Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/252/1 - 1918 - 1935 - Part 14

189.
Western Queensland opals were found in fair quantity and of
remarkable quality. The market had formerly been Germany and
Austria. That trade was stopped by the war, but when the opal-
miners found a prospective market in the United States, the
authorities prohibited the sale, presumably for fear the jewels
might reach enemy hands. After some agitation, however, the
prohibition was removed, and these beautiful stones have now a
fair sale both abroad and at home. The case was similar with the
sapphire field at Anakie in Queensland, and there also the removal
of the enemy dealers forced the trade to settle down upon a local
basis. Until the British Government, through the federal Government
bought the rare metals used in the making of steel, armour, and
munitions, the Australian mines which had produced them - mines
developed through German purchases - became idle and ceased to profit
their owners or maintain their employees. Of other industries and
speculations in which the German element was prominent, and which
suffered temporary collapse after the outbreak of war, some
recovered promptly, some more slowly, while some underwent eclipse
for nearly the whole duration of the struggle. To illustrate the
manner in which out-of-the-way places and interests were affected,
an extract may be quoted from a special article upon Thursday Island
by Dr. Brooke, published in the Melbourne Argus in January 1920:-
"At the outbreak of war no industry was so hard hit as
"pearling. The chief pearl-shell workers were central
"Europeans, and at one blow the pearlers found their
"market gone. Thousands of pounds worth of shell was
"stored in London, and storage and interest charges ate
"up the profits. During 1915 most of the luggers "laid
"up." Then came a great find, which more than any other
"of recent years shows what immense natural resources the
"vast empty north still holds. The ray of sunshine that
"pierced the gloom was the discovery that trochas shell
"could be profitably worked. The trochas is a cone-
"shaped shell with a flat base, 3 in. or 4 in. in
"diameter. When cut and polished it cannot be distinguished
"from pearl-shell. The Japanese slipped into the
"breach, and for the last five years trochas shell buttons
"have been used instead of mother-of-pearl in this and
"other countries. The appended statement shows the rapid
"rise and importance of the trochas shell industry: -
 

[* ? Bring up to
date *]
 

Reveille
Apr 1938
62 REVE
SGt. A. T. Morrison, D.C.M:
(A Tribute—By A. W. KEOWN, Author of "Forward
with the Fifth")
The recent death of Sergeant Arthur Thomas Morrison,
D.CM, in Sydney, has left another gap in the ranks of
"The Old Originals." He joined the A.I.F. on August
17, 1914, and was a private in 16 Platoon, "H" Coy. of
the 5th Bn.
What a number of "lads" there were in Morrie's tent
to be sure! The writer lived opposite in a rather select
platoon belonging to "F” Coy. Being a Public Schools'
Company, we didn't at all times approve of the rough
fellows in "H"; little thinking that later someone with a
sense of humour—or a knowledge of human nature—was
to amalgamate the two into "D" Coy.! The fusion was
certainly successful.
Morrie was one of the hard-doers of "Don” Company,
and who will ever forget Capt. Leadbeater and Morrison
with wiring parties in front of Fleurbaix? One could
hear Morrie talking a hundred yards away, and Leadbeater
(afterwards K.I.A.) a little further. Lots of talking
by Morrie, and then Leadbeater's stentorian voice,
"Shut up, Morrie!" If the Germans hadn't heard this,
they always heard Morrie's disrespectful retort, "Shut up
yourself!" This was usually the end of the wiring party,
as Jerry got to work with his "Emma Gees" on the well-
advertised stunt.
It was near the end of the "show" that Morrison, now
a sergeant, gained the D.C.M. (7/6/1918), and this
extract is taken from the battalion history which deals
ith that period:—
"The shelling was constast, and the mill became a mark for German
gunners before the Fifth moved — after three days there — by a
night march of seven or eight miles to the Moolenacker sector. Here
they relieved the First Brigade.
"This sector was the midst of intensely cultivated country, and
the crops looked in good condition to the critical eyes of these men
from the land of farms. Warfare had as yet dealt lightly with the
landscape, and the little plots made a mosaic of delightful colour
to eyes staled with the barren battlefields of the south.
"Hereabouts the line was an irregular length of platoon outposts,
constantly changing as the front moved forward. Gas shells were
responsible for most of the casualties sustained by the regiment.
"The sixth of June found our patrols active in No Man's Land.
At night the enemy machine-guns and snipers were busy, and casualties
were sustained.
"The next day saw three daylight raids carried out by members
of the Fifth Battalion . . . . .
"The conformation, of No Man's Land, as yet not reduced to the
blasted pock-marked barrenness, sown with abomlnous and stinking
corpses, with no living occupant save the hideous rats—but green with
growing corn and grass and trees, favoured the guerrilla warfare.

