Sir John Monash, Personal Files Book 15, 10 May - 9 June 1917, Part 18

"A" Form Army Form C. 2121
(In Pads of 100).
MESSAGES AND SIGNALS.  G No. of Message
[*ARMY

AY 8 VI 17.
TELEGRAPHS*]
 Prefix    Code   m. 
Office of Origin and Service Instructions.

Priority
WRMcN
Words     Charge.
Sent                            

At   44^th   m.
To   9 pm
By SC  
This message is on a/c of:

Service.
(Signature of "Franking Officer")

Recd.at  m.
Date 
From
By 
TO  AICG   44^th
* Sender's Number.  Day of Month  In reply to Number.  AAA
MC 300                               8/6
Col SMITH and Col
MANSBRIDGE will
proceed to vicinity of
BLACK LINE immediately to
command their respective 
Battalions which are garrisoning
the GREEN LINE AAA  xxxx
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Tactical responsibility for defence
of GREEN LINE rests upon
Col MANSBRIDGE AAA Col
SMITH will act under his
orders and Report action on act.

From         GE 37     EJH     8.2pm
Place                            
Time          8 pm
(Z)   WRMcM
Signature of Addressor or person authorised to telegraph in his name.
 

"A" Form.   Army Form C. 2121.
(in Pads of 100).
MESSAGES AND SIGNALS.   No. of Message
Prefix   Code   m.
Office of Origin and Service Instructions.
Words. Charge
Sent
At   m.
To 
By 
This message is on a/c of:
Service.
(Signature of "Franking Office.")
Recd. at     m.
Date 
From
By
TO  AICG  AIDD
*  Senders Number.     Day of Month.   In reply to Number     AAA
MC 301                                8
Reported that small isolated parties
of 44th are falling back from
GREEN LINE on account of
heavy shelling  AAA  They will
be sent forward again as
soon as possible AAA  All
37th and 44th are detailed
for GREEN LINE.  AA
C O's phoned keep in close
touch with Bde. Forward
station and keep me closely
informed of the situation  AAA
An effort should be made to
improve the GREEN LINE trench
during the night.
EJH   8.18pm 
From GE 37
Place 
Time 8.40  00X/10
 

"A" Form.   Army Form C. 2121.
(in Pads of 100).
MESSAGES AND SIGNALS.   No. of Message
Prefix   Code   m.
Office of Origin and Service Instructions.
Words. Charge
Sent
At   m.
To 
By 
This message is on a/c of:
Service.
(Signature of "Franking Office.")
Recd. at     m.
[*ARMY
AY 8 VI 17
TELEGRAPHS*]
Date 
From
By
TO   37^th and 44^th
*  Senders Number.     Day of Month.   In reply to Number     AAA
MC 302                              8
Reported that the supports of
44^th Bn are in vicinity of
V8 b   AAA They must
be collected and taken
forward. AAA I expect
a report showing the dispositions
of these two Battalions along
the GREEN LINE AAA
the location of VICKERS,
LEWIS and STOKES guns
and the location of supports
and Commanding Officers.  AAA
EJH   8.30p
From   GE 37
Place
Time    8.30 p
(Z)  WRMCM
Signature of Addressor or person authorised to telegraph in his name.
 

E
14074, 44^TH
Cannot Hold Mulch
longer More Strength
Wanted to Pick up
Casualties Heavy
Col Mansbridge
 

