Sir John Monash, Personal Files Book 14, 6 October - 30 November 1916, Part 15

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46. It was noticed that badges were wanting for Machine Gun Companies
and Trench Mortar Batteries.
47. The 37th Battalion Transport was dirty and registered numbers
were not visible on vehicles.
48. The 38th Battalion had men in rear racing to catch up.
49. The 39th Battalion trace chains require attention.
50. The 40th Battalion require mess-tin covers. This Battalion did not observe the 12.50 p.m. halt.
51. Many mess-tins were missing in the 10th Field Company, and very
few were carried on the packs. Trace chains were dirty and wagons
unnumbered.
52. The 10th Field Ambulance had no registered numbers on the wagons.
The same applies to the 24th A.A.S.C. and they did not march on left
of road at starting point.
53. The 33rd Battalion appeared to be short of mess-tins.
54. 34th Battalion transport very dirty.
55. The 35th Battalion also appeared to be short of mess-tins and
packs were not satisfactory.
56. The 36th Battalion require mess-tin covers, especially the
mounted officers. Marching bad, fours not dressed.
57. The 9th Brigade Headquarters transport requires marking, as
also the 36th Battalion vehicles.
58. The D.A.C. want color patches. They made the 3 o'clock halt
in the centre of the road in a position to block all other traffic, and
At times marched on right of road.
59. The 35th Battalion appear to be short of hat-badges: Their
Lewis Gunners were armed with rifles as well as revolvers.
60. 11th Field Ambulance. - Pole chains in bad condition.
61. All Field Ambulances. - Vehicles dirty except those recently
issued which had not had time to get dirty.
62. 9th Inf. Bde. - had some rubberised equipment and some rifle
slings were deficient.
63. Pioneer Battalion - Maltese Cart and G.3. Wagons were dirty.
64. Div. Train - Company with 11th Brigade Group, vehicles very dirty,
did not keep on left of road.
65. 4lst Battalion - Some men were lame at beginning of march,
probably due to badly fitting boots.
66. 43rd Battalion - Wagons not marked. Marching ragged Fours
not dressed.
67. 9th F.A. Brigade Most cases brakes not on going down hill.
Checks were caused through closing up by trotting. Blankets were
not pulled up in to the arch of the saddles.
68. The entrenching tools of the 42nd Battalion were carried in
a G.S. Wagon instead of a G.S. Limbered Wagon.

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69. The First line transport of the Band Battalion marched
behind the 43rd Battalion instead of behind its own Battalion.
70. 10th Field Company Engineers, trace chains very dirty.
71. 9th Field Company - During long halt, officers sat on their
horses for 13 minutes.
72. There is a good deal of hair-cutting necessary throughout
the Division.
Notes with reference to the Orders will be issued separately.
G. H. Jackson
Lieut-Colonel,
General Staff.
DISTRIBUTION
C.R.A.                             23
C.R.E.                               4
3rd Div. Signal Co.        6
9th Aust. Inf. Bde.       23
10th    -do-                     23
11th     -do-                     23
3rd Aust. Pioneer Bn.   6
3rd Aust Div. Train.        6
A. D.M.S.                           6
A. D.V. S.                           6
 

(COPY)
BUCKINGHAM PALACE.
15th November, 1916.
My dear General,
Will you be good enough to have the following
message conveyed to the G.O.C., 3rd Australian Division, from
the King:-
On the eve of your departure for Active Service,
I send you all ranks under your Command my best wishes for
success. Good-Luck and God-Speed.
Of course he will see that it does not appear in
the press.
Yours sincerely,
(Sd) CLIVE WIGRAM.
Lieut-General
Sir H.C.Sclater,
G.C.B.
G.O.C. in C.,
Southern Command.

16/11/16
THE REAL ANZACS.
There are plenty of slouch-hatted Soldiers in town,
Doughty and debonair, stalwart and brown;
Some are from Weymouth or Salisbury Plain,
Others have 'pushed' in the Western Campaign;
call them 'Overseas Soldiers' or 'Down-under' men,
Declare that each one is as daring as ten;
Call them 'Cornstalks' or 'Fernleaves' - all out for a fight -
But don't call them Anzacs, for that isn't right.
The Anzacs - their ranks are but scanty all told -
Have a separate record illumined in gold.
Their blood on Gallipoli's ridges they poured,
Their souls with the scars of that struggle are scored;
Not many are left, and not many are sound,
And thousands lie buried in Turkish ground.
These are the Anzacs; the others may claim
Their zeal and their spirit, but never their name.
From London "Punch" of lst. Nov., 1916.