"The morning of Jusn 7, therefore, brought swift, unexpected, and
daring attacks which must have brought consternation to the Germans.
What manner of men must these be who crawled like Indians over
hundreds of yards of open ground, through wire and past outposts.
then jumped in on unoffending soldiery who were peacefully sleeping?
Everyone expected activity under the favourable darkness, but it was
against all the accepted rules on a quiet sector like this, that the
day should be disturbed by unseemly brawling.
"The second one of these 'diversions' was provided later the same
morning by another trio of the Fifth — 907, Sergeant A T. Morrison,
 

6643. Lance-Corporal W. A. M. Simms, and 5707. Private S. P. Hastings.
The story of their adventure is best told by Sergeant E. H.
Barber, who had arranged with Sergeant Morrlson to give the latter
'covering fire' with a Lewis qun if necessary:
"'On 7/6/18, "D" Company was in the line. I was in change of
No. 7 post. On my left was Sergeant Morrison in charge of No. 8.
At nine a.m. Morrison told me that he, Hastings and Simms were
going to raid a German trench that ran at nearly right angles to ours
at a hundred and twenty yards distance. He asked me to give them
covering fire with my L.G. In case there was a fight. From his post,
a wheat crop about two feet six inches high, stretched for some
hundred yards to a road which was near the end of the enemy trench.
Wire entanglements screened our outpost and the enemy's
"'Through the wheat the three of them crawled, and at the roadside,
stood up and looked around before walking over. They passed
on to the trench, jumped in, and again looked around. Going on a
little way, they stooped down and were out of sight for a few
seconds. Then I saw one, two, three, four Germans with their hands
up. A few yards further along two others surrendered. Morrison
then got up on the parapet and motioned to the prisoners to walk
along the trench towards our own line. They were unwilling, so
Morrison threw clods of dirt at them. Moving along slowly, they
climbed out of the trench. Then they wanted to go off at the double,
but Morrison placed himself at their head and brought them back
as on parade. He left the six with some of our boys in the front
line and returned to the other two raiders who had rounded up three
more Huns, with a machine gun and spare parts complete. By this
time the enemy was aroused and began to use revolvers and bombs.
Our men came back then, and though a German post on the left
fired some shots, they arrived safely'."
Sergeant Morrison's. account supplements this, but very modestly:
"Went along the trench ten yards. Then saw one Fritz asleep
and another round the corner packing his kit. Bailed them up while
they kicked like blazes. In a second dugout was a stretcher-bearer,
and in the third a sergeant and corporal. The sergeant was nasty,
and tried to get the stick bombs and Mills grenades.' (Note: These
were British ones captured in last offensive.) 'The enemy were well
provided with blankets and food'."
Sergeant Morrison was a better hand at doing things
than describing them, as will be seen, and he admitted
that he "only went out for a bit of sport."
Three Australans captured nine Germans and a
machine-gun in broad daylght, and never fired a shot!
The God of War surely grinned when Morrison threw
clods of dirt at the prisoners to hurry them on. This
exploit rendered unnecessary a night raid planned by
"C" Company, and saved thousands of pounds worth of
munitions that would otherwise have been expended in
barrage and covering fire. Sergeant Morrison and Lance-
Corporal Simms won the D.C.M, and Private Hastings
the M.M. for their morning's work.
And now Sgt. Morrison has answered his last roll call.
Good fellow, good soldier—who, if he saw the end
coming, would meet it chin up "Sans regrets."
 

