Sir John Monash, Personal Files Book 12, 1 March - 29 April 1916, Part 4

4/3/16

Col. Rosenthal, Div. Arty 
thinks Artillery cannot 
cooperate as they will be 
located too far away.

JM

 Lewis Guns

To complete this file, the following will have 
to be typed:-

Appendix "A" 3 4 5 copies. [plus 1 extra see below*] i.e. 5 6 in all

Programmes of Training - 2 3 copies of each of the 2 pages

This will give 5 6 copies of each

being

1 for G.O.C.

1 for each Battalion

1 spare

II On completion, issue 1 copy to each Battalion. x

AUSTRALIAN

IMPERIAL FORCE

MAR 4 1916

4th Infantry Brigade.

Hd Qrtr 4^th Inf Bde

With the general idea I am quite
in accord -

The question is whether, with the present 
changes & chances of this transitory 
life, the scheme would be barely 
started when some fresh alternatives 
would make it abortive.

I presume that each officer would 
join or not as he desired.

I would suggest small beginnings 
increasing as funds & the 
trend of events warranted.

The success of the scheme would 
depend on the energy and 
ability of the committee.

4/3/15

G.C.E. Elliott

Lt Col

OCAC

4^th A.D

AUSTRALIAN

IMPERIAL FORCE

MAR 4 1916

4th Infantry Brigade

TEL EL KEBIR

4th. March 1916.

To. The G.O.C.

4th. Australian Infantry Brigade.

TEL EL KEBIR.

I am thoroughly in accord with your 
suggestion as to the formation of an Officers' Club 
and if the proposal is approved, will be pleased to 
send representatives to discuss the matter when you 
require them.

Yours faithfully,

J.W. Glasgow  Colonel.

Commanding 13th. Infantry Brigade.

4th AUSTRALIAN INFANTRY BRIGADE

HEADQUARTERS,

Tel-el-Kebir.

7th March, 1916.

Staff Paymaster, 

A.I.F.

Whilst fully recognizing the responsibility of this Brigade

to see that obligations incurred with tradesmen by its members are

duly paid, the circumstances of this case appear to me to place it

entirely outside the sphere of such responsibility.

The Fourth Brigade left for Gallipoli on April 11/15, leaving

behind a small base party which at once entirely passed out of my

jurisdiction. At the most there were only 4 or 5 Sergenats so left

behind, and of the other Sergeants involved in this matter, up to

the number of 30, nothing whatever is known, nor are they identifiabl

or capable of being located by any means at my disposal.

The adoption of the little "Quartermaster 4th Inf. Brigade" 

and "Sergeants Mess 4th Inf. Brigade" by the persons involved in 

the transaction was quite gratuitous, and no organization or
functionary properly so called existed. Whether all these 30 Sergts.
belonged to reinforcements of the Fourth Brigade, whether any or all 

of them subsequently joined the Brigade, and when, - whether they are 

now alive, or beyond the seas, or in Egypt or still with this Brigade 

it is now in the absence of data, not possible to determine. But it 

is quite clear that at the time this debt was incurred such men were
not under my jurisdiction, but under that of the Base Details Camp.

It seems however that the senior man of this party, Sgt. Major
Jeffreys, who is the person who actually entered into the contarct
with A.Kedamios is actually available, and is with the Cairo Town
Picquet, not with this Brigade; and heis beyond my reach for interrogation
as to the essential facts.

As I understand thes matter, the outstanding question is 

whether the Egyptian allowance of 6d. per day in respect of the 422
men days shewn in these papers, was ever paid to anybody by the
Pay Office. If paid to one or more of the members of the Base 

Details Camp, their names should be ascertainable in your office
records, and they should be held individually responsible for their
debts, if paid - possibly in error- to the Nile Cold Storage Company
(with whom this mess does not appear to have dealt) that Company should
surely make a refund; while if it is found that the allowance was 

never paid by the Pay Office, Mr. Kedamios' account appears to be a
just claim on Public funds to the extent of such allowance.

BRIG-)GENL.

Commdg. 4th Aust. Inf. Brigade.

File

W.J.MC

4th Bde

AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL FORCE 

MAR 8 1916

4th Infantry Brigade

SECRET.

INTELLIGENCE REPORT No. 482. ISMALIA. March 8th 1916.

