Sir John Monash, Personal Files Book 13, 16 August - 30 September 1916, Part 7

9th INFANTRY BRIGADE. 3rd AUSTRALIAN DIVISION.

QUARTERED AT LARKHILL.

1.

10th INFANTRY BRIGADE, 3rd AUSTRALAIN DIVISION.
QUARTERED AT LARKHILL.

2.

11th INFANTRY BRIGADE, 3rd AUSTRALIAN DIVISION.
QUARTERED AT LARKHILL.

3.

4.
3rd Australian Division.
1. Personal Equipment - The standard equipment is Webb, but about half
the Battalions have been supplied with thin Rubberoid leather, on
which the fastenings slip about when the pack is on with the result
that the men get chafed and bruised.
2. Service Rifles - Battalions have so far only 150 Service Rifles each
which makes training very difficult.
3. E.Y. Rifles - Battalions have 500 each.
4. Armourers and Tools - All Battalions have them.
5. Telescopic Sights - There are none.
6. Lewis Guns - 4 per Battalion - All Officers and men will be trained
to lay and fire the gun and to change magazines.
7. Scouts - All Battalions have sufficient training.
8. Snipers - will be selected when Musketry is completed.
9. Sanitary Squads and Water Parties - are either trained or training.
10. Shoemakers - All Battalions have some and will train up to 6.
11. Tailors - There are sufficient in the 1Oth Brigade, the others will
train up to 4 per Battalion.
12. Bayonet Courses - All Battalions have them and Aldershot Instructors.
13. Miniature Ranges - All Battalions have them but they are not yet fitted
with Parapets or Trenches to fire from.
14. Miniature Rifles - All Battalions have 16.
15. Musketry - Battalions have fired in Australia.
9th Brigade should complete English Course by 30th August.
10th Brigade should complete English Course by 2nd September.
11th Brigade should complete English Course by 30th September.
16. Gas Helmets - From 129 to 134 per Battalion.
17. Trench Mortar Batteries - Each Brigade has 4 Officers, 2 sergeants,
8 corporals and 36 gunners either trained, training, or awaiting
the next course, and will train a reserve section - See under
"General Remarks"
18. Machine Gun Companies - Each Brigade has a Machine Gun Company -
Establishment of 16 guns - 10 officers and 142 other ranks - Trained
to Maxim and new being trained to Vickers.
19. First Line Transport - There is at present only sufficient by pooling
to allow one Battalion in each Brigade to march our complete - The
Personnel is being trained by the A.S.C.
 

5.
3rd Australian Division.
Divisional Troops.
1. Pioneer Battalion - See separate Report.
2. Signal Company - All at the Signal School - complete as to personnel
and nearly so as to equipment.
3. Cyclist Company - None.
4. Divisional Cavalry - None.
5. Artillery and Ammunition Column - Reorganised - Personnel xxxxxxxx
arrived 4 weeks age untrained, but getting on well - Not complete as
to guns, horses or equipment.
6. Divisional R.E. - One Company not arrived yet - 2 Companies are at
Brightlingsea. Deficient of 2 Officers - 73 other ranks - rifles
44 riding and 335 heavy draft horses - 66 wagons and motors -
7. Transport and Supply Train - Not complete yet.
Work done and doing.
1. Entrenching - Digging and occupation by Companies elementary
Some Battalions have marched out, dug themselves in, in a complete
system of Battalion Trenches, and returned after 36 hour's work.
2. Making knife rests, wiring, etc. - Not yet - There appears to be
a difficulty about wire, but the Southern Command is seeing to this.
3. Bombing - Is going on - Officers are attending Schools - 160
grenadiers per Brigade and 40 Pioneers are being trained in the
Divisional School weekly - All men are being trained to throw dummies
& finally to throw at least one live Mills grenade & to understand
(its working)
4. Miniature Rifle Practice - Constant.
5. Firing from Trenches - On the range only but parapets or trenches
will be arranged on the Miniature Ranges.
6. Charger leading - No boards have been put up yet, there has been a
difficulty about timber, but the Southern Command is seeing to
this.
7. Bayonet Fighting over obstacle course by day but not by moonlight
yet - Battalions are at present unlearning the Australian system of
fighting and learning the English one under Aldershot Instructors
(see General Remarks).
8. Night work, outposts, etc, - Digging by night yet - Outposts a
little in 9th and 10th Brigades but net in the 11th.
9. Battalions marching by night fully equipped, etc, - Not yet.
10. Company Training - A 4 weeks course of Platoon and Company Training
has been completed by the 9th Brigade and by two Battalions xxxxxx
in 10th Brigade.
11. Battalion Training - No Battalions have completed.
 

