General, Sir John Monash, Personal Files Book 18, 8 May - 25 May 1918, Part 5

The Corps Commander is determined to put an end to the looting
of civilian property that has been, and appears to be still going on.
1. All Officers will make lists of all civilian property in their
possession, stating whence they obtained it. Unit Commanders will
make similar lists of property in possession of N.C.O's and men.
These lists, of which copies will be retained, will be sent through
Unit Commanders to the Area Commandant not later than the May. The
Area Commandant will hand them over to the A.P.M. After the May
A.P.M's assisted by specially selected Officers working under them
will visit billets, camps and dug-outs, and where any civilian property,
which has not been included in the lists is found the Officer or N.C.O.
or man in whose possession it is will be tried by C.M. for looting.
2. There are, however, certain villages in the forward Area which
are abandoned and are being destroyed by shell-fire. Every effort
should be made to salve such articles of value as can be removed, and
these should be collected and handed over to the French Mission, but
chairs, tables etc., that cannot be removed to safety, may be taken
if application is made to the Officer diputed to be in charge of the
village, who will give a list signed of the articles removed and will
himself retain a copy.
Property found in anyones possession for which this voucher cannot be
produced, will be liable for trial for looting.
A list of the villages from which property may be taken, if
applied for, is attached.
 

ADC for You
THIRD AUSTRALIAN DIVISION.  SECRET.
Divisional Headquarters,
11th. May, 1918.
OPERATIONAL CIRCULAR No. 12
S. G. 401/37/19
Contact Patrols - Signals
1. - It has been found in practice that contact aeroplanes can
see, at a height of 1000 feet, groups of rifles laid out by troops
as supplemental to or in place of ground flares.
2. - Since ground flares are not always available and are liable
to be lost in action, the following method will be adopted in future
by Australian Corps :-
When a contact aeroplane calls on the Klaxon horn for
ground signals, and whether or not flares are in use,
groups of three rifles each will be placed out on the
parapet, two feet between rifles and about ten yards
between groups.
Geo. F. Wieck
Major
for Lieut-Colonel,
General Staff.
PWP.
Distribution
A.D.C. for G.O.C.
C.R.E.
9th Aust. Inf. Bde.
10th. -do-
11th.  -do-
3rd Aust M.G.Bn.
3rd Aust Pioneer Bn.
O.C. Troop Light Horse.
O.C. Cyclist Platoon.
'A.Q.'    )
C.R.A.  )  (For information).
War Diary (3).
File.
 

Personal.
THIRD AUSTRALIAN DIVISION.
Divisional Headquarters, 
12th. May, 1918.
My dear Carruthers, -
I have just received your letter of
May 11th, attached to which is draft of an order regarding
the looting of civilian property. -
As you ask me for my opinion on this question, I am
bound to give it to you quite frankly. -
I always deprecate very strongly any procedure which
is calculated to give offence to or hurt the 'amour propre'
of our fighting men. - I am quite ready to admit that
there is a percentage of men who are morally debased, and who
are addicted to committing offences which, in civil life, are
regarded as crimes. - But I believe that this percentage is
a small one. - Each one must view a question of this kind
in the light of his own experience and, as regards the men
of my own Division, I should say that offences of this nature
are conspicuous by their absence; and that the number of
instances, - in which there has even been a suspicion of
(1).

(2) 12/5/18.
thieving , or looting, or violence, or tampering with property, or
crimes of the nature are is quite negligible. -
This being so, and believing , as I do , that the great body
of my troops are not only decently behaved men, but are also strongly
imbued with their sense of responsibility in regard to their duties, -
not only towards their comrades in other units, but also towards the
French population, - I have always been most careful, in framing my
orders and instructions, never to impute, or even appear to impute,
evil propensities to the personnel as a whole. - The moral of my
troops is so high, as is their self-respect, that I judge that they
would, as a body, indignantly resent anything in the way of a 
general imputations. -
For these reasons, I deprecate the use of strong terms such
as "horse thieving", "looting", "pillaging" and so on; their mere
employment in an official regulation stings and hurts, and it does
so, especially when there is implication having a broadcast
accusation. effect
Take for example the recent complaint from the French Mission
about injury to crops and farm implements. - I felt that I must
issue this to the troops in such a form as would not be likely to
give general offence. - To illustrate better what I mean, I
enclose a copy of the memo which I circulated on the subject. -
Again, in connection with the question of horse thieving, in
which I was directed to issue a strongly worded order, I was very