5.87. E2
Cannot Hold
Position
C.O.  44^th

NOTES.   9-6-17.
1. Distribution of 11th Brigade at 6.0 a.m. 44th Bn.
GREEN LINE, 42nd Bn., BLACK LINE, 43rd Bn., ST. ANDREW'S DRIVE,
4lst Bn., CATACOMBS.
[*CRA *] 2.  2" Trench Mortar activity required on FACTORY FARM
Crater whence the German annoys us.
3. 10th Brigade took in their own Stokes Mortars and
Machine Guns, but they changed over ammunition.
4. The DOUVE Brigades ^Bridges require strengthening in order to
carry Mule Traffic which goes up the Valley of the DOUVE during
the night practically to BETLHEEM FARM.
5. Rumour says 39th Bn. were not collected quickly enough
and so lost some 500 men. [*Genl Cannan*]
6. There are no communication trenches in the 10th
Brigade Area, though there is one partially across NO MAN'S LAND.
This northern communication trench is being dug by Pioneers, helped
by 2 Companies of the 43rd Battalion.  [*Genl Cannan*]
[*3*] 7.   General CANNAN requires photographs showing positions 
of our troops.     
8. 40th Bn. did not come out of the line as early as
they should this morning because they expected to be relieved.
General CANNAN on the other hand had no intention of putting 3
Battalions into the Area.
9. General CANNAN made it quite clear to the Brigade
Major of the 10th. Bde., according to his own statement, but the
Brigade Major states 40th. were waiting to be relieved - as there
was no Bn. to relieve them delay ensued.
10. G.S.0. I found 37th. Bn. somewhat crowded on the road
near LA HUTTE, and so gave instructions that they should continue
the movement West by small parties, instead of hanging about-
11. 38th. Bn. were all out of the line at 6.15 a.m.
39th. Bn. mostly out.
37th. Bn. just moving, and
40th. Bn. awaiting orders. (See above).
12. 10th. Bde. complained about the work of Lieut- FERGUSON
of the Divisional Signal Company.  They say work that he failed in
was finally put through by Lieut. TUCKETT. -
NOTE. - TUCKETT is their own man. -
13. General JOBSONS intentions with regard to internal
reliefs -
33rd. Bn. to remain in the line until the night of 10th/11th.
then to be relieved by the 35th.
36th. Bn. relieve the 34th. on night 9th/10th.
35th. Bn. now have two Companies in the BLACK dotted line -
balance still in our own lines.
General JOBSON'S idea is to put the 34th. back into the
line after being out 60 hours.
14. The following are General JOBSON'S proposals with regard
to rest places for his Battalions not actually in the line -
1 Battalion BUNHLLL ROW.
Other Battalion, 1 Coy. near ST. YVES,
1 Coy. near DEAD HORSE CORNER.
1 Coy. ONTARIO TUNNELS near PROWSE POINT.
1 Coy. near PROWSE POINT in Breastworks. P.T.O. 

(2).

In addition to this the LE TOUQUET BERTHE area that
General CANNAN formerly occupied with a Battalion, is available.

15.  The plans I told WELLS of were explained verbally to the
G.O.C.

[*AQ*] 16. 9th. Brigade complained about the Divisional Burying                 
Officer. There are still a considerable number of our dead left
unburied, and men now have to wear their gas helmets while burying.   
"A.Q" Staff might perhaps go round and fix this up.
[*AQ CRE*]  17. Trench tramways and mule tracks required in order to save 
man power at present used in carrying. 
[*CRE*] 18. 9th. Bde. complain of the R.E. work with regard to the
ANTON'S FARM communication trench. They say that the R.E. insisted   
on starting this trench from our front line, but the barrage                           
was such that this was impossible and so they did not start at all,               
for a very long time. - The G.O.C. that Bde. says they might quite                
well have started work further along. 
9th. Bde. carriers were able to get across with their loads                             
through the barrage, though the Engineer personnel, or Pioneer               
personnel, detailed to dig the trench appeared to have been unable         
to do so.                                                                
19. The following C.Os were seen :-
MILNE. MORSHEAD. BLACKLOW. MARTIN.
43rd. Bn. Hqrs. were also visited, but the C.O. was away
at Brigade Headquarters.
Captain FREEMAN, O.C. "A" Coy. was seen and found to be                             
quite happy about everything, except, that a shell this morning                 
[*X *]had blown up all his cooks and desch^sies, the result being that              
he urgently requires 22 more deschies, some big and some small.             
20. 33rd. Bn. casualties -
Killed 61 O.R.
Wounded 6 Officers, 155 O.R.
Missing, unaccounted for, 21 O.R.
Gassed & shell Shocked 12 O.R.
[*RA*] 21.  33rd. Bn. suffer from shell fire from the direction of                     
FRELINGHIEN and DEULEMONT.
[*CRE*] 22.  Generally understood TORONTO and ONTARIO AVENUES urgently
require R.E. and Pioneer attention.   
[*AR*] 23.  Battalions require rope for YUKON packs. I noticed many           
with no rope, and some with bits of wire. 
24. Corps Commander emphatic on necessity of keeping plenty of
Lewis Guns, Vickers and ammunition forward owing to our Reserve
Brigade (10th) being so far back.
9-6-17.                    
GM
 

2nd ANZAC CORPS

Corps Front from 9 a.m.  9/6/17.

3rd AUSTRALIAN DIVISION

Right   ( From River LYS
              ( to                  7,000 yards 
Sector  ( U.4.b.0.7.         
4th AUSTRALIAN DIVISION
Centre  ( From U.4.b.0. 7
               ( to                 1,000 yards
Sector   ( O.34.b.3.6.
25th DIVISION
Left        ( From O.34.b.3.6.
                ( to                 800 yards.
Sector    ( O. 28.b.4.2.
DECC
9/6/17