General, Sir John Monash, Personal Files Book 21, 25 November - 31 December 1918 - Part 10

Embarkation Quotas can be taken will be one ^Quota every two days; the rate
of flow ^for this purpose of troops ^from France to England being ^therefore 500 per day. - Thus,
each Divisional group must be prepared to produce its a Quota, at
intervals of 10 days.
II. It is to be anticipated that Provision must ^however be made for disturbing factors ^which will arise ^from time to time such as
(a)  delays and blocks in railway transport. -
(b)  congestion at Depôt Camps. -
(c)  Deviations from ^the the normal task of the quantity of shipping all
which the Ministry of Shipping can make available. -
This will be met either by retarding, or ^by accelerating, by a few days,
the interval of time between ^the two successive Quotas furnished by
each Divisional Group. - But, neither the standard size of the
Quota, viz:- 1000, nor the strict rotation of Divisions will be
interfered with affected thereby. -
12. The final responsibility for the account composition & selection and of
each Divisional Embarkation Quota will rest with the Divisional

Commander. The basis of selection, so far as the individual members
of any given Unit are concerned, must ^will invariably be the Repatriation Precedence
Rolls of such thi such Unit ^each rank being taken separately - But, in the selecting of the deciding what Units themselves
which are to contribute to any given Quota, and ^in determining the numbers which
each ^of such Units will contribute thereto ^and in deciding upon the officering of the Quota, much the Divisional Commander
must have regard to many considerations, depending upon the the strength and composition circumstances
of the his Divisional ^Group at the time, and having due regard to such
matters as the following, viz:-
(a) that a proper balance must be preserved between fighting troops,
technical troops, supply and medical services. -
(b) that the available supply of resources in officers and N.C.O's must be spread allocated supplied distributed
uniformly as between the troops quota to be sent away, and the
troops who ^are to remain both remainder of the Division. For this purpose officers & N.C.O's
may have to be transferred to

taken from other Units.
(c) that each Quota should be confined to relatively few Units, so as
to permit of a relatively large number of men of each unit travelling proceeding
together, under their own officers & N.C.O's. -
(d) that all soldiers men of any ^given year's enlistment who remain are still within the Divisions
should receive from precedence over ^all men of later enlistment.
[* p.t.o here
for (e)*]

(e) that it is desirable, other things beings being equal, to keep men for the
same Australian destination together on the same ship, i.e. in the
same Quota; e.g. Artillery & Engineers for Sydney in the same Quota
as Infantry for Sydney & so on. -

[*[for 13 see below]*]
14.  Each Embarkation Group will have a number original to it which receive have assigned to it a serial number
^which will be notified to the Division concerned. - The 'Movement Card' 
(see General Instruction No.  ) of every member of the Quota must
have this number endorsed upon it, in the space provided on same the card.
15. The method of notification to Divisions will be by a "Warning Order"
sent by telegraph tr to the Division concerned, and repeated to the
other four Divisions, for information, in the following form:-
"Third Australian Division will provide Embarkation
"Quota Number (Thirty nine) at [station] on [day of
"week - date] Acknowledge." -
Only the Division concerned will need acknowledge.
Such Telegrams will be sent from DEMOBAUST, LONDON, or from
'Demobaust Liaison' at G.H.Q. France. - It is expected that
not less than 14 days notice ^warning as above can be given, as above, in every case.
Executive orders in connection with the assembly and entrainment
and conducting of the Quota _^&c &c will follow through the usual military channels, under the authority of G.H.Q. France. -
16. The procedure detailed in these instructions will come into force
as & from the ^date of the receipt of the first of the "Warning orders as
referred to in para 14 above. -
13. Provision for Me Ship's staff, Medical & nursing staff, pay staff, Chaplain,
and Amusement & education staff will be made direct by this
Department, & no such personnel is to be included need be provided for in the
Divisional Embarkation Quote. -
[*[Corps Troops]
& odd Units.*]
17.- Until such time as Units of Corps Troops, Army Troops & L. of C. Troops of
the A.I.F. have been ^become formally attached to Division for Demobilization _^(as per Gen Instruct para) such
Units will be dealt with for the purposes of these instructions, xxxxx
_^be dealt with by this Department, through Dept H.Q ^of Corps or other Formations, but
independently of Divisions. -

10/12/18.
Demob. Agenda

Punishment for men A.W.L. on Embarkation.

General officers to have passenges in better class mail steamers. / see Somerville

Concerning officers, for ship's staff thoughout.

Further consider how pre-embarkation leave can be given. Gen Hughes N^o2. —

Arrangements for Maintenance & supply of Remainder, when services become depleted.