6.
3rd Australian Division.
Work done and doing (cont.)
12. Tactical Exercises in conjunction with Artillery or Aeroplanes .
None yet.
13. There are Divisional and Brigade Bombing, Signalling and Machine
Gun Schools.
14. The initial difficulty was the xxxxxx scarcity of efficient
instructors, this was at once taken in hand - Officers and other ranks
in the Infantry have been sent to, or will shortly attend, Courses as
follows - As soon as the first batches return instruction in all
branches should progress rapidly
Schools of Instruction.
1. CHELSEA - Drill and General Instruction -
31st July - 1st Course - 11 Officers 21 N.C.O's.
21st August 10 N.C.O's.
2. FARRIERY -
Larkhill 11 men) Now away.
Romsey 25 men)
3. SOUTHERN COMMAND TRENCH MORTAR SCHOOL-
Perham Down - 1 week.
26th August - 8 officers, 4 sergeants, 16 Corporals,
72 Gunners - 9th Australian Infantry Bde.
4. SOUTHERN COMMAND ANTI-CAS SCHOOL - SALISBURY -
28th August - 3 Officers, 3 N.C.O's.
5. PHYSICAL TRAINING AND BAYONET FIGHTING (PORTSMOUTH, DEVONPORT,
TIDWORTH) - 
1st - 12th August - 7 Officers, 35 N.C.O's. attended.
15th August - 4 Officers, 15 N.C.O's. new at Tidworth.
6. MACHINE GUN COURSE, GRANTHAM - 27th July - 4th September .
12 officers, Machine Gun Companies.
7. MUSKETRY AND LEWIS GUN -
31st July - 25th August 46 Officers - Hayling Island.
14th August - 14th September 5 Officers, 15 N.C.O's
Tidworth.
Lewis Gun - Special Course - Tidworth - 15 N.C.O's, - Tidworth.
8. SIGNALLING -
Weymouth - 27th - 6th September - 9 Officers, 27 N.C.O's.
Chelsea - 21st August - 3 Officers, 6 N.C.O's.
9. BOMBING
Lyndhurst - 29th July - 5th August - 5 Officers, 7 N.C.O's
qualified.
Clapham) - 7th August - 3 Officers - 5 day's course.
                  )    14th     "        - 3       "        
                  )    21st      "        - 3       "
Lyndhurst   21st August - 12      "        , 20 N.C.O's.

 

7.
3rd Australian Division
Work done and doing (Cont.)
Schools of Instruction (cent.)
10. RANGE FINDING COURSES -
Hayling Island - 28 officers qualified.
11. R.A.M.C. COURSE OF COOKERY CODFORD -
14th August - 3 weeks - 18 other ranks.
12. BICYCLE REPAIRS-WOOLNICH -
2 men qualified.
13. REGIMENTAL ARMOURERS -
14th August - 6 other ranks.
14. MACHINE GUN COMPANY - ARTIFICERS -
21st August - 6 other ranks.
15. SENIOR OFFICER'S COURSE - CHELSEA - 4 days
12 Officers have attended.
16. PIONEER COURSE - READING -
7th September - 6 weeks - 4 Officers, 4 N.C.O's.
Courses shortly taking place.
17. RIFLE COURSE - HAYLING ISLAND - SENIOR OFFICERS
28th August - 5 officers.
18. RIFLE COURSE - HAYLING ISLAND -
28th August - 7 Officers, 33 N.C.O's.
19. RANGE FINDING COURSE - HAYLING ISLAND -
28th August - 14 officers.
20. BOMBING - LYNDHURST -
4th September - 12 Officers. 20 Officers.
21. PHYSICAL TRAINING AND BAYONET FIGHTING -
5th September - Tidworth - 5 Officers, 15 N.C.O's.
22. BOMBING - CLAPHAM - 14 days .
4th September - 3 Officers.
18th       "              - 3        "
2nd October      - 3         "
 

