General Sir John Monash, Personal Files Book 18, 28 March - 20 April 1918, Part 16

Conflict:

First World War, 1914–18

Part of Quest:

Sir John Monash (General, b.1865 - d.1931)

Subject:

Documents and letters

Status:

Awaiting approval

Accession number:

RCDIG0000628

Difficulty:

Information in several of these wires
has been vague & I have had to ring
Fraser for further information.
Example: 'Enemy M.W. active along our front'
I have had no trouble with wires
from the 10^th Bde and on no occasion
have I been forced to ask for further
information
SH Jackson Capt
M^cGibbon - one of the last
in Div.
Wrote Cannan

16
STAFF TRAINEES.
19/4/18
DIVISIONAL HEADQUARTERS. -
General Staff. - Major E.W. CONNELLY, D.S.O.
General List (Seconded)
A.Q. BRANCH. - Captain D.G. MOLESWORTH, 36th.Battn.
(Seconded).
3rd.AUST. DIVL. ARTILLERY.
Brigade Major. - Major R.E. FANNING, D.S.O. 2nd.Div.Arty.
(Seconded).
9th.AUST. INFANTRY BRIGADE.
Brigade Major.- Major W.A.S. DUNLOP, 22nd.Corps Mtd. Regt.
(Seconded)
Staff-Captain.- Captain J.G. PATERSON, M.C. 35th.Battn.
(Not Seconded)
10th.AUST. INFANTRY BRIGADE.
Brigade Major.- Lieut. F.R.B. MARTIN, M.C. 38th.Battn.
(Not Seconded)
Staff-Captain.- Captain R. WOLSTENHOLME. 34th.Battn.
(Seconded).
11th.AUST. INFANTRY BRIGADE.
Brigade Major.- Captain M.H. CRUICKSHANK, 40th. Battn.
(Seconded).
Staff-Captain.- Captain C.H.C. HILLARY, 44th.Battn.
(Seconded).
AUSTRALIAN CORPS HEADQUARTERS.
"A" Learner.- Captain R.L. BENNETT, 11th. M.G. Coy.
(Seconded).

D.H.Q. 16-4-1918.
(WEB).
G.O.C.

19/4/18
SPECIAL ORDER OF THE DAY
BY
GENERAL SIR H. S. RAWLINSON, BART.,
G.C.V.O., K.C.B., K.C.M.G.,
COMMANDING FOURTH ARMY.

The Special Order of the Day of April 11th, 1918, by the Field-Marshal Commanding-in-Chief the
British Armies in France is republished:-

To ALL RANKS OF THE BRITISH ARMY IN FRANCE AND FLANDERS.
Three weeks ago to-day the enemy began his terrific attacks against us on a fifty-mile front. His
objects are to separate us from the French, to take the Channel Ports and destroy the British Army.
In spite of throwing already 106 Divisions into the battle and enduring the most reckless sacrifice of
human life, he has as yet made little progress towards his goals.
We owe this to the determined fighting and self-sacrifice of our troops. Words fail me to express the
admiration which I feel for the splendid resistance offered by all ranks of our Army under the most trying
circumstances.
Many amongst us now are tired. To those I would say that Victory will belong to the side which
holds out the longest. The French Army is moving rapidly and in great force to our support.
There is no other course open to us but to fight it out. Every position must be held to the last man:
there must be no retirement. With our backs to the wall and believing in the justice of our cause each
one of us must fight on to the end. The safety of our homes and the Freedom of mankind alike depend
upon the conduct of each one of us at this critical moment.
D. Haig. F.M.
Commander-in-Chief,
British Armies in France.
General Headquarters,
Thursday, April 11th, 1918
In republishing this Order of the Day I desire to lay special stress on the importance of Amiens, the
defence of which has been entrusted to the Fourth Army. I rely upon every Officer, Non-
commissioned Officer and Man to hold the line which the Army now occupies to the very last.
This Order is to be communicated to every Officer, Non-commissioned Officer and Man in the
Fourth Army, and it will be read out to his men by every Platoon Commander in the Infantry
and by every Section Commander in the Artillery.
H Rawlinson.

Genl.
[*GOC
HQ AIF*]
Commanding Fourth Army.
Headquarters, Fourth Army,
April 19th, 1918.
PRINTED IN FRANCE BY ARMY PRINTING AND STATIONERY SERVICES

PRESS A—1/18

G.O.C
Letters
Posted Sydney Serial Readdressed Received

NO. London here
Feb 1^st 152 31^st March 5^th April.
Feb 20^th 156 3^rd April 6^th April.
Numbers 153 to 155 not yet received 19/4/18 -
DG Molesworth
19/4/18.

G.O.C. Approximate Fighting Strength 19-4-18.

