General Sir John Monash, Personal Files Book 18, 28 March - 20 April 1918, Part 11

Letter from Major-General Mullins
Comy  1^st Cavalry Division.
Apl 10/18. 

Headquarters, Australian Corps,
11th April, 1918.
My dear General,
I hope you will explain to your brigadiers, and ask
them to be sure that it is passed on right down to the men, the
fact that during the present phase of fighting all units must
expect to be practically continually on duty.   We cannot expect
divisions to be pulled out of the line for anything like long
and recognised rests.  Everything will be done to get tired
troops out when possible for rest and re-fit, and I am particularly
anxious that troops should not think they are hardly treated,
if it so happens that they are ^∧ have again to go in possibly within
twenty four hours of having left the line.  I know so well with
what complete willingness our men invariably face all fighting
and hardships, and it is only if they think they are unfairly
treated that resentment is caused.
I mention this, as I heard of a case the other day,
where one of our brigades thought they were unduly put upon by
an English brigade on their flank being pulled out after having
been only a few days in the line.  As a matter of fact, I
afterwards heard that this brigade was pulled out only to be
immediately put in another part of the front - but this, of
course, the men did not know.
It is, I think, particularly important that this
should be impressed on all ranks, owing to the fact that we must
so often rely upon ourselves, because reserves naturally cannot
always be behind us;  and it is a case now of really fighting
for the final victory, which might easily be jeopardized
by even a small error or want of spirit.
We have undoubtedly a critical and hard time before us,
which may be continued indefinitely, and it is therefore
essential to do all we can for the men - to keep their spirits
up, and conserve our man-power in every possible way.  This, I
well know that you and all officers in your division will do.
Yours very sincerely,
W R Birdwood.
G.O.C.,
All Australian Divisions. 

SPECIAL ORDER OF THE DAY
By FIELD-MARSHAL SIR DOUGLAS HAIG
K.T., G.C.B., G.C.V.O., K.C.I.E
Commander-in-Chief, British Armies in France.
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.
PRINTED IN FRANCE BY ARMY PRINTING AND STATIONERY SERVICES.

PRESS A - 4/18. 

THIRD AUSTRALIAN DIVISION.
Divisional Headquarters,
11th. April, 1918.
To Officers, N.C.Os. and men.
At this great crisis of the war, I feel assured that it is
not in the least necessary for me to issue any special appeal to the
troops of the Third Australian Division.
The manner in which the whole Division, - animated by the
finest spirit of collective effort, - has rapidly taken its stand in
the most critical part of the whole battle line, and, by presenting
so staunch a resistance, has completely stopped the enemy's advance,
is ample proof that the spirit of the Division is sound, and that all
ranks are doing their duty. -
Our sister Australian Divisions have a similar proud story
to tell. - Nothing can be more significant than the fact that the
enemy, on discovering the road to AMIENS barred by Australians, has
ceased his attempts to advance on this front, and has now transferred
his efforts elsewhere. - To these other places Australian troops
are again being sent with all speed; - and they will again bar his
way.
The situation is now such that further demands may have
to be made, - for some little time to come, - upon the endurance and
steadfastness of the Third Australian Division. - We may not have
any heavy fighting in the immediate future, but I wish all ranks and
all arms to understand that by sticking tenaciously to the ground we
now hold, by hard work, hard digging, hard wiring, and instant
readiness, - in spite of fatigue and discomfort, - we shall upset the
enemy’s plans, and help to defeat him, just as surely as by killing
and capturing him. -
If the troops thoroughly realise this, I am confident that
no appeal is necessary, and that there is not a man in the Division
who will fail to see his job through to the finish. -
Major-General.
Commanding Third Australian Division. 

Headquarters,
4th. AUSTRALIAN DIVISION.
11th April, 1918.
Major-General Sir J .MONASH, KCB., VD.,
Commanding 3rd. Aust. Division.
My Dear General,
Attached is a duplicate
of A.F.W. 3121 which has been forwarded
in connection with Sergeant S.R.
M^cDOUGALL'S action.
It is not necessary for m
me to add anything further to the facts
given, which speak for themselves.
Kind regards -
Yours Sincerely,
E.G. Sinclair MacLagan 

