Title: History of the 11th Field Company Australian Engineers - Australian Imperial Force
Author: Anonymous
Language: English
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HISTORY

of the

11th FIELD COMPANY

AUSTRALIAN ENGINEERS


Australian Imperial Force



LONDON:

WAR NARRATIVES PUBLISHING COY.,

11, Pilgrim Street, E.C. 4.

1919.



DEDICATION

To the Memory of Those Who Fell.



PREFACE.


This History of the doings of a Field Company of Australian Engineers,
this little book about a little unit in the Great War, has been
written of the Company, by the Company, for the Company.

It lays no claim to interest the outsider, but does hope to provide a
framework on which the old member of the unit can build up memories of
his days in the field with the A.I.F. Memories both grave and gay;
mention of a dugout at so-and-so may recall that the job cost the life
of a mate; the name of a village may raise a smile at the recollection
of some good jest so likely to be conceived when high-spirited men are
gathered together. The framework is admittedly bare, and the tale
might have been made much longer, but it is necessary to restrict the
cost of printing in order that the intention may be realised, of
distributing at the expense of regimental funds one copy to every man
whose name appears on the muster roll. The unit records show the
address of the next-of-kin in Australia of every man, and to this
address a copy is to be posted. The same considerations of expense
prevent the inclusion of maps, but it is hoped that almost every home
in Australia will possess a map of the war zone in France, to which
reference can be made.

  Bernapré, Somme, France.
    March, 1919.



CONTENTS.


                                                             PAGE.

CHAPTER     I. EARLY DAYS                                      7

   ”       II. MESSINES, YPRES, AND AFTER                     15

   ”      III. THE DEFENCE OF AMIENS                          21

   ”       IV. THE GREAT OFFENSIVE                            36


APPENDIX    I. ROLL OF HONOUR                                 48

   ”       II. “LINE” SERVICE                                 49

   ”      III. STRENGTH STATEMENT                             50

   ”       IV. NUMBER OF PRISONERS                            50

   ”        V. VARIOUS STATISTICS                             51

   ”       VI. ANALYSIS OF OFFENCES                           51

   ”      VII. ROLL OF HONOUR (AWARDS)                        52

   ”     VIII. NOMINAL ROLL (continuous service, FRANCE)      53

   ”       IX. MUSTER ROLL                                    54


               EXPLANATORY NOTE                               75



HISTORY OF THE 11TH FIELD COMPANY

AUSTRALIAN ENGINEERS.



CHAPTER I.

EARLY DAYS.


1. AUSTRALIA, ENGLAND, AND FRANCE.

The Company was formed in Australia, Headquarters and Nos. 1 and 2
sections being raised in the Fourth Military District, and two
sections in the First Military District. Selection of personnel
commenced in the beginning of March, 1916, but Officers had previously
been selected and trained at the Engineer Officers’ Training School,
Sydney. The O.C. (Captain R. J. Donaldson), 2nd in command (Lieut. O.
B. Williams), and a number of N.C.O.’s and men came from the 12th
Field Company A.E., C.M.F., at Broken Hill; 2nd-Lieut. J. M. Norton
from the 11th Field Coy., A.E., C.M.F. (Adelaide); while 2nd-Lieut. S.
W. Matters came from South Australia, and 2nd-Lieuts. R. W. Lahey and
H. St. A. Murray, from Queensland.

The quotas were collected and trained separately, that from South
Australia at Mitcham Camp, near Adelaide, and the Queensland sections
at Enoggera, near Brisbane, until 29th April, 1916, when the Company
concentrated at Mitcham. Work was then carried on with the full
Company, at the same time stores and equipment were slowly collected.
Horses were issued from the remount depôt, not for overseas service
but for training purposes, but proved so wild as to give the drivers
more practice in colt-breaking and riding buck jumpers than in the
routine of military horse mastership and drill.

The technical stores of a Field Company are very extensive, but by
ransacking Adelaide warehouses to fill the gaps in the available army
supplies, Ordnance succeeded in almost completing the equipment. Two
tool carts came from 12th Field Company, C.M.F., at Broken Hill
(afterwards re-numbered the 11th), and one from a Queensland Field
Coy. The pontoons were made at Cockatoo Docks in New South Wales, but
the Weldon trestles, bridging wagons, and water cart were not ready in
time. The Sappers were issued with green leather infantry equipment,
but this was afterwards changed in England for web. No rifles were
issued until the unit reached England.

Embarkation took place at Outer Harbour (Adelaide) on 31st May, 1916,
on H.M.A.T. A 29, s.s. “Suevic,” in company with the 11th Field
Ambulance (Lieut.-Col. Downey).

After a rough trip round the Lleuwin the “Suevic” arrived at Fremantle
on 6th June, 1916, and embarked the 44th Battalion (Lieut.-Col.
Mansbridge, D.S.O., who became C.O. troops).

Crossing the Indian Ocean the vessel sprung a small leak which
necessitated calling at Durban for the services of a diver. The stay
was only twenty-four hours (21st June, 1916), but the troops had a
route march through the town.

Cape Town was reached on 24th June, 1916, and left on 27th. As was
expected the yellow flag was flown and no leave was granted, but the
troops had a route march and a sports meeting.

The next port of call was St. Vincent, reached on the 11th July, 1916.
No one was allowed on shore. The run from here was through the
submarine zone, and was attended with the usual discomforts. The
pontoons of the Company first saw service being installed on the boat
deck as emergency lifeboats.

Finally, after a long voyage, during which there was a considerable
amount of sickness and the death of one member of the unit,
disembarkation took place on July 21st, 1916, at Plymouth. The unit
entrained to Amesbury and marched to Camp 20, Lark Hill, Salisbury
Plains, joining up with the 3rd Australian Division, then slowly
concentrating. The Company was the first of the Divisional Engineers
to arrive, and at once came under the orders of Lieut.-Col. H. O.
Clogstoun, R.E., C.R.E., of the division.

Before commencing training, the members of the unit received four
days’ disembarkation leave, which was keenly enjoyed after the
confinement and discomfort of the troopship. Work had barely started
at Lark Hill before orders were received to proceed to Brightlingsea,
in Essex, for pontoon training, in the Engineer depôt there. No camp
being available, all ranks were billeted on the townspeople, and were
the first Australians to visit the place. Some surprise was expressed
at the lightness of complexion and English speech of the visitors, and
both the military authorities and the townspeople were agreeably
surprised to find that their lives and property were not appreciably
jeopardised by the wild Colonial soldiery.

The visit, originally intended to last only until efficiency had been
reached in pontooning, was afterwards extended to include a full
course of R.E. training, and some work on the East Coast defences, and
it was not until two months had elapsed that the Company rejoined the
Division at Lark Hill.

The unit took part in two sports meetings at Brightlingsea. In the
first it was beaten by a Highland Field Company, R.E., stationed in
the town, and in the second carried off a silver cup in competition
with the local Naval Forces and with the 10th Field Company, which had
arrived for training.

After the return to the division at Lark Hill, training in field works
in conjunction with infantry was undertaken; the trench system at
Bustard will always be remembered by the original members of the unit.
A specially interesting exercise was a route march, under tactical
conditions, lasting five days, from Lark Hill, through Chitterne,
Westbury, Devizes, Pusey, and back to camp.

Another interesting experience was a fifteen-mile route march of the
whole division with full transport. On another occasion, officers and
senior N.C.O.’s took part in a divisional tactical exercise, which was
memorable chiefly for the coldness of the wind, which preluded a fall
of snow――the first many members of the Company had seen.

Equipment was completed in every respect at Lark Hill, and horses and
mules “taken on strength.” On the 24th November, 1916, after three
months in England, the unit left for France with the 3rd Division,
going by train to Southampton, and embarking there on the B.I., s.s.
“Nirvana,” which reached Le Havre next morning. In pouring rain the
company marched to the wretched Docks “Rest” Camp and distributed
itself among sodden tents, thoroughly wet and uncomfortable. The field
rations were first encountered in this camp, and the Sappers often
laughed afterwards at memories of their eager search for pork in the
first tins of pork and beans. The march to the railway station on the
evening of the 26th was interrupted by numerous long and exasperating
delays; the entraining arrangements were bad, and the journey by train
very cold, and so much longer than was anticipated, that food supplies
left much to be desired.

It was not until noon on the 28th that Bailleul was reached. From
there the unit proceeded at once to billets at Bleu near Vieux
Berquin, the transport by route march, and the Sappers in grey-painted
disreputable London ’buses.

The exposure and discomfort involved in these first adventures in
France――which contrasted so strongly with the expeditious and
altogether excellent arrangements on the other side of the
Channel――resulted in a good deal of illhealth in the unit, and when on
the 30th a move was made to Steenwerck, where Divisional Headquarters
had been established, a number of men were suffering from bronchitis
and similar troubles.

On the 3rd December, Company Headquarters and Nos. 3 and 4 sections
moved into Armentières, and billeted in the tram sheds at
L’Attargette, but Nos. 1 and 2 remained with the transport in the
Steenwerck area, and were kept busy on hutments and stables for the
division for some little time longer.


2. ARMENTIÈRES.

When the 3rd Australian Division first went into the line east of
Armentières, the 9th Brigade took over the right or L’Epinette sector
astride the Lille railway, while the 10th Brigade was on the left or
Houplines sector. The 11th Brigade was in reserve, and with it the
11th Field Company, which took over from the New Zealand Engineers of
“Franks Force” the care of the Lys River bridges and also various jobs
for the artillery covering the divisional front.

The billets in the town were a great improvement on the dilapidated,
damp, and entirely filthy hutments taken over by the division around
Steenwerck. The mud around the stables and horse standings in the area
was quite appalling, and the transport had no relief until the famous
frost of the winter ’16-17 descended on the land and made all clean
and dry for a time.

The tramway sheds at L’Attargette, on the northern outskirts of the
town, contained a number of cars, which were fitted up by the men of 3
and 4 sections as cubicles. Headquarters was established in the
tramway offices, and when Nos. 1 and 2 sections joined up some two or
three weeks later they found quite good quarters in the neighbouring
Rue de Flandres.

All the existing bridges over the river Lys around Armentières and
Houplines had been prepared for demolition, but charges, fittings, and
magazines all required a great deal of work.

A number of emergency floating bridges――both pontoon and barrel
pier――also required attention and repairs. To facilitate bridge
inspection No. 4 section built a rowing boat. Another little job was
the construction from salvaged material of a spring cart, which
accompanied the unit in all its subsequent wanderings, and was always
known as the Souvenir Cart.

Work for the artillery consisted in the construction of O.P.’s and of
gunpits among the ruins of Houplines and the outskirts of the town.
Lieut. R. W. Lahey was wounded in the head by shrapnel while on this
work and evacuated, but returned to the unit shortly afterwards.

The 11th Brigade relieved the 9th Brigade on the 24th December, and at
the same time the 11th Field Company took over from the 9th, after
spending several days in acquiring knowledge of the trenches. Nos. 1
and 2 sections had previously moved to Armentières. Very vigorous work
on trench improvements was at once commenced and an extraordinary
amount accomplished. In spite of the unfavourable weather large
numbers of dugouts for the accommodation of the garrisons were built,
new communication trenches dug, barbed wire put up, and the drainage
of the trench system greatly improved. Material was used in vast
quantities――sandbags literally by the million, “A” frames, revetting
material, duckboards, steel trench shelters, corrugated iron. All this
had to be carted to the forward dumps, “Tissage Dump,” at Houplines,
and “Fochaber,” near Chapelle d’Armentières, and night after night,
for nearly three months, every available vehicle of the Company
transport made at least one journey, without incurring a single
casualty to man or beast.

The first member of the unit to lose his life in action was Sapper
Dahl, of No. 3 section, killed by a shell in the support line on
Christmas Eve.

Christmas Day was spent the same as any other day of the period, hard
at work in the line. Shortly afterwards the frosty weather commenced,
which was to make this winter the coldest known for many years. The
Lys river froze over so completely that it could be crossed by troops
in fours and by horses and wagons; the soil was frozen as hard as iron
to such a depth as to almost preclude any digging; and the very breath
congealed upon the faces of those who wore moustaches. Still the work
went on, albeit more slowly, and the weather at least gave No. 2, the
drainage section, some respite from their labours.

The clothing issued by Ordnance helped all ranks to withstand the
unaccustomed rigours of such a climate. Warm underclothing, extra
socks, worsted gloves, and fingerless gloves of sheepskin were all
appreciated, but the most useful “issue” was a sleeveless jerkin of
leather, lined with flannel or something of the sort and worn over the
tunic. This garment was extremely popular, as it kept the body warm,
shed rain or snow, and did not interfere with the use of the arms.

The active service rations, too, were much better than the unit had
been accustomed to in England. The only serious shortage was that of
fuel, but of course in a shell-torn country-side there were ways and
means of improving the supply.

