Sir John Monash, Personal Files Book 13, 16 August - 30 September 1916, Part 8

11.

3rd Australian Division

General Remarks.

1. The Division was raised in Australia as a complete Unit in answer

to the aidea that Australia as a Nation might resent the evacuation

of Gallipoli, which had cost it so dear -

 

2. Special care was taken in the selection of the Personnel - Very

many permanently employed soldiers who had previously been retained
for training purposes were allowed to join the Division to increase
its efficiency and in many cases employers and employed joined the
same Battalion -

 

3. Territorial distinctions are regarded of the utmost importance in

Australia and the Infantry was therefore raised and arranged

Territorially as follows -

9th Australian Infantry Brigade -

33rd Battalion) 

34th      "       ) All raised in the Northern portion of New South

35th       "      ) Wales, known as the Maitland and New England

36th       "      ) District.

10th Australian Infantry Brigade -

37th Battalion) Entirely raised in the rural districts of the

38th       "          ) State of Victoria.

39th        "         )

40th Battalion  Entirely raised in the State of Tasmania - The

 first complete Unit ever raised there.

11th Australian Infantry Brigade -

41st Battalion) Raised in the State of Queensland.

42nd    "          ) 

43rd Battalion  Raised in the State of South Australia.

44th Battalion   Raised in the State of Western Australia.

 

4.  Units were embodied and concentrated in Special Training Camps

during February and March, 1916 -

 

5.  By April a beginning was made to Officer them and to commence

systematic training, but owing to shortage of rifles and instructional

appliances the training in Australia was most elementary -

 

6.  The arrival of the Units in England has been spread over the months

of July and August - The last Battalion, the 40th, has only just

arrived -

 

7.  When the General Officer Commanding took over Command on 25th July he
found that though the men had benefitted from setting up drill, 
instruction in camp routine and interior economy, had done a certain
amount of Range Firing, and were able to carry out close order drill
without arms quite xxx creditably, practically nothing had been done
to teach Bayonet Fighting - Bombing - Entrenching - Arm Drill - or
Field Training generally -

 

8.  He therefore despatched Officers and N.C.O's to Schools and Courses

to be trained as Instructors, obtained the loan of others from the

Southern Command, and inaugurated a 9 week's period of training for

all Units, commencing with 4 week's Platoon and Company Training

during which individual instruction in specialist subjects was also

started -

12.

3rd Australian Division.

General Remarks (Cont.)

9.  This period of 4 weeks for the bulk of the Battalion has now been

completed - Those Battalions which arrived xxxxx later will 

undergo accelerated training to bring them in course of time level

with the others -

 

10.  Battalion Training is now beginning - This does not mean that

Company Training is regarded as complete, but that each Battalion

will, once or twice a week, undertake extended movement as a

complete Unit with all Transport and Fighting equipment combined

with a Tactical Exercise - Concurrently all personnel which has

not yet completed its individual training will be dealth with -

 

11. The aim throughout has been to make the training as uniform as

possible throughout all Units and throughout every part of every

Unit, so that the whole Division should be progressively trained

on uniform lines and be brought to a state of fighting efficiency

in simultaneous progressive stages; the idea being that there

would be no advantage to the Division as a whole in having some

Units much further advanced in their training than others - This

principle has been applied not merely as between Battalions, but

also as between parts of each Battalion, a regular rotation of

exercises throughout all Companies and Platoons within the

Battalion having been insisted upon -

 

12.  The Division is well Commanded and Staffed - Everything I saw was

being run on sound and sensible lines - Keenness and anxiety to

learn are evident throughout and from 8 to 10 hours' work put in

daily -

 

13.  Training is much hampered by the scarcity of Service Rifles, of

which there are only 150 per Battalion - I hope it may soon be

possible to supply them with at least 500 each -

 

14.  The difficulty about Instructors will disappear as those at present

at Classes pass out - 

 

15.  First Line Transport is also inadequate, but it has been pooled

in each Brigade to enable one Battalion at a time to move out

complete in this respect -

 

16.  A question has arisen with regard to the Personnel of Trench

Mortar Batteries - G.H.Q. of 9th August puts it at 100 all ranks

supernumerary to Battalion Establishments and directs that a

Reserve Section be trained, but a wire from 1st Anzac of 21st

August puts the authorized Personnel at 50 all ranks - This

requires settling as soon as possible -

 

17.  Taken as a whole the Physique of the Division is very fin fine -

There is a sprinkling of youngsters in some Battalions but they

are all sturdy -

 

18.  I am told that there has been a question of calling on the

Division to furnish drafts - Of course if these cannot be found in

any other way, there is no more to be said, but for the following

reasons I sincerely trust that such will not prove to be the case - 

 

19.  Owing to the system of training which has obtained in the Division

with a view to getting it speedily ready for Service as such, it

would be very difficult to earmark any given portion of the

Personnel as being in a more advanced stage of training than the

13.

