General Sir John Monash, Personal Files Book 23, 24 September - 26 December 1919, Part 4

-12-
and by Lieut.-Colonel W. R. Sanday, ⅜D.S.O., M.C., and Mr.
Burchell, M.H.R.- Brigadier-General E. A. Wisdon, C.B., C.M.G.,
D.S.O. was Director of Movements, Quartering and Supply. All
questions of Shipping, Depots, Ports, Embarkations and the physical
welfare of the troops were under his direct control. The
Administrative Branch of the Department was headed by Lieut.-Colonel
J. C. T. Ridley, D.S.O. who was responsible for the control
of the Staff and for all statistical and documentary business
relating to Demobilisation. The Fourth Branch dealt with the
demobilisation of all war equipment, stores and animals, and
the acquisition of all post-bellum Army equipment. This branch
was organised and supervised by Brigadier-General W. A. Coxen,
C.B., C.M.G., D.S.0., assisted by Colonel E. T. Leans, C.B.E. and
Major C. Speckman, M.C. The last, but by no means the least
important Branch dealt with financial policy, pay, allowances,
fees, accounts, audit and expenditure in every detail. It was
directed first by Lieut. Colonel K. Evans, C.M.G., and later by
Lieut.-Colonel T. J. Thomas.
The A.I.F. Depots at Havre were under the control of
Colonel C. H. Davis, C.B.E., D.S.O., V.D., while those on Salisbury
Plain, England were ably commanded successively by
Major-General Sir J. W. McCay, K.C.M.G., C.B., V.D., and Major-General
Sir C. Rosenthal, K.C.B., C.M.G., D.S.O. Brigadier-General
J. P. McGlinn, C.M.G., C.B.E., V.D. performed most valuable
services as the Liaison Officer of the Department/to the
Depots in United Kingdom, while Lieut.-Colonel J. L. Witham,
C.M.G., D.S.O. performed similar functions at G.H.Q., in France.
Towards the end of March 1919, the Hon. the Minister
of Defence, Senator G. F. Pearce, arrived in England, and his
presence on the spot proved of inestimable value to the work
in hand. Not only was he able, by the weight of his authority,
to obtain prompt attention to the demands made upon Imperial
resources in the direction of maintaining our embarkation
 

-13-
programmes at a full scale, but he could settle without delay
a great mass of administrative and financial questions which
were of a nature to require the exercise of Ministerial
responsibility.
When the whole of theA.I.F. in Egypt had been embarked,
and the residue remaining in England had, on September 30th,
1919, fallen to about a 10,000 of all ranks, this Department was
merged with that of the Administrative Commandant, Brigadier-General
C. H. Jess, C.M.G., D.S.0., and all officers of the
Repatriation and Demobilisation Dept. senior to him relinquished
their duties.

JOHN MONASH.
Lieut.-General.
Director-General.
Repatriation & Demobilisation 3a.I.F.
 

[*Despatched
17.00
15.10.19.*]
Lady Northcote
Eastwell Park
Ashford
Kent
Greatly regret unable accept your most kind
invitation for coming week end.
Monash.
 

To be sent on Oct 16 15^th - 
[to reach Melb - on Oct 17^th]
Miss Monash
Melbourne
Birthday Congratulations
Monash
[*Despatched.
16.10.19.*]
 

Cable   15^th
 

17.10.19.

[הנדוד העברי] 

[לשנה םןבה] 

[תר׳׳פ] [שנת]

[ובעד ארצנו] [בער עטנו]  

[ר?וס ,,אחרןת׳׳ תל?אביב] 

[בוגן דוד אדם]
This is the Badge of the
1st Judeans
 

[*13d*]
[*148/10/09*]
98) Ammoual
= Aluminium powder
+ Ammonium Nitrate
Trioual
= above + T.N.T. soaked
into the Nitrate.
 

[*Draft*]
 Lady Northcote
Eastwell Park
Ashford, Kent.
Proposing visiting you for lunch Thursday
coming by car.-
Monash.

[*Despatched
10.5a.m
20.10.19
Copy on file
RPB*]
 

[*Table use.*]
JM/GH.
54, Victoria Street,
LONDON. S.W.1.
23.10.19.

Dear Senator Pearce,

You will doubtless remember that General
Instructions No. 24 of this Department received your approval
in May last.- This is the General Instruction which provides
for some consideration in the form of additional
disembarkation leave to those members of the staffs who,
while satisfying certain very specific conditions, were compelled
to remain on demobilisation or staff duty after
specified dates.

In the General Instruction as it stands (copy of
which I enclose) the members of the Permanent Military Forces
of the Commonwealth were expressly excluded. I have marked
the relevant passage, paragraph 2, sub-para. (c) in the
document enclosed.
This exclusion was not made without some consideration.
I felt that the privilege would have to be
limited on financial grounds to as few people as possible,
and it seemed to me reasonable to say that permanent officers
could be called upon without hardship, to continue to serve
in Europe or Egypt, seeing that their future employment was
assured to them and their professional prospects could not be
considered as liable to be prejudiced by a continued absence
from Australia.
For some time past, however, and particularly since
your departure, very strong representations have been made
to me by and on behalf of a number of the Permanent Forces
still in England, that their exclusion from the benefits
provided by General Instruction No. 24 is regarded as a
grievance.
To epitomise their point of view they say in effect
that there is no rational ground why the mere fact of being a
member of the Permanent Forces should debar such members from
benefits enjoyed by the A.I.F. generally. Those affected
feel that their exclusion creates an undesirable distinction
between themselves and other members of the A.I.F., and also
inflicts a disability.— mMost, if not all, of the permanent
officers who had to remain in England were detailed
for the duty, and this places them in a worse position than
other members of the A. I.F., many of whom volunteered to
remain at duty.
In short, they urge that the same recompense is due
to those permanent officers and other ranks who remained on
duty at this end of the world as has been granted to the remainder
of the A.I.F.

I have been impressed by the above representations,
but as the original Regulation on the matter had your covering
approval, I am not prepared to make any amendment in same
without your authority.
I therefore submit the whole matter to you for your
favourable consideration, and should be glad if you will
kindly decide whether or not, the additional disembarkation
leave may be granted to members of the Permanent Military