Sir John Monash, Personal Files Book 16, 3 September - 9 October 1917, Part 15

4/10/17   19
9^th Bde
At what earliest hour do you
consider your two rear battalions will be
sufficiently rested to take on carrying duties
if required aaa Reply urgent.
G 32   12 49 

4/10/17     20
Counterattack in three waves on my front
from Cemetery in D-17-a.
has been dispersed by rifle and artillery
action aaa Blue line subject to heavy enemy
shelling, but is being consolidated steadily
aaa ∧Forward strong points ∧covering blue line have been commenced by
sappers. aaa Addssd 2^nd Anzac
repeated Flank Divisions
G 34 2.3 PM

4/10/17   21
10^th Brigade
Reference my ^telephone conversations with Brigadiers
about ^possible further operations to exploit today's success
it may be assu
you may act upon assumption that no further
operations will be ordered for today, and very
improbably tomorrow aaa You will may therefore concentrate
all efforts upon securing the ground won ^today and in
^rapidly reorganising your resources. aaa Repeated
9^th & 11^th Brigades.
General Monash
G 35  2.14
2.14.

4/10/17 22
2^nd Anzac.
Reports from several wounded senior officer
and other sources all tend to show that there
was severe fighting during several stages of our
advance, especially at outset and in final
capture of ^high ground ridge at D.17.C ^& D.16.b aaa Going was very
bad just east and slow in vicinity of red line aaa
In majority of cases however enemy surrendered freely.
Adj
G. 36   2.22 PM

4/10/17  23
2^nd Anzac
Lieut. Cane 40^th Bⁿ captured
51 prisoners single handed from
one Blockhouse without firing a shot
aaa Already ^passed through our cage 423
prisoners. aaa Captured listening set
and numbers of Machine Guns.
Addsd 2^nd Anzac & Flank Divisions.
G 38  2.59 PM

4/10/17  24
2^nd Anzac
Prisoners captured by this Division
will certainly ^well exceed 800.
G 39      3.9 PM

4/10/17 25
11^th Bde.
Reference your B.M 132 and 183.
you are at liberty to readjust your blue line
during night provided you notify Division
before pushing it eastward aaa requests re
artillery on Cemetery & railway will be attended
to.
41
G 41    4.20 PM

26
4/10/17
^m 13
776
9
176
_______ 
974
2^nd Anzac
Total prisoners definitely counted up
to 6 p.m is 974 aaa Enemy dead ^so far counted 
in one half of right Brigade area exceeds 450
aaa Addssd 2^nd Anzac repeated Flank Divisions
9^th, 10^th, 11^th Bdes. -
G 42   7.52 PM

4/10/17  27
10^th Bgde.
11^th Bgde.
Endeavour ascertain and telegraph early
tomorrow your ^total captures of machine guns,
mortars and the like. -
G 43   9-8 PM

C.R. A.I.F. 21322 (a)  7/10/17
HEADQUARTERS,
A.I.F Depots in U.K.,
Bhurtpore Barracks,
Tidworth.
4th October 1917.
Major-General J. Monash, C.B., V.D.,
Commanding 3rd Australian Division,
B.E.F. FRANCE.
In continuation of a letter from
the G.O.C., A.I.F. Depots in United Kingdom, I am now -
desired to forward to you the following extracts from a report
by the O.C., Machine Gun Training Depot, relative to
the training of personnel of the 23rd Machine Gun Company: -
"With reference to the above, I wish to make the following
reports :-
(a) Lieut. Snelling conducted the tests as laid down for
all Machine Gunners in this Training Centre. He is in my
opinion a thoroughly reliable and efficient Officer.
(b) There is only one standard of Machine Gunner's tests
in vogue in this Training Centre, and consequently relaxation
did not and could not take place.
(c) No differences are allowed in the testing of men for
Overseas, but it would be of interest to me to know the
detail of tests applied in this case.
I have personally verified the records of the performances
of these men during their training here and am satisfied
that they qualified as efficient Machine Gunners according
to the standards laid down throughout this Training Centre."
C H Foott
Brigadier-General,
D.A. & Q.M.G.
A.I.F. Depots in the United Kingdom.