Sir John Monash, Personal Files Book 7, 15 August - 22 August 1915, Part 1

"A" Form.   Army Form C. 2121.
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TO               G.O.C.        No 6 Section
*  Senders Number.     Day of Month.   In reply to Number     AAA
B.M. 805               15^th                              
Your Section Order of this 
date is hereby acknowledged
and dispositions ordered in  
Para 1.  will be given effect
to at 1900 today by
allocating my reserve  Battⁿ
(15th), strength about 250 -
to the new line extended
From
Place
Time
The above may be forwarded as now corrected.
JM
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"A" Form.   Army Form C. 2121.
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*  Senders Number.     Day of Month.   In reply to Number     AAA 
line to be designated
"No.4 Post" up on  on
its with S.W.  S.W.  Bor=
derers. I desire to 
point out that these
dispositions absolutely
exhaust my last reserves 
and that in
From
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The above may be forwarded as now corrected.
Censor.
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"A" Form.   Army Form C. 2121.
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TO               G.O.C.        No 6 Section
*  Senders Number.     Day of Month.   In reply to Number     AAA
consequence I have no
reserves in my hands
to reinforce any portion
of my very long line
which may be threatened
by a concentrated enemy
attack x
From
Place
Time
The above may be forwarded as now corrected
Censor.
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65 
From M O 13th Battn
To        C. O.  13th Battn.
I beg to submit a report on the state
of the health of the Battalion.
This in my opinion is very low
a great deal of sickness being present
throughout the Battalion.
By far the commonest cause of
unfitness is a form dysentery
which it is impossible to satisfactorily
treat under the present conditions of
hard food & inadequate drug supply.
Another cause which is beginning to
appear is tonsillitis & also a certain
amount of bronchitis, both in my opinion
due to the fact that the men have to sleep
at night without covering.
The daily sick parade averages from
60 to 70 & of these up to 20 a day are
being sent to Hospital for purely
medical not surgical diseases
A factor which largely contributes
to this high rate of sickness is that                                           2                               

 

                                      2        64                             
In my opinion the reserve strength
of the individual men has been
drawn on to its utmost limit so that
they now easily are overcome by sickness
which under better circumstances would
not affect them so severely & in like
manner they find it harder to throw off
any illness they may contract.
In my opinion this condition of affairs
will gradually become worse unless the
conditions under which the troops are
living are much improved.
Another fact which illustrates the low
level to which the health of the men has
fallen is the ease with which quite
superficial wounds suppurate & sometimes
give rise to xxxxxxx ^serious complications such
as lymphangitis & the difficulty which
is experienced in successfully treating them
T Maynard Tucker Capt 
M O. 13 Battn
15.8.15
                                                                          4
 

1
FORCE-ATTACKING SAXRI BAIR.
N.Z. &  A. Report Centre
16th Aug. 1915.
Summary of events from 6 a.m 15th Aug. to 6 a.m 16th Aug. '15
NO. 3 SECTION.
Comparatively quiet; enemy endeavoured to
prevent repair of overhead ^cover by bombing.
NO 4 SECTION.
Up to dark Turks could be seen trying to repair
damage to their trenches on NEK.
NO 5 SECTION.
Enemy's snipers active below FARM and against
new trenches being dug in AGHYL DERE.
A machine gun on NEK - CHUNUK BAIR ridge was
especially troublesome and moved its position
several times when engaged by our machine guns.
RHODODENDRON SPUR has been tunnelled from
Post overlooking SAZLI BEIT DERE.
NO. 6 SECTION.
Line strengthened during the day.  Turkish 
trenches seen extending from about second A
in KAIARJIK, Sq. 92 1 9 to  Sq. 92 0 1-6 and 
Sq. 92 P 8 and prolonged on far side of ASMA
DERE, Squares 92 P 9   to 93 L 7 - 8.  All above
are enfiladed from the sea at SUVLA BAY, and
ships artillery could destroy the whole line.
(* Spare
Return & Equipt
Supts pockets*)
OC 15th Bn to see & pass to O C 13th Bn ^JBarry
  "    13th  "     "    ''          "                   14th LE Sely
  "    14th  "     "   "           "                   16th R Rathdown
  "    16th  "     "   "     & return to Bde HQ
H Pope Lt Col
J McGlinn Lt Col
Bn 4^th Bde

17/8/15
[*Sy's
supplies  
Anzac cove JH*]
O.C. Bde Sy's JRMcGlinn
JPMcGlinn Col
Bn 18/8/15
AMC JH
JM
 

Reserve Gully
16/8/15
Bgr Gen Monash.
Sir
Dawson assures
me that after washing yesterday
the hand was better. & he wishes
me to let you know, that he
Can wash your things if you
wish & what I see of his hand
there will be no fear of his having
to leave  M^r Chas Smith has 
been away at Embros for the

past two days.  We have parties out
this afternoon & tonight to bury
men & mules, from Ali Burnu to
Fisherman's Hut regards to all
H Norman Young Major