Source of Intelligence.	INTELLIGENCE                                                         REMARKS.
C.S.O SUEZ 6.3.16.	From Arab Souces. Agents left Suez on 29th February and slept the night at Wadi el Rieina.  On March 2nd at Wadi el Thamar they met another agent who told them that there is a post at Henaik composed of 25 Arabs of Terrabin and Garagra.  During the day they hide in the hills from fear of aeroplanes and return to the post at night. (Note. Wadi el Thama a tributary of wadi Wardan, just off the map.) He also told them that at Ain Sudr there is a post of 30 Syrian soldiers with one Turkish Officer (Yuzbashi) but no camels nor horses. About 4 days ago an aeroplane dropped a bomb here and killed one solider. Now, when they hear an aeroplane coming the Officer hides in a hole in the ground and the soldiers take to the hills. They are stated to be short of food. At Baba near Gebel Rakina a post of some Arabs (number unknown). (Note. Wadi Baba is not far from Abu Zenima). On 3rd inst agents slept at a point betweon Ain el Dhirba and Fogeia, where they found Himeid Abu Rokba of Terrabin with Selim Abu Garar and Khamis Zidan of Gererat, all three of whom are employed by the Turks. These latter stated that an aeroplane visited Nekhl recently and killed 5 soldiers and one camel with bombs.  Agents slept with them ^& on the morning of the 4th were seized by above enemy agents who took them to Sudr post.  They slept near Sudr, but under cover of darkness one agent escaped and near SINN BISHER met Awad Mosleh (formerly employed by us, but since deserted) who told him that his brother, Oda Musleh met an English patrol close to Um Mitla composed of 4 cavalry men.  He fired at them, and afterwards found one sword and a cap, which he took to the Turkish Officer at Ain Sudr post.  - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
INTELLIGENCE OFFICE ISMAILIA 7.3.16.	The big reservoir at Nekhl which is reported by aeroplane on the 6th to be evidently full of water, measures 28 metres long by 14 metres wide by 41/2 metres high. Cubic capacity when full 1764 cubic metres- 388080 gallons. There are 2 other small reservoirs close to the north of the big one. The nearest is 10 metres square by 2½ m high. Cubic capacity 55,000 gallons. The 3rd one is very much out of repair one weall being broken down. It has about the same cubic capacity as No 2. These reservoirs date from the 17th century. They were built to provide water for pilgrims to Mecca; Nekhl being on the old pilgrim route from Egypt and the west, to the holy cities of Islam.  Of late years, pilgrims from Africa proceed   by   steam ship via Suez and Tor to Jedda and thence inland, consequently the tanks at Nekhl have been allowed to fall into disrepair but very little work was required to make the big cistern capable of holding water.  It was filled by water from the well inside the fort; water from this well being raised by sagia (Persian water wheel) and conducted along a channel under the walls of the fort to the reservoir. 15 day's (day & night) work by 4 mules, sent for the purpose from Egypt, were required to fill the big tank ready for the pilgrim season. To fill the 2 smaller tanks at Nekhl a further 15 day's work were necessary.

[*xxxxx*]
AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL FORCE

MAR 8 1916

4th Infantry Brigade.

CONFIDENTIAL.

No. 38.

INTELLIGENCE  SUMMARY.

8th March, 1916.

1. SITUATION IN TURKEY
2. CONDITION OF THE SERBIAN ARMY.
3. RUSSIAN ADVANCE IN THE CAUCASUS.
4. REPORT OF A GREEK PASSENGER WHO LEFT 

CONSTANTINOPLE ON Jan. 25th 1915.

Page 210.

1. SITUATION IN TURKEY.

The condition of affairs in Turkey daily go from bad to worse.  

In the capital itself, not only must the reported attempt on the 

life of Enver Pasha have given added impetus to the Anti-German
Party, but the formation of the "Provisioning Committee" under
TALAAT BEY and the frequent regulations of the Guilds Association,
show that all food supplies are becoming increasingly dear.  On the
22nd January, the Guilds Association published regulations under
which all stocks of sugar were to be reserved for infants, maximum
prices for meat fixed by law and butchers who try to get higher 
prices are to be court-martialled.  Latterly the price of meat had 

risen to as much as 17 piastres the oko, Rice 18 piastres, Bulghur
(crushed wheat) 15 piastres and cheese 45 piastres.  There is no
doubt that Germany is rigorously pursuing her policy of draining
Turkey of comostibles as she previously has done in Bulgaria and
Servia.  The sole imports to Turkey are Drugs and ammunitions while
millions of okes of meat, olive oil, mohair, cotton and wool daily 

leave the country.  The Government is vainly trying to remedy the
situation by requisitioning and an order has been given out that all
unbranded animals in the PERIA and SOUTARI districts are to be
immediately produced for branding.  At the same time the Ottoman
Navigation Co., a Government concern, is trying to attract food
supplies to Constantinople by declaring they are willing to transport
supplies of first necessity free of cost to Constantinople 

from the Marmora area.

