Sir John Monash, Personal Files Book 13, 1 June - 1 July 1916, Part 11

4th. AUSTRALIAN INFANTRY BRIGADE.
HEADQUARTERS
23rd. June 1916.
AUSTRALIAN
IMPERIAL FORCE
JUN 22 1916
4th Infantry Brigade.

4a.b.
4359
Headquarters
2nd. Australian Division.
Following up my 4ab/4359 of 22nd. inst. - additional
personnel to the equivalent of six platoons (from 15th. and 16th.
Battalions) is now at my disposal, owing to the release by 6th.
Brigade of the greater portion of the working parties yesterday
employed by that Brigade.
Total now at my disposal - about 29 platoons.

John Monash
BRIG-GENL.
Commdg. 4th. Aust. Inf. Bde.
 

4th. AUSTRALIAN INFANTRY BRIGADE.
HEADQUARTERS
23rd. June 1916.
D.A.D.O.S.
4th. Australian Division.
The attached indents are for articles required by
the special party I told you of yesterday.
(a). The life preservers are a cogwheel of iron or steel
fixed to an entrenching tool helve. There should be a thong of
leather for the wrist fixed to the handle.
(b). Ther electric torches are required by the bayonet
men, searchers, N.C.O's etc.
(c). Revolvers are required by nearly all the party, but as
you say they are not to be obtained in France I have not indented
for them. I am collecting revolvers from the officers and 
Machine Gun men throughout the Brigade.
(d). The revolver ammunition is required partly for practice
and partly for the special task.
(e). Boots and clothing are required for extra changes,
and on account of the wet and dirty nature of the work.
(f). The luminous tape is to be laid down by the scouts
in the dark as a guide to the others.
(g). Paint is required to dull the bayonets and any other
bright metal surfaces.

JMAD
Major.
Brigade Major.
4th. Aust. Inf. Bde.
 

50
Erquinghem,
June 23/16.
My dear General.
I suppose you would like a line from me to let you
Know how the Fourth Brigade is getting on. - It took a day
or two to reach a clear understanding as to our proper rôle. -
Orders from both Divisions & from 1^st Anzac were at first rather
in conflict. We tried to reconcile these divergent policies (a) that
the Brigade should train - particularly officers & specialists (b) that the
Brigade should wholly relieve the 5^th Brigade in the trenches & (c) that
the Brigade should fill the rôle of Divisional Reserve, i.e. find all
working parties for field defences etc. - This soon broke down, so
the supply of officers gave out. - We have now arrived at a kind
of compromise, & are carrying on so. - 
Our present activities are:-
(a) About 25 officers & 100 others at various schools.
(b) Six platoons from each Battalion are going into in rotation
into the trenches for instructional tours, i.e. front
line trenches. -
(c) A raiding team of 6 officers & 90 others is under systematic
training for a raid on July 2.
(d) All Commanders & specialists are visiting & living
with their "opposite numbers" for periods of 24 to 48 hrs.-
This is being done in rotation also. -
(e) Two Companies are engaged on Burying Cables
One Company                                      on Engineer Services
Three Companies working for 6^th Brigade
One Company on defence works Inner Line.-
In this way, nearly the whole Brigade is allotted, & is dispersed
over a very wide area. - M.G.Co, Lewis Gun Sections, & Stokes
Battery are training. -
Yours sincerely
John Monash
 

Major Leut. Sir H.V.Cox}
 

2nd Division Conference
Friday, June 23, 1916.
Maj. Gen. Legge.-

References to	Large Typewritten File
	"French Warfare" issued Feby. last
	Translation of French officers notes
	"Impressions of a French Company Commander"

Army Corps had a Conference on June 17. - We will get
copies of the notes

Points raised:-	① Discipline - (a) Keeping touch (b) Information Get "Training of Division for offensive action"
	② Train understudies - don't use them in 1st attack                                             don't use [[>?]] 20 offes per Bn. Supply minimum numbers in the Infantry attack
	③ Importance of Securing flanks, & ground won
	④ Objective is limited by use of Artillery
	⑦ Avoid Woods & difficult points
	⑧ Exploit Successes, i.e. reinforce success not failure - Attack strong points from the rear.

Set C.O's & Company Commanders to talk about above points
A Brigade front will probably be 400 to 600 yards. -
 

4th. AUSTRALIAN INFANTRY BRIGADE.
HEADQUARTERS
23rd. June 1916.
AUSTRALIAN
IMPERIAL FORCE
JUN 23 1916
4th Infantry Brigade.

4AB/4381
C.O.
14th. Battalion
The whole of the special party under the command of
Capt. A.R. Cox will proceed, at the end of their 72 hours in the
trenches, direct to billets at La Rolanderie Farm (.H.11.c.5 5)
where they will remain during their training.
Please make all necessary arrangements regarding rations
etc., and have the place reconnoitred with a view to comfortably
billeting the party.
There are a few 2nd. Divisional Signallers now living there
but there is ample room for the party without moving these.
Capt. Cox is to be instructed to report to me as early as
possible for detailed instructions as to plans, syllabus of training
indenting formaterial required etc.
Please acknowledge receipt.

JMAD
Major.
Brigade Major.
4th. Aust, Inf. Bde.
 

[*Secret*]
4th. AUSTRALIAN INFANTRY BRIGADE.
HEADQUARTERS
23rd. June 1916.
ALL BATTALIONS & M.G. CO.
A party from this Brigade engaged in a special
task requires revolvers and other material from the various units
as under. Revolvers that are Government property will be temporarily
recalled from officers and others, a record of the numbers
being kept. They will be returned at the conclusion of the special
task.
Please arrange to have these articles delivered to Q.M.
Store at Brigade Headquarters on 25.6.1916 by 4 p.m.