3rd Australians  Division.

General Remarks  (cont.)

remainder and in one essential portion of draft training, viz.

Bayonet Fighting, all are only in the elementary stage owing to the

scarcity of Instructors and difference of the systems obtaining in

Australia and with us -

 

20.  The very strong Territorial feeling existing would make it inadvisable

to remove men from their present Battalions and send them to others

with which they have no connection -

 

21.  The Division promises so well that if left intact and supplied with

rifles it should be ready to go out fully trained in the class of

warfare now obtaining by the the 3rd week in October at the latest, and

possibly a little earlier.

 

22.  I think it is worth considering whether training in Australia would

not be much expedited and be of more value if some Instructors were

sent out to guide it into the right lines.

 

(Sd) Francis Howard,

Major General . . ,

Inspector of Infantry . . .

27th August, 1916.

14.

3rd AUSTRALIAN DIVISION.

PERSONNEL.

I discussed Personnel questions with the Divisional and Brigade

Commanders, and herewith the result :-

 

The General Officer Commanding is quites satisfied with all his Staff -

The "A" Branch only needs a little experience in the difference between

English and Australian Regulations -

 

The work of the "G" Branch, with which I come directly into contact,

was good all through -

 

The General Officer Commanding is quite satisfied with his Assistant

Provost Marshal, and with all the other Officers except where otherwise

stated -

9th BRIGADE.

Brigadier General A.Jobson - Keen and good judgment - but inexperienced - 
He appeared to me to know all about his Brigade and to be

training it well -

Brigade Major - Captain A.L.Prince, A.T.F. - Good -

Staff Captain - C.E. Prior - Satisfactory -

33rd Battalion - Lieutenant Colonel Morsehead 9 very good -

34th Battalion - Lieutenant Colonel Lamb - Good -

35th Battalion - Lieutenant Colonel Holborrow - Fair, but too soon to

judge yet - Opinion so far not too favourable, but he is willing and

may improve -

36th Battalion - Lieutenant Colonel Logan - Unsatisfactory owing to

temperament - has been recommended for transfer to 9th Training

Battalion -

2 in-command - Satisfactory as such, but not fitted for command yet.

10th Brigade.

Brigadier General W. McNicoll, D.S.O. very good - He appeared to me

to be very efficient -

Brigade Major - W.J. Smith, A.T.F. - Quite good -

Staff Captain - W. Conolly - Quite good -

37th Battalion - Lieutenant Colonel F.G. Woods - Very good -

38th Battalion - Lieutenant Colonel C.H.Davis - Only arrived 3 days ago.

39th Battalion - Lieutenant Colonel Rankin, D.S.O: - Very good -

40th Battalion - Only just arrived.

11th BRIGADE.

Brigadier General C.D.W. Cxxxxx Rankine - His return to Australia has been
approved, he is to be replaced by Lieutenant Colonel Cannon, C.B. -

Brigade Major - H.D. Wynter - Very weak, but is to be given a chance

under the new Brigadier -

Staff Captain - A.C.Moyes, A.T.F., - Unsatisfactory -

41st Battalion - Lieutenant Colonel F.J. Board - Quite satisfactory -

42nd Battalion - Lieutenant Colonel Woolcock - Quite satisfactory -

43rd Battalion - Lieutenant Colonel D.D.Gordon - Good -

44th Battalion - Lieutenant Colonel W.R.Mansbridge, D.S.O. - Very good.

 

The General Officer Commanding the Division will arrange about any

changes which in his opinion may be advisable.

(Sd) FRANCIS HOWARD.

Major General,

Inspector of Infantry.

27th August, 1916.

A.I.F. CASUALTIES IN FRANCE

reported to the 3rd.Echelon

up to and including 16th. September, 1916.

Particulars	Up to 9/9/1916.		Week ended 16/9/16		Up to 16/9/1916.
	Officers	Other  Ranks	Officers	Other Ranks	Officers	Other Ranks
KILLED	202	4103	11	287	213	4390
DIED OF WOUNDS	72	1418	-	90	72	1508
DIED OF GAS POISONING	-	11	-	-	-	11
DIED OF DISEASE	2	88	-	3	2	91
MISSING	75	2699	12	202	87	2901
WOUNDED	734	22105	18	1410	752	23515
SUFFERING WITH GAS POISONING	11	139	-	2	11	141
PRISONERS OF WAR	6	179	1	-	7	179
TOTALS.	1102	30742	42	1994	1144	32736

Major Genl. J.Monash CB, VD

43rd Battalion.