2.
Brisbane. The hearings followed a month later. In cases
where the vessels were in Australian ports before the outbreak
of war, or where they arrived afterwards without ke knowledge
of the outbreak, the court ordered their detention until the
end of the war. At an early stage the Government, finding it
difficult to provide sufficient ships to carry the second
contingent of the A.I.F. to Egypt before the transports of the
first convoy returned, exercised itz right of requisitioning
a number of these vessels, and they were accordingly handed
over, nominally to the Admiralty. This transfer, at first
temporary, was afterwards made permanent!9 In each case the
Grovn was required to file an undertaking to par inte eourt.
whenever required, the appraised value of the vessel.
Prize proceedings were also taken in respect of a large
mumber of tugs and lighters ovmed by eneny nationals, and in
respect of enemy-owned goods seized aboard neutral vessels in
Australian ports, and in all these cases orders for condemnat-
ion were obtained. „Altogether forty-three ships were the sub-
ject of proceedings in prize. Their total value was
21.333.139; the value of goods condemmed as prize and sold was
226,371: and the value of the goods condommed as prize and
delivered to the Crown in lieu of sale was E11,756:
1For reasons concerning the status of the ships in oversea
mo
ports.
noe
The case of the Zambesi - a British-owned steamer commandeered
by the German administrator at Nauru and subsequently captured
by the Encounter near Ncw Guinea - furnished an interesting
problem. Proceedings were taken for the condemnation of the
vessel and cargo on the ground that the vessel was engaged in
trade intercourse and communication with the enemy. After a
lengthy hearing, the order asked for was made. The owners
appealed to the Judicial Committee of the House of Lords, and
the Crown did not oppose the appeal, but said it would treat
the case as one of recapture. Eventually the vessel was handed
back to the owners, and the Crown deducted one-eighth of the
proceeds of the sale of the cargo.
In a large number of cases the enemy owners appealed to
the Privy Council against the orders made by the prize courts
in Australia, but thsse were always affirmed. After the end
of the war the ships not condemned as prize were either
released to the Crown absolutely in accordance with the Treaty
of Peace, or delivered to the Publie Trustee (who had been
appointed the Custodian of Enemy property) to be dealt with in
 

