Sir John Monash, Personal Files Book 15, 10 June - 31 July 1917, Part 16

AWC for GOC

To be att^d to 

Division Circular No 4

Signal arrangements.

 

HEADQUARTERS

25 JUL. 1917

THIRD AUSTRALIAN DIVISION

 

D.A.D.O.S.

No S/3/1

Date...

THIRD AUSTRALIAN DIVISION

25-7-17

No. 1

SECRET

In view of future operations, I have to report the position

of Fighting Equipment of the Division as follows :--

ARTICLES	Units	Position or Action taken
Rifles and Bayonets	All Units	Complete
Pistols	Battalions	Compete, with exception of Nos. 1 & 2 Lewis Gunners of increased establishment.
"	9th, 10th and  11th M.-Gun Companies	75%; balance equipped with Rifles.
"	207th M.-Gun Company	44 only; balance on demand.
"	2" M.T.M. Battery	Nil. On demand. Armed with Rifles.
"	9.45" H.T.M. Battery	Ditto                    Ditto.
Lewis Guns	All Battalions	Complete
Vickers Guns	4 M.-Guns Coys.	Complete
3" T. Mortars	3 L.T.M. Btys.	1 outstanding for 11th.
2" T. Mortars	3 M.T.M. Btys.	5 outstanding:  X3A (1); Z3A (4). (Handed over to Corps; re-demanded by wire.
9.45" H. T.Mortars	V 3A H.T.M. Bty.	Complete--allotment by II ARMY.
18-Pr. BATTERIES :
Guns	30th Battery	1 (demanded 16.7.17)
	27th      "	1 (           "          24.7.17)
Carriages	30th      "	1 (           "          16.7.17)
	25th      "	1 (           "          24.7.17)
4.5-in. HOWITZER BATTERIES		Complete
Pistols, Very, 1"	36th Battalion	6 demanded and hastened
"          "       "	34th Battalion	20      "              "            "
Pistols, Signal 1½"		Complete
Cutters, Wire		Complete
Entrenching Tools		Complete

 

-2-          No. 1            SECRET.

 

In addition, 8 Spare Lewis Guns are held at Divisional Armorers

Shop, and are available for issue. The following Spares are also

held at D.A. Shop :-

Barrels, Vickers Gun          40

    "          Lewis Gun              15

Bolts, complete, L.G.          30

Extractors               "             40

 

Held in reserve at this Depot, are the following :-

Pistols, Webley                      31

Compasses, Prism, Mk.VII  41

 

The supply of Pistols is now fair; and in view of attached

letter, it is expected that this Division will shortly be completed.

 

Copies to :--

G.O.C.               1

G.S.O. (I)           1

G.S.O. (II)          1

A.A. & Q.M.G.   1

D.A.Q.M.G.       1

File                    1

 

In the Field,

25th July, 1917.

WJack

Captain,

D.A.D.O.S., Third Australian Division.

 

COPY

SECRET

(O.S.B.1) 92.

37/4 (Q.A.3)

Copy of Telegrams.

To Troopers, London 9/5/17 No. Q.A.3/320 from Chief.

"Delay in supply of Pistols becoming serious AAA 29,000

due to troops AAA Information required regarding prospects

of supply."

 

From Troops London to G.H.Q. France No. 34315 dated 11/5/17.

"Cipher A.3/2140 Your Q.A.3/320 May 9th Every effort

being made to increase supply AAA Service pistols have

been purchased from abroad and additional orders placed AAA

Delivery probably commencing end of June or July AAA

Until then supply unlikely to increase."

for Bert

with her July 25/17

"A VOICE IN THE DESERT"

Poem by EMILE CAMMAERTS - English Version by TITA BRAND CAMMAERTS.

 

A hundred yards from the trenches,                                

Close to the battle-front

There stands a little house

Lonely and desolate.

Not a man, not a maid, not a child, not a dog,

Only a flight of crows along the railway line,

The sound of our boots on the muddy road,

And, along the Yser, the tinkling fires.  

 

A low, thatched cottage

With doors and shutters closed,

The roof torn by a shell,

Standing out of the floods alone -

Not a life, not a voice, not a cry, not a moan,

Only the stillness of the great graveyards,

Only the crosses - the crooked wooden crosses

On the wide, lonely plain.

A cottage showing grey amidst a cold, black sky,

Blind and deaf in the breeze

Of the dying day.

And the sound of our footsteps, slipping

On the stones as we go by . . . . 

 

Suddenly on the silent air,

Warm and clear, pure and sweet

As sunshine on the golden moss,

Strong and tender, loud and clear

As a prayer ;

Through the roof a girl's voice srang,

And the cottage rsang :

 

VOICE-

When the spring comes round again,

Willows red, and tassels grey -

When the spring comes round again

Our cows will greet the day-

They'll sound their horn triumphant-

White sap and greening spear-

Sound it so loud and long,

Until the dead once more shall hear.

We shall hear our anvils-

Strong arm and naked breast-

And in our peaceful meadows,

The scythe will never rest.

