Sir John Monash, Personal Files Book 7, 22 August - 24 August 1915, Part 5

20
Headquarters.
4th. Aust. Inf. Brigade,
Australia Valley,
23rd. August, 1915.
MEMORANDUM to
Post Commanders,
No.1 Sub-Section of No. 6 Section.

Instruction of new troops.
Officers, N.C.O's., and men of 17th. Battalion, on being put into the trenches
for the first time, are to have experienced Officers and old soldiers of Fourth
Brigade dispersed among them until they have been thoroughly instructed in the
following and similar matters:-
1. Location of fire, Support and Communication Trenches and their local
numbering.
2. Shortest routes to and from all important points.
3. Cleanliness and sanitation in trenches.
4. Improvement of trenches as to revetting, parapets, loopholes, recesses and passing places.
5. Judicious and economic employment of sandbags. 
6. Use of periscope.
7. Use of periscope rifle.
8. Bomb warfare in all its aspects.
9. Method of Sharpshooter and observer with periscope working in pairs.
10. Organization of trench garrison, comprising sentries and supports, and their periodical relief.
11. System of supply of rations and water,
12. System of supply of munitions.
13. Location of post stores and reserves.

(Signed) John Monash, Brigadier-General,
Commanding 4th. Australian Infantry Brigade.
Rec'd
13th Bn  SW Davis Sgt
14th Bn  DHL [[Hawkins?]] Sgt
15th. 
16th. [[For Lt ? O Fairfax]]
17th. E Martin Major 

76
Routine Orders
by Brgdr. Gen. A. H. Russell A.D.C.
Hdq. N.Z.M.R. Bde.
92. IV. 8
95
Aug 23/15
1  Command - N^o 2 Subsection of N^o 6 Section
defence's is today taken over by Bgdr. Gen.
A.H. RUSSELL with the following troops
N.Z.M.R Bde.
Field Troops N.Z.E.
18 Bn. 5^th Australian Bde.
29 British Inf. Bde. less 2 Bns..
Movements'                    
2  Area of Subsection. ∧ All KAIAJIK AGHALA and KABAK KUYU  defences to
point where outpost line from KAIAJIK
AGHALA-SUSAK KUYU takes off
inclusive.
On the right the Subsection joins
Subsection N^o 1 at the point where the
communication trench across KAIAJIK
DERE to KAIAJIK AGHALA takes off.
3. Movements.  The Units mentioned above will
go into bivouac under Bde. arrangements
as follows -
(a) A.M.R. and W.M.R in lower part &
O.M.R & C.M.R in upper part of Gully
which was up to 92.IV.8 & which
is the Gully immediately W. of AUSTRALIA
GULLY.  (Bgdr. GEN. MONASH H.Q)
 

78 

94
3.  cont. (b) Field Troop N.Z.E. head of Same
Gully
(c)  H.Q. & Signal Troop.  head of 
Same Gully.
(d)  18 Bn.  5^th Australian Bde. will
go into head of gully immediately opposite
S.W.B Headquarters, just vacated by the SIKHS
(e)  29^th British Inf. Bde. will go into
Gully by S.W.B. trenches. & just N. of S.W.B Gully.
4.  Reliefs for trenches - Reliefs for the trenches held
by the 4^th Aust. Inf. Bde. & by the N.Z.M.R.
Bde. will be arranged for under Bde.
arrangements,  These trenches will be
known as the WEST and EAST
trenches severally.
[* see
memo to Genl.
Russell re
feeding water
etc.*]
These reliefs must not be carried out
until after dusk.
O.C. reliefs will make themselves
acquainted with the trenches before dark
& satisfy themselves that there is a
sufficient supply of ammunition & bombs
on the posts.
5.  Inlying piquet.  29^th British Inf Bde will
detail a picquet of 200 men of whom 50
will form garrison at present S.W.B. trenches
and remain there in bivouac on ground

93   80
on slopes in rear of trenches.
6. Working Parties. The following working parties
will be furnished:-
(a)  18^th Batt. 5^th AI Bde will detail for continuous
work night and day  1 Officer and 60 men
with pick and shovels to work on
communication trench between the
KAIAJIK Trenches and the KABAK. KUYU to
report to staff Officer at well at 2000.
(b) 29^th British Bde 1 Officer 25 men to collect
all discarded arms & ammunition and
equipment (Turkish or British) or other
government property. This must all be
collected in S.W.B. Gully.
7. Sanitation. Captain Glendinning, Staff
Captain N.Z.M.R. Bde will act as
sanitation Officer for the subsection.
The necessity for providing ample latrine
accommodation is impressed upon all
O.C. Units.
8. States and Returns. A daily state showing
effective state of Units will be rendered
daily by 2000. Also a return showing
ammunition and bombs, expended,
drawn and on hand by 0730 daily.
Charles Powles. Major
B.n.

