Sir John Monash, Personal Files Book 16, 1 August - 3 September 1917, Part 6

8/8/17

Equipment.

Necessity for energy in re-equipping. √

Dependent on Kit & Unit Inspections.  √

Platoon inspections - thoroughness -   √

Agenda lists.           √

Clothing-repairs,-buttons-greasy collars. √

Color patches & badges    √

Breeches,      √

Hats.   √

Identity Discs.   √

Dress of Officers. - 

Transport Inspections

Complete Unit Inspections, - if time permits. 

Honors & Awards. - Distinction between "Immediate" & Dispatch

 no prior actions

Methods of expression

Anomalies.

Brigadiers to act as sieves.

 

Staff Captains. Too much glorified Q. M's & clerks.

More touch with troops

No Watertight compartments - help B.M.

 Know Tactical situation.

Liaison with other Staff Captains.

Feeding of men - especially in the line - suggest Conferences

by Brigadiers with S.G., Q.M's & Adjts & R.M.O's. -

 

Sunday.  Trumpets & Bugles.    √

Bands.      √

Burials  & Identifications.    √

Salving stores after a fight

Field Officer for works

 Distribution of Cinema profitor

Responsibility of Junior officers

Goddard, - re Hawkins -

no billeting parties at Hill Farm  

Training - & future conference.

Sports - impromptu, not athletic contests, but amusement

Tactical

Observe dugouts in Shell holes

Cooperation of M.Gs, & L.Gs & T.M.

Counterbattery & Retaliation

Vaulted cellars

Importance of reporting

Importance of cohesion & training

Sniping's shell hole system not successful

Rapid loading & firing

Training Severally heading

Taction  "     heading

Organisation for fighting & heading

Training in platoon handling

Enemy's counterattack doctrines & organisation - get attack papers

Army Commander's letter.

Good results of party - necessity for maintaining it

Avoidance of casualties

Always substitute in eye.

GRAPH SHEWING -

1. Strength of Battalions by Platoons, of men with Unit, as at noon. 9.8.17. (b)

2. - of men actually on strength, but detached, on (a) necessary duties (b) sick (c) leave. (sg)

3. Deficiency from G.H.Q. maximum strength as laid in SS. 135 'Training a Division for offensive action. (p)

	33	34	35	36	37	38	39	40	41	42	43	44
45
44
43	p	p	p	p	p	p	p	p	p	p	p	p
42	p	p	p	p	p	p	p	p	p	p	p	p
41	p	p	p	p	p	p	p	p	p	p	p	p
40	p	p	p	p	p	p	p	p	p	p	p	p
39	p	p	p	p	p	p	p	p	p	p	p	p
38	p	p	p	p	p	p	p	p	p	p	p	p
37	p	p	p	p	p	p	p	p	p	p	p	p
36	p	p	p	p	p	p	p	sg	sg	p	p	p
35	sg	p	p	p	p	p	p	sg	sg	sg	p	p
34	sg	p	p	p	p	p	p	sg	sg	sg	p	p
33	sg	sg	p	p	p	p	p	sg	sg	sg	p	p
32	sg	sg	p	sg	p	p	sg	sg	b	sg	p	sg
30	sg	sg	p	sg	p	p	sg	sg	b	b	p	sg
29	sg	sg	sg	sg	p	p	sg	sg	b	b	p	sg
28	sg	sg	sg	sg	p	p	sg	b	b	b	p	sg
27	b	sg	sg	sg	sg	sg	sg	b	b	b	p	b
26	b	sg	sg	sg	sg	sg	sg	b	b	b	sg	b
25	b	sg	sg	sg	sg	sg	sg	b	b	b	sg	b
24	b	b	sg	b	sg	sg	sg	b	b	b	sg	b
23	b	b	sg	b	sg	sg	sg	b	b	b	sg	b
22	b	b	sg	b	b	sg	b	b	b	b	sg	b
21	b	b	sg	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b
20	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b
19	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b
18	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b
17	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b
16	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b
15	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b
14	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b
13	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b
12	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b
11	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b
10	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b
9	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b
8	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b
7	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b
6	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b
5	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b
4	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b
3	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b
2	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b
1	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b	b

[[*GHQ Missing*]]

 

9/8/17

39. Batt. Band

March - Yeomen of the King

Valse - Destiny ___

Selection......Bric-a-Brac

Trombone Solo. Perfect Day.