At this time Armentières sheltered quite a large civilian population;
Estaminets, cafés, and shops were numerous; and it was very strange to
see the business of the town carried on so calmly within easy range of
the enemy’s guns. It was quite the usual thing to have a cup of
afternoon tea or a glass of beer in a café on return from the line, or
to buy the daily papers (including an occasional “La Vie Parisienne”)
at the little shop at the Five Corners.

The proceedings in the trenches themselves were characterised by a
certain amount of regularity. The hour of our daily artillery and
trench mortar “strafe” was advertised beforehand to all concerned,
except (we hoped) the Boche, and the garrison and working parties were
largely cleared in time from the front line and tucked away in some
spot sheltered from the enemy retaliation. The numerous raids by both
sides were the chief cause of casualties, and the occasional intense
Minenwerfer barrages put down by the enemy did a lot of damage to our
trenches, besides causing loss of life. The “trenches” were really in
most places breastworks built up above the level of the flat and
ill-drained country, and were very susceptible to damage from shell
fire, and required much labour to repair.

The whole system of defence works in the Brigade area was carefully
surveyed by the Company Surveyors, and a remarkable map produced, to a
scale of 1 to 2,500. While engaged on this work one of the surveyors
was arrested by some suspicious infantrymen and his section sergeant
had some trouble in persuading them that they had not caught a spy at
last.

Spy hunting was very popular, as it was firmly believed that whoever
caught a real one would receive a sum of money and be granted a
fortnight’s leave!


3. MESSINES PREPARATIONS.

The Company left Armentières (which was, however, still held by the
3rd Division) on March 14th, when it crossed the river and commenced
working in the Le Touquet sector, the defence of which was taken over
at the same time by the 11th Brigade. The whole company, including
transport, concentrated in Stuff Camp, Pont de Nieppe, which was taken
over from the New Zealand Engineers.

The Le Touquet sector was chiefly distinguished by drainage
difficulties, and time did not permit of much improvement being
effected, as on the 5th April the area including Plœgsteert Wood and
St. Ives Hill was taken over and work started on preparation for the
attack on Messines Ridge――the so-called “Magnum Opus.” The 105th Field
Coy., R.E., took charge of the Le Touquet area on the 7th, leaving the
11th Coy. free to devote all its time to Messines preparations.

These included a big programme of trench improvements and extensions
and Battalion Headquarters for the various attacking battalions, well
forward in our existing trenches. The Battalion Headquarters were made
of concrete, chiefly in the form of blocks and steel girders and
rails. The block construction was not very successful.

As the 9th and 10th were to be the attacking Brigades, and the 9th &
10th Companies to be associated with them, these two Field Companies
took over all these works from the 11th Field Company about 26th
April, leaving the 11th free to devote itself to such work as the
preparation of approach routes up to and through Plœgsteert Wood,
signboards and fixed maps throughout the area, and further
accommodation for various headquarters and command posts. Two
sections―1 and 4―were taken up with artillery work――preparing the
positions for the field artillery to be used in the attack; acres of
camouflage screen were erected over battery positions, scores of
splinter-proof shelters made for the gun crews, gun pits dug out and
protected, and tram lines laid. A very strong dugout for use as a
Divisional Command Post was made in the cellars of the lodge on the
road from Hyde Park Corner to Messines, and a great deal of work was
done fixing up the “Catacombs.” This was a very large dugout in Hill
63, dug some time before by the 1st Australian Tunnelling Company. It
was big enough to hold some 1,400 men, but had been allowed to become
rather dilapidated. It was cleaned out and improved in various ways so
as to accommodate a Brigade Headquarters, Battalion Headquarters, and
a battalion complete, together with a few stray detachments.

The “fixed maps” already mentioned consisted of small maps, done in
waterproof ink on linen and varnished on to boards, erected in correct
orientation at trench intersections, road and track junctions, and all
such places throughout the divisional area. They proved of great use,
particularly to the numerous strangers which the approaching battle
brought into the area. Another job of the Company Surveyors was a
relief map or model of the battle area. This was carved out of wood to
a scale of 1.2500 horizontal and 1.400 vertical, and shewed everything
known of the enemy’s lines in great detail. It was used throughout the
battle by the 11th A.I. Brigade in their headquarters in the
Catacombs, and was subsequently sent to Australia.

Dumps of Engineer stores for use during and after the battle were
gradually built up in various forward positions, particularly in the
north-east part of Plœgsteert Wood. One of these dumps in the wood was
shelled one day and a sapper of the company, a tough old veteran of
the South African Campaign, was hit in the leg by a splinter. He
started to hobble down the duckboards towards an aid post, but after
proceeding a hundred yards or so his indignation overcame him, and
returning to the dump, he demanded his rifle in a voice choked with
anger, saying, “I’ll make the ―― pay for this!” It was with some
difficulty that the old warrior was smoothed down and started afresh
for the aid post.

Lieut. W. H. Thomas was in charge of the dumps during both the
preparations and the battle itself, and he and his party of sappers
and attached infantry had a bad time from gas, which was used in
shells very largely by the enemy at this time, Plœgsteert Wood, in
particular, being drenched with it immediately before and during the
attack.

For his work during the period, Lieut. Thomas subsequently received
the Military Cross, but was evacuated suffering from gas shortly after
the action.

The increasing rain of shells of all calibre which was poured on the
enemy defences in preparation for the battle, provoked heavy shelling
in reply, particularly counter battery work, and while Messines
village could be noticed visibly dwindling under the fire of our
heavies, many farmhouses on our side of the line, which had hitherto
escaped, were battered to pieces. Plœgsteert Wood, with its clean
duckboard tracks and rustic cabins, was no longer a suitable spot to
study the phenomena of spring. The scent of the violet became lost in
the odour of lachrymatory gas, and the note of the cuckoo, while still
to be heard, alternated with the whistle and the crash of shells. Pont
de Nieppe and its vicinity were shelled on two or three occasions, and
on June 6th, the day before the battle, the company lost four men
killed and three wounded in Stuff Camp itself.

Some little time before this the enemy had fired a few shells at the
bridge itself, the Pont de Nieppe, on the main road into Armentières,
and had succeeded in putting one shell through what appeared to be the
crown of the arch. In reality, the arch had no proper crown, the
central 23 feet or so of the span being bridged across by girders
connected with brick jack arches. From underneath these girders looked
like, and had always been taken for, steel, but the shell, which broke
three of them, disclosed the interesting fact that they were only of
cast iron. While just strong enough to take 3-ton motor lorries, there
was certainly not sufficient margin of safety for heavier loads. The
damage was repaired and the bridge incidentally strengthened by a
party of sappers from the company, who stripped the damaged portion
and replaced the broken cast iron beams with steel girders. These had
to be slowly and painfully shaped by hand to fit exactly to the cast
iron seating at each end.

Part of the medical arrangements were carried out by the 11th Company,
who built an R.A.P. near Hyde Park Corner and some extensions to other
posts and dressing stations.

Early in June the elaborate preparations were at last complete, and Z
day was fixed for the 7th of the month. The 3rd Australian Division
had reached the eve of its first large scale offensive.



CHAPTER II.

MESSINES, YPRES, AND AFTER.


1. THE BATTLE OF MESSINES.

The 11th Field Company was reserve company in the first stage of the
attack on Messines Ridge, and very early in the morning of the 7th of
June, 1917, marched from Pont de Nieppe to Weka Lines, in the little
village of Romarin, on the road to Plœgsteert village. With the
company moved a party of attached infantry from the 9th Brigade, which
had reported to Stuff Camp some days previously. The morning was still
and warm and there was a good deal of gas about the battery areas, so
that part of the march was done in gas masks, and until the sun rose
all ranks solemnly sat around the camp wearing them.

The attack opened at dawn, but the company saw little of the actual
progress of events until the 9th, when the unit moved into Bunhill
Row, in Plœgsteert Wood, and relieved the 10th Field Company, A.E. The
company bivouac was shelled and gassed heavily all the first night,
casualties being three killed and four wounded. Work was started
immediately in the battle area north of the River Douve, and every
effort was made to improve the communications through the “Crater
Fields” in order to facilitate the advance of the 11th A.I.Bde., which
had relieved the 10th A.I.Bde. in this area, and experienced hard
fighting in advancing to the “Green Line,” and afterwards holding it.
Enemy shelling was heavy, but the unit was fortunate enough to escape
with very light casualties. During one heavy burst of shelling, two
sections of the company sheltered in the same trench as a company of
infantry; the infantry suffered 23 casualties, while the sappers
escaped unhurt.

A special feature of the arrangements for the attack was the
organisation of a divisional pack train for the transport of
ammunition, food, water, and R.E. stores to the newly-captured areas.
The company contributed a considerable number of drivers and mules
under Lieut. J. M. Norton, to this train.

Pack mules were very successfully used independently by the company a
little later for transport to forward jobs. Driver A. A. Paget
received the M.M. for good work with the pack train, while 2nd Corpl.
C. C. Jones and Lance-Corpl. W. W. Evans were similarly rewarded for
devotion to duty with the sappers.

On 12th June the company moved to La Boudrelle, south of Steenwerck, a
most delightful place after the battle area, but on the 15th started
work on the so-called Black Line, south of the River Douve, in the
vicinity of Grey Farm. On the 20th this work was handed over to the
New Zealand Engineers, and the company marched on the 21st to Neuve
Eglise (camp at Stampkotmolen).

On the 23rd, the Messines sector was taken over from the 25th Division
and the company started work with the 11th A.I. Brigade, which was
holding the forward system on the whole divisional front from the
River Douve to the Blaupoortbeek. A very strenuous time ensued until
July 11th, the infantry of the Brigade carrying out a vigorous policy
involving pushing the lines forward and an enormous amount of digging,
under bad weather conditions, and consistently heavy enemy artillery
fire. The sappers, in addition to marking out much of the new trench
system and working in the trenches themselves, sank several wells,
repaired concrete dugouts, and improvised new shelters, erected
signboards, and made reconnaissances and maps. Ferme de la Croix and
Pine Avenue, Steignast Farm and Gapaard, will always be remembered in
connection with this period, “the 19 days.”

After relief by the 9th Field Company, the company had a few days
training at Neuve Eglise, and then marched to La Boudrelle for
pontooning on the Lys. While at La Boudrelle a very successful sports
meeting was held. The unit then returned to Neuve Eglise and took part
in the Windmill battle of July 31st. The preparations for this will be
remembered as a rush job at the eleventh hour. It was about this time
that night bombing by enemy aircraft first became troublesome.

La Boudrelle was visited for the third time on the 15th, the division
being in support, and work was started roofing in the big ammunition
dump at La Creche, but before the task could be completed, the unit
moved with the division to 2nd Army Training Area, south-west of St.
Omer.

Divisional Headquarters was established at Fauquembergues, and the
11th Field Company in the little village of Recquebrœucq on the River
Aa.


2. A SHARE IN THE 3RD BATTLE OF YPRES.

The visit to the training area was for the purpose of resting,
training, and re-fitting, in preparation for more strenuous days to
come; and lasted until September 25th. This was a very delightful
period, the accommodation for all ranks being good, the country people
very kindly, and the weather favourable. Opportunities for training
were also good, and the unit was in a very good state when it started
marching northward with the division on September 25th, to take part
in the Third Battle of Ypres.

Before leaving the training area the company attended two noteworthy
parades, one on the 19th September, when the Divisional Engineers
assembled with full transport, and carried out evolutions under the
C.R.E., and another on the 22nd, when the whole of the 3rd Division,
less artillery and transport, was inspected by the Commander-in-Chief,
F.-M. Sir Douglas Haig.

The march northwards with the 11th A.I. Brigade Group was viâ
Blaringhem, Eecke and Poperinghe, to Ypres, which was reached on the
30th September. The company took over from the 529th Field Company,
R.E. (3rd British Division) and billeted in cellars and shelters among
the ruins just south of the prison. The horse lines were at Brandhoek,
with, later, an advanced camp east of Ypres.

The night of the harvest moon at Poperinghe will always be remembered
for a remarkable display of bombing by enemy aeroplanes. Uncomfortable
as the situation was for troops crowded in tents, some amusement was
to be derived from the efforts of certain machine guns, which,
chattering hysterically whenever a Boche ’plane was caught in the beam
of a searchlight, threw streams of tracer bullets at a target some
thousands of yards out of range. No doubt it relieved the gunners’
feelings.

The great British offensive in the Ypres salient, to which the capture
of the Messines ridge had been a prelude, had opened on July 31st,
when the 3rd Australian Division captured “The Windmill” on the
extreme south flank of the battle. After some pauses and delays, it
was now, in the late autumn of 1917, in full swing. A constant
succession of heavy, but comparatively shallow pushes, it might almost
be called the Battle of the Roads, so much did the impetus of the
attack depend on the use of the highways converging on the ruined
town, and so enormous and impressive was the congestion of road
traffic. The great road from Poperinghe to Ypres was covered day and
night with streams of everything on wheels or feet which went to make
or help an army, all dribbling in clouds of dust and profanity through
the bottle-neck at Vlamertinghe. On the enemy side of Ypres the road
best known to the 3rd Division was that which led to Zonnebeke. Here
the congestion of traffic was complicated by the insistent attentions
of the enemy artillery, which periodically pitted the route with shell
holes and left the roadside littered with dead horses and broken
vehicles, and sometimes with more dreadful wreckage.

