Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/274B/1 - 1918 - 1939 - Part 7

(Copy of Movement Order No. 48)

SECRET
Copy No. 13.

Second Australian Battalion
Order No. 48.

Reference map Namur 1/100,000.

1. The Second Australian Battalion will move by route march from
   VILLERS POTERIE to billets in BOUFFIOULX on the 11th. instant.
2. STARTING POINT. G. 2.62.30 - Cross roads between school and FIGOTREE.
3. ROUTE. -gg.2.62.30 - ACOZ - BOUFFIOULX, Battalion will be
   at starting point at 1000.
4. TRANSPORT. Transport allotted for use of 2nd. Battalion
   will follow in rear of unit.
5. BILLETING PARTY. One N.CO per Company and Headquarters
   will report to Lieut. D. Tennant at Battalion Headquarters
   at 0900 on 10th. and will meet the Battalion on arrival
   at BOUFFIOULX.
6. ORDER OF MARCH. H.Q., "A" and"B" Companies, strict march
   discipline will be maintained throughout. Halts will be
   made at 10 minutes to each clock.
7. COMMAND. On arrival at BOUFFIOULX the 2nd. and 3rd. Battalions
   will become SECOND/THIRD Battalionsand will be
   commanded by Lieut.Col. D.T.Moore (C.M.G, D.S.O.)
   Major Gilder (2nd. Bn.) will be 2nd. in command.
8. Acknowledge.

(sgd.) J. Knox Lieut.
A/Adjutant, 2nd. Austr. Bn

DISTRIBUTION.

1. 1st A. I. Brigade.
2. C.O. 3rd. Battalion.
3. "      2nd.   "
4. O.C. A Company
5. O.C. B
6. O.C. Headquarters Details.
7. Q.M. and T.O.
8. R.M.O.
9. War Diary
10. File.
11. Spare.

ADMINISTRATION.

1. Dress Full marching order, less blankets; waterproof
   sheets to be worn under flap of pack.
2. Officer's Valises of Headquarters and A Company will be
   dumped at R.Q.M. store and B Company's headquarters,
   at 0830.
   Blankets (rolled shortwise in bundles of 10, and clearly
   labelled) will be stacked at Coy. H.Q. at 0830; H.Q.
   blankets at R.Q.M. store.
   Mess Gear will be dumped at Coy. H.Q. at 0830.

3. Watches will be synchronised at 0900.

    

   [*Vol VI*]

   TELEPHONE 

   CENTRAL 4780

   COMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA.

   DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE,

   MELBOURNE, 

   6th April 1934

   Dear Bazley,

   In response to your request for files

   dealing with repatriation and demobilisation, I 

   am forwarding herewith the following  :-

   Defence C588/1/248 re Repatriation. 

   Defence AB500/1/160 re Repatriation Conference

   D.A.G., A.I.F.193/22 re Demobilisation - Policy File

   D.A.G., A.I.F.193/35 re Repat. & Demob. Dept. - Organistion 

   A.M.S., A.I.F. 200/ - re Educational Scheme - Org. & Policy

   A.I.F. 4334/1/15 Files No's 1 & 2 re General Schemes and 

   Procedure regarding Repatriation.

I think you will find that these files 

contain all that you will require, if however you 

need additional records you may be able to give

me a reference number from the files which will 

simplify tracing others.  I am advising Mr. McAllan

that I am forwarding these files to you , and shall be

obliged if you will return them to me when you have

finished with them as Colonel Butler has not yet

finalised his chapter covering this subject.

Yours sincerely,

A. J. Withers

A.W. Bazley Esq.,

Victoria Barracks,

PADDINGTON . N.S.W.

COPY.                                                                                                                   21/11/18.

GENERAL  MONASH'S NOTES ON DEMOBILISATION.

Question of permanent ship staffs? Not attractive.

We must retain, throughout period, officers, nurses, and N.C.O's of

all classes, requisite for (a) ships' staffs, (b) embarkation

port staffs.

Questionof gathering in all odd and small units and definitely

attaching them to one or other of the divisions, to simplify

communications and control.

Arrangements by C.O's of all personnel, in order of priority, on 

definite basis to be laid down.

Preliminary Demobilization Memo re Demobilization Morale. Bad
co-operation for want of sympathy by any, xxxx impede all.