	13th.	14th.	15th.	16th.	M.G.Co.
Revolvers	10	10	10	10	10
Dummy Grenades (Mills Pattern)	8	8	8	8	-

Issued to :-

13th. Battn.
14th.     "
15th.     "
16th.     "
M.G.Co.
File.

 

JMA Durrant
Major.
Brigade Major
4th. Aust. Inf. Bde.
 

23^rd June
Brigade Major
4^th Austr. Inf Brigade
Herewith two air photographs of
are covered by No. K 280, but of more
recent date, 16B159 showing result of a raid.
Please state the photograph of which you would like
six copies & return the two photographs sent as they are
file copies. If it would be of assistance, an enlargement
can be made of a small section of the German trench:
if the central point be marked on the back, the enlargement
will extend about an inch each way. Please telephone to hasten
despatch.
J.J.W. Herbertson Lt
1^st Anzac Intelligence
 

SECOND AUSTRALIAN DIVISION
SECRET
Divisional Headquarters,
24th June, 1916
HEADQUARTERS
G1/36
2nd Australian Division
A.Q.
C.R.A.
C.R.E.
4th Aust. Inf. Bde. √
5th             -do-
6th             -do-
4th 2nd Aust. Pioneer Bn.
Herewith programme of raids to be carried out on the
Corps front furing the next few days. Please take necessary
steps to ensure the safety of troops under your command and
working parties and transport within your area.
With reference to the hour at which the raid will be
carried out, the time will be sent to you daily from these
Headquarters as follows. -
The first word of the text will be "Cover" followed
by the hour; thus.-
"Cover 11 p.m." will mean that the raid is timed to take
place at 11 p.m.

Date	Unit	Place	Strength	Remarks
25th June	N.Z. Div. (3rd Bde.)	C.29.a.4.2.
	2nd A. Div 5th Bde.	I26.c.9½.1½.
26th June	2nd A. Div (18th Bn)	I.32.c.0.7
28th June	1st A. Div	N.11.a.9.9. to N.11..9½.9.	.	Gas on N.Z. front
29th June	2nd A. Div. (6th Bde.)	I.21.c.7.2. I.21.c.3.0½. I.26.b.9½.8.	1 coy	1 platoon at each point. Gas on N.Z. front.
30th June				Gas on 1st Div. front
1st July	1st A. Div.	N.9.c.7.1. to N.9.d.0.1½	150	Will enter at 3 places.
	N.Z. Div. (1st Bde.)	I.17.a.2.7.
2nd July	1st Div.	N.10.b.7.4.
	N.Z. Div. (2nd Bde.)	C.17.c.9½.7.
	2nd Div. (4th Bde.)	I.26.b.8.7½.

__________________________________________________________________________________________________
[[Broduman?]]

Captain,
General Staff.
 

SECOND AUSTRALIAN DIVISION
SECRET
Divisional Headquarters.
24th June, 1916.
HEADQUARTERS
G1/35
2nd Australian Division

Headquarters,
4th Aust. Inf. Bde.
I am directed to inform you that approval is given
for a minor enterprise against enemy trench at I.26.b.8.7½.
on July 2nd.
The Brigade-Major R.A. has been asked to place himself
in direct communication with you in order to arrange such
artillery details as may be necessary.
[[Broduman?]]
Captain,
General Staff.
 

SECOND AUSTRALIAN DIVISION
SECRET
Divisional Headquarters,
24th June, 1916.
HEADQUARTERS
G1/37
2nd Australian Division
C.R.A.
4th Aust. Inf. Bde. √
5th         -do-
6th         -do-
It is immaterial whether the Brigade-Major, R.A. or the
Group Commander discusses minor enterprises with the Infantry
Brigade Commander but the discussion must be such that the
Infantry and Artillery orders can be forthwith written without
waiting for further details.
If the Artillery Group Commander writes the artillery
orders, he must obtain authority from G.O.C., R.A. for the use of
any guns which it is desired to employ and which are not included
in his group.
Artillery and Infantry orders must reach Divisional
Headquarters in a complete form ready for issue, four days before
the date selected for the rain, as they have to reach Corps
Headquarters three days before.

It will be well if Infantry Commanders in making out their

orders say exactly what the Infantry will do and how the artillery

will help, not going into minor details of the artillery work but

including all that O. C. Attack and O. C. Assault will require to

know concerning the artillery action.

With reference to my letter of the 19th June wherein

I suggested various ways of carrying out a raid, the following is

a further plan which Brigade Commanders may like to adopt.

Cut wire at various places along the line and then on a 

certain night enter the enemy's trenches xxxxxxxxx silently at one

of these points having a barrage of artillery fire ready to put

down as soon as the hostile trench is entered.

Reference raids to be carried out between 24th June and 

2nd July.-The 1st Australian Division will use gas on the night

of the 30th/31st June, 200 cylinders on a 250 yards front.

On the night of the 1st/2nd July the 1st Aust. Div.

carry out a silent raid as outlined above.

The New Zealand Division will start gas from their

trenches on the nights of the 28th/29th and 29th/30th June if the

weather is suitable.

On the latter night the 6th Inf. Bde. will be carrying out a

a raid and it would be w ell if the 6th Inf. Bde. commander could

arrange to put out smoke from some points north of RUE DU BOIS

Salient towards the WEZ MACQUART Road. If he will undertake this and

submit details early, the New Zealand Division will be asked to

put out smoke North of PEAR TREE FARM. If this is done, the enemy

knowing that there is gas further north near HOUPLINES may assume

that the smoke north of RUE DU BOIS is also gas and so may divert

some of his artillery which otherwise would be used to counter-

act our raid. 

 

 

G. H. Jackson

Lieut-Colonel

General Staff.