Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/259/1 - 1917 - 1927 - Part 12

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Awaiting approval
Accession number:
RCDIG1066695
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

COPY. 9.511917. 10.5.17. 21.5.17. 2215.17 4.6.17. 8.6.17 9.6.17 10.6.17. 12.6.17. 19.6.17. 25.6.17. 3.7.17 4.7.17 9.717. 10.7.17. 12.7.17. 14.7.17 16.7.17 Es Salikh. 17.7.17 20.7.17 WAR DIARY of Australian Cavalry Divisional Squadron. 4 a.m. Moore Park Sydney. Marched out of engineer camp, Sydney. Strength 3 officers and 46 O.R's. 7.30 a.m. - embarked H.M.A.T. A.15 "Port Sydney", No. 1 Wharf, Woolloomol6o. Noon - sailed out Sydney Harbour. Arrived Fremantle - no leave. Steamed out Fremantle under care H.I.M.S. K.--. Left behind 3 men - Sappers Marsden, Payne, and Driver Monk - who had been sent ashore on ship's duty. No blame is attached to them as our sailing was put forward considerably and no means of transport was available from the shore. Strength 3 8 43. 1l a.m. arrived Colombo. 4 p.m. disembarked - strength 3 officers and 43 O.R. Marched to Echelon Barracks. Men comfortably quartered at barracks and rationed at B.I. Hotel, Officers at Grand Oriental Hotel. 6.30 p.m. Entrained Colombo station for Talamannar. Strength 3 & 43. a.m 6.30 n. Talamannar and embarked steamer for Dhanuskhodi. 8.30 a.m. Dhanuskhodi. Met by N.C.O. of embarkation staff with instructions for guidance. Entrained for Madras. Train accommodation all ranks good. 10 a.m. Madras. Met by embarkation officer and marched to Fort St. George. 6.15 p.m. entrained at Madras station for Bombay. 10 a.m. arrived Bombay. Quarters Cooperage Camp. Strength 3 & 43. 9 a.m. Embarked H.M.T. Elephanta. Three men - Cpl. Trestrail, Sprs. Cowell and McKay transferred to ship's hospital. 7 p.m. arrived Magil. Marched to appointed camp. Strength 3 officers and 40 0.n. 5 followers attached to squadron. 7 p.m. embarked P53. Strength 3 & 33. 4 p.m. Amara. Route March. 3 men transferred to hospital at Kut. Cpl. G.H. Roberts transferred to hospital 10 a.m. Arrived Rest camp advanced Base. Strength 3 & 29, and 5 followers. 7 a.m. Arrived Baghdad by launch from rest camp. 9 a.m. went into signal coy s camp. Temperature 1240 in the shade. Drew horses. One man transferred to hospital - heat stroke. 5 p.m. Arrived Cav. H.G., Es Salikh. Strength 3 & 28, and 5 followers. Took over D.R.L.S. 12 noon. Took over signals from Lieut. Patterson. 4 men transferred to field hospital. Strength 3 & 24. 3 O.Ris back from field hospital. Strength 3 & 27.
25.7.17 26.7.17 27.7.17 3.8.17 1.8.17 5.8.17 6.8.17 16.8.17. 20.8.17. 27.8.17. 28.8.17 2. 2 B.O.R's back from field hospital. Strength 3 & 29. Capt. Payne to field hospital. Strength 2 & 29. 5 B.O.R's back from field hospital. Strength 2 & 34. Capt. Payne returned for duty. Strength 3 & 34. One British cook arrived 2 B.O.R's returned from hospital. from Base, attached sqn. Strength 3 and 36, and 6 followers. No. 23 B.G.H. Baghdad reports death of Cpl. E.C. Cocks. One man reported from hospital. Strength 3 & 37, and 5 flrs. i B.O.R. to hospital. Strength 3 and 36, £ 6 followers. " 3 " 35 " 6 1 B.O.R. to hospital. 333 5 2 B.O.R's to hospital. 3 followers reported from advanced base. (sgd) W.H. Payne, Capt. O.C. Aust. Cav. Div. Sig. Squadron.