HEADQUARTERS

No. G26/355
THIRD AUSTRALIAN DIVISION

THIRD AUSTRALIAN DIVISION
BURLINGTON, l6th. November, 1916.
C.R.A
C.R.E.
Div. Sig. Coy
9th. Aus. Inf. Bde.
l0th.   "      "       "
11th.    "      "       "
3rd. Aus. Pioneer Bn.
Div. Train.
A.D.M.S.
A.D.V.S.
Herewith copy of Operation Order No. 6 dated today,
also copy of General and Special Ideas. The Scheme will be worked as
skeleton exercise. The following will be present:-,
All Divisional and Brigade Signal personnel ^and available and proportion of
Battalion Signallers, together with all Signal equipment that can
be spared. Officers Commanding Infantry Brigades, Artillery Brigades,
Field Companies, Field Ambulances, Divisional Train, Infantry
Battalions, Pioneer Battalion, C.R.A, C.R.E., A.D.M.S., and
necessary staff.
The various Headquarters will be represented and
Signal communication established. Orders, messages and reports will
be transmitted as under service conditions, except where otherwise
ordered.
Tasks. The tasks will be allotted from time to
time.
The above Officers will assemble at YARNBURY CASTLE,
2½ miles West of WINTERBOURNE  STOKE at 10.0 a.m. on Friday next.
By 11 a.m. Group Headquarters will be joined up by Signal Company
using Visual, wire or D.[[?]]s. The Divisional Report Centre will be
YARNBURY CASTLE
Officers should be mounted, preferably on
bicycles.
It will be a long day for horses, and horse holders will
be unnecessary, if bicycles are used. Where Officers have motor
cars, they can of course use them. There will be work for every
available car, and Officers possessing cars are advised to take out
as many as possible.
G.H. Jackson
Lieut-Colonel.
General staff.
ADC (for GO.C)

SIGNAL MESSAGE.
To -
C.R.A. C.R.E. 9th., 10th., 11th., Aus. Inf. Bde.
3rd. Aust. Pioneer Bn. Div Train. A.D.M.S
Mobile Veterinary Section.
G.390.  Seventeenth.

From 3rd Aust. Div.

C. H. Jackson
Lieut-Colonel
General Staff

TASK No. 3.
Officers will write the necessary Orders and
Messages to give effect to  Third Australian Division Message
No. G. 390, and will report to their respective Headquarters
when their Units or Formations move and by when tails will
be clear of ROLLESTON - STAPLEFORD River.
All Officers will assemble at DRUID'S LODGE at
3.45 p.m. and hand in copies of Orders, etc. issued.
 

Exercise of 17/11/16
xxxxxxx
xxxxx
10 a.m. Conference
1. Nature of Exercise. -
(a) Greatest benefit by officers themselves
(b) Examining Country
(c) Sending Information
(d) Realizing capacity  & limitations of Signal Service
2. 9th Bde Orders to Outposts ) dispositions only
outpost orders                              ) position at this moment  
10^th Appch Orders                       )
11^th           do.                                   )
Train - for assembly - draw clear of roads
                                         Teams work midweek
[* Whit to F. Co
Aust.
Train*]
12 a.m. Conference
Dispositions only
9^th Bde Withdrawal
10th Attack )  orders to 7.Cos.
11th Attach  ) 
Arty               )
Train - assembly
C.R.E
ADMS
General situation - Position of 10^th & 11^th H.Q
Liaison
Lateral Contact 

16/11/16
3.45 am

Division as a Rearguard
Action 9

            10
             11
           Arty
         Sngrs
Reason for Altering orders.
Pioneer report
[[Mode?]] of Crossings - by whom

handed me by C.R.A
COPY
18/11/16
G.H.Q. O.B./818
1st. ANZAC 13/107.
2nd. Army.
With reference to G.H.Q. letter No. O.B./818 of the
6th.instant, a misunderstanding appears to have arisen in certain
quarters regarding the organisation of the new divisional
ammunition columns.
The reasons for the change may be summarised as follow:
As a result of the growth of the Army in the Field, the
Corps has replaced the division as the unit for marching and
fighting. The restricted fronts that will be available for allotment
to Corps in any probable forward move, the smalll number of
roads, and the greater density of the troops with their consequent
disposal in depth, combine to render the retention of two 
ammunition echelons under divisional control no longer practicable.
The new divisional ammunition columns which are now
being formed have been organised in two echelons : the "A" echelons
being designed to accompany their divisions closely at all times;
the B" echelons being available either to accompany either their
own divisions, if the circumstances and available road space render
such a course desirable, or to be detached under Gorps control.
The "A" echelons are divided into three sections for
purposes of administration only, and these sections are not intended
to serve any particular infantry or Artillery Brigade. The column as
a whole serves the Division as a whole. With the reduced amount
of ammunition carried it is essential that this column be treated
as a pool; the affiliation of the Sections to particular brigades
or the local re-formation of sections on a different basis is
contrary to the principles underlying the organisation and is not
to be permitted. The establishment as laid down will be strictly
followed.
(Sgd.) J. Burnett Stuart,
Brig.-General.
for Lieutenant-General, C.G.S.
G.H.,Q

22nd. May, 1916.
1st. Anzac Corps.
Forwarded for information.
(sgd.) H.B. Williams,
M.G.G.s.
Second army.
2nd. Army G.253.
25th. May, 1916.