Sir John Monash, Personal Files Book 9, 29 August - 1 September 1915, Part 7

31
Captain Frank Moran
15^th Battalion.

On the night 6^th/7^th August was in
command of the advanced guard
company and acting on my instructions
he put great dash & energy into the
advance and which resulted in surprising
the enemy and facilitated the advance of
the main body. At great personal risk
he made personal reconnaissances
of positions on his front which
resulted in their being successfully
assaulted.
On the night 7/8^th August was again
in command of the advanced guard
and showed great courage and daring 
in directing the advance of the column
and in the subsequent assault of the
position.
He was dangerously wounded when
directing his company to the assault
Witnesses   {   Jas H Cannan Lt Col
                       {   T P McSharry Capt & Adj
78

30
Capt John Hill
15^th Bn.

On the night 6^th/7^th August this
officer as 2^nd in Command of the
advance guard, most ably and
energetically assisted Capt Moran
in leading and organizing successive
assaults over most difficult country
This officer was the first to
make good with his party the
continuation to the right of the
line held by the 13^th & 14^th Battalions.
Subsequently in supervising the
siting and construction of the
fire trenches he was dangerously
shot thro wounded
Witnesses { Jas H Cannan Lt Col
                     { T P McSharry Capt 
                         Adjt 15^th Bn
80

29
Captain J.F.G. Luther
Medical Officer 15 B'n (attached)

This officer on the night of 6/7^th
August was himself in close touch
with the head of the column and gave
immediate attention to casualties, the
country throughout the advance was
difficult and dangerous and his
actions throughout the night were
marked by exceptional energy and
daring.
On the night of 7^th/8^th he
followed the advance and established
a dressing station behind a small
spur just in rear of 14^th between
the positions occupied by the 14^th & 16^th Bn's
from which position at very great 
personal risk he supervised the
evacuation of the wounded after
which he also assisted in collecting
arms & equipment.
Witnesses   {   Jas H Cannan Lt Col
                       {    T P McSharry Capt
82

28
Lt W. T. Mundell A Coy.

On the night of 6^th/7^th had
charge of a party which assaulted
on the right flank of the advance
and cleared position which left
our forward advance unmolested
from that flank.
On the morning of the 8^th August
this officer led a charge & kept his
man in hand under very heavy fire
this officer requiring further support
found that no connection had been
maintained by the supporting troops
and under heavy fire went back
collected reinforcements and led
them to support of his party.
Sgt. J. A. Farry
Witnesses    {  D M^acLeod
                        {  T P McSharry Capt
84

27
N^o 19
Q.M.S. R.B. M^cIntosh

This N.C.O. firstly as
Armourer Sergeant and then as
Quarter Master Sergeant has at all
times shown the greatest devotion & 
untiring energy to his duties and
during the few days prior to leaving
Reserve Gully on the recent offensive
movement, his efforts in re-equipping
Battalion called for the highest praise.
On the night 6/7^th I personally
saw him collect a party of 20
men who had entered a cul-de-sac
and guide them around on to
a ridge occupied by enemy
and led his party to the assault
& captured the position.
Witness     Jas H Cannan Lt Col
                    T P McSharry Capt

86

26
N^o. 321
Sergeant. A Mitchell
Signalling Section

This N.C.O. has shown
continuous devotion to duty
and since my signalling officer
was wounded on 6/7^th August
he has been responsible for
communication throughout the
battalion and has performed the
duty with great credit and
marked ability, and on the night
6/7^th and 7/8^th August he was 
responsible for getting his signallers
in hand and on critical
occasions when line was hard
pressed and supporting & assaulting
positions with signallers and detached
troops in vicinity.
Witnesses   {   Jas H Cannan Lt Col
                       {   T P McSharry Capt
88

25
N^o. 1064. Pte E Moles
         480.    "   G Proctor

These two members are stretcher
Bearers and after having brought
in all the wounded in vicinity 
of our dressing station assisted
by our other stretcher bearers.
While on this duty they
noticed four boxes of Machine
Gun Belts about 400 yds in
front of our First aid post which
was close to where our Machine
Guns were in action and
on. Hearing that the fifteenth &
sixteenth guns required ammunition
these two men went forward
under Shrapnel Machine Gun or 
Rifle fire and returned with the 
four boxes of belt ammunition
and handed some to Machine Gun
Sections.  Witnesses  {Guy Luther Capt AAMC
                                         {A L Langborne Sgt MGS
90

24
N^o. 1154 Private J Hynes

This member on the morning
of the 8^th when the retirement had
been ordered, dressed his Sergeant-Major
who was dangerously wounded
and carried him out of danger
under heavy fire, being himself
in an exhausted condition
when he reached the first aid
post.

Witnesses  { Guy Luther Capt AAMC
                      { T Lamb Cpl
92

23
1410 Private R Barrett

This man on the night 6/7^th August
and 7/8 August by his example
of dash & bravery gave such
confidence to troops in his vicinity
which greatly assisted in the
offensive movements.
Again on the evening of
the 10^th August when Turks were
attacking portion of 13^th B'n
position in which some members
of this B'n assisted to repel attack
Lieutenant Mundell of this Battalion
called for a volunteer to bring
ammunition which at u
The trench was thickly 
held and congested with dead & wounded 
and there was no communication
trench then completed to that portion
of line . This member without
94

22
hesitation jumped out of trench
and ran down to Reserve Gully and
safely carried back two bags
of ammunition into the firing
line, the journey to and from
being for the greater part through
heavy rifle & machine Gun
Fire.
Witnesses   {   Jas H Cannan Lt Col
                       {    M T Mundell Lieut
96