Besides the limbers taking ammunition to the nearer guns, ration
limbers and wagons laden with Engineer stores, the forward road was
thronged with pack animals, which in hundreds carried ammunition to
the less accessible batteries. On the outward journey they were led by
dogged men on foot; returning light with the men in the saddle, the
cavalcade stood not upon the order of its going, and no matter the
rank of the pedestrian, he unhesitatingly gave it the road.
Particularly after the rain came was the road past Mill Cot to Kink
Dump, Devils Crossing, and Zonnebeke, a place of evil memory.

For three weeks the company, working from Ypres, was continuously
employed in the battle area in the divisional sector north of the
Zonnebeke Railway. The 3rd Australian Division delivered a very
successful attack on October 4th, when the Broodseinde Ridge was
captured. When it was relieved by the 66th Division, the company
remained in the area working with this division until after its attack
of October 9th. The 3rd Division then returned to the line and
advanced again on October 12th.

Early in the month the weather broke and torrents of rain converted
the shell-torn earth into a dreadful quagmire. Tracks across the
wilderness of mud and shell holes had to be reconnoitred, marked out
and duckboarded wherever possible; roads patched up to carry the guns.
The tracks were all marked by distinctive letters or names; two
well-remembered ones were Jack and Jill. Strange materials were used
for road making; the dead body of a mule or two might be seen tumbled
into a shell hole and covered with the smashed up remains of some
vehicle. Piles of shells were known to be used in emergency to
hurriedly fill a hole in some urgently required roadway. Causeways
were built for mules and men across the bog which marked the original
course of the Zonnebeke stream, and many concrete dugouts repaired and
made habitable. On all these arduous tasks the company was engaged and
suffered a steady drain of casualties.

Under these conditions the possession of ample comforts funds,
supplied chiefly by friends in Australia, contributed considerably to
the comfort and efficiency of the unit, as it rendered possible the
supply of hot drinks and food at all hours to the different parties,
and of emergency chocolate rations to parties on exposed work.

Worthy of special note during this period was the work done by Lieut.
J. M. Norton and a small party of surveyors in laying down an
elaborate system of jumping-off tapes for the attack of October 4th,
and a similar task carried out by Lieut. S. W. Matters previous to the
attack of October 9th. On the 4th, Lieut. H. St. A. Murray and a party
of sappers and attached infantry (the 11th A.T. Brigade had supplied a
permanent working party of three officers and 100 other ranks who
lived and worked with the company) pushed forward on the top of the
Broodseinde Ridge immediately behind the attacking infantry, and dug
and wired a number of strong points. The transport, both pack and
wheeled, carried out very difficult and dangerous tasks under Captain
O. B. Williams and Lieut. W. H. Thomas, M.C., and the work of the
surveyors was also particularly arduous and valuable. Lieut. H. St. A.
Murray received the Military Cross, 2nd Corpl. C. P. Atkins the
Meritorious Service Medal, and 2nd Corpl. A. M. Stewart, 2nd Corpl. J.
J. Mace, Lance-Corpl. W. G. Toft, Driver A. H. Furniss, and Sapper F.
G. Bugden, the Military Medal.


3. REVISITING OLD HAUNTS.

On being relieved in Ypres by the 12th Canadian Field Company
Engineers, the company moved on the 22nd of October back to
Recquebrœucq (dismounted by train, transport by road), and rested and
re-fitted until 12th November, 1917, when the division once more went
into the line, in Flanders, re-visiting one of its old haunts in the
Le Touquet――Pont Rouge and Warneton sectors, taking over from the 8th
British Division.

The 11th Field Company A.E. was placed in reserve, took over a camp
near Wulverghem (28 T.10.a.5, 9), and commenced work on pipe burying,
artillery positions, drainage, and the like. Regular winter warfare
conditions commenced, and much useful work was effected.

While the company was in Wulverghem Camp (which by the way, the
sappers scornfully christened “Gutza Camp,” from its forlorn
appearance, but which proved not so uncomfortable) several daylight
bombing raids by enemy aeroplanes in force took place, and on one
occasion the company suffered the loss of Corpl. Gray, killed, and
C.-S.-M. Brander seriously wounded.

After a month in the line, the division was relieved by the 2nd
Australian Division, and went into Corps reserve, with headquarters at
Meteren, and the 11th Field Company, A.E., moved into Mahutonga Camp,
on Waterloo Road, near Neuve Eglise. A programme of training was
commenced, but most of the available strength was soon absorbed on
various back areas works, and finally the division somewhat
unexpectedly took over the Armentières sector from the 38th (Welsh)
Division. This unit went into the line with the 11th A.I. Brigade on
the right, and billeted in the big jute factory near the emergency
bridge over the Lys, on the outskirts of Armentières.

As usual, there was no lack of work for the sappers. The trench system
required a great deal of development, particularly with a view to a
step by step defence in depth, and a number of dugout jobs were taken
over from the 38th Division. Lys river bridges again came under the
company’s care, but on a stretch of the river a little south of the
crossings familiar during the previous winter. Charges had to be
overhauled, leads repaired and tested, magazines rebuilt.

The billets were comfortable, but, as usual, throughout the cold
weather, the fuel supply was a “burning” problem. In the jute factory
it was not incapable of solution, as alongside the boiler house there
were a large number of coal heaps. These were watched over by the
factory caretaker and liberally placarded with notices, “Not to be
touched,” but if each sapper in a section moving from cookhouse to
billets casually picked up a lump of coal, the section stove need
never go cold.

A holiday from the line work was granted on Christmas Day, and full
advantage was taken of it for seasonable feasting. The officers and
sergeants, who attended first their section dinners, and afterwards
the meals in their own messes, had rather a trying day.

The town of Armentières was much changed since the previous visit.
With the exception of a few caretakers, all the inhabitants had gone,
and dreadful tales were told of their experiences when the Boche
shelled the place heavily with high explosive and gas about the time
of the Messines Battle.

The stay in this sector was quite short, the 57th Division (British)
relieving the 3rd Australian Division on 3rd January, 1918, the 11th
Field Company, A.E., returning to Mahutonga Camp.

The next move was into the Le Touquet――Pont Rouge sector with the 11th
A.I. Brigade, the 11th Field Co., A.E., taking over from the 5th Field
Coy., A.E., 2nd Australian Division, on 31st January, 1918.

With the help of a permanent working party from the 11th A.I. Bde.,
great progress was made in improving the drainage and the whole system
of defences of the area. The Company lived very comfortably in the
familiar Weka Lines at Romarin, with the transport in the same camp.
The wagons had a busy time on this sector and delivered large amounts
of material to the dumps at Motor Car Corner and Le Gheer. The old
German system of trenches west of the river, which had sheltered the
enemy during the Company’s tenancy of this sector the previous spring,
were now occupied by us and were very little damaged, having been
quietly evacuated by the Boche after Messines. It was very interesting
to study his methods, and the concrete dugouts in particular were a
monument to his industry. In less then 3,000 yards of line, in the
front and support trenches alone――i.e., in a strip of country not more
then 300 yards deep――there were found over 70 concrete dugouts and
shelters. Many were small, but the smallest involved a great deal of
labour in this exposed and water-logged region.

The 3rd Australian Division was now due for its turn in the training
area and was relieved by the 2nd Australian Division on March 3rd.

The 5th Field Company took over Weka Lines and the sector from the
11th, which moved by train and road for dismounted personnel and
transport respectively, to Bainghem-le-Comte, about 14 miles from
Boulogne.



CHAPTER III.

THE DEFENCE OF AMIENS.

     “Every position should be strengthened as far as time admits
     with the object of reducing the number of men required to
     hold it, and of thereby adding to the strength of the
     general reserve.”
                                 _Field Service Regulations._


1. THE MOVE.

The month of March, 1918, found the 3rd Australian Division enjoying a
well-earned rest in billets between St. Omer and Boulogne. Every
division considers its every rest well earned, but after the long
winter in the line on the Belgian border with even its turn in reserve
broken by an excursion to the old trenches south of Armentières, the
3rd had settled down with a particularly comfortable feeling of
conscious rectitude.

The 11th Field Company had reached its obscure little village of
Bainghem-le-Comte on March 6th, and by the middle of the month was
comfortable, judging comfort by the standard of soldiers in the field,
to whom a rude bunk of saplings in a reasonably weatherproof barn,
with a tin can stove, represent the best which can be hoped for.
Spring came early; on southward hillsides the sun shone warm at noon,
and not even a bomb disturbed either work or play.

Then came the German offensive, of which the first hint was the ugly
throbbing of distant heavy gunfire. At short notice the division
commenced to move, and the dismounted portion of the company entrained
on the 22nd at Lottingen and Desvres, while the transport under Lieut.
Rutledge took to the road.

In the strenuous pilgrimage of the next few days, the first stage was
towards the north; detraining at Caestre (north of Hazebrouck) the
company marched to Eecke (night of 22nd-23rd). Then on the 24th the
direction was reversed, and by march and motor ’bus it moved to
Wardrecques, east of St. Omer. Meanwhile the transport had moved to
Esquerdes, and thence to Renescure, and on the 24th rejoined the
company, and the whole proceeded to a thorough overhaul of all stores
and equipment, and the rigorous discarding of all non-essentials.

The news from the battle area in the south came through in brief
outline in rare newspapers and much more vividly by word of mouth, in
startling rumours; but all of it was serious. Nevertheless the general
feeling was one of relief, almost of elation; the long-talked enemy
blow had fallen and we were to help the counter-stroke which all were
convinced must sooner or later be delivered. The war-like activity in
all this familiar region behind the Flanders front was sufficiently
exhilarating in itself. In addition to the 3rd Australian, the New
Zealand and the 4th Australian Divisions were on the move. Battalions
marched and counter-marched across the country with bands playing in
the thin sunshine, and the pavé roads literally swayed under the
torrent of motor lorries and ’buses. Such animation in the war country
is always accompanied by one or other of the twin banes of the foot
soldier, mud or dust; on this occasion cold clouds of the latter added
to the joys of “full marching order with blankets.”

Very early in the cold and frosty morning of the 26th the company
moved again, all tuned up in readiness for that open warfare which we
were expected to experience. As throughout the whole move it came
under the orders of the 11th Brigade Group, and was commanded by Capt.
O. B. Williams, the O.C., Major R. J. Donaldson being acting C.R.E.

After something more than the usual delays, entrainment took place at
Arques, including transport, about three p.m. Detrainment was at
Doullens, and took place at 12.30 next morning, after several hours in
the train waiting just outside the station, while Boche planes
energetically bombed the neighbourhood. From Doullens the company
marched at once some six miles to Thievres, where the sappers were
picked up by motor ’buses and taken to Franvillers, between Amiens and
Albert, debussing at 7 a.m. The long wait at Arques, and again at
Doullens, the toilsome march to Thievres, and the bitterly cold ’bus
ride (for the morning of March 27th deserves to be remembered for its
searching wind alone), all combined with the absence of hot food and
drink to make the journey one of the most arduous in the history of
the unit.

But the scenes on the road that bleak March morning were enough to
stir the thinnest blood. The pitiful flight of a civilian population
before an advancing enemy has often been described; it is enough to
say that to all ranks first came a full understanding of war and a
common anger against the enemy. Also there came no little pride of
country, so extreme was the relief with which the people welcomed the
arrival of “les Australiens.”

A halt at Franvillers allowed of the preparation of welcome food, and
even more welcome hot drink. Meanwhile, the transport, after a cold
and foodless all night march, arrived and established itself in a
little wood west of the village. Early in the afternoon Company
Headquarters and 1, 3, and 4 sections moved on again a short distance
to Heilly, on the river Ancre, and chose billets among the deserted
houses.

The 3rd Australian Division had now arrived in the Somme country and
there was much satisfaction in the knowledge. Just as in Australia no
miner can claim to have travelled unless he has been to Moonta, so no
good Australian knew anything of war until he had been “on the Somme.”
The sapper’s eye saw other causes for satisfaction; the steep dry
banks invited the dugout builder, and the streams wanting bridges, and
the bridges wanting demolition charges, spoke of real engineering work
to be done.

The Officers of the Company at this time were as follows:―Major R. J.
Donaldson was in command, but for a few days more (until March 31st)
was acting C.R.E. vice Lieut.-Col. T. R. Williams, D.S.O., on leave.
Capt. O. B. Williams was second in command. Capt. G. L. A. Thirkell
had charge of No. 1 section, Lt. S. W. Matters No. 2, Lt. W. H.
Thomas, M.C., No. 3, while Lt. R. W. Lahey was painfully hurrying from
leave in the South of France to resume command of No. 4. Lt. R. G.
Rutledge was in charge of the transport. The company was at full
strength and still had nearly one half of its original members. G.
Brodie was C.S.M., H. G. Whitrow (who held the position throughout the
whole history of the unit) C.Q.M.S. (somewhat irreverently known as
the Quarter-Bloke); and W. Russel, mounted Sergeant.