Selection Empireland

Cornet Solo. Where my Caravan has rested"

March Good bye Summer

 The King

THIRD AUSTRALIAN DIVISION.

Divisional Headquarters,                                         

9th August, 1917.- 
Headquarters
9 AUG. 1917         
No Q87/34              

THIRD AUSTRALIAN DIVISION                                  

Headquarters.  
9th Aust:  Infantry Brigade.                               

10th Aust:  Infantry Brigade.

11th Aust: Infantry Brigade.

"G" Staff:-

A.D.C. to Army commander.

A.D.C. to Divisional commander.-

 

Reference Maps  -  Sheet  28 S. W. J.

                                    Sheet  36 N. W. J.

The Army Commander will inspect Battalions of The Third 

Australian Division on parade on SATURDAY, 11th instant, commencing 
10-45 a.m., according to the following programme:-

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------                                                UNIT.                                 LOCATION OF UNIT.                               TIME.       

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

44th Battalion.                         B.20.b.7.2.                                         10-45 a.m.

43rd Battalion).                                              

                           )                         B.20.a.l.8  B.19.9.3.3                        11-10 a.m.

 42nd      "         ).

41st Battalion.                           B. 1.a.9.2                                            11.-50 p.m.

37th Battalion.)

38th        "          ).                       S.12.a.8.0 )                                         12.-20 p.m.

39th Battalion.)                                           ) S.28.a.1.5

40th        "          ).                       S.12.a.8.0  )                                        12-.50p.m.

33rd Battalion.                          M.35.d.7.9.                                           1.-45p.m.

36th Battalion.                          M.29.c.8.5.                                           2.-10p.m.

35th Battalion.                           S. 3.d.4.6.                                            2-40 p.m.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Brigadiers will meet the Army Commander at the first parade 

of their Units.

DRESS:   Fighting Order

Rob S Jackson      
Major.-

D.A.A.G., Third Australian Division
(R.E.J/R.M)/ -                                                           

10-8-17.

STOKES GUN COMPETITION.

Teams to consist of one normal detachment.

Entries to be limited to one per Battery.

 

CONDITIONS.

Team to be formed up 300 yards from a target 

represented by concentric circles with a flag in the centre.

On the signal "Advance" the team will advance, 

and on arrival at about 250 yards from the target, will receive

the order "Action". - The gun will be set up and 6 rounds fired.

Marks will be allotted as under. -

Hits. - 5,4,3 or 0 marks, according to proximity to the flag.

Time. - 5 marks if task completed inexactly 5 minutes:

1 mark added or deducted for every half minute

below or above this time.

Set up. - 5 marks for correct set up: deductions for faults.

Jas A Lambden        
Captain. -

Hon. Sec., Divisional Sports Committee.

G.O.C    10/8/17

THIRD AUSTRALIAN DIVISION.

Divisional Headquarters,

10th, August, 1917.

THIRD AUSTRALIAN DIVISIONAL SPORTS.

PROVISIONAL PROGRAMME.