Draw up pro forma ships' staffs.

Full census of A.I.F. personnel.

Full list and distribution of all A.I.F. units.

Liaison with Egypt.

Liaison with G.H.Q., France Depotxxxtxx Depots, etc.

Dissolution of English Depots - see M'Kay.

Amply strengthen Somerville's staff.

Take over December shipments from Dodds.

Question of Ration Pay for officers on duty in England.

Tabulation and numbering of all decisions.

Liaison with Australia.

Employment of Major Lyons.

Abbreviated terms throught.

Use decimal classifications for categories.

Commence draft earlier circulars.

3 rooms for Gens. B., White and Ward.

Attaching odd units to divisions.

Following to be signed by me (or in my absence by Foott) except
mere routine - 

(a) to War Office (? Dodds)

(b) to G.O.C., A.I.F.

(c) to Prime Minister.

(d) to Australian Defence or Repatriation.

I shall deal with all subordinates direct, but will give no orders

except thro Foott.

Settle terms on which officers and men xx can be discharged in

England, and releases to be given.

COPY.

Mr. Hughes wishes to see General Monash at "Carfax",

29 Elsworthy Road, Hampstead, at 11.30 a.m. on Monday,

18th (Nov. 1918).

(1) Seats arranged on staff train on Tuesday.

(2) Cabin arranged for on Tuesday's boat.

Colonel Leane re car.

COPY.

18/11/18

XXXXX

GENERAL WHITE'S SCHEME

Diagram - see original document

[*H.N. For Vol VI

Demobilisation*]

[*70 791*]

538 COLLINS STREET.

MELBOURNE.

1st November, 1939.

Dr C.E.W. Bean, D. Litt.,

Historian,

Victoria Barracks,

PADDINGTON. N.S.W.

My dear Bean

Butler's statement is only correct in parts! It is 

true that General Birdwood had arranged for a small branch

of A.I.F. Headquarters to study demobilization and to try 

to fix certain principles. How much the branch achieved I 

cannot say from memory.

After the Armistice Mr. Hughes had General Birdwood,

Monash and me over to a Conference in London to consider 

demobilization and repatriation. It was quite an amusing

gathering. The little Prime Minister was in an execrable

frame of mind, threw chairs about and said a union of

Generals was the hardest one he had ever had to deal with.

As a matter of fact he wanted to be sure of two things and

he succeeded.  Firstly he had his mind cleared as to the need

of a Demobilization and Repatriation Department and secondly,

but not quite so easily, he reached a conclusion that Monash

had better be given charge of it.

When this new Department was set up it was done under

the order and was responsible to General Birdwood as G.O.C.

A.I.F. and I know of no reason for the statement that there

2

was no liaison with A.I.F. Headquarters; indeed the reverse

was the case, although naturally the new Department gradually

grew and became more independent until finally it usurped the

place of A.I.F. Headquarters.

I hope this hurried explanation may be of some value 

to you. If there is anything else you want from me I know

you will let me know.

Yours ever

Brudenell White

MEDICAL HISTORY, Vol. II.

Extract from Chapter XXV (p.26)

The Department of "Repatriation" and "Demobilisation".

The problems relating to repatriation and demobilisation of

the A.I.F. had been a matter of concern to the G.O.C, A.I.F.

(General Birdwood) and his advisers from as early as 1916, and

a tentative plan had been designed by his chief-of-staff

Major-General White, whereby the return of the troops should

dovetail in with the existing system of the Command Depots

and of "invaliding". A small department of Admistrative
Headquarters had been formed to study the involvements of the 

problem - particularly that of adapting the machinery of

Administrative Headquarters to the purpose of repatriation.

An educational scheme had been devised and was already working.

When the problem actually arose, however, on 21st November,

1918, the G.O.G. Australian Corps (Lieut.-General Monash)

was made by the Australian Government responsible for

devising and carrying out the necessary plans, and on December 

1st he was appointed "Director-General" of a new and entirely

independent "Department of Repatriation and Demobilisation".

A great office was created with its premises in Victoria-

street, London. After some misunderstanding liaison was

established with Australian Admistrative Headquarters,

Horseferry-road; in particular, it was agreed that the

department of the D.M.S., A.I.F. should be directly 

responsible for all action relating to the medical services

in France.

[*To Gen White

25/10/39*]