2. BETWEEN THE SOMME AND ANCRE.

On its arrival in front of Amiens, on the 27th March, 1918, the 3rd
Australian Division was ordered to hold a line running from
Sailly-le-Sec on the Somme to Mericourt l’Abbé on the Ancre, to
prevent the enemy advancing along the high ridge which lies between
the two rivers and runs down to the town of Corbie at their
confluence. This ridge commands a wide view to the westward, the
cathedral at Amiens being clearly visible. The situation was obscure,
but the proximity of the enemy was indicated by his intermittent
shelling of the road from Franvillers to Heilly with high velocity
guns. Straight from their fatiguing journey the troops took up their
positions, the 11th A.I. Brigade on the right of the main Bray road;
and early in the evening working parties of the 11th Field Company
moved out from Heilly and commenced trench digging.

The task ahead was enormous. A new defensive system had to be
established, and there were no R.E. dumps of tools and material, very
few maps available, very little information of any kind.
Reconnaissance for tools and material, of bridges and streams and
water supply, was thus of the highest importance, and was put in hand
early. Other work, more important than trench digging, soon developed
for the sappers. The map will show how important in this sector were
the river-crossings, and accommodation for various commands was
urgently required.

The bridges in Corbie, La Neuville, and Bonnay had been roughly
prepared for demolition, chiefly by the 173rd Tunnelling Coy., R.E.,
and the 1st Field Squadron, R.E., but a great deal of work was called
for, both to ensure certainty and completion of destruction in case of
necessity, and reasonable safety under normal conditions. This work
was put in hand, No. 2 section first moving to Bonnay and starting it,
the remainder of the company also proceeding there for convenience of
control on the evening of the 29th. On the 30th, No. 3 section moved
to Corbie and took over the Corbie, La Neuville group of bridges. It
was on this day that the enemy attacked our line from the direction of
Sailly Laurette, but was beaten off with heavy loss. While the attack
was on Capt. O. B. Williams with a small party was engaged in an
examination of the steel bridge over the Somme at Bouzencourt, near
Sailly-le-Sec. The vicinity of the bridge came under heavy shell fire,
and as the party approached it one shell hit and detonated a
demolition charge which was on the bridge, blowing down the towers of
the lifting span, but not destroying the bridge. For his work in
connection with this reconnaissance Corpl. Johns received the Military
Medal.

Under the conditions of modern warfare, reasonably secure
accommodation for the Headquarters of Brigades and Battalions is of
great importance, and in particular these centres required to be able
to maintain their signal connections and carry on their work at night
without exposed lights to attract enemy aircraft. In the chalk country
deep dugouts provide the best accommodation, and the company was soon
busy on a number of these, in “Shrapnel Gully,” in the banks south of
Marrett Wood, at 11th Brigade Headquarters, in the wood near the
gravel pits north of Corbie, and in a number of other spots. At first
the lack of suitable material, and to some extent the inexperience of
the men at this work, were handicaps, but they were neutralised by
sheer hard work.

Before the programme could be more than started, another aspect of the
bridge question demanded attention. The available crossings over the
Ancre were few and well known, and would certainly be heavily shelled
in the event of a Boche attack. To ensure the supply of ammunition to
the guns east of the river, emergency crossings were obviously needed,
and were reconnoitred and put in hand. A crossing north of Bonnay,
with two trestle bridges over the main streams of the Ancre, a number
of culverts, and a long length of rough corduroy, was started by the
11th Field Company on April 3rd and finished on the 5th.

On the evening of the 5th a sudden demand was made for a crossing
south of Bonnay. All ordinary working parties were already employed,
but a hasty gathering up was made of all batmen, cooks, a few spare
drivers, the O.C.’s groom, and so on, and with this party, Lt. Matters
threw a three-bay pontoon bridge and a two-bay Weldon trestle bridge
across the two main streams, in pitch darkness. The bridges were in
use by midnight, and the men concerned were more than a little proud
to be the first to put the company’s bridging gear to real use.

Meanwhile the enemy had pressed forward on the south side of the
Somme, and was reported to be very close to the steel bridge at
Bouzencourt already mentioned. It was decided that the bridge should
be destroyed and this was done early in the morning of the 6th by a
party from No. 1 section, under Capt. Thirkell and Sergt. Oliver,
assisted by C.S.M. Brodie. The main span of the bridge was cut and
dropped into the canal. Sergt. Oliver received the Military Medal.

Sketches of this bridge and of the bridges over the Ancre, of
panoramas from O.P.’s, and other features of interest, were made by
Spr. Vasco, of the unit, well known as a caricaturist, and were used
to illustrate the war diary. Unfortunately, Spr. Vasco died of disease
in England before the end of the summer.

The war at this stage was not without its compensations. After the
plains of Flanders the broad views from the downs were refreshing, and
it was interesting to be able so frequently to see your enemy in the
open. Billeting in the deserted villages was good, and the abandoned
live stock of the country-side added variety to the menu. No. 3
section kept a poultry farm at their billet in Corbie and paid tribute
to Company Headquarters in the produce thereof. They were also in the
possession of a cow tended by “Bluey” Graham, the section Q.M. More
than one revolution occurred in No. 3 after that time, and several
Q.M.’s were deposed, but Graham can still claim to be the only section
Q.M. who ever kept a vache. Unfortunately, while leading it along the
road by a string one day he met a member of the French Mission….

On the 8th April No. 1 section moved into a rough bivouac in a chalk
quarry overlooking the Somme, in order to be nearer their work. The
2nd Australian Tunnelling Coy. took charge of the various bridges on
the 18th, thus releasing Nos. 2 and 3 sections, and next day No. 2
joined No. 1 in their riverside quarry. With more men available, the
dugout industry increased apace.

Meanwhile the difficulty of supplying the industry with timber had
become acute. Salvage operations in Corbie and neighbouring villages
had yielded small supplies, and corps managed to send a little from
time to time, but the demand increased much faster than the supply.
Two or three Queensland bushmen from No. 4 section were early set to
work with pitsaws in one of the woods, and helped appreciably, but the
problem was not solved until a steam saw milling plant was
“souvenired” from Corbie, repaired, and erected on the banks of the
Ancre near Bonnay.

This developed into quite a prosperous, if entirely unofficial
concern, and large quantities of sawn timber were produced from the
plantations along the river.

On the 24th the enemy delivered his attack on Villers-Brettoneux, and
the 3rd Divisional sector was heavily shelled. Company Headquarters
and 3 and 4 sections were shelled out of Bonnay, losing several
horses, but otherwise escaping without serious loss, but 1 and 2
sections in their quarry position were less fortunate, both Lieut.
Matters and Lieut. Melbourne (who had just taken over No. 1 section)
being wounded rather badly, and several men gassed. Driver J. H.
Cannell subsequently received the Military Medal for rescuing a badly
wounded man in Bonnay under very trying circumstances.

After this experience an open-air life seemed preferable to the
somewhat damaged billets in Bonnay, so a camp was established in an
open valley just west of Heilly. The first site chosen was rather
unfortunate, as within a day or two a battery of 8in. hows. planted
themselves alongside, and a move of three or four hundred yards along
the valley had to be made to avoid these noisy neighbours.

A new Brigade Headquarters being called for in Heilly, it was decided
to burrow into a huge old retaining wall which ran round part of the
Chateau grounds. The sappers were not without hope of finding buried
treasure――preferably in the shape of a well-stocked and forgotten wine
cellar――behind this mysterious old wall, but all they found was loose
and treacherous filling, making the work slow and arduous.

The work of the section cooks deserves to be mentioned, particularly
under the conditions which prevailed on this sector, when each section
was split into parties working various shifts on dugouts and other
work, coming and going and expecting meals at all hours of the day and
night. No. 2 section will always remember the hot roast meal prepared
for them in the quarry on the 24th April by Sapper Castle, literally
cooked between bursts of shelling and the cook most of the time in a
gas mask.

The unit was issued with its first Lewis gun on this sector, for
defence against low-flying aircraft, and shortly afterwards had an
object lesson in the efficacy of the weapon when the famous German
airman Von Richtofen was shot down by a Lewis gun belonging to an
Australian Field Artillery Battery. His bright red triplane crashed
quite close to a party of sappers of the company.

On the 1st of May the 9th Field Company, coincident with the relief of
the 11th Brigade by the 9th Brigade, took over the work in forward
areas; the plans prepared by the company surveyors of the old French
trenches partly occupied by our troops, and of the extensive new works
dug by them, were handed over. Work was continued at the saw mill, at
the “Hole in the wall” above-mentioned, and a good deal of work was
done in various Headquarters’ dugouts in the extraordinary series of
trenches which had been dug under corps supervision between the Ancre
and the Hallue. A good deal of the novelty of the situation had now
worn off, the supply of adventitious aids to the rationing had failed,
and a regular trench warfare routine had been established when the 3rd
Division was relieved by the 2nd and the 11th Field Coy. by the 7th,
on May the 10th. The 3rd Division passed into close reserve, and the
11th Field Company moved to Pont Noyelles on the Hallue, and took over
various Corps jobs from the 6th Field Company.


3. PONT NOYELLES.

The few days rest in the valley of the Hallue will be memorable to
members of the company chiefly by reason of the glorious weather and
the beauty of the country-side in its garb of late spring. Even thus
early in what was destined to be a hot and dry summer, the sun shone
warm enough to make the deep lagoons along the river attractive to
bathers. The quarters taken over were all crowded practically under
one roof right on the main cross roads in Pont Noyelles, and as the
Boche bombing planes were rather active, the greater part of the
company was shifted out of the village into two tented camps by the
riverside. Work was not very exacting, and consisted of improvements
to the bridge crossings over the Hallue and the development of the
trench system designed as a bridge head defence in front of Pont
Noyelles and Querrieu. The 86th Labour Company, R.E., supplied parties
for these works, supervised by the 11th Field Company.

It has frequently been remarked, throughout the history of the unit,
that release from strenuous line work was generally followed by an
increase of sickness. No doubt the rest following heavy and absorbing
work brought about re-action, physical as well as mental.

This occasion was no exception to the rule, as an outbreak of
influenza, or some such disease, led to the evacuation to hospital of
a considerable number of men, a total of 34 being lost to the unit in
this way in five days ending May 15th. No. 1 section suffered
particularly severely, and a number of original members of the unit,
men rather advanced in years, after surviving two winters, were
invalided out of the service as the result of this outbreak.

While the Division was out of the line it was inspected by the
Commander-in-Chief, F.-M. Sir Douglas Haig, a Brigade group at the
time, and the dismounted portion of the 11th Field Company took part
in the 11th Brigade parade. Very short notice was received, and right
up to the morning of the inspection there had been no opportunity for
even a proper section parade, since leaving the rest area in March.
Nevertheless, the Company, rising to the situation, carried out the
necessary movements, including a march past, with precision and
success. The transport were not on this parade, but were carefully
inspected about the same time by the A.A. and Q.M.G., 3rd Division,
and the C.R.E.

Pont Noyelles was left on May 21st, when the 3rd Division relieved the
4th Australian Division in the Villers Brettoneux sector. The 4th
Field Company A.E. took over the Corps works in the Hallue valley, and
the 13th Field Company A.E. was relieved in the line. Company
Headquarters was established in a railway cutting just north of the
Bois l’Abbé, near Villers Brettoneux, together with 2, 3, and 4
sections. The remainder of No. 1 section went to Blangy-Tronville,
together with some of the surveyors, for whom there was no
accommodation suitable for map work in the cutting, while the horse
lines were established at Lamotte, a little further along the river.


4. SUMMER AT VILLERS BRETTONEUX.

The line held by the 3rd Division at Villers Brettoneux, which
junctioned with the French on the right opposite Monument Wood, was so
close to the town that the support line actually ran through one
corner near the railway station. The possession of the town with its
command of the Somme valley was of great importance; the enemy had
captured it once, only to be turned out again; and signs were not
wanting that he intended to attack again, and soon. These
considerations enjoined a more than ordinary alertness on the defence,
and a vigorous artillery programme of counter preparation.

The 11th Field Company had a direct interest in the artillery
programme, because a fine pair of 8in. “hows.” lived just outside
their railway cutting, and were very active. Such neighbours naturally
“drew crabs” (as the saying was, i.e., attracted enemy fire), but
fortunately no great harm was done during the company’s tenancy.