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2
.AITTA HTUOa
Mav 1, 1938
EuLE
.(beass5d
TA IMITHAM
DAYLIGHT RAIDS
Lieut. Neil Maddoxs Report
Apropos the article in the April Number of REV.
EILLE from Mr. A. W. Keown, author of the history
of the 5th Bn. A.LF. referring to the recent death of
Sgt. A. T. Morrison, D.C.M. D. Coy. 5th Bn. Mr. J.S.
Maddox, of Gerogery, N.S.W., writes:
"Mr. Keown, in his article, related a daylght raid
by Sgt. Morrison, L/Cpl. Simms and Pte. Hastings,
I have always understood that my
on June 7, 1918.
brother, Lieut. Neil Maddox, M.C. (and Bar) was the
originator of these daylight raids, and I enclose a re¬
port made by him of one carried out on May 17, 1918.
My brother belonged to the 5th Bn. C. Coy, and now
a
(boaso
TI
Hves in England. His last wound on Aug. 8, 1918,
meant the loss of a leg to him"
.3d
LIEUT. MADDOX'S REPORT
bso
2/16/18.
No. 10 Post.
.w.8.7
On the 17h May about 530 am. I took out a reconnoitring
patrol of two NCe's and 2 men-Cpl. WhHams, SL. (D.CM).
L/Cpl. Haydon, T. Abernethy and WHhams- and after cautously
crawling around enemy post through thick crop and successfully And-
ing out' that enemy post was manned by about 1ô men and a
MG., wo returned to post at ill0 am., made hurned phans of
attack, and decided we could etther capture or kll al the occu¬
pants without very much trouble. We immnediately commenced to
barrage the post wih 36 grenades and to play MiG. on to their
parapet to keep their heads down, and at 11Z0 aum. set out wih
§ NCO.s and 5 men-Opl. WhHams, SL. L/Cpl. Haydon. L/Cpl
Abernethy, Ptes. GMl, Backland, Wühams, Shugg, Henderson.
Under cover of crop to wihin 30 yards or so of enemy post, when
we got out in the open and surrounded the post wuh the excepton
of a gap in the hedge. There on the zuven pre-arranged signa!
(a dare) grenades ceased ore and MiG. switched of to gap in hedge
covering their only retreat, and we rushed the post. As antci¬
pated they rushed through the gap, but unfortunately M.G. jam.
med and ahowed some of them to escape, but we ixed up 5 in
(.beasso9d)
the post in good old suyle.
One grappled wich Cpl. Wühams and I shot him in the stomach, but
unfortunately a stray bomb blew him to Dieces and al we could
get from him was a shoulder strap marked 62. We secured severa!
other identincatons, but before we could onish our hunt we were
attaoled by about 30 to 40 men from post on our right and we gave
them a bit of stouch; and seeing that things were getting too hot
I returned with party to post and found that L/Cpl Haydon was
missing. So we hopped out again to get him and were met wuh
severe MiG. and rine dre, but succeeded in bringing him in safely,
wihout casualties. He was severely wounded and we got him
straight away to dressing staton, his own comrades who had been
in the rald Insisted on carrying him down. This same party again
hopped over in raid which took place that night, or rather 1 a.m.
on the 18/5/18, and again did rattling good work--Nell S. Maddox,
14. OC. 10 Platoon, C. Coy. Sth Bm. Alr.
TTONOR
.nsied nsor .fbol M.M ndot
(.baassoed)
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.To
.Jei eso t
.Uw sws
.JIIH WANOTS
(.baassoed) .nied b lw .YLIU

tI
".Vudaela"
asybbA
as
ITTHAH
 

HUMPHREYS, Robert George - Lieut. Ist Bn. (Deceased.)
Båøden
Father - George Bolton Humphreys.
Next o
au
Address 240A, Fox St., Johannesburg, Transvaal,
21125
SOUTH AFRICA.
MARTIN, Archibald Farquhar, Capt. Alst Batty. (Deceased).
No record.
PITT, Joseph; M.M. 31164, Pte. 48th Battn. (Deceased)
Next of kin: Widow - Mrs. Linda Pitt,
Address
Springhill Road,
CONISTON, N.S.W.

.

BEID, William Harding, 3201. Pte. 3rd Battn.
(Deceased.)
No record.

theore
vory
D

SPROTT, John, M.M. Lieut. 10th Battn.
(Deceased.)
Next of kin : Mrs. Elizabeth Ann SPROTT, (Mother.
Mr. John Sprott - Father.
7h, Galena Street,
Railway Town,
BROKEN HILL.
SULLY. William Henry Daniel - Lieut. 3rd Battn. (Deceased.)
Next of kin -
Mr. Henry Sully,
"Aylesbury,
Address
Stanton Road,
HABERFIELD.
 