Throughout the country means of travelling and communication
have become increasingly difficult.  Since Foby lst all passenger 

and goods traffic has been stopped both on the ANGORA - BAGHDAD 

and ADRIANOPLE - CONSTANTINOPLE Lines.  It is fortunate in the
extreme that villages are almost entirely self supporting and 

there is no doubt that in times like the present many of the 

necessities of life are privately hidden away for fear of 

requisition.

Page 211.

As regards the financial position the outlook is little 

better.  On Jan. 20th the Chamber passed a Bill increasing the
Military Budget for 1915-- 1916 by £T. 10,000,000 and on Jan. 

31st Parliament referred to Committee a Bill for making the 

advance to be paid from Germany one for £T 20 millions instead of
£T 6 millions.  In spite of the financing of food stuffs by 

munitions of war, these drains of gold from Germany to her Allies
must and are having a very great effect on the value of the mark 

in Neutral countries.  In Turkey also it was only lately that a 

Bill was sanctioned for the issuing of £T 6,000,000 of paper 

money and on Jan. 31st a Bill for a further £T 1,340,000 paper 

was put forward, so that there is no doubt there must be a 

greater burden of paper in Turkey than her stock of gold can
reasonably carry.

The difficulties of the Turkish military situation are obvious 

and must tax the minds of their German advisors to the utmost.  

The rush of troops to the east to help the routed army retiring 

from ERZERUM and BITLIS and the exodus of the Moslem population 

west from TREBIZOND, ERZINJAN, SAMSUN and SIVAS must cause great 

confusion along the roads.  At the latter place a fire is reported 

to have exploded a powder factory and to have burn much of the
town.  VON DER GOLTZ too is reported to have demanded 

reinforcements on the grounds that his rear was exposed.  Enver is
believed to have asked for further German troops for ASIA MINOR
and German troops are believed to have been sent through Constantinople
destined for the East.  The loss of moral of the Turks in 

ASIA MINOR is clearly indicated when a line of reorganisation is
stated to have been suggested as far back as SINOPE - ANGORA
- ADANA.

As regards the Egyptian Expedition, from German wireless 

taken yesterday, Enver was reported to be at JERUSALEM arraynging
for the Egyptian campaign.  This is probably a blind to counteract

Page 212.

the report of the attempt on his life and is in no way likely 

to give us more credence in reinforcements being sent south.

The Public in Constantinople are of opinion that the serving out of
smoked spectacles to the troops leaving the Capital by the ANATOLIAN 

Railway was merely to give the men the impression that the Egyptian 

Expedition was an actual fact, whereas in truth they were destined
for the Caucasus and the Authorities were anxious with regard to 

the attitude of the troops if it is become known.  There are no 

reports of any increase in the Divisions stationed in Syria from 

that reported in the Intelligence Summary of March 1st, except the
fact that men scaring the number 78 have been observed at EL ARISH 

in the last few days.  The 78th Regiment belonged to the 26th Div. 

of which there has been no previous indication in Southern Syria.

**********************************************************************

2. CONDITION OF THE SERBIAN ARMY.

An officer who was for a month associated with the Serbians 

after their arrival on the Albanian Coast has formed the 

following conclusions.

MORAL.

1. The fighting spirit of the troops remains high, and

the discipline is good.  This is the more remarkable when it 

it is remembered that the Serbian army retired 

through a country by no means friendly, in the depth of 

winter and were always expecting the Allies to come to their
assistance.  The Serbians for the first time in contact with 

German troops, had an almost superstitious fear of their 

power; added to this the whole Bulgarian army, keen to wipe 

out their defeat in the last Balkan war, attacked the Serbians
exposed flank with the utmost fury in spite of the assurances 

of the Entente Powers to the Serbian Government that this 

would be prevented.  These were considerations that might 

be though sufficient to destroy the moral of the most 

highly disciplined troops.