The camp in the railway cutting was, as a matter of fact, soon made
reasonably safe against shell fire by burrowing into the solid chalk.
Gas was a more insidious danger; gas shelling was frequent, and
sometimes extraordinarily heavy, as on the night of the 25-26th, when
Villers Brettoneux, the Bois l’Abbé, and the valley between were
literally drenched with mustard gas from many thousands of shells.
Fortunately the immediate vicinity of the camp escaped the worst of
it, and the vigilance of doubled gas guards prevented casualties in
the camp itself.

Although a number of shells, both high explosive and gas, fell at
different times right in the cutting, the most serious damage resulted
from a mysterious something which screamed into the camp one night,
broke all the crockery in the officers’ mess kitchen, and set the
shelter on fire. The gas sentry standing near by was seriously
perturbed by this new engine of war, but it turned out to be merely a
mis-directed message rocket.

The chief work of the sappers on this sector was again accommodation
in the form of deep dugouts in the chalk, but general trench
improvements, the new support line through the town, tank blocks,
tunnels under the main roads to Warfusee, and the inner defences of
“Villers Brett,” all made demands on sapper labour. The 11th Field
Company throughout worked in the right brigade area, astride the main
road, where the line was held first by the 11th Brigade, and
afterwards by the 10th, then by the 11th once more. The weather
throughout was “fine and warm,” so warm as to make shirt sleeves quite
sufficient, and tin hats almost intolerable.

Arrangements for the regular supply of materials by Corps had now
allowed of standardisation of dugout design, and a great number of
roomy shelters were rapidly excavated. Before the division moved out
there were over 120 deep dugouts in its sector, many of them large
enough to accommodate two or more platoons. The inclines or stairway
entrances, at least two to each dugout, were timbered with standard
timber slabs; the chambers were supported by 9ft. standard 5in. by
3in. rolled steel joists, about 18in. apart, held up by pit props.
Bunks were fitted throughout, and elaborate gas-proof doorways. In
addition to the Field Companies, portions of the Pioneers, and two
English and one (the 2nd) Australian Tunnelling Coys. were at
different times employed on the works. As regards the 11th Field
Company, sappers worked three shifts of seven hours at the face, and
were generally assisted by infantry parties in getting rid of the
spoil.

The pit props required for the chambers mostly came from the Bois
l’Abbé, and in the same wood a small party of sappers from the
company, with a few infantry, ran a very useful industry,
manufacturing large numbers of hurdles and brush wood mats, the latter
being chiefly used for hiding the chalk spoil heaps from aerial
observation.

The support line through Villers Brettoneux was a difficult job and
No. 3 section expended a considerable amount of labour pushing down
walls with Wallaby jacks, in order to clear a field of fire. The same
section also constructed a novel tank block on the railway near the
station, as the enemy had already used tanks in this area, and it was
feared he might send one down the big railway cutting.

The inner defences of the town itself consisted of a series of
so-called “keeps,” or defended posts, among the buildings, wired
round, loop-holed, and with strengthened cellars in which the
garrisons lived. Part of the time the garrisons consisted of
detachments of Pioneers, who carried out their own works, but when
infantry was in occupation, sappers from the company shored up
cellars, loop-holed walls, fitted gas-proof doorways, and strung
barbed wire among the shattered buildings of the ruined town.

While on this sector the company had an officer (Lieut. Raynsford) and
four sergeants of the 6th U.S. Engineers attached for instruction.

Noteworthy dugout jobs of the company were the double Battalion
Headquarters at the Monastery, in the Bois l’Abbé; extensions to the
headquarters in the quarry on the western outskirts of Villers
Bretonneux; a Company Headquarters near the gas works, and extension
to Brigade Headquarters on the railway line. Two very large dugouts,
begun by the 4th Division, were completed in the notorious Gas valley,
between the Bois l’Abbé and the town; a dugout was completed near the
main road in the wood for a Trench Mortar Battery, and a couple of
jobs were started east of the town.

Tunnels under the main highway which runs from Villers Brettoneux to
Warfusee Abancourt, where the various trench lines intersected it,
were commenced with some interest, as the road was said to be of Roman
origin, and it was thought that remains might perhaps be disclosed
illustrative of the methods of the great road builders. Nothing of
interest was discovered, the road consisting of quite a thin shell of
ordinary macadam resting on loam.

This was the only period when the 3rd Division held the line alongside
the French. The relations between the two were at all times very
cordial. The Australian exchanged cigarettes for a share of the
Frenchman’s “pinard” (issue wine), while the poilu was not slow to
appreciate the “buckshee” (free) cocoa of the Y.M.C.A., or “imka” as
he pronounced it. The railway cutting inhabited by the 11th Field
Company was an international post in itself, as in addition to the
company it was used by the headquarters of a French battery, and the
cookhouse of the British 8in. hows. detachment already mentioned. What
helped to endear the French soldier to the Australian was a fellow
feeling arising from his noticeable readiness to appropriate to his
own uses, in cheerful contravention of rules and regulations, such
trifles as railway sleepers and rails, also anything which he could
find to his liking in Villers Brettoneux. International posts in the
line were a favourite subject for official photographers;
international foraging parties in the ruined town might have provided
much more interesting unofficial pictures, if only private cameras had
been allowed.

The Company Transport, working from Lamotte, had a busy time on this
sector. All supplies, including water, had, of course, to be taken to
the railway cutting, but in addition, the transport of engineer
material from the motor lorry dump to the various dugouts kept teams
going constantly in the pontoon and G.S. wagons.

Although the Corps supply of timber was good, it was never sufficient
for requirements, and three or four sappers were kept working pit saws
on a big pile of logs on the canal bank near the horse lines.

The Villers Brettoneux sector was taken over by the 2nd Australian
Division on June 27th and the 11th Field Company handed over to the
7th Field Company and marched back to Rivery, a suburb of Amiens.


5. RIVERY.

The town of Amiens, an important railway junction, the possession of
which was accepted as a token of our successful resistance to the
enemy attempts to separate the British and French Armies, was in June,
1918, almost completely deserted by its civilian population. An almost
nightly target for heavy bombing, it was also consistently shelled
with long range guns, the huge shells from which rushed down the river
valley making noises even more menacing than those of ordinary shells,
and crashed into the unfortunate city. The neighbourhood of Rivery,
where the 11th Field Company took over billets and works from the 5th
Field Company, was entirely deserted. The billets were quite good, and
lay alongside one of the lagoons or “billabongs,” which are such a
feature of the Somme in this region.

The weather was glorious, and opportunities for river bathing much
appreciated. All through June the Somme canal had been bathed in by
swarms of Australians enjoying short periods of rest from the line,
but the 11th Field Company had lived continuously in the railway
cutting far from the river, and had been forced to postpone such
pleasure until the divisional relief.

As usual, the sappers passed directly from line work to Corps or back
area work, but this time it was chiefly guarding bridges and road
mines around Camon, Longueau, and Cagny, and improvements to the
demolition charges. Many of the bridge guards had excellent quarters
among pleasant riverside gardens, where a little fruit was still to be
gathered from the bushes, to the improvement of the ration scale.

All through the 1918 campaign of the 3rd Division on the Somme, the
soldier was much more isolated from the amenities of civil life than
had been his lot, except for comparatively short and violent periods
of battle, in Flanders. There numerous estaminets close enough behind
the line to be within easy reach of reserve troops supplied, as
welcome addition and variety to the Army ration, eggs, chipped
potatoes, even fresh meat; as witness the well-known sign in old
Bailleul, Steak and Shipseggs. Such opportunities were almost entirely
wanting in the Somme area, and as will appear it was not until very
near the end of hostilities that the men of the 3rd Division had a
chance to experience the civilising influence of even a glass of thin
French beer in a café, with a joke or two exchanged with Madame, and,
perhaps, a little love-making with Madamoiselle.

Under these circumstances members of the 11th Field Company will
always have a kindly feeling for the efforts of Sapper Monk, the
canteen steward, in foraging on their behalf. In his dusty mess cart,
drawn by that incorrigible wind sucker, “Jews Harp,” he penetrated (it
can be safely admitted now) into many towns and villages where his
presence was entirely contrary to various routine orders; but he
brought back the beer to the thirsty troops.

If the gardens of Rivery provided but small supplies of fruit and
vegetables, they were very rich in bright flowers, and most of the
men’s billets were gay with them. The “diggers” tastes are not
confined, as some would say, to leave and beer, and souvenirs.

The capture of Hamel took place while the company was at Rivery. This
brilliant little operation was carried out by the 4th Australian
Division, assisted by a brigade of the 2nd Division and the 11th
Brigade of the 3rd Division. Some American troops also took part, and
also tanks. A party from the 11th Field Company, under Lieut. E. H.
Rhodes, laid out the jumping-off tapes for the 11th Brigade in “No
Man’s Land,” and another party carried out various small dugout jobs
in connection with the operations. The necessary “previous
reconnaissance” was rather arduous, carried out from such a distant
base as Rivery, and in a spell of exceptionally hot weather, but “the
line” was not without interest. A roadside quarry in the front trench
gave a splendid view of the sector over which the 11th Brigade had to
attack, and of the “No Man’s Land” in which the tapes had to be laid
the night before the battle.

Gently undulating cornfields were clothed thick with wheat, in heavy
ear, but still green and interspersed with the scarlet poppies and
blue cornflowers, which made a brave show in all this country
throughout the summer. Beyond lay the Somme, marked by a dense band of
trees, and beyond again the chalk hills first held by the 3rd Division
in March. For a while before the battle, artillery activity on both
sides was small, and the country-side seemed to brood under a blazing
sun in mysterious unnatural lifelessness. The opposing forces were
indicated only by the straggling lines of red earth which marked the
trenches through the crops; barbed wire and shell holes were alike
hidden by the thick growth. That all was not well with the world was
hinted by the holes clearly visible in the roof of Corbie’s fine
church, and by the scarred and battered and entirely sinister ruins of
Hamel appearing through equally scarred and battered trees. Beyond
Hamel lay the ridge which dominated much of our position, and which
our infantry and tanks seized on the 4th of July.

While this battle was pending, the company was called on to supply
various parties for odd jobs, involving the distribution of the unit
into a multitude of details in the manner characteristic of Field
Companies. One party built a small motor-transport bridge in Corbie,
another erected some experimental camouflage over a bridge over the
canal near Lamotte, while improvements to the hutments at Corps
Headquarters at Bertangles, gave employment to a number of carpenters.

In accordance with the usual cycle of reliefs, the 3rd Division
relieved the 4th in the line astride the Somme (including the
newly-captured Hamel). On July 11th and 12th, the 11th Field Company
on this occasion relieved the 12th, and became reserve company, with
headquarters in shelters along the railway embankment near La
Neuville, and horse lines at Bussy. The 12th Field Company took over
the Rivery billets and works.


6. CORBIE.

The work of the reserve Field Company of the Division holding the line
where it crossed the Somme valley, between Sailly Le Sec and Sailly
Laurette, was spread up and down the Somme, from Bouzencourt to below
Daours; and from just below Bonnay on the river Ancre to its
confluence with the Somme at La Neuville. On first undertaking it, the
11th Field Company had its headquarters in a camp alongside the
railway embankment near La Neuville, a position which it shared with
the headquarters of the 10th Field Company, then in line on the right
of the divisional front. No. 1 section was up the river at Vaire, No.
2, with section headquarters in the familiar gas works, was in Corbie,
No. 3 at La Neuville itself, and No. 4 at Daours. All were employed on
various tasks in connection with bridges, but as some of the work was
merely guarding, and as sappers were urgently required for other work,
a party of some 50 odd infantry were attached to the company from the
11th Brigade. No. 2 section, reinforced with infantry, with section
headquarters remaining in the gas works, took over from No. 1, and No.
4 similarly added No. 3’s tasks to its own.

Most of the original bridges in the care of the two sections, as well
as the temporary steel or wooden structures erected by the Army to
provide alternative crossings, had been fitted with an excellent
system of demolition charges in sealed tins by the 12th Field Company
A.E., but further work of the kind remained to be done, and there were
electric circuits to test, leads to bury, and numerous improvements to
be carried out. Altogether there were about eight bridges prepared for
demolition near Daours, the same number near La Neuville, and ten at
Corbie. In addition there was a number of barrel pier foot bridges
across the Somme, chiefly between Bouzencourt and Corbie, calling for
a good deal of maintenance, some dummy bridges, a couple of stand-by
pontoon bridges, and the night bridge at “Circular Quay,” near Vaire.
This was a pontoon bridge to take field artillery, put in position
every night at dark, and dismantled and hidden at dawn. A detachment
of sappers lived in the cellars of Vaire to do this, and generally had
the assistance of a party from a regiment of U.S. Engineers, who for
the sake of the experience, marched every night from some place in the
rear, helped build the bridge, departed in the morning, after
persuading the 11th Corporal in charge to teach them a few knots and
splices, and were replaced by a new party next night. The bridge was
very largely used each night by both infantry transport and gun
limbers.

Shortly after the company took over, one of the bridges at Daours was
hit by a shell which blew out the abutment from under one girder. The
girder was jacked up and the abutment repaired in brick.