92
Major E.L. Margolan,
16^th Battalion.
Orders previously conveyed to
you verbally about coming under the command
of Lieut. Colonel Agnew have
been cancelled; instead, you will
come under the command of
Brig-Gen. Russel, and will form
the troops on  the extreme Right of
his sub-section.  Your Right is
on the Right Bank of KAIAJIK DERE,
and your Left will later connect
with the New Zealanders.
I have asked General Russel
to connect you as soon as
possible to his own Headquarters, 
by telephone and you will take direct
from him all orders as to
tactical, defensive, and offensive
operations, and you will apply
to him for all munitions,
tools, and stores required;
except that in purely administrative
matters, supply of
food and water, and the
evacuation of sick and
wounded you will operate 
from me.

2
91

I attach for attention by
you a copy of notes made
by General Russel after
an inspection of your
position this morning.

John Monash
Brig-General,
Commanding, 4^th (Aust) Inf Bde.

90
Extract from notes made by
Brig-General Russel, 23/8/15:-
"I have just inspected MAJOR
HERRING'S position AAA The first
thing to do is to complete a satisfactory
fire trench along the
crest line of gully AAA Then
clear the scrub in front of it so
that Turks cannot at night
creep up under its cover and
throw bombs AAA On the RIGHT
I should build up a little
sand bag fort so that bombs
might be thrown by our men
out of it from a level above
the crest line AAA Some work
is wanted on the RIGHT flank
clearing scrub and placing
good entanglements to prevent
enemy from closing in and
bombing from the RIGHT AAA
The work of sapping towards
New Zealanders could be
best done by establishing
gradually a line of posts
to contain say eight men
each and then connecting
these posts up into a
continuous trench AAA The

89
2:  Copy of notes Continued. 
The slopes on which the men
are camped are very exposed
to shrapnel fire from the
direction of 971 and suitably
sited dug outs should
at once be put in hand."

79
Message to Lt Col Pope
C.O. N^o 1 post
-------------------
The personnel & M Guns of the half
Battalion of Loyal Lancaster Regiment
at present in support of your post are
to be released & to report to their Brigadier
at 1000 tomorrow Aug 24^th.

BM
893
23 8 15
 

C.O. 15^th Battalion

Bm 894
23/8/15
80
The works in connection with the Communication Trench
& crossing of the Kaiajik Dere must be energetically 
pushed on.  The G.O.C. N^o 6 Section has again
emphasized the urgency & importance of this work.
I The Brigadier understands that considerable improvements have
been made today, but the efforts to further improve this
Communication must not be relaxed. - Parties of men,
working in short reliefs must be kept going during
tonight to deepen, widen & rectify the trench wherever
required, & particular attention is to be given to the ∧trench & barricade in the actual
bed of the Dere, so that traffic of all descriptions can
pass through in safety & comfort.
A report is to be telephoned through to Brigade H.Q.
at 0530 tomorrow morning as to the progress of above
work, to be followed by als a written report. —
C.O. 15^th Battalion will also arrange for a standing
patrol on the South bank of the Kaiajak Dere upstream
from the Barricade, cooperating ∧as to position with any patrol that may be sent out
by Major Margolin.

16^th Battn HQrs.
20.8.15
81

To
Bde Hqrs. 4^th (Aust) Inf Bde.
I am forwarding herewith state of rearrangement
of line
N^o 1     Lt McBride]   +    109               +    1 NCO           +      1 NCO
               "  Holmes]          17^th Batt.          11 others              12 others of
                                                                       16^th MGS              16^th Batt
N^o 2     Lt Fussel}        +    70                +    1 NCO
              Lt Shaw ]              17^th Batt.   +    8 others of 16^th Batt.
N^o 3      Lt Harwood}  +    51                +    1 NCO and     +    Lt Black and
              Lt Edger      }        of 16^th              20 of 17^th              5 M.G.S
N^o 4     Capt Murphy)
              Lt Johnson    ) +   104 of        +     12 MGS)  16th  +  3 Engineers
              Lt Barnett      )      17^th Batt            4 Sig  )  

Attached. Lt Hebbelwhite and 100 L.N. Lancashire
Sn  Marched out
7 officers and 293 others of 16^th Battn
Summary}
16^th Battn}  2
                 Officers          others         
                         7                    293        =     300  
M.G.S               1                     29        =       30   
A.M.C.+            1                      18        =       19     
Pioneers                                 11         =       11     
Signallers       
On this Post   2                    73        =        75
[*JM*]   HQrs  3                      7         =       10
                                                                      445
Attached
Major Travers of
17^th Battn
L. Jeffery Lt

Actg Adjt