COPY. 1.12.17 2.12.17 3.12.17 4.12.17 5.12.17 6.12.17 7.12.17 8.12.17 9.12.17 10.12.17 31.12.17 1.1.18 6.1.18 9.1.18 13.1. 18 20.1.18 WAR DIARY AUSTRALIAN CAVALRY DIVISIONAL SIGNLL SQUADRON. Noon in communicatn 8.30 a.m. Left Sindiyeh for Satha. 6 p.m. Satha - all commn. with GHQ with G.H.G. by wireless. by wireless. 8.30 a.m. moved off for Chaikhana. One detachment BX cable 12.30 p.m. - section went ahead with reconnoîtring party, Chaikhana - communication with GHQ by wirelsss. 2.30 p.m. - in touch by vibrator with reconnoîtring party à detachment HX 6.20 - reconnoitring party relieved by cable section. Bde sig. troops working vibrator. Chaikhana - 11. 15 am AA section in communication by tele- phone. 5.40 pm in touch 22nd Cavalry by visual, also to sig troop by lamp as emergency. Chaikhana - 7.30 a.m. remaining detachment cable section laying line to 7th Cav. Bde. right bank Adhaim. 10.10am - de- tachment cable section with 7th Cav. Bde. returning and leaving line for vibrator working to l4th Lancers. 2.45pm - 14th Lancers closing down and moving into bivouac. Chaikhana. 8.40am - line used by l4th Lancers being ruled ir by detachment cable section. Chaikhana. õpm - AA section telephone dismantled, using visual. Apm - Vibrator working dismantled line being ruled in by signal troop. On by visual to P.I.F. Spm - P.I.F. visual closed down. 7.45m - wireless to GHQ closed down. 9.10pm- moving off to Satha. 1.45am - arrived Satha. Communication by wirelsss to GHQ. Satha. 8.30am - wirelessand sig. office closed down. Div. moving to Akab. Noon - communication to GHQ by wireless. 4.10 p.m.- arrived Akab left bank Tigris 200 yds N. of bridge. Communication established to BD via YLG. ZHI-YIG line. BX cable section laid cable. Akab. 9am - office Vå closed down, movinf Sadiyah. 10.15 arrived Sadiyah. VA-BD line dis. Ipm - working vibrator through BDG-ZCI-CCO. 1.15pm - PIG through on vibrator. 1.30pm - PIF through on vibrator. Bdes did not arrive until these times. 2.20pm - through to BD via CCO on DC set. l0am - VA-BD line O.K. Medical advised division of Capt. Payne s death ef smallpox hospital, Sadiyah.. Motor transport for signal squadron not yet joined unit. During operations 3 ford vans attached but this is unsatisfac- tory as vans are not available till last thing. Loading is hurried and also loads cannot be tested beforehand. Officers on strength - 2/lt. L.L. Gill. R. Houston. Lieut. A.G. Dalton, R.E. (attached) Sadiyeh. Strength 3 officers 47 B.O.R. In camp. 49 Lieut. Dalton transferred to 6th Cav. Bde Sig troop. In camp. strength 2 & 47 BOR 2 & 45
27.1.18 31.1.18 1.2.18 8.2.18 10.2.18. 15.2.18 22.2.18. 28.2.18 2. Sadiyeh. In camp. strength 2 & 46. Officers on strength- 2 & 46. In camp at Sadiyeh Capt. L.L. Gill and Lt. R. Houston. during whole of 'anuary. Signal office traffic normal and everything working satisfactorily. Sadiyah. In camp. Strength 2 & 46 B.O.R. 2 £ 47. Inspection of squadron by G.O.C., Cavalry Division. Lt. A.G. Dalton, R.E. taken on strength from 6th Cav. Bde. Sig. Troop. Strength 3 & 50. 3 & 50. Officers on strength - Capt. L.L.Gill 3 & 52. In camp at Sadiyeh 2/lt. R. Houston, Lt. A.G. Dalton, R.E. during whole of month. Signal office traffic normal and everything working satisfactorily. Capt gd) L.L. Gil O.C. Aust. Cav. Dig. Sig. Sodn.
