Sir John Monash, Personal Files Book 16, 9 October - 31 October 1917, Part 9

JL/I

14/10/17

To

G.O.C.
9^th Bde

Have had a careful

survey of the men of

34^th Bn this morning and

without taking an alarmists

view of the situation the

following facts are accurate.

(1) Physically the men are

done & cannot carry on

efficiently. If necessary

they will return to the

line, but will be absolutely

useless for fighting.

Rifles Lewis Guns & ammunition

are filled with mud &

although every effort is

being made to clean up,

the general condition of the

ground makes it impossible

to keep the get the equipment

in fighting trim.

Last night xx after relief

no xxx shelters were available

as was anticipated, it rained

heavily with a cold wind,

therefore the men were all

wet through, in shell holes

& in such temporary lines

as they were able to dig.

I would submit the urgent

necessity of relief for your

consideration

W Le Roy Fry

Major

34^th Bn

8 45 AM

P 21

H.Q. 9^th Inf Bgde

H.Q.

35^th Bn

14/10/17

Condition of Men

I have to report that the men

of this Battalion are positively

worn out & are unfit

for further action.

The rest which they are

at present having on Hill

40 will not improve

their condition sufficiently

to make them fit even

for defensive action.

They are badly shaken after

the very severe time which

they had on the BLUE Line

& I am certain that not

50% of them are able to 

endure a march back to

II.

the FRONT Line.

nothing but a complete

change & rest from the line

will make them fit again.

Latest count shows

strength as: -

	Officers	N.C.O's	Men
H.Q.	3	5	17
A	-	1	5
B	1	-	26
C	-	-	6
D	1	1	11
Total	4	7	65

I am sending Capt R.D. DIXON

back to camp as he is

unfit for further action.

Capt CONNEL is relieving

him & I am also R I McLaren

III

who was Liason officer

with the 36^th Bn - to

assist Capt CONNEL.

I am reorganising &

have sent out a party

under an officer to

search back & flank

areas for stragglers.

J H McDowell 

Major

T. C. O. 35^th Bn

A.I.F.

14/10/17

3.50 pm

P22

H.Q.

9^th Inf Bgde

H.Q. 35^th Bn

14/10/17

Location

Our H.Q. are

now at

D 20 C 10. 60.

J G Paterson Lt

A/Adjt

G O C Z 342

9^th Inf Bde

I am reorganizing

the Battalion into one

Coy and owing to

picking up of stragglers

from rear areas - Capt.

Doig has been detailed

for ladder work

The condition of the

men of this Bn is as

follows. They are utterly

worn out - many badly

shaken by shell burst.

If they are asked to move

into the line before they

are rested under better

conditions than at present

applies - 50% will drop

from fatigue before they

reach the line.

14.10.17

J.A. Milne Lt Col

36 Bn

14/10/17

Maj Gen J Monash  CB VD

Dear General

I hope the attached

reports will prove satisfactory. I am

confident the information contained

therein is correct.

If I can elucidate any part better

by coming to see you I shall be glad to 

do so -

I have received your Confidential memo

re reorganization and rest - I am informing

my Brigade Major only.

May I suggest that if possible we should

like to go back to the CAMPAGNE area

when the move is decided. It would

much facilitate billetting if we

could go into the areas we previously

occupied.

Sincerely

Charles Rosenthal

Bde HQ^r

Oct 14^th 1917.

G.O.C.

3rd Aust Div. 

This afternoon two men of

34^th Battalion who have just come in from

front areas have given me the following

information which corroborates what I have

previously written. Their names are: -

Company S.M. Richard Stevens}

Sergt Pete Bloomfield                   } 34^th Battalion.

This W O and N. C. O. were ordered forward from

RED line & BLUE LINE & reinforce 35^th Batt

They went to right flank and remained

all day in vicinity  of xx D 12 d 80-70.

They report heavy casualty for enemy 5.9 and

77 Artillery. The artillery was located in

ECHO COPSE along road in E 7 a and

one battery in PASSCHENDAELE which badly

enfiladed the line. At night they retired

to RED LINE and remained there all day

yesterday (13th inst) and came back to

our present front line early this morning.

RED line was shelled very heavily all last

night - They saw many of our dead but

very few wounded indeed.

They report that we lost very heavily on BLUE

LINE.

Charles Rosenthal Brig Gen

GOC 9^th Inf Bde -

5.30 P.M.

[*GOC

xx Copy

for

Corps

GM
15/10/17*]

Head Quarters

9^th Infantry Brigade A.I.F.

October 14^th 1917.
Confidential

G.O.C.

3^rd Australian Division.

Yesterday afternoon I

conferred with the 4 Battalion Commanders of this

Brigade at then joint H.Q^r at SEINE dug out

D 16 d 65-45 concerning operation of 12^th inst and

present position. The following statement may be

accepted as substantially correct. I have asked

each Battalion Commander to furnish me with a 

written account of the operations as far as their

own commands are concerned, and from these

reports I may be able to amplify this statement later.

On the morning of 12^th inst all Battalions were

formed up in their allotted position by 3 AM.

The approach march was difficult the condition of

the ground only permitting movement at the rate

of ¾ mile per hour. The approach march was

further interfered with by two Battalions of 4^th Aus Div

who used the same route Eastward from ZONNEBEKE.

During the approach march enemy shelling caused

a number of casualties.

Enemy barrage came down on our front line about

five minutes before ZERO and many casualties

resulted. The 36^th Battalion losing 50 men before

crossing our taped line.

(1)