Sir John Monash, Personal Files Book 10, 12 November - 18 November 1915, Part 1

"A" Form.   Army Form C. 2121.
MESSAGES AND SIGNALS.   No. of Message
Prefix   Code   m.
Office of Origin and Service Instructions.
Words. Charge
Sent
At   m.
To 
By 
This message is on a/c of:
Service.
(Signature of "Franking Office.")
Recd. at     m.
Date   67
From
By
TO  G.OC. 4th Brigade
 *  Senders Number.     Day of Month.   In reply to Number     AAA
QA 390                                12^th
No1 Sub-section Night of 12/13th. Nov.
/I/  Information ~ (a) 16^th B^N patrolling in direction of
HACKNEY WICK

(b) Canterbury B^N patrolling in direction
of FARM.
(c) Working Parties in front of 16th B^N.
/II/ Intention – (a) 14^th B^N to patrol southern tranch
of AGHYL DERE from 2000 to 2400.
(b)Wire-fixing and scrub-cutting
will be resumed in front of both 13^th and
14^th B^NS.
/III/  Bde Order N^o311 para 1, sub-para 1 (b)
has been complied with
From    N^o 1. Sub-Section (Dunants Post)
Place   
Time   1745
[* Lieut Colonel

BROGADE MAJOR 4th INF. BRDIGE

AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL FORCE

13 NOV 1915

JM*]
 DMarks   Capt.
The above may be forwarded as now corrected  (Z)
*This line should be erased if not required.
 

"A" Form.   Army Form C. 2121.
MESSAGES AND SIGNALS.   No. of Message
Prefix   Code   m.
Office of Origin and Service Instructions.
Words. Charge
Sent
At   m.
To 
 By  VIII
 This message is on a/c of:
Service.
(Signature of "Franking Office.")
Recd. at     m.
Date    39
From
By
TO   OC 12th Bn firing line
*  Senders Number.     Day of Month.   In reply to Number     AAA
                                            12-11-15

Please note and inform all

ranks and pass on AAA

Password tonight -NORTHLAND

(A) Patrol of 3 men from 16^th Bn patrolling

along AGHYL DERE behind BECK'S

BLUFF each evening from 1830

to 2030 AAA

(B) A wire fixing party of 6 men

will be working in front of 16^th Bn

lines from 1830 to 2400 tonight
(C) Detail 1 NCO and two men to

proceed along AGHYL DERE in front
of BECKS BLUFF and act as
listeners from 1900 - 2400
(d) Scrub cutting and wire fixing in

front of our lines will be resumed

(e) Canterbury Bn sending out patrol from

2000 - 0100.

(f) 13^th Bn & 16^th Bn have been notified.
Time 1800                                                                                                                                      
S Hansen Lieut
A/adj 14Bn                            
 

Anzac, Beauchop's Hill

Nov 12/15

My dear Steward,                     (Copy)                                                
It takes a longtime, with our limited leisure, to get around ∧ with ∧ letter writing to all
one friends, even our most intimate ones, & so it has come about that it is
a longer time than I care to remember since I have been able to drop you a
line to let you know ^that I am well & still going strong. In this respect I have
put up something of a record, as there is no other commander - (Divisional
or Brigade) - who has hung on ^continuously since the first landing, without casualty or
prisoners ^ even for a days - I am very proud of the Fourth Brigade, which has responded
most gallantly to every call, & whose offensive operations have met with continuous success. 
- As an index of this, our record of ^ honors & rewards far exceeds that of
any other Australian or New Zealand Brigade, - & comprises, to date
one V.C., five C.B, one C.M.G, 2 D.S.O, 4 Military Cross, & upwards
of 20 D.C.M. - One of my Colleagues ^ in this Division - Russel - (who commands the
N.Z. Mounted Rifles) - has received the honor of Knighthood (K.C.M.G) altho'
it is a little difficult to know understand the basis of the discrimination in his favor,
seeing that he is junior to many of us, has a unit is only half in numbers of an
Infantry Brigade, &  did not take part in the first landing, & has done nothing
specially conspicuous in comparison with several of the Australian Brigades.
While one doesn't begrudge a colleague his good fortune, it suggests one
cannot help a revival of the feeling, which several previous incidents have
tended to confirm, that it is more advantageous to be a New Zealander, or
Australian Canadian than ^to be and Australian. - You doubtless know remember how long the grant
of ^their proper rank to Australian Brigadiers was withheld - much to the disadvantage 
of their Commanders troops under them; it was understood, ^here that the chief obstacles 

existed in Australia. - The fortune of war has made a clean sweep of
senior officers - with poor Bridges & M^c Laurin in their graves, M^cCay invalided home
& M^cLagan sent to England broken in health; so I find myself (next to Legge)xxx the
senior Australian Brigade Commander officer of the A.I.F in ^Gallipoli  the whole Army Corps, which ^I am 
involve a good deal of added responsibility. -
afraid we shall be stuck here for the winter, as there is no definite assurance
of the men, guns & ammunition needed to put this job through quickly. I
a inclined to fear the wet & stormy winter weather, as a ^far worse enemy than
the Turk - as it will affect health, & communications & supply, - However
we shall have to see it through to the end. -

I suppose the dear old Club is pretty well dead. I often wonder how Teddy Otter is.

Give my kindest regards to all members of the club who may enquire ^& particularly to Col. Hall. -Trusting
that all is well with you & with sincere regards
Yours ever
J.M.
 

