Sir John Monash, Personal Files Book 12, 3 April - 30 April 1916, Part 4

Swimming Carnival

Wednesday, 12^th April 1916

To start at 1330

Location: 300 yards North of 16th 
Battalion Headquarters

Events.

1.    Championship Relay Race:     13th & 16th Bns.
2.    Officers' Relay Race.                4 officers from Each unit
3.    Breast Stroke. 100 yards:         3 men from Each unit
4.    100 yards Championship.        3 men from Each unit
5.    Diving Championship               3    "         "          "        "
          (1) Standing Dive
          (2) Running     "
          (3) Fancy          
6.    Breast & Back 100 yards.               3    "         "          "        "
           (50 yards Breast Stroke & 50 yards on back with
           hands folded)
7.    440 yards                                          5   men per unit
8.    Hunt the Bellman.                            5       "      "        "
9.    Duck Race.                                        Open
10.    Officers' Challenge Race.
 

Starter.	Lt. A. Williamson	14th Bn.
Judges.	Lt N. McGhie	15th  "
	Capt R.C. Winn	14th  "
Referee	Capt Henderson	13th  "
Judge of Diving:	Capt Henderson.	13th  "
Stewards:	R. S. M's
Water Police:	Lt. Williamson to arrange

Units:

B.H.Q & Machine Gunners

13^th, 14^th 15^th & 16^th Bns.

4^th Field Ambulance

Prize Distribution.

No.       EGYPTIAN STATE TELEGRAPHS    E.S/R.-155-14
Form No. G. 13.
Orig'l No.
15.

 rds
8 PT
Time
Remarks
Route
Station 
Date
13-4-16
Sent to
At
By
CHARGES.
To: Continental Hotel

                     Cairo

Please reserve bedroom near bathroom
arriving Friday remaining several
days

General Monash

Not for transmission.        Cette partoe 'est pas ă transmettre           

I beg that the above telegram may be forwarded according to the conditions printed hereon.}

Signature ELSimonson Address 4 Bde. HQ AIF

The Telegraph Dept. declines responsibility for delay, errors, non-deliveries, etc.

14/4/16

All Individual Officers on arrival in
Cairo will, with the least possible delay,
report themselves at Head Quarters, Savoy
Hotel, entering their names and filling in
all particulars in the Special Register there.

Warrant Officers, N.C.O.s, & Men, at the
Office of the Assistant Provost Marshal, Military
Police Barracks, Bab el Hadid.

W. AINSWORTH, MAJOR,

Assistant Adjutant General,

Force in Egypt.

[*Y 5*]

Cairo, 21st January 1916

[*Confidential*]

[*C/144*]

Headquarters,

4th. Australian Division.

15th. April 1916.

G.O.C.

4th Inf. Brigade.

The G.O.C. wishes to convey the following remarks
on the 13^th Battalion, for your information and the necessary
action.

1. Out of 5 or 6 men taken at random by him from the ranks not
   one had an intelligent knowledge of the badges worn by the
   Staff of the Army and one or two did not know what Brigade
   or Division they were in.
2. The Battalion was doing a march covered by an Advance guard;
   the Advance guard was in formation quite unsuited to the
   country.
3. The Battalion when halted stood on the middle of the road
   instead of moving off the road instantly (in formation) and
   breaking off after. It again fell in on the road instead
   of falling in off the side of it and marching onto the
   road when ready.
4. The Officer Commanding when told by the G.O.C. that he should
   practise the above (3) at once, replied to the effect that
   doing so would disturb and upset his Advance guard. It is
   exactly doing the unexpected that tests the alertness of an
   Advance guard and it should be constantly tested in this
   and every other way that is possible.
5. The C.O.G. asked the O.C. what his whistle signal was. He
   replied "A long and short blast". The nearest Company
   Commander was called up and asked what the O.C's signal
   whistle was. He replied he did not know! He was then asked
   what his own was. He replied "A long and short blast"! He
   was then asked how he or his Platoon Commanders signified
   that they had heard a whistle signal. He did not know.

The G.O.C. desires me to add that almost all the above
points have been the subjects of special Circulars, and in
several cases these Circulars have been drawn attention to a
second time, and I am to add that if orders are not carried out
and unless a very prompt improvement is shown in the methods
of Instruction in this Battalion it will be his duty to report

unfavourably on the O.C. and to suggest his replacement by some
one else who will carry out orders more thoroughly and promptly.

I am to request that you will acknowledge this memo; and
report that it has been communicated by you and fully explained
to the O.C.

I am to add that the G.O.C. will take an early opportunity
of again seeing the Battalion. The additional copies are
to be forwarded to the C.Os of other battalions.

J H Cannon

Lieut-Colonel.

G.S. 4th. Australian Division.

John

Butter Scotch Socks	from Doris
Mittens	"    Mat R.
Fly Net Tin Sweets	" Bell
Walnuts Air Pillow Sponge 2 silk Shirts Pipe Lighter 3 Tins Tobacco Raisins Tin Sweets Zambuc	" Mum & Bert
N.B.	The toothbrushes are for Eric & Paul from Auntie Bell
Hdfs.	" Sai
Biscuits	" Tante
Socks Poems Helmet  Pipe Pamphlet Notebook	" Jnatn

Eric & Paul

Each
Socks Butterscotch	from Doris
Flynet Toothbrush Pipe Lighter 2 Tins Sweets Cigarettes Washers	" Auntie Bell
Zambuc	Auntie Vic

NOTICE. Passengers are requested to place this
counterfoil in the Control Box provided 
in each car, mentioning any complaints on the back, or
communicate direct with H. W. Tite, Manager for 
Egypt of the International Sleeping Car Co. Cairo
Station, who will carefully investigate every case
brought to his knowledge and reply when the name
and address are given.