100 yards Race. -	1 entry per Unit.  Athletic costume.
200 yards Race. -	do.                          do.
1 mile Race. - -	do.                          do.
Bomb Throwing. -	1 team of 4 men per Unit.  Each man to throw two  grenades for Distance, and two grenades  for Accuracy, at 30 yards.
Relay Race. - -	4 men per Unit without arms or equipment. - Dress -  Service Dress. Each man runs 100 yards.
Lewis Gun  |Assembling Competition.	1 team consisting of 1 N.C.O. and 2 Privates per  Unit -  (Parts will be laid out on sheet and team runs 100  yards to gun, assembles it, and runs 50 yards into  action).
Bayonet Fighting.	1 Section of 8 O.R.   Details of this competition | will be notified later on separate sheet.
Obstacle Race. -	Individual - 1 entry per Unit.
Tug-of-War. - -	Team of 10 men and a captain (who will not pull)  per formation.  Limits 6 feet pull or 2 minutes. (No holes to be made for feet till word "heave" is given).
Sack Race. - -	1 entry per Unit - distance 75 yards.
Sack Bumping Competition   -	6 men per Unit (details will be issued on separate sheet).
Platoon Manoeuvre and Turnout.	1  Platoon per Formation (8 minutes manoeuvre  allowed).
Machine Gun and Limber Competition.	1 fighting limber per Machine Gun team. (Details issued on separate sheet).
Light Stokes Mortar   Competition	1 Section per L.T.M. Battery.
Acrobatic Competition	1 entry per Formation. Teams not to consist of more  than 12 men and leader.  5 minutes allowed to each         team.
Treasure Hunt. -	Particulars notified on day of sports.
Officers Relay Race.	1 team per Formation.  4 Officers in each team.
Most Original Humorous Group.	1 per Unit and Divisional Pierrots.
Best Sustained  Character.	Open to all. - Time 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.

P.T.O

(2.)

For purposes of this Sports listing -

A Unit shall be - Divisional Headquarters.

Brigade Headquarters and T. M. Bty.

Machine Gun Company.

A Battalion.

A Battery, D.A.

A Section, D.A.C.

A Company, A.S.C.

A Field Ambulance.

A field company.

Veterinary Services.

A Formation shall be - 

An Infantry Brigade.

An Artillery Brigade.

The D.A.C.

The A.S.C.

The Engineers.

The A. M. C.

The Pioneers.

The 207th. M.G. Coy.

The Veterinary Services.

Jas A  Lambden

Captain. - 

Hon. Sec., Divisional sports committee.

10-8-17

MACHINE GUN COMPETITION.

One fighting limber per Company to drive into 
the ring and unpack limbers.

From this position the order "Action" will be given, 
when two guns per company will come into action.

The order will then be given "Out of Action", when

limber will gallop up. Sections will pack limbers and go back 
to a spot to be indicated, where Sections will be inspected.

Jas A Lambden

Captain. - 

Hon. Sec., Divisional sports Committee.

Divisional Headquarters,

10th, August, 1917.

MEMO

for G.S.O. (1).

Reference attached paper on Machine Guns. - This should

be circulated to D.M.G.O. and Machine Gun companies for their information 
and remarks.

If we intend to develop the action of massed machine guns, 
it will be necessary to fully consider the whole question of special 
communications for this Arm.

It is clear that, in a general engagement, when the whole 

resources of the Division in telephones, buzzers and wires are taxed to

 the utmost; no resources are available for machine gun communications.- 

However, to perfect the manipulation of massed machine guns, we require communications from the DM.G.O. to the Machine Gun batteries, and, 
also, from the Infantry; either direct to the Batteries or to the  
D.M.G.O.

At the present juncture, it would probably be quite useless

to ask for such an ample signalling equipment and personnel to handle 

it, as the Machine Gun commanders would, themselves, desire; but if

the question were approached in a moderate spirit, and reasonable 

requests were put forward for an increase in such equipment, some good

result might follow.

I think this is a matter on which G.S.O.(2), D.M.G.0. and 

O.C., Divnl.signal Coy. might well closely confer with a view to

drawing up a moderate list of additional equipment supplementary to 
existing Divisional resources, which would make it possible to establish

the necessary communications during offensive operations which would

enable the action of the massed machine guns to be controlled with

much greater freedom than is at present the case.

Under present condition, we are compelled to have a fixed 
time table programme with fixed and pre-determined dispositions and 
programme for action is expected eventualities. - With a proper

system of communications, however, much more lattitude would be 

allowed, and it is likely that the action of the massed machine guns

(1)