General, Sir John Monash, Personal Files Book 21, 10 September - 3 October 1918 - Part 8
20/9/18
VISITORS TO CORPS HEADQUARTERS 20/22nd Sept., 1918.
JAMES HEDDLE ESQ - Managing Editor for HULTON publications
(Evening Standard, Daily Sketch, Sunday
Illustrated Herald, and Manchester papers.)
ARTHUR WALLACE ESQ -Land & Water Leader Writer, Observer.
L. COPE CONFORD ESQ - Leader writer, Morning Post.
ARNOLD WHITE ESQ - Naval correspondent and lecturer.
E. A. BOX ESQ. - Official Secretary, Australian Commonwealth in
LONDON.
[*HEADQUARTERS.
AUSTRALIAN CORPS.
No. 114/a/10*]
AUSTRALIAN CORPS.
Headquarters,
20th September, 1918.
AUSTRALIAN FURLOUGH PARTY.
Further to this office No. 114/8/15 of 19/9/18. -
1. Alteration in allotment -
3rd Aust Div allotment -
For "1 officer" now read "2 officers"
Corps H.AQ. allotment -
For "2 officers" now read "1 officer"
For "4th. Aust Div will detail one R.C. Chaplain"
Now read "3rd Aust Div will detail one R.C. Chaplain".
Delete 1 O.R. 1st Sanitary Section.
2. Clothing and Equipment -
In addition to 1 blanket, troops will carry 1 water-proof
sheet, one pair of color patches per man will be provided by units.
before drafts move off. Full establishment of water bottle, mess tin,
plate, pannikin, knife, fork and spoon will be carried by all ranks.
Many officers in the first draft failed to provide themselves with
yhese articles. ‘
3.1st Div and 3rd Div details will repent to Corps Reinforcement
Camp at LA CHAPELLETTE on 22nd inst and march to BRAY on 23rd inst.
2nd Div details will march direct to BRAY on the 22nd inst.
4th and 5th Div and Corps Troops details will report to Corps
Reinforcement Camp at LA CHAPELLETTE on 23rd inst ‘and march to BRAY on
24th inst- and BRAY details will report to Corps Furlough Depot
where guides to billets will be available. Officers valises and mens
packs and blankets will be carried by 1orrles from LA CHAPELLETTE - to
BRAY reporting at 6.a.m. on 23rd for 1st and 3rd Divs and on the
24th for the remainder of the party.
4. On arrival at BRAY men will be bathed and underclothing changed
under arrangements to be made by 2nd Aust Div
5. Entrainment will be from BRAY Station.
The first train will leave on 26th Sept. taking 1st, 2nd and
3rd Div parties
The second train will leave on 27th Sept. taking 4th and 5th
Div and Corps Troops parties and other details.
6. 1st Aust Div will detail 3 cookers complete.
4th Aust Div will detail 2 Cookers complete.
5th Aust Div will detail 1 Cooker complete.
to report to LA CHAPELLETTE and move thence to BRAY with their respective
details, and remain at BRAY until further notice.
7. Nominal Rolls in quadruplicate are to be handed in by Units to
Major Ramsay on arrival at Corps Furlough Depot BRAY,
Ge Sommerwell Lt-Col
for Brigadier-General
D.A. & Q.M.G.
AUSTRALIAN CORPS.
Distribution over/
[[?]]
1st Aust Div 12
2nd Aust Div 12
3rd Aust Div 12
4th Aust Div 12
5th Aust Div 12
S.M.T.O. 6
D.M.T.S. 2
3rd Army Bde A.F.A. 2
6th Army Bde A.F.A. 2
12th Army Bde A.F.A. 2
V/Aust. H.T.M.Bty
A.P.M.
Aust. Employment Coy
1st Aust San Section
2nd Aust san Section
3rd Aust San Section
4th Aust San Section
5th Aust San Section
1st Aust Vet Evac Station
1st A T Coy A.E.
3rd Squadron A.F.C.
Aust Corps Mounted Troops 2
1st Aust Railhead Supply Det
A.I.F. Paymaster
Aust Corps School 3
Aunt Corps Refct. Camp 3
Ausb Corps Refct Depot
Aust Corps Salvage Sec
Aust Corps Sig Coy
Aust Corps Armourers Shop
O. C. Troops 190
G..O.C. √
G.
AQ.
A.
