Sir John Monash, Personal Files Book 7, 15 August - 22 August 1915, Part 2

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open for review
Accession number:
RCDIG0000594
Difficulty:
3

Page 1 / 10

"C" Form (Duplicate).     Army Form C.2123.
MESSAGES AND SIGNALS.     No. of Message
SM Kas  ZBK Coutts
Service Instructions.
Charges to Pay.
£  s.  d.  
Office Stamp.
1
Handed in at ZBK  Office 1007 m.  Received 1025 m.
TO x 4th Bde
Sender's Number     Day of Month     In reply to Number     AAA
1015                                16th                        Bm 794
Your message has been sent
on to Divn in full
with special regard to your
demands for periscope rifles
and loopholes. and health
of your Brigade.
This refers to our
this morning's report
see Bm 794
JPMcG  Lt Col
BM
16 8 15
FROM     6. Section
PLACE & TIME
(24932). M.R.Co.,Ltd. Wt W9668/1672. 50,000 Pads -1/15. Forms/C.2123.
 

 

2
NO. 6 SECTION ORDERS.
Point92-L-V-S
16th August 1915. 1350
1. READJUSTMENT OF LINE. (a)  The 4th Australian Brigade will, 
in addition to the line they already hold, take over part of the 
line now held by the 4th South Wales Borderers, viz- to a point 
about 250 yards from the present left of the South Wales Borderers.
(b) The South Wales Borderers and Canterbury Mounted Rifles 
will hold from the above point to a point which will include ike 
150 yards of the present right line of the 14th Sikhs on Holly 
Hill.
(c) The 14th Sikhs will hold from the left of the South Wales
Borderers and Canterbury Mounted Rifles to a point 10 yards to 
the right of No. 1 Picquet.
2(. Movementsx entailed by the above will take place at dusk 
tonight.
3. The 1/6th Gurkha Rifles will retain Nos.1 and 2 picquets,
but will have a British Officer in command of No. 2 Picquet by 
day and night, who will arrange for a special watch along the 
base of Holly Hill and report any movement of enemy in that 
direction at once.
4.  The line held by the 14th Sikhs will be held by one
Double Company by night and by two picquets by day. Remainder
of battalion is xxxxxx local reserve.
5. The 1/5th Gurkha Rifles will remain in generalx reserve.
for BM Churchill  Captain,
Brigade Major, Indian Brigade.
To/ O.C.  1/5th Gurkha Rifles.
          "     1/6th      "            "
          "    2/10th     "            "
          "    14th Sikhs.
4th Australian Infantry Brigade.
O.C. Canterbury Mounted Rifles.
   "    4th S. W. Borderers.
Operation order
No 9   1600
16 8 15
J.M. 

 

Army Form C. 2123.
C. Form. (Original). MESSAGES AND SIGNALS. No. of Message 
Recd. from
By
Prefix     Code    Words 
Delivery
Means
Distance 
Charges for Delivery
Collected
Paid out
Sent, or sent out
At     M.
By
Returned
at    M.
Office Stamp.
16-8-16  Bq
11
Service Instructions.  ZBK
Handed in at the    Office at        M.     Received here at 6pM.
TO 4th Aust Inf Bde
*Sender's Number.     Day of Month.     In reply to Number.     AAA
1600                                 16th                             ----
In your daily reports please
include full particulars about
the enemy trenches positions
movements etc especially noting
any new developments and
Snipers also our anti sniping
measures
FROM  6th Section
PLACE
TIME
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. 

 

"C" Form (Duplicate). Army Form C. 2123.
MESSAGES AND SIGNALS. No. of Message
SM FD  LBK
C Gray
Service Instructions.
Charges to Pay. 
£  s.  d.  
Office Stamp.  
5
Handed in at LBK Office  1820 m. Received 1829 m.
To  G O C
4th Aust Bde
Sender's Number   Day of Month    In reply to Number     AAA
                                     16th
Your BM805 you held original
line before trenches were complete
with present numbers less 100
men detached aaa Some parts
your line now very strong
and could be held by
few men with machine guns.
aaa New line given you
should not take more than
200 men and with careful
rearrangement I think you should
still have about 200 in
reserve aaa Am coming see
you about 6.30 AM Tomorrow
morning & will discuss matter
further then
FROM   G O C
PLACE & TIME  No 6 Section  6.30p
(24932). M.R.Co.,Ltd. Wt W9668/1672. 50,000 Pads -1/15. Forms/C.2123.
JM 

 

17/8/15
Anzac
My dear Monash. 
Very many thanks fr
your note. I have told Knatchbull
of your appreciation of the service
of the battalion & it is most gratifying
to me that my young troops should
have done so well in their first
fight & that they should have been
associated with our Australian
brothers on that occasion.
Y Sincerely
FCShaw
17/8/15 

 

14
13TH Bn AIF.
No 3 POST
Aust: Valley.
Report for 24 hrs ended
0500  17/8/15.
1   Heavy firing was heard towards
the Chocolate Hills during the
night, report all quiet on our
front.  AAA
2    No 1 Observation Post is now
linked up with Firing Line and
will when completed form
front of new Firing line.
Report Progress in improvement 
38
 

13
of trenches and communications
trenches.
At 6 2030 last evening 15TH
Bn took over part of our
Bivouac Area
During afternoon CO. and 2nd in
Command visited 16TH Bn
No 1 POST for the purpose of
reconnaissance
F. V. Thompson
Lt & Adj
17/8/15
40 

 