The living conditions on these bridge jobs were quite good. The Corbie
billets had a good billiard table, La Neuville possessed an excellent
piano, and there were plenty of opportunities for swimming. Had the
Boche attacked on this front, the position of the bridge guards would
have been very unenviable, but fortunately he did not do so, and the
company sustained no serious casualties on this work.

The sappers relieved off bridges by the employment of attached
infantry were immediately occupied with other tasks. No. 3 section
worked at a water point――engine and pump and tanks and standpipes――at
a spring on the road from La Neuville to Daours; helped the 11th
Brigade to improve the dugouts in their reserve positions, and made
some experiments in the art of building shelters in chalk banks, with
the idea of developing the best method of housing the corps for the
winter. No. 1 provided a party, under Lieut. Valentine, which was
attached to Artillery Group Headquarters to supervise work on gun
positions, chiefly more dugouts; the remainder of the section
extracted the charges from a number of road mines near Fouilloy, and
on July 18th started preliminary work for a proposed pile bridge
across the Somme canal, west of Vaire. This last was quite an
ambitious project. Piles were cut and shod, a long stretch of corduroy
road laid down, and a monkey was improvised by “borrowing” a 9.2 shell
from a battery, extracting, not without difficulty, the solid T.N.T.
bursting charge, and filling the cavity with lead. All was in
readiness for driving the first pile when orders came to suspend
operations.

These orders were the first hint of the approaching offensive, and
were followed by instructions received on August 2nd to send the
attached infantry home, after partly dismantling the demolition
arrangements, and to concentrate most of the sappers, leaving a few
men to patrol the groups of bridges. Detonators and primers were
removed from the circuits and stored separately; the leads and fuzes
of fixed charges were concealed.

It is quite possible that a proposal for an attack with limited
objectives, and on a small scale, would not have been very popular
with the troops, tired as they undoubtedly were after nearly five
months’ strenuous warfare; but the plans for the proposed battle, as
outlined in the first days of August, fired the imagination. This was
to be a “stunt” worth doing. To follow the first attack at once with a
second, and so to penetrate some five or six miles within the enemy
lines; thus to capture most of his guns; and to play around in his
back areas with light tanks and armoured cars and cavalry; such
schemes as these must help to win the war.

The first definite battle instructions marked the end of the great
programme of works carried out to stem the German advance;
thenceforward our labours were to fulfil the requirements of our
counter-stroke; and the preparations for the first blow may best be
included in the tale of the attack itself. The last bridge had been
mined, the last deep dugout dug.



CHAPTER IV.

THE GREAT OFFENSIVE.


1. THE 8TH OF AUGUST, 1918.

A narrative of the experiences of a small unit in the Great War most
properly should include only those facts and aspects of the struggle,
which the unit learnt in the field from its own observation and
adventures. A keen student of the newspapers in London, or even in
Melbourne, will have a more complete knowledge of the progress of
events, and a more comprehensive view of the general situation than
the soldier in the field, whose view is curtailed by the “Fog of War,”
and who, besides, is too absorbed in the problems of his own immediate
sector to have the leisure of the arm-chair strategist.

For the members of the formation to be engaged, the eve of the battle
of Amiens was, however, one of the exceptional cases where even a hint
of coming events illuminates the whole military position.

It was obvious that the enemy had lost the initiative in the failure
of his attempt to force the Marne, and that the violent battles on the
French and American sectors in July marked its definite passage to the
Allies.

August the 8th was to be the first real occasion of its use by us and
the first ambitious attack by the British Army for 1918. There were
few in the 3rd Division who did not realise this, scanty as was the
information possessed by any but very senior officers as to the
concentration of troops, tanks, and guns, and more particularly as to
the elaborate precautions taken to disguise such preparations as the
move of the Canadian troops to the Somme area.

The task of the 3rd Division was to initiate the attack on a front of
some two miles immediately South of the Somme, and to penetrate about
2½ miles. Through it would then pass the 4th Australian Division
covered by mobile artillery. A similar programme was to be carried out
by the 2nd and 5th Australian Divisions on the Villers-Brettonneux
sector to the South; south of them were the Canadians, and then the
French. The 1st Australian Division arrived from the north on the eve
of the battle, and was Corps Reserve in the early stages. The British
Division holding the line north of the Somme was to swing forward its
flank along the river. No preliminary bombardment of the enemy
positions was to take place, and the commencement of operations was to
be in effect a surprise attack delivered under a heavy barrage.

This was the first occasion in which the five Australian Divisions
were engaged together in an offensive action.

The preparations as far as Engineers were concerned were not
elaborate. Various dugouts required for headquarters and medical posts
had to be hurried to completion, but no trench work was required, as
the approach routes to the assembly position for the attacking troops
were overland. Four tracks were cleared and carefully marked by the
11th Field Company, two starting near Fouilloy, and two near Hamelet,
and, as already mentioned, the bridge demolition arrangements were
partly dismantled. Owing to the depth of the proposed attack it was
not considered advisable to form Engineer dumps in the existing trench
system; instead, a system of dumps on wheels was devised. The Pontoon
wagons of the three Field Companies were collected and loaded with a
variety of stores, including a number of simple shelters for erection
under suitable chalk banks, and delivery points were selected in the
territory to be captured. The 11th Field Coy. made 50 bank shelters
and 500 signboards.

Much depended on the early repair of all roads leading forward into
the enemy territory. This work was undertaken by Corps, who withdrew
two Field Companies and the Pioneer Battalion from the 3rd Division
for this purpose, leaving the 11th the only Company under Divisional
command. Two companies of the 2nd Australian Pioneers were lent to the
Division for the operation, and under these circumstances the Field
Company was necessarily widely distributed. No. 1 section was allotted
to the 9th Brigade, which was to attack on the right, and No. 2 to the
11th Brigade on the left; No. 3 was in reserve (as was the 10th
Brigade, which held the whole divisional front before the battle), and
No. 4 had the special task of looking for sources of water supply.

Very heavy rain fell two or three days before the attack, and
threatened to interfere with the work of the tanks, but the 7th was
fine and warm, and the chalky soil dried very quickly. The rain was
really very helpful, as it served to hide the gathering forces from
enemy aviators. By the 7th all was ready; long rows of tanks sheltered
under hedges, guns of all calibres lurked in every suitable position,
and men and horses rested quietly within the shade of groves of trees.

The evening before Z day saw Company Headquarters and 1, 2, and 4
sections established at a dugout and bivouac near Hamelet, but during
the night the various parties moved forward to a trench near Hamel.
Just at “Zero hour” (4.20 a.m.) a thick mist arose, and it was through
this natural screen that the attack pushed forward, and that the
various parties of Sappers groped their way to their various tasks
soon after.

The results of the day’s fighting are too well known to need mention,
but the cheapness of the victory may be gauged by the losses of the
Company――which were――none at all. The dumps on wheels moved forward
under Lieut. Matters to their appointed destinations early in the
morning; Nos. 1 and 2 sections built shelters for various headquarters
in the new captured divisional area, and No. 4 located several old
wells and started putting them in order, and also constructed, out of
salvaged materials, a most useful horse-watering point at Gailly Lock
on the Somme. A number of Germans surrendered to the sappers, but as
they were considered to be “second hand,” they were carefully searched
for pistols and such-like souvenirs and turned adrift to find their
own way to the rear. One subaltern of the Company was approached in
mist by a Boche who was tugging violently at something in his pocket.
Thinking it was a pistol, the officer drew his revolver, but the
German’s hand came forth with nothing more menacing than a tin of
bully beef, which he handed out as a peace offering. It was a great
day for souvenirs, and the sappers collected quite an arsenal of
German automatic pistols, daggers, and such-like coveted articles.


2. UP THE VALLEY OF THE SOMME.

The breaking of the German line on the 8th August marked the end of
the old “sit down” trench warfare, and to no one did this represent a
bigger change than to the sappers. Instead of settling down for a
month or more at a time in a camp or bivouac, with a regular programme
of work, a system for the supply of engineer stores, and no sign or
hope of an end to the proceedings, the Company now commenced to
experience conditions approximating to those of open warfare, with
troubles and discomforts all compensated for by victory, and at least
a hope of peace to come. That Company Headquarters was established in
twenty different places in the ensuing two months gives only a partial
indication of the migrations of the sappers, as sections developed a
habit of moving independently, each complete with its own transport,
and the Company was rarely united.

Work naturally changed; bridges, water supply, roads and signboards
became most important; trenches and wire were rarely thought of;
dugouts were searched for booby traps, cleaned and repaired, instead
of new ones being started. During the period of most rapid advance the
Division gained little advantage from some of the Sappers’ labour, but
such people as the heavy artillery and transport units following
behind were not inappreciative, particularly of signboards and water
supply arrangements. On the 9th of August Company Headquarters and 3
and 4 Sections moved to a bivouac near Bois de Hamel, and on the 10th
to a large dug-out and bivouac near Bouzencourt――a camp generally known
as “Pip 4 Ack” from its map location, where the horse lines were also
established. In the meanwhile Nos. 1 and 2 sections had been living
and working in the newly captured area, complete with section
transport, and late in the evening of the 10th they were ordered to
accompany the 10th Brigade in a night operation along the main road
which runs east through Lamotte-en-Santerre. The operation did not
develop, and the sappers were not required, so the two sections went
into bivouac in a deep valley just south of the main road and north of
Harbonnieres. They suffered no casualties at this stage, but are not
likely to forget the bombing along the road on the night of the
10th/11th.

On the 11th the remainder of the Company moved to a valley South of
Morcourt on the Somme and relieved the 12th Field Coy., but were in
turn relieved by the 93rd Company, R.E. the following night, and
returned to P.4.a. Short as the time was in this area No. 3 section
built a new Battn. Headquarters and an R.A.P.; No. 4 section
investigated and improved a considerable number of wells.

Both the vicinity of the Coy. camp near Morcourt, and the valley near
Harbonnieres occupied by 1 and 2 sections, had been largely used by
the Germans for battery positions and living accommodation, and it was
very interesting to study their methods so soon after their very
hurried departure. They had done very little work near their front
line, but the numerous dugouts started in their gun zone, and
excavated stables in course of construction, seemed to indicate an
intention to organise an elaborate system of defences. The impression
thus formed was confirmed afterwards by the enormous amounts of
engineer materials in their main dumps.

Sappers were pleased to find that the German dugouts, and much of his
other work, were inferior to our own, both in design and execution.
All sorts of interesting souvenirs were discovered while exploring the
dugouts and camps, a number being dispatched to the Australian War
Museum. Similarly, a large number of maps were collected and forwarded
to the General Staff. Horses enjoyed extra rations of Boche fodder,
and some of the men drew clean underclothing and new boots from a
Boche Quartermaster’s store――in the absence of the Quartermaster. A
number of wagons were collected and loaded with Engineer materials,
thus forming a “Dump on German wheels,” in readiness for another
advance, but were handed over to the 93rd Field Company.

On the night of the 12th/13th, some wandering tanks took shelter in
the gully occupied by 1 and 2 sections, and were apparently marked
down by a Boche plane, which showered bombs on the camp. Driver W.
Thomas, who was noted for his pride in his two horses, and who used to
remark frequently that wherever his team went, he went also, was
saying good-night to his charges when a bomb fell alongside and killed
the man and both his horses.

The whole Company concentrated at P.4.a on the 13th, and refitted,
bathed, and dug bomb pits for the horses until the 19th, when work was
started fixng up accommodation for Divisional Headquarters in the
well-remembered Shrapnel Gully near Sailly-le-Sec. On the 20th the
Division went into the line North of the Somme, and Coy. Headquarters
and Nos. 2 and 3 sections moved to Mallard Wood, N.W. of Chipilly. The
Division attacked at dawn on the 22nd, forming a flank for operations
to the North; on the 23rd it captured La Neuville near Bray, and on
the 24th Bray itself fell to the 10th Brigade.

On the 25th the 9th and 11th Brigades captured the high ridge of
Ceylon Wood east of Bray, and thenceforward the advance progressed so
rapidly, in spite of enemy resistance, that by the end of the month
the Division had captured Suzanne, Curlu, and Cléry, and had reached
the Bouchavesnes――Mt. St. Quentin road, some ten miles East of Bray,
and 15 miles east of the line of August 8th.