MERRIS PATROLS. 3 and 4 Bns.
Historical notes./ 3 rd Bn June 20th 1918.4th Bn June 162-19th.
Znd Bde when holding the line had been out and scooped in
te
some posts. This opened the way for the rest of the Doc. They
had been a trifle nervous about the crops to start with. When
they found what culd be done with them it was the other way.
4th Bn following on 2 Bde went into line near Strazeele station,
and on the first or second nicht the Intelligence officer
a wild youngster, R.E.Taylor came back from a reconnaissance
and was talking at Headquarters about an adventure he had had
uut patrolling. He said that he had sneaked out to a post
a trench - and looked down and found it full of Germans -
about 20 in it, he thought. The C.O. (Sass) heard him and
asked him:" Well, how about it Taylor - do you think you can
take it on?" T aylor said he thought he could. He asked for t
men with him and went out at liam the day after his patrol.
They crawled out, put one man out further to cover
them, and Taylor and the other 4 jumped into the trench.
They jumped right in o nto about 40 Germans(possibly number
may be exagg erated). They Germans mostly ran but there was
a stand up fight with some, and Taylor got 2 prisoners. As
the
there was every possibility of a C/attack up the trench
place turned out to be a German communication trench -Taylor
retired with his prisoners. On the parapet one of the Germans
showed some hesitation, so Taylor shot him and brought in
the other
Taylor had had a certain Pte MacDougall with him
in these adventured.A further raid was arranged in which
MacDougall guided Lieut. Thomas out to the same place. Thomas
went out twice on the two days following Taylors
raid. The main raid which he took out was a fairy inportant
one - the party going out in several batches. These were to
sneak up in the crop, and then the Sergt- Sergt Grant, on
the left was to blow a whistle when they were 5 yards from
the trench, and they were all to jump in together
Brant went out with Corpl Pearce on the left. But instead
of stopping at 5 yards the Sergt tried to edge forward until
he could see right into the trench and look along it. The
other parties on his right waited and waited but no sound
came. Presently there was a shot and silence
After waiting a bit the officer (Thomas gave the word to the
rest to come back - and so they did.
Sass who was looking on from the rear told me that he saw
them off, and waited. Not a sound. A good time passed - then
there was a shot and over the top of the crop he could see
coming the German stick bombs. He knew the raid had been seen.
What happened was that the sergeant was seen and was failry
badly wounded. Then the corporal tookthe whistle from him but
he too was wounded before he could use it.
The 3rd Bn relieved the 4 th and this thench became a
r egular bugbear for them. They lost in one company 13 killed
and over 30 wounded in fighting in and around it.And the batt
alion had about 170 casualties in this tour.
The 3rd Bn took our end of the trench almost as soon as
it went in. The 3rd Bn had a block in our end of the trench,
a short way from our post. The Germans had a very active off-
i cer in their trench post. During the night after Thomas had
attacked him he had put out wire on knife rests and pushed a
T head of it acress close up to our people.
The 3rd Bn attacked the trench from both sides, the No3
Post (on the sketch) going for it from the left and No 4
rom the rig ht - they were platoon posts" Lieut Macdonald (!
think that is the name of the boy who was telling me about it
but I wont be sure) went at it from the left. As they were
rushing across the nest two posts onto them on the left(
(marked with two circles in the sketch) each of which had a mg
in it fired at them and th ree men were hit. Thay mopped up
t he neartest post on the way over and the Germans in the next
one to it ran and left their gun. Both these guns were taken
 

3rd Bn. It was (I think they said) 9.45 when the little attack
They got into the Grench. The Germans fired at
went over.
them but mo stly ran. They captured two. They hurried to
build a bomb sttop, placing tt further down the trench on the
German side of them. They had not been in the trench 5 min-
ut es when a G erman officer led a counter attack against
them. Our men were at the bomb stop throwing Mills
grenddes. There were four of them with their heads and
shoulders over the trench throwing. The German officers men
did not seem too inclined to come on - or at any rate he
jumped up onto the parapet at the side of the trench and
o wäve hen on. They must still have hesitated
Co
began o
for he picked up a rifle and coolly aimed from his place on
the top of the trench and shot three of our four men dead
before a bullet got him through the neck - our men were
bombing but some were shooting at the officer trying to bring
him down. It was a very cool deed.
Theb omb block was thus established. But the Germans
bent their line back, keeping all their old posts on the left
of the trench except the two we had taken. Their new posts
are those marked with a square on the sketch.
T he Germans made 5 or 6 counterattacks here and fought
very well indeed. They belonged I believe to the 5th Bavarian
Infantry Regt.
July lith.
ist Bn.Lieut Gaskells work.
The petrol by Lt Gaskell with Bergt Scott and Corpl
London is written in my notebook.
4th Bn. The 4th Bn on July, lith hadbmost of its work done
byz/Lieut. Diamond and Sergt Macquire D.C.M. They worked
from pot to post rounding each up as they took it from the one
on its flank. Then they got the first two posts they left the
prisoners in each of them instead of bringing them in at once
so Sass tells me.(This needs verification)
Sergt Haguind was a man who was so useful in
the training battalion in England that they would not let
him rejoin fr om there. Finally he deserted from Emgland and
rejoined in France.
This day the tth Bn lost Lieut Barney Allen -
an original private of the Battalion who had never been away
from it. He was standing in one of the posts after the line
had been advanced, when he was hit by a M.G. bullet through
the thigh and died 6 days later.
 