(3) 12/5/18.
careful to avoid the remotest suggestion that the Division, as a
whole, was guilty of horse stealing; but, instead, directed that 
any animals found in the camp, or wandering into the horse lines
of any unit, or brought into the lines by mistake, or otherwise,
must be handed over to the Mobile Veterinary Section within 24 hours,
and that the officers of any unit which failed to obey these instructions
would be held personally  responsible. - You will perceive
that this instruction would produce precisely the required result,
without, in the remotest degree, suggesting that the units are
deliberate "horse thieves". -
Now, to come back to your proposed method of dealing with
looting of civilian property.  - Frankly, I do not think the
scheme proposed is desirable. - You call upon all officers to
make lists of civilian property in their possession, stating whence
they obtained it. -  This is tantamount to saying that every 
officer in the A.I.F. is a potential thief.- In plain language 
you call upon every officer to prove that he is not a thief. -
Imagine your own feelings if an Army Regulation called upon you
to make an inventory of all your property and account for your
ownership of each article. - I am afraid you would resent it;

and I am very sure that I would. -
Then again the scheme of making lists would entirely fail
in its purpose, because the small percentage of guilty men would
take mighty good care that the fact they were in possession

(4) 12/5/18.
of stolen property was not discovered by their officers. -
Finally, I should not envy the task of the military police
in making house to house inspections of all billets, camps and 
dugouts with a view to discovering stolen property. -
The implication of all such measures is, as I have said,
that every officer and every man is to be regarded as a thief or
a pick-pocket until, by turning out his pockets for you, he proves 
otherwise. -
Even, if, by some such complex process as is proposed, one
were to succeed in discovering a few cases of criminal looting,

one would succeed in the process in creating a vast deal of bad

feeling and resentment which would certainly lower the moral and

fighting value of our troops. -

I think the true remedy for the whole evil, if it exists, (and

I am quite certain it does not exist in an appreciable degree so far

as this Division is concerned) is prevention, and not cure; that is

to say, our policing should be sufficiently efficient to prevent

private houses being entered and pillaged. - But when this has

once happened, you cannot ask a whole Army Corps to turn out its

pockets for inspection, merely because there may be a score of

thieves discovered in the process. -

I trust you will forgive me for expressing my views so

plainly. -

Yours sincerely,

(Sgd) John Monash

Brig.-General R.A. Carruthers, C.B., C.M.G.

D.A. and Q.M.G.

Australian Corps.

 

S E C R E T & C O N F I D E N T I A L

                                                                 

 

G.

Australian Corps,

12th May, 1918.

 

(stamp)

HEADQUARTERS

AUSTRALIAN CORPS

No. .......................................

Date: ..4461.....................

 

--------------------------

TO BE DESTROYED

AFTER NOTING.

--------------------------

 

Major-General N.M. SMYTH, V.C., C.B.,

Commanding 2nd Australian Division.

Major-General Sir John MONASH, K.C.B., V.D.,

Commanding 3rd Australian Division.

Major-General E.G. SINCLAIR-MACLAGAN, C.B., D.S.O.,

Commanding 4thAustralian Division.

Major-General Sir J.J.T.HOBBS, K.C.B., V.D.,

Commanding 5th Australian Division.

Brigadier-General L.D. FRASER, D.S.O.,

Commanding Aust. Corps Heavy Artillery.

 

The information conveyed in my secret and confidential

letter No. S/4419 of the 7th instant is cancelled.

The following will be the locations to which 

headquarters will move in the event of a withdrawal:-

     Corps Headquarters     -     FLIXECOURT

     Heavy Artillery                -     BERTANGLES

     Left division                     -     BERTANGLES

     Centre division                -     VAUX

     Right division                  -     ARGOEUVRES.

 

To be destroyed after noting

 

C.B.B. White

Brigadier-General,

General Staff,

Australian Corps.

