Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/256/1 - 1915 - 1936 - Part 4
A.I.F. Organised HN
To Murray's [[?]] Bdwd & while were
to London straight, but they were stopped
Marsaille & had to rept to G.H.Q. [[?]] by
recd & only 40.C. alld to [[?]] over (by Haig)
From White
290.
August 24, 1925.
Director,
Australian War Memorial,
Box 214D, G.P.O.,
Melbourne.
Dear Sir,
Without having the diaries for December 1915 sent up to
me, I am anxious to ascertain which battalions and other units
(or parts of them) reached Tel-el-Kebir on or before December 31,
and what they did there. I don't imagine there are many entries.
I wonder if you could get an extract made for me?
I can find nothing about the reason for placing the camp
at Tel-el-Kebir. Would you let me know if you find anything in
the December diaries on this point?
Yours faithfully
C.E.W. BEAN
13/3/17
16th October, 1925.
Dear Mr. Bazley,
In a letter, No. 290, of the 24th
August Mr. Bean asked for :-
a. The A.I.F. units which reached Tel-el-Kebir on
or before 31st December, 1915;
b. What they did there;
c. Why the camp was placed in this locality.
Mr. McAllan first prepared the answer
to "a" in the form of a list of units at Tel-el-Kebir. I
felt however that it would be more helpful to Mr. Bean to
have a list showing the disposition of A.I.F. units during
December. Such a list is being forwarded herewith. Should
it not satisfy your requirements please let me know the
additional information required.
With reference to "b" typical references
in the diaries are "training' and "parades held." It would
appear therefore that the units were engaged in reorganisation,
refitting and training.
No information bearing on the reasons for
establishing the camp at Tel-el-Kebir has been discovered. The
most likely sources of information are not available to us.
These include the diaries of G.H.Q., E.E.F. and G.H.Q. Army
in Egypt. The former are with you in Sydney. Presumably you
have examined them. If you will kindly confirm this, the records
of A.I.F. Administrative Headquarters in Cairo, which are
believed to be at the Base Records in Melbourne, will be searched
for information likely to be of use to you.
Yours sincerely,
[[?]]
Mr. A. W, Bazley,
C/o Historian,
Victoria Barracks
Sydney.
N.S.Wales.
1st AUSTRALIAN DIVISION.
ADMIN. Arrived Mudros 19th, still there on 31st.
G.S. Arrived Mudros 19th, (Portion still at Mudros 31st.
(Portion arrived Tel el Kebir 29th.
( there on 31st.
(G.O.C. G.S.O.1. were at Cairo on 31st.
4th L.H. Regt. Arrived Race course Camp, Heliopolis 27th, there on 31st.
C.R.A. No information available.
1st A.P.A. Bde. Arrived Mudros 17th/18th. On board transports in
Mudros Bay, 31st.
2nd A.P.A. Bde. Arrived Tel el Kebir 28th, there on 31st.
5th Bty. Arrived Tel el Kebir 28th, there on 31st.
6th Bty. Arrived Mudros 19th. On board transports at Mudros 31st.
3rd A.P.A. Bde. Arrived Tel el Kebir 28th, still there 31st.
7th Bty . Arrived Tel el Kebir 28th, still there 31st.
8th Bty. Arrived Tel el Kebir 28th, still there 31st.
9th Bty. Arrived Tel el Kebir 28th, still there 31st.
1st Div. Heavy Bty. (Detachments arrive Tel el Kebir
(on 28th, 27th Dec. 2nd Jan
(3rd, 4th, 5th & 11th.
On the 31st some were
at sea, some still at
Mudros, some at
Alexandra & Tel el
Kebir.
C.R.E. No information available
1st Fld.Coy. Arrived Tel el Kebir 28th. there on 31st.
2nd Fld. Coy. Arrived Tel el Kebir 29th. there on 31st.
3rd Fld. Coy. Arrived Tel el Kebir 28th. there on 31st.
Div. Sig. Coy. Arrived Mudros 19th. En Route for Egypt 31st.
1st inf. Bde. H.Q. No information available.
1st Battn. No information available.
2nd Battn. Arrived Tel el Kebir 29th, still there 31st.
3rd Battn. Arrived Tel el Kebir 29th, still there 31st.
4th Battn. Arrived Tel el Kebir 31st, still there 31st.
2nd Inf. Bde. H.Q. Arrived Mudros 12th, still there 31st.
5th Battn. H.Q. Arrived Mudros 12th, still there 31st.
6th Battn. H.Q. Arrived Mudros 12th, still there 31st.
7th Battn. H.Q. Arrived Mudros 20th, still there 31st.
8th Battn. H.Q. Arrived Mudros 19th, still there 31st.