37
Aug. 16/15
Brig. General Chauvel
C. O. N^o 3 Section
My dear General.
I would be so much obliged if you could
get one of your Staff to enquire whether a
young friend of mine, as undernoted, has
got through the recent fighting safe &
well, or otherwise, viz:-
Corporal Gordon E. Gabriel attached
to Medical officer of 1st Light
Horse Regiment, -
If he can be located, I should like him
to be told that I am safe & well.
Kind regards
JohnMonash
O/C 1st A.L.H.
For action please
20.8.15  HGC. BG

37
Aug. 16/15
Brig. General Chauvel
C.O. No 3 Section.
My dear General.
I would be so much obliged if you could 
get one of your Staff to enquire whether a 
Cpl GABRIEL called on COL MONASH &
yesterday but he was engaged
with GEN GODLEY.
JC Ashburton Lt Adj
20/8/15       1st L H REGT

Dear Monash
Above explains itself
Kind regards
Yours sincerely
HGC
20.5.15
 

"A" Form.   Army Form C. 2121.
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From
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TO      BDE  MAJOR  4^th  INF.  BDE.
*  Senders Number.     Day of Month.   In reply to Number     AAA
                                          SIXTEENTH
Report for 24 hours ended
0500 16/8/15
1 Very quiet day & night
2 Many improvements were made
to fire & comm trenches
3 Two  obs  parties were
sent out last night
to different places on 
our front and neither
met with any opposition
From   ADJT  13th BN  (No 3 PoST)
Place
Time     0515
The above may be forwarded as now corrected
Censor
(Z) F V Thompson Lnt
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 C.M. Form A.39.
"A" Form.   Army Form C. 2121.
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Prefix   Code   Words
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15/16
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From
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TO          4th Brigade
                Report 24 hrs ending 0530 16/8/15 

*  Senders Number.     Day of Month.   In reply to Number     AAA
A 30                                  16^th    
Work on  all Trenches
being  pushed  on,  Fire
Trench  is  in  a  very
satisfactory  condition
along the  whole line,
parapets are  being
improved and loop  holes
are in all.
Snipers are working
hard to keep enemy
quiet, periscope rifles
(2)  are always in  use,
I would  request that
the Packs left in
Reserve Gully be brought
along to enable the men
to get their Great Boots
(*GOC wire*)
From O C N^o. 2 Post
Place
Time    0510 R Rankine Major
The above may be forwarded as now corrected
Censor
(Z)
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(24473). M.R.Co., Ltd. Wt. W 4843/541. 50,000. 9/14. Forms C 2121/10.

16.8.15.
9
H.Q.,  4th Inf Bde.
Work on Saps  xxxx xxxx
has been continued steadily. Tracks
are being improved & communication
within the post is now comparatively
good. Well sinking is also
proceeding.
Hostile entrenchment on Ridge
opposite front has been carried on
and these trenches are being
extended and strengthened.   Range
about 350 yards from No 2 Section.
These works were pointed out to
Cap^ts Hastings Rose & Locke during
afternoon.
Turkish activity observed at 1500
on sky line where southern profile
of CHUNUK BAIR KNOLL joins the
level sky line was reported to
Bde H Q.
The outpost has been
reorganised and re- allotted
                                                                   118

8
into four Sections as per Outpost
Order No. 2 attached.   Our Company
takes each section roughly, under
its own officers.    Companies have
been completely sorted out and
are now in order.
 [*Extracts*]
The services of 12 Miners of this
Battn who remain at ANZAC
could be utilised to advantage here.
Following are required : -
[*Requirements:. *]
[*Extracts*]
6 more Periscopes
12 Periscope Rifles
 3 Telescopic Sight Rifles.
20 Steel Loop holes
Sniping fire is fairly bad still -
but every effort is being made to 
reduce it.
Lieut Day has been sent to Hospital
with incipient pneumonia. His
absence will be a distinct loss -
I should have kept him specially
detailed for supervision of xxx
improvements - and in view of
his going away I should be
very glad if an Engineer
                                                                     120 

 

7
Officer - perhaps  Cap^t  S Relsey  N Z
R E would be the most suitable
if available.  could visit the 
Post & advise on work to be done.
Steel loopholes are especially
required.  The two we have are
fixed.  & have been very profitable.
It is a very great pity that
the obsolete Machine Guns and
with which my M.G. Section
continues to be handicapped
have not yet been replaced with 
guns which might have some 
claim to be called modern. The
wear on the locks has reached
that stage when jambs are
frequently caused - and these
cessations of fire nearly always
occur when targets are best.
It grieves me to think that
hostile guns should be so super
superior to my own, when my 
M.G. Section personnel is so
superior to theirs. 

[*Escaping for three sections consists of hostile
fire the mightier has been quiet. H Pope MG
OC No 1 Post*]
                                                                       122