Chief Engineer
G.O.C.R.A.
D,D.M.S.
A.D.O.S.
A.D.V.S.
Camp Commandant
D.A.D.O.S.Corps Troops
D.A.G.A.Y.F. 2
A.I.F. Admin H.Q. 2
War Diary 3
Spares 10
[*HEADQUARTERS
AUSTRALIAN CORPS.
136/356*]
AUSTRALIAN CORPS.
SECRET
Headquarters,
20th September 1918.
Copies of a Table showing the organisation of an
American Division are forwarded in accordance with the distribution
shown hereunder.
The organisation shown was that in existence in
1917. It is not yet known if this has been altered in any
way.
Copies will be issued by 1st and 4th Australian
Divisions to officers detailed by them for duty with 2nd
American Corps in accordance with General Staff Circular No.37.
ACKNOWLEDGE.
R M Casey Major
for Brigadier-General,
General Staff,
Australian Corps.
DISTIBUTION.
1st Australian Division (20 copies).
4th Australian Division (20 copies).
2nd Australian Division (6 copies).
3rd Australian Division (6 copies).
5th Australian Division (6 copies).
AQ. (10 copies).
C.E. (4 copies).
A.D. Signals. (3 copies).
A.D.C. for G.O.C. (1 copy).
War Diary (3 copies).
File. (i copy).
Spares. (4 copies).
| TABLE SHEWING ORGANISATION OF AN AMERICAN DIVISION | ||||||||||
| LESS ARTILLERY | ||||||||||
| Staff Hd Qrs Troop | ||||||||||
| ☐ | ||||||||||
| — Infantry — | ||||||||||
| Inf Brig Hd Qrs | ||||||||||
| ☐ | ||||||||||
| 12 | Inf RgtHdQrs Co | SupplyCo | MGCo | 1stBtn | 2ndBtn | 3rd Btn | ||||
| ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ | ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ | ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ | |||||
| 12 | Inf Rgt Hd Qrs Co | SupplyCo | MG Co | 1st Btn | 2ndBtn | 3rdBtn | ||||
| ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ | ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ | ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ | |||||
| 48 | MG Btn | HdQrs | 4 Co’s | |||||||
| ☐ | ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ | |||||||||
| Inf Brig Hd Qrs | ||||||||||
| ☐ | ||||||||||
| 12 | Inf Rgt Hd Qrs Co | SupplyCo | MGCo | 1st Btn | 2nd Btn | 3rdBtn | ||||
| ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ | ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ | ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ | |||||
| 12 | Inf Rgt HqrsCo | SupplyCo | MGCo | 1st Btn | 2nd Btn | 3rd Btn | ||||
| ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ | ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ | ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ | |||||
| 48 | MG Btn | Hd Qrs | 4 Co’s | |||||||
| ☐ | ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ | |||||||||
| Machine Gun Btn* (Divisional) | ||||||||||
| MG Btn | HdQrs | 4 Co’s | ||||||||
| 48 | ☐ | ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ | ||||||||
| 192 | Guns | * A machine Gun Company is equipped with 15 MGs. There Are 12 MG teams. 4 Mgs are Reserve Guns, |
||||||||
| — Engineers — | ||||||||||
| Engineers | Hd Qrs | 1st Btn | 2ndBtn | |||||||
| ☐ ☐ ☐ | ☐ ☐ ☐ | |||||||||
| — Signal Corps — | ||||||||||
| Field Sig | Btn Hd Qrs | Supply Sec | Wire Co | Radio Co | Outpost Co | |||||
| ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ||||||
| — Trains — | ||||||||||
| Trn Hd & MO | Hd Qrs | M.P. | Vet FieldUnits | Mob Vet Sec | ||||||
| ☐ | ☐ ☐ | ☐ ☐ ☐ | ☐ | |||||||
| Horse Btn | ||||||||||
| Amn Trn | Hd Qrs | Motor Btn Hd Truck Cos |
Hd | Caison Cos | Wag Co | Mob Ord Btn | ||||
| ☐ | ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ | ☐ | ☐ ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | |||||
| Supply Trn | Hd Qrs | 6 Cos | ||||||||
| ☐ | ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ | |||||||||
| Engr Trn | ☐ | |||||||||
| Amb Sec | Div Med | |||||||||
| Sanitary Trn | Hd Qrs | Hd | Mot Cos | HorseCo | Hd | MotCos | HorseCo | CampInfirm. | SupUni | |
| ☐ | ☐ | ☐ ☐ ☐ | ☐ | ☐ | ☐ ☐ ☐ | ☐ | ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ ☐ | ☐ | ||
20/9/18
Maclagan
Relief 22nd
Leave 1 Bn under Glasgow
till 24 or 25
Liaison Proposal.
