Sir John Monash, Personal Files Book 9, 29 August - 1 September 1915, Part 5

C. Form. (Original)               Army Form C. 2123. 
MESSAGES AND SIGNALS.   No. of Message... 
Prefix      SM      Code      A I      Words      31 
Recd.                                Sent, or sent out 
from       NZ                     At ..............................M. 
By            ES                      .................................... 
                                            By   80 
Office Stamp.                   Returned ............ 
        BQ                               at ..............................M. 
    31.8.15 
Handed in at the NZ Office at 1345 M.  Received here at 1352 M. 
TO                  4th  A I Bde. 
Sender's          Day of          In reply            AAA 
Number           Month         to Number 
NZQ 893              31^st                                     
Stated your Bde found and buried 
600 rounds enemy ammunition 
for 75 C M gun is this 
correct reply sharp anzac enquiring 
  
BM 
1046 
only 200 rds 
JPM^cG 
31 8/15 
  
FROM          N Z A  Divn. 
PLACE          No 2 Post 
TIME              1335 

C. Form. (Original)               Army Form C. 2123. 
MESSAGES AND SIGNALS.   No. of Message... 
Prefix            Code            Words       
Recd.                                Sent, or sent out 
from       QE                     At ..............................M. 
By      G Warwick        .................................... 
                                            By   77 
Office Stamp.                   Returned ............ 
        BQ                               at ..............................M. 
    31/8/15 
Handed in at the       at       M.  Received here at 1625 M. 
TO                  4th  BDE 
Sender's          Day of          In reply            AAA 
Number           Month         to Number 
RA 9                    31^st                       /              
Re para 6 bde order
248 periscopic glasses recovered xxx nil 
FROM C O 17^TH BN
PLACE
TIME

C. Form. (Original)               Army Form C. 2123. 
MESSAGES AND SIGNALS.   No. of Message... 
Prefix      SM      Code      DGPM     Words      39 
Recd.                                Sent, or sent out 
from       NZ                    At ..............................M. 
By           [[Sgt Lowen?]]                      .................................... 
                                            By   81 
Office Stamp.                   Returned ............ 
                                          at ..............................M. 
    
Service Instructions.  NZ 
Handed in at the      at 43 1635 M.  Received here at 1645 M. 
TO                  4th Austn Inf Bde 
Sender's          Day of          In reply            AAA 
Number           Month         to Number 
G 873                 31
54th 53 rd Division reports that owing
to transport difficulties the two
battalions 161 st Inf Bde may be
late arriving at 92 S 4 
tonight aaa Please warn the  
guides going out to get meet
aaa Is acknowledge 

BM 1051
guides already left
BM 1052  got in 
touch with guide 
FROM NZ ARC 
PLACE  1635
TIME [[Pte Reid?]]

N.Z. & A. DIVISION 
42 
[In connection with the operations
of this BRIGADE from the night of Aug
6/7 to the present date, I beg to
bring under notice the names of the 
following Officers & Other Ranks for 
devotion to duty and acts of
meritorious & conspicuous  
gallantry :- 
BDE HEADQUARTERS STAFF.     
CAPT. EASTWOOD, ADC.
[Capt Eastwood, Staff Captain, was      
detailed by me to lead & guide
the night advance of this BDE
into enemy territory, having 
at his disposal MAJOR
OVERTON and a small party of
Greek Guides. This was a
position of extreme danger
but it the duty was performed by
Capt Eastwood with great
coolness and with a display of
much resource in meeting
a succession of serious difficulties
which arose when 
the head of the column came
under enemy fire.  During
this advance the column
met with such opposition
2                                                 41
that the whole of the advance
gradually came to a standstill,
and Capt. Eastwood rendered
me invaluable assistance in
reorganising the advance & 
putting a fresh life impulse into it, which
led to the gaining of a large
additional amount of 
territory.
CAPT J.M. ROSE, N.Z. STAFF CORPS.
[During the operations on the
early morning of Aug 8 when
Three Battalions of this Bde
who made a reconnaissance
in force up ABDEL RAHMAN BAIR
were attacked by a xx superior
enemy force orders were
received that this force was
to be withdrawn behind our
defensive line. I detailed
Capt Rose with a Platoon
and a battery of four
machine guns to com- 
mand our rearguard, &
he carried out this work
with the greatest gallantry
and success, efficiently
covering the evactuation
of wounded & holding  
in check superior enemy

3                                                    40
numbers who were attempting
to interfere with our retirement,  
and finally withdrawing  
the rearguard to 
guns without loss.
CAPT. W.J.M. LOCKE, 13th BN. (temporarily attached
to Brigade Staff).
[This officer was detailed
xx by me to act as guide to the
column advancing up
ABDEL RAHMAN BAIR in the early
morning of Aug 8. He
made a preliminary 
reconnaissance of the first
position of the route the
night before, and at 3am
the next morning he successfully 
  
4                                            39
led the column on
the exact route ordered in the 
face of the enemy fire & when
further advance of the column  
was held up he
acted with great coolness
& resource, & the Commander 
of the leading Batt (15th)
reports most favourably upon
the assistance rendered to
him by Capt Locke at this
critical juncture.
13th BATTALION.
MAJOR S.C.E HERRING.
[On the night of Aug 6/7 Major
Herring was placed by the 
Battalion Commander in immediate