8/BH. TELEPHONE: CENTRAL 4780. COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE, 240. Jeenesmenemnnennmenia .... MELBOURNE. 10518 -8JUL1926 Dear Bean, I am sending you herewith the information desired in regard to "Repaust" India. Wickham established the office of Repaust at Bombay in March, 1918. Prior to that date we relied on information supplied by A.A.G. Bazra. I have spoken to Wickham and he will be only too pleased to supply any information or check any data. Yours sincerely, B I Sevvnna C.E.W. Bean, Esq. A.I.F. Historian, Victoria Barracks, O1DuN N.S.W.). :
REPAUST or ...-------- REPRESENTATIVE AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL FORCE .----------------..-... Capt F.H.Wickham novChief Gierk addrens) State Office, Melbourne, was PRENIERS First Australian Representative ... Arrived Bombay 10.3.18 At Mespot from 24.4.18 8.6.18 To... 9.6.18 At Bombay from Till RT.A. on 12.12.19. Prior to 10.3.18 A.I.F. was represented by an Imperial Officer. Lieut R.L.Hastie address Nalawa, Henson Street Summer Hills Sydney,N.S.W. Followed Wickham as Repaust........ Atrived Bombay 14.1.19 as Sergt App. Lieut. 7.5.19 App.Repaust. 12.12.19 R.T.A. on 12.9.20 X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X
.4131 .t.rttrtrtrr...rr.. BuRDUDRLERNOO) "rhr- OVOTD PrpITETR xxxxxxx -..... peroub eg or Eniowenn deqzo so siopiO II dred. 1225. 10 July 1926. Ceptein F.H. Wickham State Premier's Office Melbourns. Vie. Dear Sir, Mr. W.4. Neumen of the Defonce Department informs mo that you were the Australian representativo in India from Merch 1918 until December 1919. The Mesopotamian Units are publishing a history, which is to cover Australian participation both in India and wesopotemia. I am not sure that they are aware of all the forms which Australian participation took, and in discovering this your assistance, if you would lend it, would be most valuable. I should be greatly obliged if you could send me just a list of the chief services which came undor your notice, and of the places in India or elsewhere in the äast (outside Mesopotamin where nurses and other members of the A.l.T. served. We know that Australien nurses servod at the Victoria Hospital, Bombay; King George's War Mospital, Poona: Alexandria Hospital, Pombay: The Decoan Hospital, Poona; 31st Welsh and 44th British Hospitals, Deolali; 19th British General Hospital, Rawalpindi; and at the Colaba and Cumballa Hospitals, Eombay. If you could give me a brief note of what were your difficulties or chief problems, these als, would be valueble, elthough, possibly, not useful for actual inclusion in the unit history. The chairmen of the Mesopotamian Units' History committee Major C.W.C. Marr, M.P., and the book is being edited by Mr. E.K. Burke. Lours faithfully. HSAN CE oo q ermomred uomnassp pue quens Sumoee oes snoed moy soueqo Bunogs op pelesep peoduue Tegoene pueunuoo uo sempensco sieysuen 'suomomond osreosp suousque ot