A. B. C. D. E

Available Fighting Reinforcements Total. Casualties. Column 'A' as at
Strength (including Period. 13/4/18 period 13.4.18 noon 19-4-18
Personnel of Bn to 19.4/18. to 19.4.18
Transport and Q.M.
Unit. Stores - NOON - 13/4/18
Off. OR Off OR Off OR Off OR Off OR

33^rd Bn 27 604 7 64 34 668 13 293 21 375

34^th ' 32 653 6 58 38 711 1 53 37 658

35^th ' 36 622 6 57 42 679 - 40 42 639

36^th ' 26 689 1 61 27 750 1 43 26 707

37^th Bn 45 707 2 97 47 804 - 1 47 803

38^th ' 41 765 5 50 46 815 1 10 45 805

39^th ' 41 694 2 54 43 748 - 2 43 746

40^th ' 32 669 6 149 38 818 - 7

41^st Bn 44 901 5 62 49 963 2 15 47 948

42^nd ' 30 883 6 56 36 939 1 13 35 926

43^rd ' 38 837 3 39 41 876 - 18 41 858

44^th ' 37 847 5 44 42 891 - 9 42 882

3^rdPionBn 33 1028 5 45 38 1073 3 10 35 1063

3^rdMG Bn 41 646 - 105 41 751 1 46 40 705

Total 503 10545 59 941 562 11486 23 560 539 10926
Sick wastage not deducted figures
not available Alt Lt Col
[*[[RF?]] 20/4/18
Alt Lt Col

THIRD AUSTRALIAN DIVISION.
Divisional Headquarters,
20th April, 1918. -

ACTUAL CASUALTIES REPORTED. -

Reported from NOON 26/3/18 to NOON 18/4/18.

UNIT. KILLED. WOUNDED. MISSING.

Off. O.R. Off. O.R. Off. O.R.

3rd Aust: Divisional Artillery 3 7 4 60 - -

3rd Aust: Divisional Engineers - - - 10 - -

3rd Aust: Divisional Signal Co - - - 2 - -

3rd Aust: Machine Gun Battalion 1 19 6 94 - 5

9th Aust: Infantry Brigade 14 154 47 1124 - 89

10th Aust: Infantry Brigade 3 68 24 365 - 1

11th Aust: Infantry Brigade 6 75 21 375 - 9

3rd Aust: Pioneer Battalion - - 2 20 - -

3rd Aust: Divisional Train - - - 3 - -

A. A. M. C. - 2 - 15 - -
TOTALS. - 27 325 104 2068 - 104

Total Wounded include 11 other KILLED 352
ranks Wounded accidentally and WOUNDED 2172

5 other ranks Wounded - Self- MISSING 104

inflicted. ______
TOTAL CASUALTIES - 2628

13 Officers and 56 other ranks " Remained at Duty " - 71_

TOTAL EVACUATED CASUALTIES 2557.
(FED)

G.O.C.

A.Q. [[RY?]]

A. [[lear?]]

G. 1

20/4/18
Serial Date of Melb from Date arrived How When Time from

No Letter London Sent rc'd here London to us

Feby 3 Vic Apl. 3 W Apl 7 4
" 10 " " 3 W " 7 4
" 1 Burt " 3 W " 7 4
" 18 Vic " 3 W " 8 5

5 " 4 Mat " 3 direct " 18 14

6 " 17 " " 3 " " 18 14
7 " 18 Jenk " 3 " 18 14

8: " 1 Moley March 31 London " 5 5
9 " 20 " Apl 3 " " 6 3

10 Feby 3 Paul Apl. 1 direct Feby 15 14

11 " 10 " 15 14

12 " 10 " 15 4

13 Feby 6 Moley Apl . 1 direct Apl. 20 19

14 " 14 " " " 20 19

15 " 18 " " " 20 19

Members of Staff have rec'd Feby 18 mail for last 10 days. -

~~324~~ ~~967~~

~~2385~~ ~~3868~~

~~2709~~ ~~2901~~

~~300~~

~~2409~~
[*3DRL/2316*]

NO Posted Sydney Received.

153 6^th Feb 20^th April ) together

154 14^th Feb do ) with other

155 18^th Feb do ) letters of

) dates from

) 30^th Jan

) to 20^th Feb
DGM.

No 152
Recd

5/4./18
Ans
17/4/18.

Capt. Dudley G. Molesworth,
~~c/o F.C. Strudwick Esqre~~
3^rd Australian Divisional Headquarters
~~3 Campion Road,~~
France

~~Putney~~
~~England S.W. London 15.~~

Last edited by:

Sandy Mudie

Last edited on:

28 February 2025, 2:42 am

Last updated: 27 February 2025