During the early stages of this advance the roads had sustained a good
deal of damage from shell fire, and a portion of the Company was
employed filling in shell holes and removing fallen trees and dead
horses. In order to relieve the main roads, cross-country tracks were
much used. They were in good condition, thanks to the dryness of the
summer, but required marking with numerous signboards. Throughout the
whole period water supply was of the highest importance. Wells had to
be located, tested, often cleared of rubbish and fitted with new
windlasses. Fortunately the Boche had not troubled to destroy wells,
but had devoted all his energies to blowing up railway lines. As
evidence of his enthusiasm for this work it may be mentioned that the
Company removed misfired or unexploded charges to the number of some
hundred from a comparatively short length of line near Hem. Horse
watering was of course done from the Somme, but horse troughing had to
be erected, as a number of horses were drowned while attempting to
water from the treacherous swamps and lagoons along the river.
Dugouts, whether of German origin, as those around Bray, or built
originally by the French, as were a number near Suzanne and Hem, had
all to be carefully searched for mines and booby traps before being
used by various Headquarters, and generally required repairs. An
interesting task was making an inventory of the various German dumps
captured. There were several very large ones round Bray, containing
enormous quantities of mining and other timber, steel girders, barbed
wire and pickets, corrugated iron and malthoid, and all sorts of
interesting odds and ends. One dump, for instance, in addition to much
timber, had hundreds of sets of door hinges and fastenings and window
fittings, which would seem to indicate that the German contemplated a
big hutting programme in this area. There was a large dump near the
railway at Hem Wood, and this the Company was camped alongside at the
end of the month.

Two dumps contained small workshops for the manufacture of anti-tank
mines, and a long train laden with timber, malthoid, iron and paper
sandbags lay in the Bray station yard――with every axle-box destroyed
with explosives.

Intermediate Coy. Hdqrs. camps since leaving Mallard Wood had been
along a bank near Bray; in some German huts in Ceylon Wood; and along
a bank facing the Somme at Hem.

At the Bray camp site, just before the unit moved in, the C.S.M., G.
Brodie (D.C.M.), was wounded by a shell and died soon after.

In the advance the division crossed, between Suzanne and Curlu, the
original front line of 1916, and passed on to the area devastated by
the fighting of that year. The desolation of this region of
shell-holes, dead woods, and villages represented by a few broken
bricks has often been described; suffice it is to say that all ranks
were pleased that progress across it was rapid.

On Sept. 3rd the Divisional front was cut out by the 2nd Australian
Division and the 74th Division joining across it, and the Company
started improving accommodation for the 11th Brigade in the area
around Curlu. As there seemed some possibility of a short stay in this
dismal locality, the 11th Brigade Concert Party――the “Blue Gums”―was
brought up, and the Company improvised a concert hall, with stage and
seats for 450, out of the ruins of some huts at Curlu. Work was also
continued on water supply arrangements. The area had been too far
behind the Boche line for him to make much use of it during the
summer, and he had done nothing to improve and little to maintain the
old wells sunk in 1916, which proved scarcely able to cope with the
demands of the concentration of men and animals now living in the
vicinity. Fortunately the 74th Division, which here overlapped the
3rd, had only recently come from Palestine, and being thus familiar
with the problem, helped a great deal to improve the conditions.

But the Eastern sky indicated with increasing clearness that the
warlike stream would soon move forward. The strong position about
Peronne had been breached by the 2nd Australian Division’s capture of
Mt. St. Quentin, and the glow of many fires by night, and huge columns
of smoke by day, showed that the enemy was burning everything possible
in the country behind him, preparatory to a retreat to the Hindenburg
line. So no one was very surprised when on Sept. 5th orders were
received to move once more.


3. UP THE VALLEY OF THE COLOGNE.

The Cologne is a small stream which, rising in the high ground which
separates the headwaters of the Escaut or Scheldt from the Somme, runs
in a westerly direction and joins the latter river at Peronne. It
flows through a broad open valley, and is quite a small stream, but
with a wide, marshy bed in many places. In the summer of 1918 it had
no surface water above Tincourt.

For the pursuit of the enemy beyond Peronne the 11th Brigade Group,
with the addition of the 3rd Pioneers as an extra Infantry Battalion,
and some British Horse Artillery, was organised as an advance guard,
and moved forward after very short notice on the afternoon of the 5th.
The 11th Field Company attached No. 2 section (Lt. Rhodes) to the 42nd
Battalion in the vanguard, No. 1 section, with its own transport and
No. 2 transport to the 41st Battalion (main body). No. 3 section, with
Coy. Headquarters, moved with the 11th Brigade H. Qrs., and No. 4 was
allotted to the special task of repairing a bridge at Peronne. The
move was slow and difficult owing to the congestion on the roads, and
if ever the enemy bombing ’planes missed an opportunity they did so
that night. Company Headquarters established itself in a trench on the
Northern slopes of Mt. St. Quentin, and it says a great deal for the
“Bump of locality” of the unit generally that touch was maintained
throughout, and not one of the numerous detachments into which the
Company was split got lost or mislaid in the darkness, in strange
country rendered most difficult to traverse by old trenches and barbed
wire.

It would be tedious to trace the movements of the various sections and
detachments during the next few days, when the 11th Brigade pushed
rapidly forward on the heels of the enemy, and captured Buire,
Tincourt, and Roisel. No. 2, split into detachments, searched
fruitlessly for booby traps and patched up accommodation for Battalion
Headquarters. No. 3 did the same for Brigade, and also repaired an
important bridge near Mt. St. Quentin and opened up a well or two. No.
1, after some smaller jobs, started work on repairing the river
crossing at Courcelles Mill leading to Cartigny, and was joined by No.
4, whose bridge at Peronne had been found not necessary, and who did
quite a lot of walking in the meantime. By noon on the 7th two bridges
across the branches of the Cologne stream, each strong enough to take
17-ton axle loads, had been completed. The transport which had started
from near Curlu succeeded in keeping in the race, and in delivering
supplies to the sections. Company Headquarters moved to Three Tubs
Wood, N.E. of Doingt, on the 6th, and on the 8th to the outskirts of
Boucly, across the river from Tincourt. The Boche had been driven too
rapidly from the neighbourhood of Peronne and Doingt to have time to
carry out demolitions; not only were the bridges at Doingt untouched,
but there were many useful hutments in the vicinity. Further up the
Cologne valley, however, all the extensive hutments built by us about
1917 had been burnt, and every bridge was destroyed between Doingt and
Tincourt. A small bath house near Brusle had been deemed worth a
charge of explosives.

In Buire an enamelled bath in an officers’ bathroom had been
thoroughly perforated with an axe, as had the large copper used in
conjunction with it. A number of small pumps were eagerly rushed by
the water supply sappers, but each had had an essential lug or
something of the sort broken off with a hammer. The camp which the
Company occupied near Boucly had not been destroyed, possibly because
the shelters were steel, the German equivalent of our “Large English”
or Elephant shelters. The park in which this camp was situated was
full of an extraordinary assortment of German vehicles, many in good
order. There were wagons light, heavy, and extremely heavy; field
cookers and field bakery ovens, ambulances, patent telescopic
observation towers on wheels, and other curiosities.

The Company annexed from this collection a useful light wagon and a
brand-new cooker.

The villages in this area had all been systematically destroyed by the
Boche in his retreat of 1917, and had never been rebuilt. It was quite
easy to see that many of the houses had been burnt out, and not
destroyed by shell-fire. In some places all the trees along the road
side had been cut half through with axes, evidently at the same
period, and had subsequently had the gashes filled with cement and
strapped with iron. Most of them seemed to be flourishing.

On the South side of the valley there were mine craters at most road
junctions. On the evening of the 7th, when No. 3 section moved to
Boucly, its attention was drawn by a certain battalion to a suspected
mine on the road near Brusle. It was useless explaining that the
section with its transport had just marched right over the place; the
Battalion H. Qrs. was insistent, so the section officer and a couple
of his men went back to investigate. The Boche had evidently intended
planting some anti-tank mines, and had dug holes across the road for
them, but had been disturbed or had changed his mind. There was
nothing in the holes but loose stones. Very early the next morning the
O.C. of the Company, on his way to visit No. 3, saw the holes, and,
not knowing of the previous night’s incident, got off his horse and
investigated. He had just finished raking the stones back when a
Pioneer Company Commander, whose men were filling in some craters a
little further back, panted up on a bicycle, saying he had heard there
was a mine about somewhere, and he was responsible for roads, so he
also investigated. Later in the morning the O.C. met two subalterns of
another Field Company, who asked if he had heard anything of a road
mine near Brusle, because they had special orders from the C.R.E. to
examine it thoroughly and report. They were directed to the spot, and
when last seen were carefully removing the stones from the holes.

While the caution shewn in this was perhaps excessive, that care was
necessary was evidenced by the delay action mine which blew up where
the main road crossed the railway at Roisel, long after the division
had left the area.

The Causeway which crossed the valley from Buire to Brusle had 5 gaps
blown in it, and of these three were bridged by the Company with
strong footbridges. While the narrow gauge lines were intact, the
broad gauge railways had been thoroughly destroyed. In one place there
was a long length of track newly laid with heavy rails branded Krupp
1917, and every rail had been broken in two or three places with
explosives. There was some satisfaction in seeing the enemy’s own
material treated in this way. A number of deep wells on the South side
of the valley had been blown in, and a start had been made trying to
repair one or two when the Company was relieved by the 1st Field Coy.
A.E.

This was on the 10th. Divisional Headquarters remained at Doingt and
work was started immediately repairing hutments in the vicinity to
accommodate the division. The Company made itself a small camp to
Courcelles Mill, and Headquarters moved there on the 13th, and
remained in this same place for a fortnight. The enemy bombing from
aeroplanes was very vicious in the beginning of the period, but a
number of his planes, caught in our searchlights, were shot down in
flames by our night flying machines, with coloured lights shooting in
all directions from the burning Verey ammunition, greatly to the
delight of the watching crowds.

Quite an elaborate theatre for the “Blue Gums” was arranged by No. 4
section in Doingt, in an old hut, and the Company took part in sports
held by the 11th Brigade Group; with such amusement added to an
occasional aeroplane shooting display, time passed quickly until
orders to dump packs and surplus stores heralded another move.


4. THE HINDENBURG LINE.

On the 27th of September the 3rd Division left the Doingt area and
moved once more towards the line, to take its part in another great
attack. The 11th Field Company, with the 11th Brigade Group, marched
some 8 miles on the night of the 27th/28th to a bivouac about a mile
West of Templeux-le-Guerard at the head of the Cologne valley, while
the transport settled at Longavesnes.

This region at the time was held in force by the 27th U.S. Division,
with the 30th U.S. Division on its right. The general position may be
roughly described as follows:―

The enemy, endeavouring to stand on the line of early 1918―really an
outpost line to the main Hindenburg Line――had been violently hurled
back from it by an attack by the 1st and 4th Australian Divisions, but
was holding strongly to the Hindenburg Line proper. Indeed, he had
succeeded in recovering portion of the outpost ridge, in the face of
the American troops holding the sector, and it was evident that he
intended to offer a desperate resistance. The Hindenburg Line east of
Peronne, followed generally the line of the St. Quentin Canal, but
opposite the sector held by the two American Divisions the canal ran
into a tunnel for some four miles from Bellicourt to Le Catelet, and
the line really constituted a very strongly defended bridge head
across this gap in the obstacle formed by the canal. To make use of
this natural bridge offered the best chance of quickly penetrating the
Hindenburg system with a large force of all arms, but it was obvious
that the enemy would be prepared for such an attempt, and that the
whole organisation, carefully thought out during his previous
occupation of this country, would be designed to frustrate it.

The general plan of attack somewhat resembled that of August 8th. The
two American Divisions were to attack at dawn under an intense
barrage, and penetrate to the green line, over a mile east of the
canal, while the 5th Australian Division on the right, and the 3rd on
the left, were to follow through and exploit success to the “Red
Line,” some three miles further.

The weather changed on the 28th, and became very cold. This was really
a blessing in disguise, as the supply of water to such large
concentrations of horses and men in this high, streamless, country,
where the wells and bores were so deep that only those with power
installations yielded a useful flow, was a difficult problem.

Fleets of motor tanks supplied drinking water, but horses had to
travel long distances to watering points, and wait hours in long
queues, four deep, and extending literally miles along the roads.

The early development of all sources of supply in any area captured
was thus of great importance, and No. 2 section was told off to this
task in the zone allotted to the 11th Field Company, with instructions
to pay particular attention to the canal tunnel, where springs were
reported to exist. No. 1 section was allotted to roads, No. 3 to
clearing cross-country tracks for the artillery, and No. 4 was split
up over the 11th Brigade and its battalions, to search dugouts and
look after accommodation generally.

The attack developed at dawn on Sept. 29th, but was not immediately
successful. Apparently the American assault troops broke through the
German line under cover of the barrage, but neglected to “mop up.” The
consequence was that large numbers of Germans, as soon as the barrage
and the closely following attacking wave had passed, emerged from
their numerous dugouts, and manned machine guns and anti-tank
defences. The 3rd Division, moving forward in readiness, came under
heavy artillery and machine gun fire before it reached the old outpost
line, and was in effect faced with the task of attacking the complete
Hindenburg defences without the help of artillery, which could not be
used on account of the uncertainty as to the position of the
Americans. Under these circumstances, progress was naturally slow.
Fortunately the attack had been more successful on the right
divisional front, and the 44th Battalion on the extreme right of the
3rd Australian Division had succeeded in getting a footing in the
Hindenburg line proper, and making a flank to the north. The sappers
attached to the Battalion Headquarters became involved in various
tasks somewhat different to those for which they had been allotted; an
attempt to make the best use of a stray tank led to some exciting
incidents, which only ended when the Boche, with a field gun at point
blank range, put the tank out of action.

