Sir John Monash, Personal Files Book 7, 15 August - 22 August 1915, Part 10

"A" Form
Army Form C. 2121.
MESSAGES AND SIGNALS.
No. Of Message
Prefix    Code    m.
Office of Origin & Service Instructions.
Words   Charge
Sent.
At      m.
To
By
This message is on a/c of:
Service.
(Signature of "Franking Officer")
Rec^d. at     m.
Date
From
By
TO    N. Z. A. Div.     Copy
* nder's Number. BM 888
Day of Month.  22 August 1915
In reply to Number.   G 555      AAA
Cannot the survivors of my
detachment of 500 placed under
General Russel who have had
a very hard time & of whom
under 300 are left also be
relieved AAA General Cox has
already promised me to have
them relieved as soon as
fresh troops are available AAA
Respectfully desire to press this as
condition of these men is very unsatisfactory.

From MONASH
Place
Time 1535

See also my letter book
of Aug 24 pgs 54 - 56
The above may be forwarded as now corrected.
Censor.
(Z)
Signature of Addressor or person authorized to telegraph in his name.

56
Report for 24 hrs ended
0500   22-8-15
_______
1/ When assaulting column
debouched at 1530, a
vigorous covering fire was 
maintained by MGs & firing
line.
2/ at 18.45 our patrol beat down
the valley in rear of 15^th B^N
Returned 1925 & reported
"all clear".
3/. 2 Platoons of 17^th arrived
in support at 2145.
4/ Sent water to Major Herring
at 2330.
5/. Quiet all along line at 0500
JM 22-8-15  
LC Marks
[[?]] [[major?]]
35
 

55
22 8 1915

H Q. 4^th Inf Bde.
At 0930 I waited on GOC. Brigade 
received operation order, together with 
detail of position of troops on map. 
Instructed that ½ Battⁿ Loyal North 
Lancs would be made available 
as supports for No. 1 outpost. On 
return to Post found Capt Hartes of XIII 
Div.^l Staff. Showed him the Post. 
and then went with him to see 
Major Fairley, comdg 6th L.N. Lancs. 
Ascertained from him that the 
Half Battⁿ meant only 100 men 
& 1 officer - & no Machine Guns - saw 
Brigade Major 38^th Brigade and finally 
borrowed from him a Vickers Light 
Maxim and 15 boxes Mark VII S.A.A.
Put the gun in position about 
half way up hill of No 1 Sector 
(Curlewis) where it commands 
Road and about 300 yards of 
Turkish trench - It has done
JM
17
 

54
splendid work, making that Section
quite secure - and I believe having 
put enemy Machine Gun opposite out
of action.
Heard casually that Hants Battⁿ had
gone away from our left - and another 
Battⁿ had taken position there - sent
Lieu^t Curlewis to ascertain - who found 
that Kings own had replaced Hants. 
I think either one or the other of 
these Batt^ns should have got into
touch with me. The change took place 
on evening of 21^st inst.
Operation commenced 1530 as ordered. 
Sustained fire kept up as directed 
and apparently successful in 
preventing movement from east to 
west. Got several good targets 
especially at Turks moving west 
to east & consider this Post must 
have caused them at least 
50 casualties - including one
well known sniper - at 
1523 three of our Howitzers
19
 

53
shells burst short near trench of No 4 
sector - killing one man and severely  
shaking three others who however did 
not leave duty.
Every possible assistance given to
movement of 13^th 14^th 15^th Batt^ns on left - 
but after dark it was impossible
to do much. Turkish Trenches 
opposite this Post quiet through night. 
after stand to arms at 0400 at 0425 gave them 
a rattle of rapid fire from No 34 No 3 
section - but without xxxxxxxxxx which elicited heavy Turkish fire in 
response. It is evident Turks hold trench
to our front in strength.
Sapping of fire trench in front
of No.3 Sector has been gone on with
but sandbags are required to make 
parapet.
Question of Machine Guns was 
brought into prominence by admirable 
work done with borrowed Vickers Light 
Gun as compared with our own 
converted Nordenfelts (1889). The new 
gun and tripod weigh a good deal 
less than our gun without tripod. 
Both our own guns are nearly
JM
21
 

52
worn out. It was understood 
that the East Lancs Battⁿ to whom
the borrowed gun belongs have no
team to work it - and it was
being used for instructional purposes.
I will again see Bde Major 38^th
Bde & make effort to retain gun
at all events for a few days as
it is invaluable where placed.
Possibly while in actual use we
might instruct a gun crew
for 38^th Bde.
Material for timbering well
at foot of No 1 Sector has not yet
arrived. If we could get
water at this place it would
be as good as 30 men to us
in saving men away on water
fatigues drawing from long
distances.

H.Pope
L^t Col
O.C. No 1 Post
No 6 Section of Defence
24