Every church will ope' its door-

Antwerp, Ypres and Nieuport-

The bells will then be singing,

The foe's death-knell be ringing.

Then shall sound spade and shovel,-

Dixmude and Ramscapelle-

And gaily gleam the trowel,

While thro' the air the pick is swinging.

From the ports our boats will glide,

Anchor up and moorings slipt-

The lark on high will be soaring

Above our rivers wide-

And then our graves will flower-

Heart's-ease and golden rod-

And then our graves wil flower,

Beneath the peace of God.

 

Not a breath, not a sound, not a soul

Only the crosses, the poor little wooden crosses . . .

 

"Come, it is getting late-

'Tis but a peasant girl

With her father living there . . . . 

They will not go away, nothing will make them

yield,
They will die, they say,
Sooner than leave their field."

Not a breath, not a life, not a soul,
Only a flight of crows along the railway line,
The sound of our boots on the muddy road ....
And along the Yser the twinkling of the fires.

HEADQUARTERS * THIRD AUSTRALIAN DIVISION

12 SEP. 1917

Q130/138

THIRD AUSTRALIAN DIVISION.

Divisional Headquarters,

26th. July, 1917.

Headquarters,

 II A. & N. Z. A. O.

 

These figures were submitted in their present form,

as the result of a discussion which I had on the subject of leave

with the D.A. & Q.M.G. of Corps; and in order to present the

full facts, as to previous leave, which affect this Division. I

is further submitted that these data furnish the proper basis for

carrying into effect the policy of the "A.G." memo of 6/7/1917

(D/1978) as applied to Australian and New Zealand troops.

 

The service and leave experiences of the personnel of this

Division differ in no respect qualitatively, but only quantitatively,

from those of the N.Z. and the 4th Australian Divisions. None

have been on service in France over 18 months; all have been

away from their homes for over 12 months. Whereas the N.Z.

and 4th. Australian Divisions left Egypt in April and May 1916

direct for France, the 3rd. Australian Division left Australia in
April and May 1916 for a period of training in land prior to
arrival in France in November 1916.

It is urged very strongly that the "disembarkation
leave" of four days, granted to all overseas troops on first
arrival in England (following upon a sea voyage of 8 to 9
continuous months.) should not, of itself, be a bar to the due
participatikon of this Division in the general 10 day leave
facilities. It is re-affirmed that a large percentage of
the personnel had no leave in England, other than this 4 day
period on landing.

The figures already submitted show that a total of 10,193
Officers and other ranks of this Division have had no leave (other
 than the 4 days referred to) since April and May 1916, - i.e.
during a period of 14 and 15 months; it being an accidental
circumstance that their training was carried out in England, and
not in Egypt as was the case with the other Divisions of the
Corps.

I do not urge that  these 10,193 Officers and others
[[*in the corps*]] should be put upn exactly the same footing collectively, as to ^pro rate leave quota
as an equilent number form the other Divisions, ^of some troops & Corps who have
admittedly had 3½ to 4 months longer actual service in France;
but I do urge that the proportion of leave allotted to this
Division should be very substantially increased from the ^nominal quota
[*4 to 7 [[?]]*] now granted, vis 5-7 per diem; onthe ground that the total periold of service
without leave, and not actual absence form England, is the governing factor in the
case of Dominion troops. -

Major-General.
Commanding Third Australian Division.
Amended letter

sent on
26/7/17

26/7/17
R.M.S; Capt Mailer   33 )
Maj. Clarke G.R.        34 )
Capt. Clarke (A.E.)    35 )
Maj. Macpherson     36 )
 

Have been getting all the Rum asked for (4 gals oer day)

& all they consider necessary
Not by any means disposed to order a general
rum issue. -
See - X CS.135 p.18 S3.

A large increase in No. of men who require rest -
debility. -

JHA/FGL
THIRD AUSTRALIAN DIVISION
A.D.M.S
No. M2/165
Date 27.7.17
THIRD AUSTRALIAN DIVISION
To,
G.O.C.,
Third Australian Divison,
 

I beg to bring the following under your
notice:-
Owing to their long and aruous tour of 

duty in Support and Front line trenches, the physical condition
of the Brigade in Line - the 9th. Brigade - has fallen considerably.
I make this statement on the following evidence:-

1. The Sick wastage - The 9th Brigade loss from this
cause is higher than the other two Brigades of the
Division and is showing a steady rise. Detail figures
are shown on the attached graphs, but totals are as
follows:- For the period 22.6.17 to date.
 

	9th.Bde	10th.Bde.	11th. Bde.
Admitted to Field Ambulances.	566	298	428
Evacuated from Fld. Ambulances to C.C.S.	214	155	168

These figures int he absend of any epidemic, point to
a general lowering of tone. In addition, there are a
number of men unfit for duty in the trenches accommodated
at the 9th. Brigade Rest Camp.
 

2. Reports received verbally from the Regimental Medical
Officers of the Brigade.

3. The physical condition of the men of the Brigade
admitted to hospital.