"HORSEFERRY ROAD,", BOMBAY. It is not generally known in Australia that, besides the extensive headquarters of the A.I.F. at Horseferry-road, London, and the smaller A.I.F. H.Q. in Cairo, there had to be sent to India also an A.I.F. administrative staff, though on a very small soale. Small bodies of the A.I.F. were at one time or another scattered over a great part of Asia: the Australian Half-Flight in Mesopotamia (1915-16); the wireless squadron in Mesopotamia, Persia, and elsewhere (1915-19); A.I.F. members of the Dunsterforce, also in Persia (1918); 300 Australian nurses (1916-19) as well as dispensers (1917-18) in India. This dispersion gave rise to an awkward tangle of pay accounts, orders, and records. Captain Ross Smith, with Sergeants Bennett and Shiers, also paid a visit to this scene of operations, though they took no part in them. They handed over to the xxx Royal Air Force the giant Handley-Page machine in which they flew from Palestine to India, and it vas eventually crashed in operations in the East. The Anzac wireless squadron was providing communication over a considerable part of the continent; Australian nurses were to be found throughout Indian station hospitals, from Tank on the north-west frontier to Sesunderabad in the south and from Bombay in the west to Burma in the east; but no
2. records of any of these members of the A.I.F. existed at the Administrative Headquarters of the A.I.F. in London, xnor was there any satisfactory scheme for settling accounts Indian and Australian between the Governments. For this reason in January, 1918, Captain F.H. Wickham was sent out from France to act as A.I.F. representative in India and Mesopotamia, and, with Warrant-Officer T.I. Baker and a small staff, was attached to the Adjutant-General's Department at Indian Army Headquarters. Part of Wickham's job was to trace all records of the A.I.F. men in Mesopotamia by a search uf through the Third Echelon, Mesopotamian Expeditionary Force, Basra, as well as the H.G. of the vireless squadron in Baghdad. The tracks of our nurses and dispensers in India were obtained by inquiry of their principal matron in India, and from the various hospitals. The sum total of the information was set forth in orders issued by "Administrative Headquarters, A.I.F. (Indian Section)", which by this time had been established in Bombay. It was discovered that the dispensers - fifty in all - though doing valuable work, were their not being employed on duties commensurate with/rank (Warrant- Officer, Class II), so they were withdravn and returned to Australia. The accounts between the Australian Governments were settled - or at least properly prepared for settlement; and by the Armistice the A.I.F. administration in this
3. theatre of operations was in the same healthy condition that obtained in France, Egypt, and England. It proved much easier to send the A.I.F. to Asia than to get it back. The difficulties which hampered Wickham and his staff were - lack of shipping between India and Australia; the desire of the Indian Government to continue to employ the an nurses long after the Armistice; /the desire of the Mesopotam- ian Expeditionary Force to retain the last soction of the wireless squadron. It was only after very strong and persist- ent representations to the Indian Government that, towards the end of 1919, they had all been returned (except the twenty nurses who had married in India). Last of all, after a financial cleaning up, the administrative staff itself came back. It is worth recording that it had performed for the New Zealand Government exactly the same work as for the Australian.