THIRD AUSTRALIAN DIVISION.
[*G.O.C.*]
Divisional Headquarters,
12th April, 1918. -
NOTES ON REORGANISATION OF MOTOR TRANSPORT. -
The reorganisation of Mechanical Transport was under consideration
in October, 1917: - The actual reorganisation was timed
to take place on the 13th March. - The exchange of lorries was
actually carried out on 2lst March - the day the Division received
orders to move. -
^∧ In the reorganisation The object aimed at was to have the same type of lorry in
each Motor Transport Company. - As the majority of the 3rd.
Australian Divisional M. T. Company's lorries were "DAIMLERS",
37 "COMER" lorries were taken over from them, and 37 "DAIMLERS"
substituted. -
The 37 "DAIMLERS" received were in very bad order.  This
was reported by the Workshops Officer to the 
S. M. T. O. of Corps,
asking that an inspection be made of them as soon as possible.
No inspection has yet taken place. -
The 37 lorries handed over were in good running order.
Since the receipt of the 37 inefficient lorries, the average

number of lorries in the workshop for any one day has increased
from 5 to 14. - Surely the Inspector of Mechanical Transport's
last report on the Column from which these lorries came
could not have been seen by the Officer responsible for the
reorganisation of the Australian Motor Transport!  
I think this
should be called for. -
On arrival in 7th Corps, O.C., M. T. Company reported to
7th Corps that he wanted to evacuate 4 lorries;  
4 lorries were
immediately made available. -  At the present time he has another
4 lorries which are totally unfit, and expects to evacuate them
in a couple of days. -
It seems to me that evacuations are not arranged as quickly
as they might be by the responsible people, as an application for
authority to evacuate two Motor Cycles submitted by the Workshops
Officer of the M. T. Company on the 20th March has received a
reply from the O.C. Mechanical Transport Company, approving of the 
evacuation, if the Workshops Officer concurs. -  It would appear
that no action was taken on the demand dated 20th March. -
The Motor Transport Column was seriously handicapped at a
critical time through want of business capacity on the part of the
responsible Officer for the reorganisation, and I think that great
credit is due to the Workshops Officer of the M. T. Column for the
way in which he has coped with the situation. -
He is at present taking all useful parts from the lorries
he is evacuating, in order to keep the others running on the roads.
Robt E Jackson

Lieut-Colonel. -

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

[*CHJ 183*]
Australian Corps.
Shall be glad if prompt measures can be taken
to prevent
Planes with British markings, and acting so
[[?]] to leave little doubt that they are our own planes, have
again this morning been bombing and machine
gunning our own troops in neighbourhood of Buire xx
causing us casualties   aaa   Shall be glad if prompt
measures can be taken to prevent a recurrence otherwise
moral of our troops will suffer. - aaa   GeneralMonash
3^rd Aust Div.
C.H.J. No 183
12.25 pm
12/4/18 

D.A.G. c/o Aust. Corps.

Recommending Major H. F. White D.S.O 33^th Bⁿ to
temporarily command 36^th Bⁿ vice Lt Col Milne
 ^∧ D.S.O. Killed
in action this morning also Major W.A.LE.R. Fry 35 34^th Bⁿ to
temporarily command 34^th Bⁿ vice Lt Col .- - Martin
D.S.O evacuated wounded, both with temporary rank
of Lt. Colonel.
3^rd Aust. Div.
A204
6.55PM
12/4/18 

xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx 

Genl ROSENTHAL rang up at 2.45 pm
Heavy fighting down near HANGARD this
morning.    34^th & 36^th Bns are in the
line in that order from N. to S – then
Comes Genral SMITH'S Bde -

They are under Gnl SMITH who
has now ordered 35^th Bn into
Central position of reserve.
A shell Killed CO (Lt Col MILNE)
& his Adjt & Major McDOWALL 2nd in Cd is
dying. x - of 36^th Bn.
General SMITH has placed
Major FRY in Command at present.
Major GRANT of 35^th Bn is going
down to take command of 36^th in the
meantime & General ROSENTHAL proposes
to send Major WHITE of 35^th to take
the 36^th Bn thus leaving Major FRY

to command the 34^th.

G.O.C. 9^th Bde wishes to know if

G.O.C. 3^rd Div desires to send anyone more
senior down.    He does not ask for
anyone & unless G.O.C. Div wishes otherwise
he will carry on as outlined above.
12/4/18   A.W.G

33  Morshead.     Hurley x
                                √White
                                Payne x
34  Fry                    √Fry

                                 Ferguson T.A

                                 Patterson A.T.
35  Goddard          Maudsley.
Grant                       Storey

                                  Patterson

                                  Hilton
36  White                Giblin
Fry to 34^th - Lt Col. - vice Martin    )

White to 36^th - Lt Col. - vice Milne ) telegraph

3DRL/2316