Major or Captain (ibid p. 59)
2.  Lieut McGlinn was specifically appointed to command
N^o 2^nd Signal Company (Victoria) {see A.I.F Gradation list {of 1914 p. 48  }
& not merely as Commanding a Section.
3.  My only reason for withholding a recommendation from the outset that
this officer should be promoted Captain was because he was entirely
unknown to me, & I desired that he should have the stimulus of having
to deserve such recommendation. - He has now amply justified
such recommendation, as he is an expert electrician & telegraphist
officer, & has made his command efficient in spite of many difficulties
of defective equipment.
4.  It is to be noted _^ that all officers commanding Signal Troops received
the rank of Captain in Australia, even tho' the Establishments
provided for a Subaltern only viz: -
Capt. Downing 1^st L. H. Bgde see A.I.F. Lists  p. 35
Capt. Stanley    2^nd         do              ibid             p. 39
Capt Gartrell     3^rd          do              ibid             p. 43
5.  This promotion would not be in excess of Establishments, but
would merely carry into effect the original intention.
John Monash
Col
C.O. 4^th
A.I.B. 

10/6/15

Head Quarters N.Z & A. Div.
re Machine Gun Sections

Reference my letter re above of 6/6/15 - (see smaller book p. 62) & telegram N.Z.G. 48
of 9/6/15 the position is as follows: -
1.  I have no personnel either wholly or partially trained in
M.G. work, available to relieve the personnel now with N^o 3 Section
2.  Originally I trained, in each Battalion, two additional M.G. Sections
Owing to heavy losses in M.G. personnel, these have all already
been absorbed, & the residuum of all three sections of all four
Battalions is now still with N^o 3 Section.
3.  I have no means of training further personnel, as all remaining
officers & N.C.O's of the M.G. Sections are still in N^o 3 Section.
4.  The M.G. officers report that owing to the fixed positions of the guns
& the confined space in the trenches, there is great difficult in improving
the efficiency of the indifferently trained members of the
personnel still present with these Sections.  They are being employed
belt-filling, ammunition carrying & other subordinate duties.
5.  Apart from the desire to afford some relief to these men, who
have been now continuously in the trenches for over 6 weeks, this
matter of relief for fresh training is advanced solely in the interests
of future efficiency, especially in case of mobile operations.
6.  It is thought that, as there have been several Machine Guns
put out of action, there should ∧may be spare M.G. Detachments
available in some other units of the Division, to relieve some
or all of the Detachments belonging to this Brigade.
John Monash
Col.
C.O. Fourth (Aust) Inf. Bgde

TO { C.O. 13 Bⁿ
       {         14  -
       {         15  -
       {         16  -

Day of Month.        
Eleventh/6/15
In view of the great delay which is occurring in the return
to Units of slightly wounded or temporarily sick officers,
N.C.O's & men, & in view of the statements brought here
by Reinforcements & Convalescents of having seen our
personnel, apparently quite fit to resume duty, - in
Egypt or elsewhere - I should be glad if each C.O
would furnish me today with definite particulars in
writing of 3 typical cases that may be within or may
have come to his knowledge, where men (of any
rank) having regard to the nature of their original
disability, could reasonably have been expected to
rejoin us long before now. - These particulars
to comprise Name, Rank, N^o, nature of casualty or
illness, date of evacuation, & any information to
hand as to his present condition - even if the latter
be only hearsay.

From 4^th A.I.B.
Time 0919/

John Monash
Col.
C.O. 4^th A.I.B.

11/6/15