Meven dt
 

Atach t, 3Sr, ui Hans
Jume 10 192. (from akitet G
Mebonald - Sliül hües art hüt.
 

9.

Oools
Ikn 6y
3vd Bn.

oocteo
vanee
 

Llay Nor
ArgtugR.
Murrntiva- Gnarutjon of 1944. Juy. 1916.
The Battzlion was warncit
oe preparel to ocoupy a line
X.24.b. 75.730 to X.23-1.C.l. ani the attack to be gevernel by progress
of the attack on MHIEREN.
eLutt ljen in pezitian. "D' Company in outpost line Right in Jumping
3 m
Off Posts; 130 yaris wan civancol during the nicht. C* Company occhpiel
Qutpost line Left. "A. Company in oll tranches at X.20.d.3.0. and
Company in Resorve at Cupport Ling.
7.50 n.me The attack on MH.ZREN commenoes.
.A" Compang nove ferwar!, one platoon as patre
gess
leur
piy!
arour! LS WATON. anl one platoon to mop up houses at LN WATON.
Sels Aem Two Platons of "" Comnany wove forward fron their posss at
A.20.b.2.9. and X.26.a.7.70 to consoliiste at X.Z6.b.6.3. ah
I.26.4.30.95.
S.20 2.-. Patrols hunz up et left of LS WATON. *C' Compang platon clehr n
chine guns anl several prinoners.
S.23 s.ne Thir! platoen of "A” Commany move forward forwar! to asaist in
attack on enaay posto X.26.1.1.0. to X.23.s.2.1.
£.j0 nene The attack emmences on enoay pos:se 3rde platson of "d" Company
nove from post X.25.n.2.30 to estahlich post at X.26.4.0.S.
Enamy rachins gun fire varg heavy from CEHULOCEH EAN
As attack progresses, the gerrioon at civancen popta ('t") Soy.
assist with rifle gronsie fire ami then move forwaru to establizh poats
on line I.26.c.35.25. t0 X.25.4.7.1.
RDDOR EAHI clearol. as
2s
ery machine gunz an! 2 hoavy iner
werfern founl emplace! behin: heise at F.2.311.9. 8 10.
M.30 2.m. Fnauy artillery fire heavy on X.25.4.
Behinege Line ostahlishe! es a en on rketch herewithe en tauch gaine with
th. Tattclion by their construction of post at F.l.r.50.95.
A trouhlazwie odemy machine gun was cspturel at F.1.5.45.75.
Ln.me Left rost sivancel to X.26.5.85.75.
No, ertillery or Trouch Morter fire was angleyei by us during the
eperation.
Znemy mochine guns were very active an! mon retirci on to machine
guns ant when some fell into our hards, either ran or surreniers!.
We capturel 98 vou
unsaumlel prisoners, 16 Light and N
machine guns and 2 heavy hinenwerfers.
there were obout 40 eneny kille!, anl our total casualties were
25 all told.
.......................ajor.
ASth. Julr: 1514.
for Commarsting Officer 9th. Dattalion.
 

H N,
Meteren. 1918. From Lt Dollery 12 Bn:

The first attack upon Meteren seemed to be undertaken
without reconnaisance.
One company commander of the 12th taking a revolver in
each hand simply led his men straight into Meteren, and was killed
there. His body was not recovered until Meteren was finally taken
by the Scots after three days hombardment, much later.
Another officer of the 12th was shot dead from the houses
in Meteren - I think it was Laing.
At this time the men were living better than at any time
in the first Divisions history - strawberry jam, real butter - how
it happened they do not know.