Decisions as to order in which units will be taken.

Have we announced "4 months after"?

Duty personnel from lower categories

Cable to Australian & Ordnance personnel.

Questions of leave prior to embarkation.  Urgent.

Retention of Steel Helmut & Gen Mack as personal trophy. (Hughes) & Coxen.

Road Demobilization Regs.

Sherrington - general discussion

Barber's post graduate scheme. - Birdwood to decide.

Send for Pte. Ryan, % Agent General, Victorian

Careful estimate of probable number of trips.                 S

Distribution of bad characters throughout C.O's lists.

Consider Pelman instruction in Corps. -

Full list of Units of A.I.F. & their allocation to Divs. (F)

Shipping arrangement to be on most comfortable & fence area scale. - S

Hurry up M^cColl. - as head of 3.D.

Await Borswick note & Heitman. - tell Somersville.

Borwick on paymaster & Weekly report to P.M. on expenditure.

Make up Somersville agenda list.

Foott & Durant's proposal to aboard Admin. H.Q.

Careful weighbilling men from France - 1.D., 2.D & D.D.G.

Sgt. Wilson - M.L.A. for Collie - (Heitman recommends.) for Union &c.

Borwick to get Hughes approval to "Precedure Rolls".

Constitution of Embarkation groups. - Date - Unit - Territorial

"Basic Kit bags for embarkation" (S)

R   
[*Despatched

12/12/18*]

[*16 days
5 days
Cpl Tounsett*]

Lady Monash          

Melbourne                             

Paul self established London Christmas greetings well

love Monash

Lady Monash

Melbourne

Writing Gibson assurances eventual resumption

business responsibilities immediately Government

consents release. Monash. -

done with

JM

13/12/18

[*23 @ 3/-
£3-9-0*]

Annexure to Para

Repatriation Precedence Rolls

Method of Compilation.

See attached ^for A.I.F. Form N^o N^o - ?  forms. - Copies ^copies of for which forms will be supplied distributed ^in bulk to Units as forthwith

required.  ??

 The Officers charged with the Compilation of the Rolls should first of

all xxxx prepare a complete Nominal Roll of the whole Unit, accounting 
for every man actually present with the Unit, including attached,

on date of Compilation. - For the purposes of such Nominal Roll the

blank Form N^o- can itself be conveniently used, to make the

necessary entries in the appropriate columns.

The Repatriation Precedence Rolls

He will then ^ascertain & fill in against the name of each individual the following

particulars:-  1. Year of first enlistment in the A.I.F. or last enlistment if previously discharged. - ignoring

subsequent re-enlistment, or temporary

2. Married or Single & number of dependents

3. Whether employment in Australia is assured.

This may require close and in some cases searching enquiry

from the individual soldier. - 
[Here introduce AAA on top of next page]

→ Separate lists AAA.
The will these In each case we will begin with ^by taking all ^remaining 1914 men, and ^will sixty of these, first select all the married

men, arranging them in an order of precedence among themselves,
depending on in doing which he will be guided by:-

(a) the exact number of their dependents

(b) Whether they have assured employment.

Thus, & at the head of the list ^of the men of this year would appear a man with a wife &

several children, who had employment waiting for him, say such as a 

business of his own ^or a definite promised appointment while at the end of the list ^for the year would come a the men 
with no dependents, and no ^definite prospects of employment when discharged in Australia. - The Commanding Officer must

take the responsibility of arranging all other 1914 men, whose

circumstances lie between these extremes, in a fair and equitable
sequence ^remembering that a single man may actually have more dependents than a married man; - & similar considerations.

He will then take all 1915 men and proceed in the same way; &

so on ^for 1916, 1917, & 1918 until he has dealt with the ^whole unit, finishing with the men most recently joined

enlisted in the A.I.F. -  

AAA.

From These data ha -will facilitate the preparation of the

Repatriation Precedence Roll which will be subdivided into

three separate rolls respectively for: -

(a) Officers

(b) Warrant & Non - Commissioned Officers

(c) Gunners, Sappers or Privates.

Actual ^length of service at the front may ^also be used to discriminate between men

of equal total length of service in the A.I.F; also distinctions gained in the field
^may be considered -

It has to must be remembered that many some men will be disposed to claim

that they have assured employment, in order ^merely to secure for themselves

an earlier place in the order of precedence. - The interests of the men as

a whole must be safe guarded by scrutinizing carefully all individual
claims of this nature. - 

The Rolls for each Rank having thus been compiled, all men

earmarked for duty can then be entered up, in Column 9 and also then, from

day to day, as men disappear from the Unit ^by embarkation of by sick evacuation,
or by discharge, or by early repatriation, or by being struck

off for non-military employment, or ^from any other cause, their

names can be ruled through in the manner shown on the pro forma.