12
No 2 Post
Report 24 hrs ending
17-8-1915
Trenches.  Work of
improving still going
on, support trenches
have made good
progress, Communication
are being improved
Sapping towards No
& 3 Posts still continues,
hope to open up with
No 1 tomorrow.
Snipers are still busy
and have partly
succeeded in beating
enemy down.
R. Rankine Major
O.C. No 2 Post
17-8-15
0525 

 

C.M. Form A 39(b).
Army Form C 2123.
C Form. (Original.) MESSAGES AND SIGNALS.
No. of Message
Recd
from QE
By FRS
Prefix  Code  Words 
Delivery.
Means 
Distance
Charges for Delivery.
Collected
Paid out
Sent, or sent out
At
By
Returned
at     M.
Office Stamp.
16
Service Instructions.
Handed in at the    Office at 6AM. Received here at     M.
TO HQ 4th Inf Bde
*Sender's Number.   Day of Month.   In reply to Number.    AAA
                                        17th
Barbed wire Entanglement has
been put in front of
Nos 1 & 4 Sectors AAA
Two steel loopholes received have
been fixed in No 3 Sector
AAA Sapping further progressed
and now ready for connecting
fire trenches AAA   A new well
has been put down at foot of
no 1 Sector and is nearly at water AAA
Brig. Gen Skeen and Capt Hastings visited
FROM
PLACE
TIME
JM
All Porterage, Redirection, or other charges collected on delivery are to be brought to account by means 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.
 D.362/7.14.-C.7220.

 

15
C.M. Form A 39(b).
Army Form C 2123.
C Form. (Duplicate.) MESSAGES AND SIGNALS.   No. of Message
Inquiries regarding 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 made in writing and addressed
to the officer in charge. In either case this form must accompany such inquiries or complaint.
Charges}  £  s.  d.
to pay    }
Office Stamp.
Service Instructions.
Handed in at the     Office at     M.   Received here at     M.
TO
*Sender's Number.     Day of Month.     In reply to Number.   A A A 
                                         17
post 1100 and were shown
line to Hampshire Regt AAA
Turkish work on ridges opposite front
have been actively prosecuted by day
& night AAA They are well built AAA
Sickness is on the increase :- Especially
in Bowel Complaints
FROM
PLACE Col Pope No 1 Post
TIME 0600
D.362/7.14.-C.7220. 

 

4
No. 1774/M.
Head Quarters No. 6 Section, 17-8-15.
1620
MEMORANDUM ON DEFENCES NO. 6 SECTION.
The G.O.C. has now been able to see personally very nearly the whole 
line, and he wishes the following points attended to particularly:-
(1) Line held by 4th Australian Brigade - is generally a strong one.
It requires pushing forward to obtain a better field of fire on the 
left (i.e. the part taken over from the S.W.B.) and posts must be established
which will completely command the bottoms of ASMA and KAIAJIK 
DERES. When this is done it will be possible to hold the line with
fewer men and to have more in support and resting. The one or two
places where the front line is not continuous should be linked up as 
soon as possible. A great deal of very good work has been done in the
time.
[*BO
244
See also
p. 2*]
(2) Line held by 4/South Wales Borderers - requires further work, particularly
in establishing of sniping posts beyond parapet which will command
low ground to front and prevent enemy collecting there. Such posts 
are useful places for machine guns. The battalion should be able to 
hold one company in reserve.
O.C. S.W.B's will arrange for siting of trench mortar to fire on 
KABAK KUYU hill and for observation of fire. Also for cutting as soon 
as possible a communication trench from his left to the right of Canterbury
Mounted Rifles line.
(3) Line held by Canterbury Mounted Rifles. - the trenches as taken
over by them were not finished; this must be done. The regiment is to 
hold 100 yards of trench on HOLLY HILL. This it can do with 2 picquets
by day, and about 70 men by night with another 30 or so in close support. 
So the regiment should have 100 men in reserve. the G.O.C. hopes it will 
be possible to push forward extreme right by a sap so as to really xxxxxx
command and dominate KABAK KUYU well and its defences.
(4) Line held by 14th Sikhs - HOLLY HILL - 2 picquets can hold this by 
day; by night it will require half the battalion. The trenches require 
finishing and there is still undergrowth to be cut. Barricade across
military road requires strengthening and wiring in front, and should be 
strongly guarded at night.
(5) Picquets Nos. 1 & 2 - held by 6th Gurkha Rifles. Actual defences and 
communications well forward. Wire entanglements too prominent and not
thick enough; posts too high.
(6) Picquets Nos. 3 & 4 - held by 10th Gurkha Rifles. No. 3 is still 
weak and trenches backward. the wire entanglements are feeble and badly
placed and the lane leading to picquet from lateral road is still unsafe,
both as to visibility and from bullets. Work must be vigorously 
pushed on without cessation till finished, by day and night in shifts
No. 4 Picquet satisfactory.
(7) Lateral Road. - Behind Picquet line.  2/10th Gurkhas will continue
work on the portion between Nos. 4 and 3 Picquets, making it possible
to pass along it without being seen and to use it, if necessary, as 
a fire trench. The 1/5th Gurkhas will do the same on the portion between
No. 3 Picquet towards No. 2.
(8) G.O.C. wishes to impress on those in command of the parts of the 
line in hilly ground the absolute necessity for having local supports 
and reserves close to the 1st line at night. If they are not so placed 
they will be late in arriving - none should be more that 200 yards away.
usually closer.
GMJefreys  Captain,
Brigade Major, No.6 Section.....

 


   

 

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