11th Brigade.

3rd Division.

A.I.F.

September 16th 1916.

To Brigadier General.

Commanding 3rd Divisional Artillery.

A.I.F.

Sir,

Re my application for transfer to the Artillery,

pleased find attached a rough copy of my services for

your perusal and favourable consideration.

H.S.Phillips Capt.

43rd Battalion.

A.I.F.

Record of Services.

 

Age.   46yrs 9 mths.

Service.  21 yrs Royal Marine Artillery.
2 yrs Royal Fleet Reserve.
3 yrs Royal Aus Naval Reserve. (Instructor)

1 yr Aust Imperial Force.

 

Service in R.M.A.

Passed special for Corporal.

    "    1st class for Sergeant.

    "    Whale Island Naval Gunnery School.

    "    for Captain of Gun.

    "    School of Musketry, Hythe.

    "    for 1st class certificateof education.(Naval)

Gunnery Instructor and Captain of Gun on H.M.S. Royal

Arthur, 4 yrs.whilst on Australian station.

In charge of Guns on boat whilst lent to the Egyptian

Government.

Served under the late Earl Kitchener,Admiral Sir

David Beatty, and Admiral Colville, during the Dongols

Expedition,for which I received the English & Egyptian

medals.

Selected as Sergt Mjr H.M.S. Renown,when lent as a

Royal yacht to H.M. the King of Spain, for which I received

the Spanish Order (Naval Merit White.)

I have the Naval Long Service & Good Conduct medal,

also specially recommended for the Meritorious

Service Medal.

My last serve in the R.M.A. was Q.M.Sgt, instructor

of Musketry.

Since enlisting in A.I.F. I have passed all ranks from

Private to Captain.

 

R.M.A.   

Gunnery Courses   

are as follows
Sea Service. Land Service. Field Battery.
 Repository.

List of Officers re Personal Reference.

General Sir W.C. Nicholls. K.C.B.

Lt Col. Osmaster. R.M.A. Eastney Bks. Portsmouth.

 "     "    P.P.Phillips    "            "             "          "

"      "    Barnes.           "            "              "          "

"       "   Homer.           "            "              "          "

Major. Ford.               "             "              "         "

Capt Tickle. D.N.R. Melbourne, Australia.

Comdr. O. Burford. D.N.O. Sth Australia.

Note. If applying to R.M.A. Officers please mention

Q.M.Sgt. I of M.  H.T. Phillips.

If applying to R.A.N.R.Officers please mention.

C.P.O. Instructor H.T.Phillips.

43^rd Battalion

11^th Brigade

3^rd Division

16-9-16

Dear Major Nicholls

Will you please put my

papers before the Brigadier.

 

If an applycation is made

to General Sir W.C.Nicholls K.C.B.

will _^you give the address as I dont

know it now. I was the Generals

Orderly when he was the Com^dt

at Eastney, he gave me a nice

letter of recommendation when

I left for Australia

 

I am going to Wareham today

for a course of Revolver so shall

be away for a week

 

Thanking you if you will

do me this favour.

 

I remain yours sincerely

H.S. Phillips Capt

43^rd Batt

A.I.F. 

48

AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL FORCE.

Headquarters 9th Infantry Brigade

No. 2 Camp  Lark Hill.

18th September 1916.

CONFIDENTIAL.

G.  O.  C.

3rd Australian Division.

I have to report as follows concerning Officers in

the 9th Infantry Brigade : - - - 

33rd Bn. 

Lieut. Col.Morshead, Commanding Officer:

Satisfactory.

Special Mention:

Lieut. Cohen: received excellent report from

recent Musketry School, Tidworth.

34th Bn.

Lieut.Col. Lamb, Commanding Officer:
Satisfactory.

35th Bn.

Major Hunt, Officer Commanding :
Fair.

36th Bn.

Major Cooke-Russell, Officer Commanding:
Fair.

Special mention:

Lieut. Clonan, Transport Officer.

9th Machine Gun Coy.

Captain Wells, Commanding Officer:

Satisfactory.

Special mention.

Lieut. B.J.Carey

Lieut. D.K.Whitehead

Alex Jobson Brig.Gen.

Commanding Ninth Infantry Brigade.

A.I.F.