COPY.  
WAR DIARY           
of Australian Cavalry Divisional Squadron.

9.5.1917.


 		  4 a.m. Moore Park Sydney. Marched out of the engineer camp, 
Sydney. Strength 3 officers and 46 O.R's. 7.30 a.m.-
embarked H.M.A.T.  A.15  "Port Sydney", No. 1  Wharf,
Woolloomoloo. 
10.5.17.  Noon- sailed out Sydney Harbour.
21.5.17. Arrived Fremantle - no leave.

22.15.17.


 

 

Steamed out of Fremantle under care H.I.M.S.  K-----.   Left 
behind 3 men - Sappers Marsden, Payne and Driver Monk - who 

had been sent ashore on ship's duty. No blame is attached to 
them as our sailing was put forward considerably and no means 

of transport was available from the shore. Strength 3 & 43.
4.6.17. 


 		 11 a.m. arrived Columbo. 4 p.m. disembarked -  strength 3 
officers and 43 O.R. Marched to Echelon Barracks. Men 
comfortably quartered at barracks and rationed at B.I. Hotel.
Officers at Grand Oriental Hotel.
8.6.17 
 

6.30 p.m. Entrained Colombo station for Talamannar. 

Strength 3 & 43 .  
9.6.17


 		  6.30 a.m. pxx. Talamannar and embarked steamer for Dhanuskhodi. 
8.30 a.m. Dhanuskhodi, Met by N.C.O. of embarkation staff
with instructions for guidance. Entrained for Madras. Train
accommodation all ranks good. 
10.6.17

 		 10 a.m. Madras. Met by embarkation officer and marched to 
Fort St. George. 6.15 p.m. entrained at Madras station for
Bombay. 
12.6.17
 

10a.m. arrived Bombay . Quarters Cooperage Camp . Strength

3 & 43. 
19.6.17.

 

9 a.m. Embarked H.M.T. Elephants. Three men - Cpl.
Trestrail, Sprs. Cowell and McKay transferred to ship's

hospital. 
25.6.17

7 p.m. arrived Magil. Marched to appointed camp. Strength 

3 officers and 40 O.R.  5 followers attached to squadron .
3.7.17  7 p.m. embarked P53. Strength 3&33 
4.7.17 4 p.m.  Mr Amara. Route March, 3 men transferred to
hospital at Kut. Cpl, G.H. Roberts transferred to hospital   
9.7.17
 		 10a.m. Arrived Rest camp advanced Base. Strength 3&29,
and 5 followers.
10.7.17 
 		 7a.m. Arrived Baghdad by launch from rest camp. 9.a.m.
went into signal coys' camp. Temperature 124 degrees in the shade.
12.7.17.
 		 Drew horses. One man transferred to hospital- heat 
stroke.
14.7.17 5.p.m. Arrived Cav. H.Q. , Es Salikh. Strength 3 & 28, and 
5 followers. Took over D.R.L.S. 
16.7.17  12 noon. Took over signals from Lieut. Patterson.
Es Selikh . 
17.7.17.  4 men transferred to field hospital. Strength 3 & 24.
20.7.17  3 O.R's back from field hospital. Strength  3 & 27.



 
    

25.7.17 2 B.O.H, 'back from field hospital,    Strength 3&29 
27.7.17   5 B.O.R's returned from hospital .one British cook arrived 
from  Base . attached sgn, strength 3 and 36, and 6 followers. 
3.8.17 Capt Payne returned for duty .  strength 3 & 34. 

4.8.17. 2 B.O.R"s returned from hospital one british cook arrived 

from Base, attached sgn. Strength 3 and 36 , and 6 followers 
5.8.17 No. 23 B.G.H Baghdad reports death of Cpl, E.c. Cooks, 

6.8.17 One man reported from hospital . Strength 3& 37 , and 5 flrs.

16.8.17 1 B.O.R to hospital .        1 B.O,R to hospital. Strength 3 & 34, and 6 followers.
20.8.17, 1 B.O.R. to hospital       '' 3 ''35''6 ''
27,8.17. 2 B.O.R."s to hospital.       ''3.      33.  5
28.8.17. 3 followers reported from advanced base.
                                                              (sgd) W.H. Payne, Capt.

                                   O.C.  Aust,     Cav,      Div,    Sig . Squadron.  

 

27.1.16  Sadiyah. In camp.   strength 2&46.
31.1.18. Capt." L.L. Gill" and "Lt.  R.   Houston. 
in camp at Sadiyah 
during whole month of January . signal office normal and
everything working satisfactorily .
1.2.18 Sadiyah in camp .  Strength 2&46 B.O.B.
8.2.18 by G.O.C Cavalry Division . 
10.2.18 lt. A.G. Dalton , R.E taken on strength from 6th Div. Bde.
 Sig . Troop.
15.2.18 Strength 3& 50.
22.2.16.   "" 3&50.
26.2,18.  "  3&52.    officers on strength- Capt . L.L. Gill , 

2/lt.  R. Houston, Lt. A.G Dalton . R.E  In camp at sadiyeh 

during whole of month.  signal traffic normal and 
everything working satisfactorily .
                                                                 ( sgd) L.L.  Gill Capt.

.                                               O.C. Aust.   Cav.   Div.    Sig ,   Sqdn.  