3rd Inf. Bde. H.Q. Arrived Tel el Kebir 30th, there on 31st.
9th Battn. Arrived Mudros 17th Nov. On transport at Mudros on 31st Dec.
10th Battn. Arrived Tel el Kebir 30th, still there on 31st.
11th Battn. Arrived Mudros 17th Nov. still there, 2 coys embarked on 31st Dec.
12th Battn. Arrived Mudros 26th Nov. still there 31st.Dec.
Div. Train. Arrived Zeltoun 27th still there 31st.
1st. Fld. Amb. Arrived Mudros 10th Sept. Still there 31st Dec.
2nd Fld. Amb. Arrived Mudros 10th Sept. On transport at Mudros 31st Dec.
3rd Fld. Amb. Arrived Tel el Kebir 28th, still there 31st Dec.
1st Mob. Vet. Sect. No information available.
A.D.M.S. Arrived Mudros 16th, there on 31st.
2nd AUSTRALIAN DIVISION.
H.Q. G.S. Arrived Mudros 21st, Mudros 31st.
ADMIN Arrived Mudros 19th. Left Mudros for Egypt 26th. No further information available.
13th L.H. Regt. No information available.
5th A.P.A. Bde. Arrived Suez from Australia 21st. Heliopolis 22nd,
Tura 26th, No further information available.
6th A.P.A. Bde. Arrived Suez from Australia 21st. Heliopolis 22nd,
Tura 26th, No further information available.
7th A.P.A. Bde. No information available.
5th Fld.Coy. A.E. Arrived Suez from Australia 14th, Port Said 17th,
Kantara 18th, Serapeum 31st.
6th Fld.Coy. A.E. Arrived Kantara from Australia 18th, Ferry Post
30th & 31st.
7th Fld.Coy. A.E. Left Australia 30th Nov.
Div. Signal Coy. No information available.
5th A.I. Bde. H.Q. Arrived Mudros 20th and were there on 31st.
17th Battn. Arrived Mudros 20th and were there on 31st.
18th Battn. Arrived Mudros 20th and were there on 31st.
19th Battn. Arrived Mudros 20th and were there on 31st.
20th Battn. Arrived Mudros 20th and were there on 31st.
6th A.I. Bde. Arrived Mudros 20th and were there on 31st.
21st Battn. 1st Party arrived Mudros 22nd, Tel el Kebir 27th to 31st.
2nd Party. arrived Tel el Kebir 8/1/16.
22nd Battn. Arrived Mudros 20th and were there on the 31st.
23rd Battn. Arrived Mudros 20th and were there on the 31st.
24th Battn. Arrived Mudros 20th and were there on the 31st.
7th A.I Bde. Arrived Mudros 12th and were there on the 31st.
25th Battn. Arrived Mudros 19th and were there on the 31st.
26th Battn. Arrived Mudros 12th and were there on the 31st.
27th Battn. Arrived Mudros 12th and were there on the 31st.
28th Battn. Arrived Mudros 12th and were there on the 31st.
Divl. Train. Arrived Mudros 20th and were there until the 30th.
Embarked on "Grampian" on 31st.
5th Fld. Amb. Arrived Mudros 18th and were there on the 24th.
No further information available.
6th Fld. Amb. Arrived Mudros 12th and were there on the 31st 7th Fld. Amb. Arrived Mudros on 13th and were there on the 31st.
2nd Mob. Vet. Sect. Heliopolis from 1st to 29th. Tel el Kebir 30th.
A.D.M.S. Arrived Mudros 12th, there on 31st.
A.D.V.S. Heliopolis 1st to 21st. Tel el Kebir 2nd/31st.
N.Z. & A. DIVISION.
N.Z. & A. Div Inf. Bdes. Arrived from Mudros and went into camp at
Moascar between 20th & 31st.
N.Z. & A. Div. Artillery. Arrived from Mudros and went into camp at Zeitoun between 20th & 31st.
C.R.E Arrived Mudros 20th, Moascar 27th, there on 31st.
H.Q. Signal Coy. Arrived Mudros 20th and were there on 31st.
4th A.I. Bde. H.Q. No information available.
13th Battn. Arrived Mudros 20th, embarked 29th
en route to Egypt. 30th & 31st.
14th Battn Arrived Mudros 19th, Embarked 27th sailed
on 29th en route to Egypt 30th & 31st.
15th Battn Arrived Mudros 14th, Embarked 26th sailed
on 27th, Moascar 30th, Ismailia 31st.
16th Battn. No information available.
4th Fld. Amb. No information available.
UNALLOTTED INFANTRY BRIGADES
8th A.I. Bde. H.Q and Battns were on the Sue Canal Defences during the whole of December 1915. None of the
Battalions were stationed at Tel el Kebir during
that month.