"C" Form. (Original.)  Army Form C.2123
MESSAGES AND SIGNALS. No. of Message
Prefix SM   Code F Ham 37    Words
Recd
From  078ONZ
By  GS
Sent, or sent out
At   m.
To
By
Office Stamp.
31
918
₤  s.  d.
Charges to collect
Service Instructions. 
Handed in at the    zpb  Office at     m.    Received here at  0750 m.
To  4th Aust Bde

Sender's Number          Day of MontIn reply to Number                AAA

Bn 459                              13th    
Very quiet by day &

night aaa enemy are

pushing on very hard

with approach to Hackney

Wick aaa  addressed 54

Divn repeated 161 & 4 Aust.

Brigades

No 1   2  Sub Batn
NZA A Div

BM 1565

1565
[* S.C. instructed by
Brigade to following
JP McG

13 *]

FROM    162 ^nd Bde
0656 

JM

C.M. Form A.39.
"A" Form.   Army Form C. 2121.
MESSAGES AND SIGNALS.   No. of Message
Prefix   Code   m.
Office of Origin and Service Instructions.
Words. Charge
Sent
At   m.
To 
By 
This message is on a/c of:
Service.
(Signature of "Franking Office.")
Recd. at     m.
Date   66
From
By
TO   PARKER N.P.         H.C Parker

         TUCKER BDE       C.Tucker Lt

          ADJT.
*  Senders Number.     Day of Month.   In reply to Number     AAA
N12/5
Patrol three men will leave west

Side BECKS at 1830 proceeding

up DERE by side HACKNEY

WICK returning 2100 aaa this

patrol supplied by BECKS aaa

Patrol one nco three men

will leave BARRICADE 1830 TO

investigate tunnel front of DURRANTS

returning about 2100 aaa Password

as supplied by  one aaa

Please take necessary action aaa

Wirefixing party operating front 16^th

lines from 1830 till 2400

aaa please acknowledge aaa

[* 
BRIGADE MAJOR 4TH INF BRIGADE
AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL FORCE
13 NOV 1915*]

From IMLAY                                              
Place                         

Time 1705                         

Capt [[Harwantonot??]]
R [[Manvower??]]
Capt
RW Orr  ²/Lt
1815

VII  Xunants Post     58
13:12.1915

From: - Capt. Fuhmann
To: - C.0. 14^th Battn
I have to report that
on the night of the 12th/13th I was on
trench duty during the hours between
2000 and 2400, and respectfully
draw your attention to number and
nature of verbal messages I received.
Messages were received
by me from Battns on both our
flanks, delivered by a private and
in two cases the messenger did
not know from where he had been
sent.
Another point was the
uncertainty in the minds of the men's
as to how many parties of our
own men were in front of the
 

37
Trenches, this was brought about
by these messengers from other Battns
not only repeating their messages to
the OC. Trench but in one case
influencing a number of men in
our Trench during his search for
me, what the nature of his business
was and in consequence left a
doubt in the minds of some of
our observers.
It was reported by
several observers that they had
heard digging, they sound of which
appeared to come from the Dere,
this was however not confirmed
by our Listening Patrol which returned
at 2410 and whose return and
report (which was nil) was
furnished to me at 2425
JW Fuhmann
Capt
 

VI    2 Durrants Post      36
13-11-15

From :- 2/Lieut RW Orr
To:-  C.O.  14^th Battalion
I have to report that
I was on trench duty during the
hours of 1600 - 2000 on 12/11/15.
A verbal message was passed
along from the 16^th Battalion to
myself, as follows:-
1. N.CO. 3 men going out as a patrol
to investigate tunnel,
also
party of men leaving Barricade.
wire fixing in front of 16^th lines
as no Officers name was sent with the
above, I sent my N.C.O back to the
16^th lines to enquire from whom the
messages originated, and received
word back that they came from
 

35

Lieut Tucker. This time I received the
above mentioned messages was 1745
but no pass word accompanied them.
I was then advised officially of
the order from 14^th Battln Office at
1815.
On reading orders, I immediately
detailed 1. N.C.O & 2 men to proceed
along Aghyl Dere in front of Becks
Bluff. leaving Barricade at 1900 and
to return 2400. Furthermore, I forwarded
a verbal message to Lieut. Turker of
the 16^th Battle to this effect, in case
he had not been advised officially
in time.
My next verbal messages from the
16^th Battln, were as follows:-
(1) Party of Turks advancing down gully
am directing fire of two machine
 

34
guns on them                                                                    
(2) Patrol from 16^th Battln not sent out
will advise latter.
At the point various messages
all different, were coming in from
my right & left flank.
I immediately, under the circumstances
took no notice of the alteration made
by these verbal messages, and instantly
issued instruction to my firing line
that if anybody advanced near
their post, they were to challenge
and if not answered by the password 
"Northland" to fire.
During my tour of duty I did
not send any verbal messages
(except re listening patrol) to. the
16^th Battln, as I was fully aware
 

that my Battalion Order stated that
the 13^th & 16^th Battalion had been
duly notified.                   33                                     
RW Orr 2/Lieut
 

4AB / 898 

Brigade Headquarters
November 13th 1915

To C.C                         68

N^o 2 Sub.Section

With reference to the intimation

received from you last evening that certain

patrols and working parties were to be sent

out and your subsequent application to

cancel the sending out of certain details

and substitution of others, I desire that

B.O. 311 Para 1 in future ^ be strictly complied

with, in that, not any arrangements are 

to be made by subordinate officers to

send out patrols or working parties without
first receiving your approval of

such action.

The intention to send out patrols 

or parties should be notified as

directed in Sub Paragraph 1^B of the 

order above referred to as early as

possible, so that ample time may be

given to warn all concerned.

Please make the foregoing

absolutely clear to all officers

under your command, note and

return to me.

John Monash Brigadier General

Commanding 4^th Aust Inf. Brigade

Encl 5                             13-11-15