Similarly men joining or rejoining should be assigned to their

appropriate places on the Roll & entered thereon. -

Thus, at any time, the Rolls, as a whole, can be rewritten

omitting all names which have, in the interim, disappeared from

the Unit, & embodying all amendments introduced since the

Rolls were last compiled. -

These Rolls should at all times be kept ready in such a condition 
of preparedness as to enable fair ^up to date copies to be furnished

at short notice to the Demobilization Staff; and also to enable

the Commanding to detail ^by name in their correct order ^& at short notice all available men

as the head of the Roll required to make up the Embarkation quota

called for. -

Australian Imperial Force      A.I.F. Form N^o

Repatriation Precedence Roll

Unit..........                      Officers                                                Corrected

N^o of Division ...........  Warrant & N.C.O's                                up to .............

                                      Gunners, Sappers & Privates

 

1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11
No	Regt No	Rank	Initials	Surname	Year  of Enlist- ment	Married  or  Single	Employ- ment  assured	If  earmarked  for  duty	Why Struck  out	Remarks.

[*Miss Halls - Apart from the 6 copies

which you will do as part of the file

please do 3 extra for my use for a 

special purpose*]

[*per Vic
recd 10/12/18*]
SCOTCHIES AND MONASH
By
"Father-of-One"
When the Turk at Anzac fought you,
Fame undying then it brought you,
How to dare your School had taught you
Ere the bayonets clash.
Then McCay it was who led you,
Taught the foe to know and dread you,
Made Australia proud that bred you,
Now it is Monash.
You who fight the world to better,
Present, future deep your debtor,
Hammers are, that ev'ry fetter,
Forged by despot, smash.
O'er the din of battle pealing
Ring your strokes and Wrong goes reeling,
Strike again, his death-blow dealing,
Scotchies and Monash.
Hear six hundred Scotchies singing,
Joy and pride within it ringing.
For the laurels you are bringing
How the voices crash.
Louder yet the notes are swelling,
Victory, exultant spelling,
Welcome home for you foretelling
Scotchies and Monash.
Hark! In sweeter cadence falling
Sounds a melody entralling,
Those who fell are here, and calling,
"Comrades and Monash".
Those who died, the Right defending,
Died that Peace might live unending,
Greetings to you too are sending
Scotchies and Monash.
When with age our heads are hoary
Dim our eyes, but not your glory,
Shall our Grandsons hear the story
of your matchless dash.
Side by side with names of sages
Yours shall shine adown the agres
Heading one of History's pages
Scotchies and Monash.

[*Rcd 13/12/18

per Bert. 22/10/18*]

Town Hall.  Melb.   Oct 14^th 1918.

Dear Lady Monash,

I happened to

meet Mr. Littlejohn a day or two

ago & asked him how it was that

your husband, who has climbed

highest of all old 'Scotch' boys, on

the ladder of fame, had no song

at the Boy's concert. Mr L. replied

that they were waiting for the poet.

I am not a poet by any means

but wrote & sent the enclosed verses

to him & he has been good enough

to send me a reply, copy of which 

I also enclose.

I had but the slightest acquaintance

with Sir John, but of course

know well of the life-long friendship

between him & my brother

J. W. which I hope excuses my addressing

you.

Yours faithfully 

Campbell McCay.

Scotchies with Monash

By "Father-of-one".

When the Turks at Anzac fought you,
Fame undying then it brought you,
How to dare your race had taught you
Ere the bayonets clash.
Then McCay it was who led you,
Taught the foe to know and dread you,
Made Australia proud that bred you,
Scotchies with Monash.
Hear six hundred Scotchies singing,
Joy and pride within it ringing
For the laurels you are bringing
How the voices crash.
Louder yet the notes are swelling,
'Victory', exultant spelling,
Welcome Home for you foretelling
Scotchies, and Monash.

Scotch College.

13^th Oct. 18.

Dear Mr. McCay.

I think your verses

have the true ring and I shall

be very pleased to have them 

incorporated in one of the songs.

The song in honor of your 

brother, General Sir J.W. McCay,

was modified to introduce

General Monash's name, but

that will no longer be necessary;

indeed it will be better

that it should reveal to it's

original form.

With kindest regards 

Yours faithfully

W. S. Littlejohn.

Copies of correspondence

between Campbell McCay &

Mr Littlejohn

B.M.