5  
control of the arrangements 
                                                   38
for protecting the head & flanks
of the leading (13th) Battalion.
The advanced guard came
under fire immediately on
entering the AGYHL DERE defile &
had to be supported and
reorganised re=inforced
before the advance could be
resumed. The dispersed
Companies & platoons had to
be reorganised.  The Batt
Commander reports in the
very highest terms of the 
work of Major Herring in
carrying out all these
arrangements under fire
and attributes much of the
success of the advance
of the Batt to its final 

6 
position where ordered, to
this officer's efforts.          37
CAPT. C.B. HOPKINS }
CAPT J.E. LEE              }
SEC. LT. J. ANNONI    } 
[These officers commanded
leadinggxxx
leading Companies & platoons
of the leading Battalion during
the night advance of Aug 6/7 & upon
them felt the burden of
clearing away the enemy
from the ridges which
dominated the line of
advance in the Eastern 
reaches of AGYHL DERE VALLEY.
They performed their work 
with skill, coolness & 
daring.

7  
NO 1124 PTE RR CHAPMAN.            36
[This soldier was a Batt
Signaller & on the morning
of Aug 8^th was made the
bearer of an important 
message from the C.O. of
13th Batt to the C.O. of 16th Batt.
On the way he was badly 
wounded & fell exhausted.  
He pulled
himself together & his
first thought was devotion  
to duty & the delivery  
of the message &
he succeeded in reaching
and attracting the attention
of an Officer to whom he
safely passed on the 
message to be trans-  
  
8
mitted further. He then
collapsed.                        35
- 15th BATTALION.- 
CAPT FRANK MORAN.
[On the night of Aug 6/7
the 13th & 14th Bns had been
detached in a northerly
direction on flank guard
duty. The 15th Bn became
the head of the advance &
Capt Moran was placed
in Command of the
advanced guard. He succeeded  
in putting great dash
and energy into the advance,
and his skilful handling
of his company greatly
facilitated the advance
of the main body. At
great personal risk he

9  
made several personal    34
reconaissances of positions along
his front which led to their
being successfully assaulted.
On the morning of Aug 8th
Capt Moran again led the
advanced guard & during 
this advance & while leading
his company in an assault
upon the enemy's machine
guns was dangerously
wounded.
CAPT JOHN HILL.
[This officer was second
in command to Capt
Moran & ably supported the 
latter's action as above
described on the night of
Aug 6/7. He supervised
the siting sighting siting & 
construction of fire 

10                                          33
trenches while under enemy
fire and while performing this
work was dangerously
wounded. 
NO 1410 PTE R. BARRETT.
[On the nights of Aug 6 & 7 
and again on Aug 7 and 8
this man showed great dash
and bravery & by his example
greatly assisted in maintaining
the offensive
movements of his company.
On Aug 10 during a heavy 
attack on our  fire trenches
by the enemy & while our 
trenches were congested with
dead & wounded (making
movement along them  
impossible), this man pursuant
to orders made several trips
across the open to the
rear under fire to bring

13                            30
found impossible to 
establish the latter's
identity.
NO 16 PTE A B FOSTER
[During the evacuation
of the wounded on the
morning of Aug 8 this man
under direction several
times went forward under
fire and carried wounded
officers & men to the
rear to places of safety.
NO 1887 PTE C. HOWLAND}
NO 1787 PTE G.V. BROWN  } 
[On Aug 13th these men
volunteered to make a 
reconnaissance in front of the 
defensive line held by the
16th Bn down a scrub covered
slope which was under
enemy fire. On their way 
back and at about 60 

14  
yds down the slope they    29
came across a Turk who
was slightly wounded & made 
him prisoner. As he was
xx unable to walk they
dragged him into our lines. 
They were out 1 1/2 hours 
altogether. As a feat of skill
in crawling through bush
and of physical strength
and courage in carrying
the wounded Turk back
over ground swept by
enemy machine gun
fire the action of these
men appealed to eye 
witnesses as an 
exceptionally exhibition of
cold-blooded courage.

11                                  32
up ammunition, & by his
example helped to restore the
confidence of the troops
holding that section of the
trenches under attack.
- 16th BATTALION. -
CAPT HEMMING.
This Officer (who was  
unfortunately first wounded &
later killed while a field
dressing was being applied)
is most favourably reported
upon by his Batt Commander 
for the gallantry work
done by him during the 
night of Aug 6/7. His
assistance in energetically
pressing forward the
advance in the face of
enemy fire was  
invaluable. 
  

12                                         31
A PRIVATE, name unknown.
[When the withdrawal of the
assaulting column on Aug 8
was ordered, orders were
given to evacuate the
wounded & to recover
as many as possible of the
wounded lying in our 
front. A private whose
identity has so far not
been established but who is known
to have had five bullet
wounds, went forward
& carried back LT BENPORATH 
who had been shot
in the leg to the nearest
place of safety.  Both the
officer and his rescuer have
been evacuated in 
hospital ships, and
it has so far been