Living at Corps H.Q,
Glasgow . Refief 24 or 25
Take over one 4th Bde Bn
AUTRALIAN IMPERIAL FORCE.
21st Battalion Headquarters,
20th September 19183
With reference to the proposed disbandment of the 21st Battalion the
following statements and questions were put before the C.0., 2lst Bn., by a
representative deputation, on the night of 20th September l9l8, as embodying
the opinions of the Other Ranks of this Unit on this subJect, with a view
to having them forwarded to the Higher Authorities for consideration.-
1. Why should the 2lst Australian Infantry Battalion be disbanded?
2. By disbanding the Battalion with all its traditions and the
honourable name it has made for itself, the greatest injustice would be
done to the men who have gone before, and who have helped to build up
these traditions, whilset we, who are now with the Unit, who have helped in
our several ways to build up and uphold these traditions, are now
expected to see these count for nothing, whilst anything of merit that
may be performed in the future by us will go to the credit of another
Unit. Our relatives at home take pride in our Units because we belong to
them, whilst the children of the men who have fought and died for the
Unit will find when they study the history of the A.1.E. that our record
is incomplete, though that of other Units, less deserving for consideration,
is complete in its continuity.
3. The 21st Battalion was the first Battalion formed in the 6th
A.I.Brigade. It was the first in action-H.M.T.S. "Southland.", and was the
first Australian Infantry Battalion in the trenches in France.
It is therefore the senior Battalion of the Brigade.
4. There are at the present moment l6 Officers and 124 Other Ranks,
original members of this Unit, with us.This does not include lst,2nd, and
3rd Reinforcements who served on Gallipoli with the Battalion.
5. we claim that the proposed alteration is an insult to our
Commanding Officer as he is NOT the junior Colonel in the Brigade.
6. Taking into consideration the number of Non-Commissioned Officers
both with and away from the Unit, an alteration such as this would create
such a superfluity of N.C.O.s that there would be very little hope on
promotion for deserving men for some considerable time.
7. We are each of us proud of the Australian Imperial Force as a
whole, and, no matter in what capacity we are serving, we would not change
places of with any of the best of the Allied Forces.This pride has been built
up on the foundation of the Infantryman's love of and devotion to his
own Battalion.Our Battalion has at all times carried out with credit any
task allotted to it.It has never failed its trust.The number of decorations
and mentions in despatches won by the Unit are proof of this.
8. The latest Brigade Return of Honours and Rewards (Bde R.O.dated
31.7.18.) shows this Unit with a total of 202 Decorations and Mentions
as against 199 of the 23rd Battalion which nearest approaches it.
9. There are we understand nearly 36,000 general reinforcements in
Eng1and.Could we retain our unity for a little while longer? Would it not
be possible to reinforce the Battalions from these?
l0. Reinfcrcements to this Unit were recently sent to the 22nd
Battalion.Were it not for this our strength would at present be higher
than that of the 22nd Battalion.
11. Our present weakness in strength is partly due to having to perform
tasks which other Battalions in the Brigade failed to accomplish.As our
weakness is due to the effective carrying out of our duties are we to be
punished on his account?
12. The men are desirous,as an alternative, that one company in each
Battalion should be split up to reinforce • the remainder, thus leaving four
Battalions of three Companies, instead of three Battalions of four Companies
None of the propositions at present under discussion will alter the
- 2 -
actual man power of the Brigade-It is simply a matter of organisation.
The Brigade has won for itself a name as premier Brigade in the A.I.F.
simply through the sterling worth of its leaders and the loyal-hearted
co-operation of all ranks.Here again, as pointed out before, the individual
pride of each man in his Unit has led to the larger sentiment of satisfaction
with the Brigade as a whole.
We claim that by adopting the proposed alterations the morale and esprit de
corps of the Brigade would be shaken, whilst, if the alternative suggested is
adopted, we should on maintain our individuality, and our esprit de corps would,
if anything, be increased by a timely concession, such as this, by the higher
authorities.
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