8.
3rd Australian Division
Training Inspection.
1. 9th Brigade - I saw portions of the various Units at
2. Charger leading - Pretty quick, but too much looking down-
3. Miniature Range Practice - The positions were mostly good .
4. Instruction in putting on Gas Helmets - Good -
5. Companies of 33rd and 35th entrenching and elementary occupation
of trenches - Satisfactory, but periscopes too visible, and on one
Bay the fire step was not adjusted to the height of the parapet.
6.. 36th Battalion - One Company in occupation of trenches - The work
was good, and a Company Officer I questioned knew his Trench and
Anti-Gas Books off pat - A Log book was kept and all Trenches and
Bays were numbered or lettered
7. One Battalion at Battalion Drill - Quite good, the step is rather
longer and slower than with us - The men were steady in the ranks.
8. 34th Battalion - Entrenching Scheme - After a march of 6 miles,
dug themselves in covered by outposts -
Fire and Observation Trench at first with Entrenching Implement,
the men lying down, when sufficient cover was available work went
on with ordinary tools
Support and Communication Trenches with ordinary tools -
Reserve Trench dug by Pioneers -
The Battalion remained in the Trenches for 36 hours -
The disposal of Rifles while working was good, that of the
xxxx equipment less so, but it was done on a system -
It was as good and practical a bit of work as I have seen for some
time.
9. 10th Brigade -
10. 37th Battalion on the range - Fire discipline and positions good -
11. The Ammunition appears to be very faulty - Bullets have struck in
the barrel and several fore-ends have burstm probably from this
cause -
Some belts have jambed and bent, probably owing to overloaded
cartridges.
12. 38th Battalion - Lately arrived - At elementary Bayonet Fighting
Unlearning the Australian method - Owing to scarcity of instructors
the Squads were too large, but this will shortly be set right
13. 39th Battalion - On a return march - The men swung along well and
were quite steady -
14. 40th Battalion - Only arrived the day before - At elementary
Musketry instruction - quite satisfactory.
15. 11th Brigade -
16. 4lst Battalion - A very sound entrenching scheme, similar to the
one carried out by the 34th Battalion of the 9th Brigade - I saw
this Battalion as it was completing its 36 hours - The work was very
good - The Fire Trench was everywhere defensible, Bombing defence
had been arranged for -
17. 42nd Battalion - On the Range - Fire discipline and positions good -
 

9.
3rd Australian Division
Training Inspection (Cont.)
18. 43rd Battalion - Digging and Rivetting and elementary occupation
of Trenches - Satisfactory, but the sandbagging was indifferent xx
and shelters against rain had been run up in the Fire Trench -
19. The same Battalion on the march - The men were steady and swung
along well -
20. 44th Battalion - At Bayonet Fighting, elementary, on Course -
Getting on well - Also on the range at Musketry with Gas Helmets
on - Discipline and positions good, also good at putting on the
helmets -
At Company Drill - Good - The step longer and slower then with us-
21. I saw the Signallers, Machine Gun Companies and Lewis Gunners of
all Brigades at Drill - All good -
The Lewis Gun instruction was quite elementary as the Instructors
have not yet returned from Courses -
22. This Division is going to come on well, it is being trained on
sound lines and I cannot xxx call to mind any fault i noticed xxx
which had not been spotted either by the G.S.O. or the Brigadiers.
Pioneer Battalion
Quartered at Larkhill.
1. Strength fit for G.S. - 30 officers and 999 other ranks.
2. Unfit for G.S. - 8 other ranks.
3. Starred for Munitions - 1 other ranks.
4. Rifles - 150 Service and 543 D.P.
5. Armourers - Trained 1 Sergeant - Training 4 other ranks.
6. Personnel Equipment - 25 per cent of the belts are too small, and
a good deal of it is Rubberoid Leather, which is unsatisfactory.
7. Lewis Gunners - Training 3 Officers and 68 other ranks - Half
have been trained to Maxim -
8. Signallers, Morse and Buzzar - Trained 4 Officers and 17 other
ranks - Training 24 other ranks -
9. Bombers - Instructors 2, Trained Platoon Squads 4 - Training 4.
Other ranks trained 40 - Training 40.
10. One-man Range Finding Instruments - Nil - Trained 2 Officers.
Training nil.
11. Cold Shoers - Trained 1 - Training 2.
12. Periscopes - 17
13. Scouts trained or training - 8 per Company.
14. Musketry Course - One Company has begun.
15. Sanitary Squads, Water Party and Stretcher Bearers - Training.
16. Tailors - 3.
 

10.
3rd Australian Division.
Pioneer Battalion (Cont.)
17. Shoemakers - 3.
18. Infantry Training - Advanced Company and Battalion Training still
to be done- Bayonet Fighting Course still to be made.
19. Pioneer Equipment - Not nearly complete.
20. Transport- Not nearly complete.
21. Pioneer Syllabus - Nearly all has yet to be dene.
22. Categories of Tradesmen - The Battalion has more than sufficient.
23. Professions of Officers whose occupation in civil life renders them
especially suitable for Pioneer Work -
Mechanical, Civil and Electrical Engineers - 8 -
Surveyors - 6 -
Draughtsmen - 4 -
Architects - 2
Professors of Chemistry - 1.
24. The men, like the rest of the xxxxxx Division, are a fine physique
and keen, they should come on quickly -
Those I saw were entrenching in conjunction with Infantry.