 

8/BH.   
TELEPHONE 

CENTRAL 4780

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA . 
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE.
No. 10516    
MELBOURNE . 
- 8 JUL 1926

 

Dear Bean, 
I am sending you herewith the information 

desired in regard to "Repaust " India.

Wickham established the office of Repaust 

at Bombay in March, 1918. Prior to that date we 
relied on information supplied by A.A.G Bazra .
I have spoken to Wickham and he will be 

only too pleased to supply any information or check
any data.              
Yours sincerely ,

WA  Newman
C.E.W  Bean ,Esq .
A.I.F Historian , 
Victoria Barracks .

SYDNEY (N.S.W). 

 

REPAUST  or 
REPRESENTATIVE AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL FORCE

Capt F.H.Wickham  now Chief Clerk,
(address) State Pensions PREMIERS office, Melbourne . was

First Australian Representative ... 
Arrived Bombay   10.3.18
At Mespot from  24,4.18
To...  8.6.18
At Bombay from 9.6.18 
Till R.T.A on. 12.12.19.

Prior to 10.3.18 A.I.F was represented by an Imperial Officer.
Lieut R.L. Hastie address Nalawa, Henson Street,
Summer Hills Sydney, N.S.W.
Followed Wickham as Repaust ... 
Arrived Bombay as Sergt. 14.1. 19 

App. Lieut.  7.5.19

App. Repaust 12.12.19
R.T.A.  on 12.9.20  

 

 

F.4151                                                                                                  10 July 1986. 
XXXXXXX
1225. 
 Captain F.H Wickham.
state Premiers Office ,
Melbourne. Vic

Dear Sir. , 

Mr. W.A Newman of the Defence Department informs me 
that you were the Australian Representative in India from March 

1918 until December 1919. The Mesopotemian Units are publishing
a history, which is to cover Australian Participation both in 
india and mesopotamia . Iam not sure that they are aware of all 

the forms which Australian participation took, and in discovering 

this your assistance., if you could send me just 
a list of the aid. efforts services which come under your notice, and of 
the places in India or elsewhere in the East  (outside mesopotamia) 

where nurses and other members of the A.I.F served.   We know that 

Australian nurses served at the Victoria Hospital , Bombay: King 
George's hospital .Poona: Alexandria Hospital, Bombay: the Doocan Hospital , Poona;  31st Welsh and 44th British Hospitals, 

Doolnli: 19th British General Hospital . Rawalpindi: and at

the colnbn and Gunballa hospitals , Bombay. 

if you would give me a brief note of what were your 
difficulties or chief problems . these also would be valuable .

although , possibly, not useful for actual inclusion in the unit 
history.
The chairman of the mesopotamian units, History Committee

is Major C.V.C Mgrr, M.P, and the book is being edited by Mr.

E.K Burke.
                    Yours faithfully ,
                                  C.E.W BEAN

                                        aust ...

 

 

 

"HORSEFERRY ROAD", BOMBAY.

 

It is generally known in Australia that, besides

the extensive headquarters of the A.I.F. at Horseferry-road,

London, and the smaller A.I.F. H.Q. in Cairo, there had to 

be sent to India also an A.I.F. administrative staff,though

on a very small scale. Small bodies of the A.I.F. were at

one time or another scattered over a great part of Asia:

the Australian Half-Flight in Mesopotamia (1915-16): the

wireless squadron in Mesopotamia, Persia and elsewhere

(1915-19): A.I.F. members of the Dunsterforces, also in

Persia (1919): xxxxxxxxx 300 Australian nurses (1916-19)

as well as dispensers (1917-18) in India. This dispersion

gave rise to an awkward tangle of pay accounts, orders, and

records. Captain Ross Smith, with Sergeant Bennett and

Shiers, also paid a visit to this scene of operations, though

they took no part in them. They handed over to the xxxxxx

Royal Air Force the giant Handley-Page machine in which they

flew from Palestine to India,

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last edited by:
Sherrie CSherrie C
Last edited on:

Last updated: