Sir John Monash, Personal Files Book 11, 31 January - 29 February 1916, Part 1

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CONFIDENTIAL
AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL FORCE
4 AB
JAN 31 1916
2466
4th Infantry Brigade.
Headquarters
Moascar Camp,
Ismailia.
31. 1. 1916

N.Z. & A. DIVISION/

I have to request that Major. J.C. Storey A.A.M.C.,
the R.M.O. of the 13th. Battalion may be transferred to other
duty. 
In preferring this request, I do not wish to reflect
upon this officer's discharge of his professional duties, either
as R.M.O. or as Brigade Sanitary Officer. But he appears to
have an entirely wrong conception of the proper attitude and
bearing towards senior officers, particularly his Commanding
Officer and myself. He has carried on his work in a manner
which has caused a great deal of irritation to both, and in
interviews which I have had with him in an attempt to obviate
a recurrence of these difficulties, his manner and tone have
been most objectionable, overbearing and insubordinate.
I feel that, in the interests of smooth working, a
change should be made at the first opportunity.

JM
BRIG-GENL.
Commdg. 4th. Aust. Inf. Bd 

For Lieut-Col. Herring.

Major Storey came up to me on Sunday morning and said:-
"Col. Herring, I want to speak to you"
I said "Yes"
He then said:-
" It is about the question of tents- You have no right to use
" E.P. tents for Officer's and Sergeant's Mess. I have an
" extract from a recent army order which states you are not
" not entitled to.- The men are overcrowded, there should be
" only 8 in a bell tent".
" I want to do the right thing- If you will meet me amiably,
" well and good.- If not, I will report you to the A.D.M.S."
"I am acting on good information.- I will lend it to you, if
" you promise to return it".
" Let me know in a reasonable time what you intend to do."
 

43
Moascar Camp
Jany 31/16
My dear General.

Referring to our conversation of today, about awards
for meritorious service, undernoted is a list of officers who
have not yet received any award, & who are, in my judgement,
the most worthy among those recommended & not so
far rewarded:- If required, I can supply references to the
recommendations in any individual case:-
Brigade Staff  LtCol. J.P. McGlinn V.D.
                            Capt. W.J.M. Locke.
13^th Battalion  Capt. W.A. Forsythe
                             Capt H.C. Ford
                             Major (Temp. Lt Col.) S.C.E. Herring)
14^th Battalion  Major (Temp. Lt Col) C.M. Dare
                             Capt G. Loughran A.A.M.C.
15^th Battalion  Lieut. E.M. Little (blinded)
                             Capt. B. Sampson
16^th Battalion  Capt. R.S. McGregor A.A.M.C.
                             Major E.L Margolin
                             Capt. P. Black
                             Lieut. S.H. Adams.
Yours sincerely
John Monash
Major Genl. Sir A.H.Russell }

Copy/
4ab/2438
Headquarters,
Moascar Camp,
Ismailia.
31. 1. 1916
Confidential

O.C.
13th. Battalion

The functions of Major Storey, whether in his Capacity
of R.M.O. or as Brigade Sanitary Officer are advisory only, and
he has no executive authority. Having represented to you his
opinion in favor of more tent accommodation, he had no right to
proceed to criticise to you, as his Commanding Officer, you
allocation of available tents, or to cite to you, against your
action, an Army Corps Order, which he (wrongly) imagined was being
departed from. His doing so, and his attempt to call you to
account, is subversive of discipline and is an impertinence. I
so informed Major Storey when you paraded him before me.
 BRIG-GENL.
Commdg. 4th. Aust. Inf. Bde. 

4.
The Mediterranean Creed.
2 Feby/16

Whosoever would be decorated; before all things it is necessary
that he hold the Mediterranean faith.
Which faith, except everyone do keep whole & undefiled
Without doubt he shall be Stellenbosched everlasting
And the Mediterranean Faith is this: that we worship one
G.O.C. in Trinity, & Trinity in Unity
For there is one General in Egypt, another of the M.E.F. and another
of the Levant Base
So [[?enise]] is Egypt Almighty, the M.E.F. Almighty & the
Levant Base Almighty
And yet there are not three Almighties, but one Almighty
So Maxwell in G.O.C., & Murray is G.O.C. and Altham
is G.O.C.
And yet there are not three G.O.C's but one G.O.C.
For like as we are compelled by the Regulations to acknowledge
every General by himself to be G.O.C. & boss
So we are forbidden by the Regulations to say that there 
be three G.O.C's or three bosses.
Egypt is made of none; but separate & misbegotten
The M.E.F. is of the sea alone; not ashore, but separate
& misbegotten.
And in this trinity none is afore or after; none is greater
or less than the other.
But the whole three Generals are quarrelling together
and quibbling
So that in all things as aforesaid the Unity in Trinity,
& the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped
He therefore that would be decorated must believe
in the Trinity
Furthermore it is necessary to everlasting promotion
that we believe & confess that Murray is G.O.C.
Equal to Maxwell, as touching his troops, but inferior
to Maxwell in touching his administration
He being one altogether, not alone by confusion of

Generals, but by complexity of commands.

5

And we suffered for this reorganisation; for Murray
descended into Alexandria, rose again the second
day, & his brain was disordered
He ascended into Cairo, & sitteth on Maxwell, G.O.C.
Almighty, whence he shall come to take the troops
the quick & the dead
At whose coming all man shall rise again with their
brevets, & shall proceed to damn each other
And they that have done this well shall go into the Honors
list everlasting, and they that have done evil, into
everlasting retirement
For this is the Mediterranean Faith; which except a
man believe faithfully he cannot be promoted
Glory be to Egypt, to M.E.F. and to Levant Base
As it was in the beginning is now & ever shall be
Chaos without end, Amen 

THE MEDITERRANEAN CREED  

Whosoever would be decorated; before all things it is necessary
that he hold the Mediterranean Faith.
Which faith, except everyone do keep whole & undefiled
Without doubt he shall be Stellenbosched everlasting
And the Mediterranean Faith is this: that we worship one
G. O. C. in Trinity, and Trinity in Unity.
For there is one General in Egypt, another of the M.E.F.
and another of the Levant Base
So likewise is Egypt Almighty, the M.E.F. Almighty and the
Levant Base Almighty
And yet there are not three Almighties, but one Almighty
So Maxwell in G.O.C. and Murray is G.O.C. and Altham
is G.O.C.
And yet there are not three G.O.C's but one G.O.C.
For like as we are compelled by the Regulations to acknowledge
every General by himself to be G.O.C. and boss
So we are forbidden by the Regulations to say that there be 

three G.O.C's or three bosses.
Egypt is made of none; but separate and misbegotten
The M.E.F. is of the sea alone; not ashore. but separate
and misbegotten.
And in this Trinity none is afore or after; none is greater
or less than the other
But the whole three Generals are quarrelling together
and quibbling
So that in all things as aforesaid the Unity in Trinity,
and the Trinity in Unity is to be worshipped
He therefore that would be decorated must believe
in the Trinity 

Furthermore it is necessary to everlasting promotion
that we believe and confess that Murray is G.O.C.
Equal to Maxwell as touching his troops, but inferior
to Maxwell in touching his administration
He being one altogether, not alone by confusion of
Generals, but by complexity of commands
And we suffered for this reorganisation; for Murray
descended into Alexandria, rose again the second
day, and his brain was disordered
He ascended into Cairo, and sitteth on Maxwell, G.O.C.
Almighty, whenever he shall come to take the troops
the quick and the dead
At whose coming all man shall rise again with their brevets,
and shall proceed to damn each other
And they that have done this will shall go into the Honors
List everlasting, and they that have done evil, into
everlasting retirement
For This is the Mediterranean Faith; which except a man
believe faith-fully he cannot be promoted
Glory be to Egypt, to M.E.F. and to Levant Base
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be
Chaos without end, 
AMEN.

Fr.    No.79/4/2

THE AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL FORCE HEADQUARTERS.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
 4124
1st February  6
 

Lieut-Colonel J.P. McGlinn, V.D.
4th Infantry Brigade,
A.I.F.

I forward herewith for your information
copies of correspondence from Mr. G.C.Delaney of Reuter's
Telegram Company Limited, Cairo, regarding delay in
delivery of a cablegram addressed to General Monash,
Fouraib, Cairo.
It will be seen that every endeavour was
made in this Office in the case under question, and the
usual action was taken with a view to the delivery of the
cablegram direct to General Monash at the last known
address.
 BG
Colonel,
Commandant,
The Australian Imperial Force Headquarters. 

AUSTRALIAN 

IMPERIAL FORCE
4 AB
FEB 1 1916
2416
4th Infantry Brigade.
NEW ZEALAND AND AUSTRALIAN DIVISION.
Copy No. 7
Divisional Operation Order No.1 (Training).
MOASCAR, ISMAILIA.
Ref: Map 1:100,000
Sheet ISMAILIA.
1st February, 1916.

1. INFORMATION.
Aeroplane reconnaissance indicates that the enemy is
massing troops on the ABBASSIYEH Canal from the direction
of EL FERDAN. An enemy deserter reports that the enemy
is about to attack ISMAILIA in force from the North.

2. INTENTION.
The N.Z. & A. Division (less Artillery and Engineer
Field Coys.) will move out in a North Westerly direction
tomorrow morning with a view to attacking the enemy should
opportunity offer. The operation is being covered by
the Otago Mounted Rifles Regt. (imaginary).

3. ORDER OF MARCH.
Div. H.Q.         8.30 a.m.  ) Troops in order of march as per
N.Z.Inf. Bde.  8.30 a.m.  ) margin will pass the West Level
4th A.I Bde.   9.30 a.m.  ) Crossing over the Cairo Ismailia
N.Z.Rifle Bde.                     Railway Line.  
N.Z. Rifle Bde. 10.20 a.m. (joins column direct from Camp.
Ambulances (Bearer Subdivisions only)  10.35 A_M.

4. TRAIN TRANSPORT.
Train transport will remain in Camp.

5. REPORTS.
Reports to Head of Columns.

N.N. Purnell
Lieut-Colonel,
General Staff,
N.Z. & A. Division.
------------------------
Issued as under at
War Diary   Copy No. 1
Records                        2 & 3
C.R.A.                             4
C.R.E.                              5
N.Z.Inf. Bde.                  6
4th A.L. Bde.                 7 ✓
N.Z.RB.                           8
Signals                           9
Div.Train                         10
Admin. Staff                  11 & 12
A.D.C. for G.O.C.            13.