 

Copy to  -

Lieut-Col. WALSH, M.C.,

A.D.Signals Aust. Corps.

 

     

THIRD AUSTRALIAN DIVISION.

Divisional Headquarters,

12th. May, 1918. -

 

SALVAGE OF FRENCH CIVILIAN PROPERTY.

On arrival of the Third Australian Division in this Area,

steps were immediately taken to protect  civilian property and to

salve as far as transport facilities would permit.

The principal items salved are shown in the following list:-

 

WOOL. etc. transported from Woollen Mill RIBEMONT

by Supply Wagons, 3rd.Aust.Divl.Train. -

48 Loads comprising 2723 packages of wool on reels.

in bags, baskets, &c. in all 49 tons valued by Mill

Foreman at          -                    -                    -                    -          £46, 414.

45 Tons similarly transported by 6th.Aust.Army Fld.

Artillery Brigade, valued at                        -                    -            41,280

                                                                                                            -----------

Total value of wool and dyes handed to representative

of Mill Owner at QUERRIEU up to 30th.April,1918                £87,694.

                                                                                                           ------------

 

FORAGE salved RIBEMONT & BONNAY and disposed of as

follows:-

Linseed Cake 16616 lbs. issued as extra forage

by S.S.O. and valued at               -                    -                     £195- 0- 0    

Oats - 44990 lbs. issued to Units by S.S.O. and)                247- 0- 0               underdrawn at Railhead, valued at              -     )

(hand drawn arrow at second bracket up to 247

see original document)

Bran - 27620 lbs. issued as extra forage by S.S.O.

and valued at      -            -          -                      -                    188- 0- 0

Wheat - 48600 lbs. despatched and

consigned to Gamaches SOMME and valued at -         225- 0- 0

                                                                                                    -------------

                                                                                                   £855- 0- 0

In addition, the following quantities of food-

stuffs have been salved from the forward villages

during the week ending 7-5-1918 -

Oats. - 20,850 lbs.valued at            -                         -        £114- 8- 0

Wheat - 850 lbs.       "         "             -                         -             4- 0- 0

Straw - 1150 lbs.        "          "            -                          -             2- 8- 6

                                                                                                   ------------

                                                                              T O T A L -  £ 975-16-6

                                                                                                  --------------

All forage other than the wheat ( which was consigned

to the French Intendance Gamaches) has been accepted

for by S.S.O. on the Army Requisition Note.

 

 

Salvage of French Civilian Property      -2-

 

CATTLE.  -  814 Head of cattle valued at £20 per

                    head were collected in the forward area

                    and handed in at MOLLIENS-on-BOIS   -        -      £4,280- 0- 0

W I N E.  - to the value of £667-17-0 has sold

                    been sold and the cash handed to O.C.

                    French Mission         -                 -                -           -         667-17- 0.

FURNITURE AND OTHER DOMESTIC GOODS.      - over 60

                   cases of such articles as Clocks,

                   Ornaments, table ware, linen, curtains,

                   etc. have been packed and handed over to

                   O.C. French Mission, of 3rd.Australian

                   Division. All cases have been numbered

                   in accordance with lists ledged by 3rd.

                   Aust.Div1.Salvage Officer with French

                   Mission giving Nos. of billets and loca-

                   tions from which the  goods have been

                   salved.

Total value of salvage apart from furniture etc.                   --------------

which it had scarcely been possible to value with           £94,472-13- 6.  

any degree of accuracy     -                                                      ---------------                                                 

Rob^t. E. Jackson

Lt. Col.

for

Major General,

G.O.C. Third Australian Division

 

G.O.C.

 

 

THIRD AUSTRALIAN DIVISION.

Divisional Headquarters,

13th. May, 1918.

 

Memo for "A. Q."

 

Please frame a special memorandum to let the whole of

the troops of the Division know that the Field Marshall Commanding

in Chief paid a special visit to the Division a couple of days 

ago in order personally to express to me his thanks for the

valuable and decisive services rendered  by the Division from the

date of its arrival in this theatre of war on March 27th, up to

and inclusive of the offensive operations of May 6th. and 7th. -

The Commander-in-Chief desired me to convey to all ranks, services

and Departments his keen appreciation and gratitude for the work

they had done.