I SĔRIE A

International Sleeping Car Company (Egyptian Services) 39009

Service  from        to   N^o

	Tea or Coffee with bread and butter Thě ou Cafě avec pain et beurre
	Meat Breakfast
	Lunch (without wine) Dějeuner (sans vin)
1	Dinner (without wine) Dĭner (sans vin)	37	√
1	Cof	1
1	round	10	√
	Date....................................................TOTAL	47

£ . 1 = PT. 100. - £ 1 = PT. 97. 50. - Fr. 20 = PT. 77.

Only Egyptian Silver accepted. - La menue monnaie ěgyptienne seule est acceptěe.

BRUSSELS AND MADRID

PALACE HOTEL

800 ROOMS, EVERY ONE WITH BATH-ROOM,

FROM Frcs 7.50

___________________________________________________________

Passengers are respectfully requested to see that a bill is made out in their
presence for every amount however small, and to see that the above total
corresponds with the total shown on the red control coupon below, which
should only be detached in their presence when the amount is paid.

THE GEORGE NUNGOVICH EGYPTIAN HOTELS COMPANY

A. WILD, General Manager.

Drawing/Map - see original document

Grand Continental Hotel

PYRAMIDS                         HELOUAN                                     ALEXANDRIA

MENA HOUSE            HOTEL DES BAINS                  HOTEL CASINO SAN STEFANO

                                  GRAND HOTEL HELOUA                          (SEASIDE)                                                     CAIRO, EGYPT

                                   BATH ESTABLISHMENT

M Brig. General Monash N^o. 45

1916

                                                                                      L.E          TOTAL
Ovril     14                                                Pension      60
                       1 Beaune ³⁰ 1 B/White Label ³⁰       60 ___         120
   "          15                                                        "            60
                        2 Lunchs Trivites                                40
                        1 Beaune ³⁰ 2 Pilsens ¹⁶                    46
                        1 Lemonade ³ 1 Lemonsy ⁵              08 ___         154
   "          16                                                      "              60
                         1 Beaune 30 ½Pilsen 5                     35
                         1 P. Beer                                                03 ___          98
                          1 shandy Gaff                                      2014         2014
                                                                                                           ______
                                                                                                              392
                                                                                           JP              386
                                                                      
GEORGE NUNGOVICH HOTELS Co.

Cairo, 17 APR 1916

5540

Received from M Gen Monash

E.L. 3 860 

Cashier.

 

Grand Continental Hotel Cairo

 

Copy/-

Confidential.
Headquarters
4th. Aust. Division.
Explanation of C.O. 13th. Battalion submitted. I should like
to add that I feel sure that the G.O.C. may safely take it for granted that in
so far as the units of this Brigade are found to fall short, in any particular,
of the high standards to which we all aspire, this is not due to either to want of
will, orwant of effort on the part of senior officers concerned. While
I fully recognise that the present condition of efficiencyx of the Units of
this Brigade leaves very much to be desired, I am also not unmindful of the
exceptional difficulties with which senior officers have been confronted by
a constantly changing personnel and an attempt to carry on simultaneously,
and in a very brief period, the reorganisation of personnel (particularly
officers and N.C.O's)- the re-equipment and training of both elementary and
advanced. While I do not on that account, relax the call upon all for the
utmost effort, I have found it necessary to exercise both patience and sympathy 
in order to maintain a spirit of enthusiasm among my senior officers.
18.4.1916.

Copy/   Q.A. 626
From   C.O.   13th. Battalion
To½   G.O.C.  4th. Aust. Inf. Brigade
I beg to submit the following explanation :-
(1)   Of the 5 men spoken to by the G.O.C. two joined the Battalion
at Tel-el-Kebir, Three at Serapeum. The latter were men who had been left 
behind by the 1st. Division, consequently none had much training in this
Battalion. The order referring to the significance of the armlets was promulgated
in Battalion orders immediately after its recepit. The battalion order
was read on parade and the men told to ask questions about any armlet
they were not sure of.
(2).  The battalion as a whole came under my command for field exercises
for the first time last Saturday since I re-assumed command. The Advanced
Guard work was purely of an elementary and instructional nature, so much so
that many men required to be instructed individually in duties of an
Advanced Guard, such as passing messages etc. It was give the O.C  A.G.
an opportunity of doing this that I did not wish to do anything to interfere
with his instruction. It was the first time most of the men had done
Advanced Guard work. Owing to the constant changes in personnel the battalion
consists largely of men who have had but very elementary training, and, up
to the present week, the training has, by Brigade instructions, consisted of
section and p[latoon work. The formation of an Advanced Guard was decided
upon by its O.C. I detailed the strength which I was of opinion would be
necessary for the work and left to the O.C.  A.G. the handling of the force
In such cases if I am not satisfied with the work done I do not interfere
during the operation, but note mistakes and criticise at the conclusion of the
exercise, afterwards testing by further work to see if all have profited by
their experience.
(3) At the halt mentioned, which was the first on the march, the
battalion was slow in clearing the road. The method of clearing the road
viz, to halt on the road and break off is the one which has always been
practiced hitherto in the N.Z. & A. Division and is in accordance with F.S.R
The method given by the G.O.C. was practiced as directed.