5th Fld. Coy. A.E. (later 8th) Arrived Mudros 18th there on 31st
(this was 2nd DW at [[?]])
18th Coy. A.A.S.C. Arrived Suez from Australia. 9th Serapeum from
18th to 31st.
MISCELLANEOUS UNITS.
C.E. Anzac. Arrived Mudros 20th, Cairo 30th.
3rd Section 3rd Sig. Coy. Arrived Serapeum 10th, there on 31st.
1st Field Butchery. Mudros 31st.
2nd Field Butchery. En route from Australia 31st.
1st Field BAKERY. Diary ends 18th Dec. 1915. Unit on Imbros. Next entry 29th Jan. Tel el Kebir.
1st A.D.U.S. On board "Grampian" in Lemnos Harbour 31st.
6th A.D.U.S. Arrived Zeitoun from Australia 27th, there on 31st.
1st A.C.C.S. Arrived Mudros 21st, there on 31st.
2nd Stationery Hospital. Mudros 31st.
MOUNTED BRIGADES.
1st L.H. Bde. H.Q. Arrived Mudros 21st, Heliopolis 27th to 31st. X
1st L.H. Regt. Arrived Mudros 21st, Heliopolis 27th to 31st.
2nd L.H. Regt. Arrived Mudros 19th, Heliopolis 27th to 31st. X
3rd L.H. Regt. Arrived Mudros 15th, Heliopolis 20th.
Barrage 30th, Warden 31st.
2nd L.H. Bde. Mudros 20th, Helmein 26th, Ma'adi 27th to 31st.
5th L.H. Regt. Mudros 20th, Helmein 26th, Ma'adi 27th to 31st.
6th L.H. Regt. Arrived Mudros, Heliopolis 26th, Ma'adi 27th
to 31st.
7th L.H. Regt. Lemnos Harbour 20th, Heliopolis 26th, Ma'adi
28th to 31st.
3rd L.H. Bde. Arrived Mudros 20th, Heliopolis 26th to 31st.
8th L.H. Regt. Arrived Mudros 20th, Heliopolis 26th to 31st.
9th L. h. Regt. Arrived Mudros 20th, Helmien 26th, Heliopolis 27th to 31st.
10th L.H. Regt. Arrived Mudros 14th, Heliopolis 20th to 31st.
1st Signal Troop. No information available.
2nd Signal Troop. Arrived Lemnos Harbour 20th, Heliopolis 26th, Ma'adi 28th to 31st.
3rd Signal Troop. Arrived Mudros 20th, Heliopolis 26th to 31st.
1st L.H. Bde. Train. No information available.
2nd L.H Bde. Train. No information available.
3rd L.H. Bde. Train. No information available.
1st L.H. Fld. Amb. With Brigade.
2nd L.H. Fld. Amb. Arrived Mudros 12th, Ma'adi 28th to 31st.
3rd L.H. Fld. Amb. With Brigade.
From [[?Melb.?]]
- Anderson's [[?mandates?]]?
2. Why ws [[?]] sent. Springthorpe or Murdoch.
3. Why were 50,000 [[?]] proposed?
4. [[?]] w Brit. [[?]] as to state of business affairs in
Egypt before Anderson sent.
[[?]]: White Coy [[?]] was it Bdwd or White who first suggd.
halving bns? or who?
Origl Co's under Elliot - were they v. bad?
White says: It was Birdwood's proposal - [[?]] have any change
The new CO had some influence in ensuring
that his half wd be a good one. We will
find this in orders.
Elliot's ∧case did not make much of a
problem until after Birdwd left - he
xxxx then had some difference w Godley
who advised Aust. w recall him.
The COs gn to him were supposed to be
good men - for all that he got Birdwd knew.
How did Bdwd hear
of 50,000 men ([[?]] 3 divns)?
[[?]] June 15 from Murray?
What was then done?
White says: Probly from Murray
The orders of Colonel Hall, Garrison Camp, Zeitoun, on
January 17, 1916, provided that 1,000 infantry reinforcements
should go forward from Zeitoun Camp and 375 from the Australian
Overseas Base.
Colonel Hall's orders for January 31st provided that 92 officers
and 3299 other ranks should go forward, of whom 14 officers and 436 other ranks were "from 'A' details, Class A" and the rest from the
Australian and New Zealand Training Battalion.
Under heading "State or Return" this order says "nominal rolls
are to be prepared..........as under -
(a) not originally M.E.F.
(b) Class A
(c) Class B."
Sam scottThis transcription item is now locked to you for editing. To release the lock either Save your changes or Cancel.
This lock will be automatically released after 60 minutes of inactivity.