General Sir John Monash, Personal Files Book 18, 28 March - 20 April 1918, Part 3

Dear General,
Attached Copy of my
second dispatch to you
is sent because I have been
informed that the original
copy, sent yesterday, has,
in some way, miscarried,
& had not reached you up to
time of writing. -
Have just received word
that Rosenthal, with the 9 Bde,
carried out, most successfully,
a fine Counter attack,
yesterday afternoon, under orders
of 61^st Divn. NW of
AUBERCOURT
Sgd John Monash

31/8/18

H.Q. 7^th Corps
A group of 12 enemy guns at K.3.d.8.5 was engaged by us with a
concentrated shoot of all natures at 11 this morning aaa Several direct hits
observed, and enemy detachments were seen scattering aaa At noon enemy
teams were seen coming down the hill from K.4.d to remove the guns, and
were engaged by my field Artillery. aaa Several direct hits again observed &
and several teams seen to bolt back over the hill, without the guns. aaa.
Addsed. 7^th Corps, repeated 4^th Australian Division. 1^st Cav. Divn
G. 87  2.5PM  31/3/18 

"C" Form. 

Army Form C. 2123.

(In books of 100.)
MESSAGES AND SIGNALS. No. of Message 124
Prefix SM Code SJ Words 26
Charges to Collect £  s. d.
Received
From GW

By Baily
Sent or Sent out

At..........m

To...............

By...............

Office Stamp.

31/3/18
AYC 31.III.18.
TELEGRAPHS

Service Instructions.  A.VO

Handed in at........

Office 7.07 pm.

Received 7.55 pm.

TO General MONASH

3rd Aus Div
Sender's Number. Day of Month. In reply to Number.   AAA

                                            31st

Please Convey my heartiest

Congratulations to all on

all the really fine

work you have been

doing.
M

R 7.59

JB

FROM Genl Birdwood

1/4/18
31/3/18.
My Dear General.
I have read your
letters with intense interest
And may I add - pride.

I am sure the Divn. will

do well - & you will have
more scope than in ordinary

trench warfare. You are
in a country which was 

our home for a long time
& each field on which I
know intimately.
We have yr.
(l) Students of Corps
Schools & [[hosll?]]

personnel
(ll) Sundries collected

in yr. [[Remfch]]

Depot
And I am trying to arrange
to get these down to you during
the coming week. I will
probably have to 'juggle'
them in with part of 2^nd.
Divn & send you word to
look out for them.
We are in hopes of
being with you Ere long.
All manner of good wishes
Yours C.B.B White 

1/4/18
Australian
1st ANZAC CORPS.
B.E.F. FRANCE.
31st March, 1918.
My dear Monash,
Again so many thanks for your letter of the
30th, giving such an excellent account of your further
doings. It is all first class reading, and makes me
long all the more to be with you - if only in the hopes
of being able to get your division and our others
together, as all three now have, I see, a detached
brigade, which is so very undesirable, if it can possibly
be avoided. I have not yet received any definite orders,
but quite expect to get away in the course of the next
couple of days.
In the fighting that is before us, I am sure
it will be sound to give up the idea of continuous lines,
but to dispose one's troops tactically in positions, from
which one can bring heavy fire to bear on advancing
German masses; and I think the ground in your part of
the world lends itself to this.
Again/ 

-2-
Again, all good wishes.
Yours ever,
W.R. Birdwood 

All well on 31^st. -
Repulsed very severe
attack by 2 Divisions
yesterday afternoon,
inflicting at least 3000
Casualties. - Please
send on to Melbourne.
JM
31/3/18

51.

March 31/18
Dear Walter
Enclosed chart for perusal & to pass on

to Melbourne with this note. -
The trouble in my vicinity arose because
the Corps holding from Bray to Albert

(green line) broke at 4 p.m. on 26^th

falling back on the line of the Ancre &

thus opening, wide, a clear path to

Amiens. -
I arrived at Franvillers (Fravillers on 

the map) in my car, at daybreak on 27^th
& the first motor lorries with my leading 

Infantry arrived at same spot at 8.30 a.m.

For 2 hours I was momentarily expecting to be

mopped up by Bosch Armoured cars. - I could

see (through my glasses.) the Bosch cavalry on the
high ground East of Morlancourt. - The line I took
up with my first two battalions to arrive was from
Mericourt to Sailly-le-Sec. - After two days
fighting my line nowx runs from Buire
to Sailly-Lorette. - The map will show

you the Divisions I have had up against me;

in addition the 18^th (Schlessing-Holstein) Division

came into yesterday's fight. - Yet we have stood

firm; the road to Amiens is closed; & we & the

4^th Australians, & the New Zealanders further north have
steadied up the whole British line - J.M.