No. 3 section succeeded in clearing a short length of artillery track,
but generally speaking, very little of the sapper programme was
accomplished, and the sections spent the night in the trenches
three-quarters of a mile south-east of Ronnsoy.

On the 30th the 3rd Division continued the attack, and on the 1st of
October succeeded in taking Bony, a small village right in the main
Hindenburg line and almost over the canal tunnel, chiefly by means of
persistent bombing along the network of trenches. After this good
progress was made. The sappers meanwhile had discovered an extensive
old British minefield, part of which had been noticed by No. 3 section
on the 29th, when several of our tanks were put out of action by it.
Large numbers of mines were removed and de-detonated from the field,
which, curiously enough, was marked by danger notices both in English
and in German. On the 1st a party of No. 1 section made an
investigation of the whole of the canal tunnel, working from the
Southern or Bellicourt end. On the 2nd dugouts in the main Hindenburg
line were searched and cleared; a number of notice boards erected, and
an O.P. constructed East of Bony; while the investigation of the
tunnel was continued, through a number of the various entrances made
by the Germans along its length.

The tunnel, which is some four miles in length and 25 feet in
diameter, was dug in the time of Napoleon, and was found to be in good
order, and equipped with pumps (but without engines) and piping to
deliver water to the surface at a number of air shafts. The water was
tested, and found to be drinkable after treatment, with the usual
small quantity of chloride of lime, but before the Company could do
anything towards making it available, the 3rd Division was relieved on
Oct. 3rd by the 50th British Division, and the Coy. evacuated the
bivouac which it had occupied at Toine Wood, close to the trenches in
which the sections sheltered on the night of the 29th. The Company
Transport had moved east of Templeux-le-Guerard on the 30th.

Exploration of the famous Hindenburg system had been full of interest,
not only because of the tunnel, with its German-made stairway
entrances, its concrete entrance defences, and its long line of barges
used for the living accommodation by the Boche during his previous
tenancy, but now damp and dilapidated; but also on account of the fame
attaching to the trench system itself. To some extent this was
disappointing; the trenches, although very wide, were not well made,
and the dugouts were numerous, but not elaborate. The barbed wire,
however, was astonishing in its extent and density.

The casualties in this, destined to be the last action in which the
unit took part, were 11 wounded (including gas), of which one
subsequently died. For good work on the morning of the 29th Sappers
Chapman and Gallwey received the Military Medal.

On the evening of the 3rd the whole Company bivouacked in a pleasant,
peaceful wood near Liercourt, and on the 5th entrained at Peronne,
less transport, which proceeded by road and joined the unit in billets
in the little village of La Leu, near Airaines, in the lower Somme
valley. On October 9th the Company moved to Forceville, South of
Abbeville, and was training and refitting in this peaceful area when
the armistice was signed.

       *     *     *     *     *

As this is a war narrative it will not be necessary to describe the
change from military training to civil education; the drifting away of
members for early repatriation or non-military employment in England;
or the departure of demobilisation quotas and the winding up of the
Company; but a fitting termination may be made by referring to the
third and last Christmas spent in France. The unit at the time was at
Bernapré, a few miles S.W. of Forceville, where it had moved on Dec.
10th. Each section had a rough and ready messroom, lavishly decorated
with holly and mistletoe for the occasion, and each was the scene of
great feasting and jollification, quite free at last from the black
shadow of war, and doubly pleasurable because of the conviction that
the next Christmas dinner would be in Australia. Geese and ducks in
large numbers and other good things to eat, together with liquids
appropriate to the season, were purchased from funds supplied by
friends in Australia.

The energetic efforts of the unit’s supporters, chiefly in South
Australia and in Queensland, resulted altogether in the sum of £378,
which was added by instalments to the Company’s funds. The possession
of this money rendered possible Christmas feasts, sports gatherings,
and other distractions, and, above all, a regular system of subsidies
to section messes, which helped greatly to improve the standard of
living. This opportunity is gladly taken of expressing the Company’s
sincere and grateful appreciation for the labour of its friends.



APPENDICES.


I. “ROLL OF HONOUR.”

_Killed in Action._

   Reg. No.        Rank.            Name.

    9445           Sapper          Dahl, J.
    9533             ”             Paxton, W. H.
    9537             ”             Rooke, R. J.
    9640             ”             Le Leu, F. E.
    9534             ”             Power, R.
    9661             ”             Petney, F. F. J.
    9529             ”             Murray, D. A.
    9465             ”             Simpson, D. M.
   10984             ”             Merton, C. H. T.
    9457             ”             Lenham, H.
    9443             ”             Duckling, E. J.
    2743A            ”             Lahey, N. A.
    9434           2/Cpl.          Renwick, A. J.
    9544           Sapper          Francey, S.
    3333             ”             Darvall, A. H.
    9447             ”             Flay, E. C.
    9690             ”             Wakefield, B. B.
    9634           Driver          Howe, H. W. C.
    9450           T/Cpl.          Gray, G. W.
   16466           Sapper          Geddes, J. C.
    9682           Driver          Thomas, W. C.
    9438           C.S.M.          Brodie, G. C. (D.C.M.)
   17792           Sapper          Richardson, T.


_Accidentally Killed._

     392           L/Cpl.          McKay, D.


_Died of Disease._

                   Driver          Noghran, J.
   16136           Sapper          Vasco, L.
    9671           L/Cpl.          Smith, C.
    9612           Driver          Cunningham, T. W.
   17839           L/Cpl.          Haddow, A.



II. STATEMENT OF LINE SERVICE OF UNIT SHEWING INCLUSIVE DATES:―

(a). _In Front Area._                                From.       To.

   Armentières Sector                              19/12/16   13/3/17
   Le Touquet     ”                                14/3/17     6/4/17
   St. Yves and Le Touquet Sectors                  7/4/17     5/6/17
   Messines Sector                                  9/6/17    11/6/17
       ”      ”                                    23/6/17    11/7/17
       ”      ”                                    29/7/17     4/8/17
   Ypres      ”                                    30/9/17   21/10/17
   Le Touquet, Pont Rouge, La Basse-Ville Sectors 13/11/17   16/11/17
   Chapelle D’Armentières Sector                  20/12/17     3/1/18
   Le Touquet, Pont Rouge   ”                       1/2/18     3/3/18
   Sailly-le-Sec            ”                      27/3/18     1/5/18
   Villers Bretonneux       ”                      22/5/18    28/6/18
   Somme Battle. First Phase                        8/8/18    12/8/18
     ”     ”     Bray    ”                         21/8/18     1/9/18
   Tincourt, Rosières    ”                          5/9/18    10/9/18
   Hindenburg Line       ”                         29/9/18    2/10/18

(b). _In Support Area._

   Armentières Sector                              4/12/16   18/12/16
   St. Yves and Le Touquet Sector                   6/6/17     8/6/17
   Messines                   ”                    12/6/17    22/6/17
       ”                      ”                    12/7/17    28/7/17
   Plœgsteert Area                                17/11/17   19/12/17
   Heilly      ”                                    2/5/18    10/5/18
   Corbie      ”                                   13/7/18     7/8/18
   Hem Dump    ”                                    2/9/18     4/9/18


(c). _In Rest Area. Training._

   Travelling etc.; from U.K. included in Period  24/11/16    3/12/16
   Recquebrœucq Area                                5/8/17    29/9/17
         ”        ”                               22/10/17   12/11/17
   Bainghem-le-Comte Area                           4/3/18    22/3/18
   La Leu, Forceville, Bernapré Areas              3/10/18   31/12/18


(d). _In Rest Area. Working._

   Neuve Eglise Area. (Mahutonga Camp)              4/1/18    31/1/18
   Cæstre to Franvillers. (Travelling from
        Northern France to Somme Area)             23/3/18    26/3/18
   Pont Noyelles Area                              11/5/18    21/5/18
   Rivery         ”                                22/6/18    12/7/18
   Hamel          ”                                13/8/18    20/8/18
   Courcelles     ”                                11/9/18    28/9/18



III. STRENGTH STATEMENT SHEWING:―

(a.) _Total Number of_:―

        Officers.   O.R.
    1.     15      429  Who have served to 11/11/18.
    2.     15      405    ”         ”   in France to 11/11/18.
    3.      4       46    ”         ”   throughout in France to 11/11/18.


(b). _Total Action Casualties_:―

        Officers.   O.R.
    1.                23  Killed in action, etc.
                           _Note._―1 O.R. not shewn in Total was
                                    accidentally killed.
    2.      6         78  Wounded in action.
                           _Note._―2 O.R. not shewn in Total were
                                    accidentally wounded.
    3.    Nil        Nil  Prisoners, etc.


(c). _Total Sickness Casualties_:―

        Officers.   O.R.
    1.               2    Died of Disease.
    2.               7    Invalided to Australia, etc.
    3.     6       432    Evacuated to Field Ambs. in France.


(d). _Summary shewing the following proportions_:―

              (Officers and O.R. in percentages).
        Officers.   O.R.
    1.             5·67%   Killed to Total (a) 2.
    2.     40%    17·78%  Wounded to Total (a) 2.
    3.                    Prisoners to Total (a) 2.
    4.             ·493%  Died to Total (a) 2.
    5.             ·466%    ”       ”   (a) 1.
    6.             1·72% Invalided to Total (a) 1.



IV. STATEMENT OF NUMBER OF PRISONERS, etc.

                     Nil.



V. STATEMENT SHEWING:―

  Average age of Other Ranks who embarked on 31/5/16        34·57 years.
  Percentage of above:―  _Married_ 33·64%;  _Single_ 64·57%;
                         _Widowers_ 1·80%.


  Average age of Other Ranks serving on 11/11/18             30·5 years.
  Percentage of above:―_Married_ 28·5%; _Single_ 71·1%; _Widowers_ ·4%.
  Average Service of above in A.I.F.                        29·4 months.
  Average Service of above in the Field                       13 months.



VI. STATEMENT OF OFFENCES, etc., etc.―

  ----------------------------------+------------+----------+----------
                                    |Present with|In France |
          Nature of Offence.        |   Unit In  | but not  |Elsewhere.
                                    |   France.  | present  |
                                    |            |with Unit.|
  ----------------------------------+------------+----------+----------
  a. Desertion or absence to avoid  |            |          |
       an action                    |      ―     |     ―    |     ―
  a.a. Desertion or absence not     |            |          |
       held to be disgraceful       |      9     |     1    |    12
  b. Offences against discipline―   |            |          |
       showing insubordination      |      ―     |     ―    |     2
  b.b. Offences amounting to neglect|      5     |     ―    |     ―
  c. Offences against property      |            |          |
       (theft, destruction, etc.)   |      ―     |     ―    |     ―
  d. Drunkenness                    |      ―     |     ―    |     1
  e. Miscellaneous                  |      ―     |     ―    |     ―
  ----------------------------------+------------+----------+----------
          Total                     |     14     |     1    |    15
  ----------------------------------+------------+----------+----------



VII. “ROLL OF HONOUR,” for Service with the Unit.

  -----+--------+----------------+--------+--------------------------------
  Reg. |  Rank. |     Name.      |Honours |           Remarks.
   No. |        |                |  and   |      Date and Operation.
       |        |                |Rewards.|
  -----+--------+----------------+--------+--------------------------------
       |  Major |R. J. Donaldson | D.S.O. |(A.I.F. List No. 340 of 4/6/18)
       |    ”   |O. B. Williams  |  M.C.  |(A.I.F. List No. 427 of 1/1/19).
       | Lieut. |W. H.Thomas     |  M.C.  |On 7/6/17 at Messines.
       |    ”   |H. St. A. Murray|  M.C.  | ” 4/10/17 at Ypres.
   9438| C.S.M. |Brodie, G. C.   | D.C.M. | ”    ”     ”   ”
   9588| 2/Cpl. |Atkins, C. P.   | M.S.M. | ”    ”     ”   ”
   9676|  Spr.  |Stark, W.       |  M.M.  | ” 5/6/17 at Plœgsteert Wood.
   9655|  Dvr.  |Paget, A. A.    |  M.M.  | ” 7/6/17 at Messines.
       |(L/Cpl.)|                |        |
   9521|  Spr.  |Jones, C. C.    |  M.M.  | ”    ”    ”    ”
       |(T.Cpl.)|                |        |
   9448| L/Cpl. |Evans, W. W.    |  M.M.  | ”    ”    ”    ”
   9509|  Spr.  |Bugden, F. C.   |  M.M.  | ” 4/10/17 at Ypres.
   9539| 2/Cpl. |Stewart, A. McL.|  M.M.  | ”    ”    ”    ”
       | (Cpl.) |                |        |
   9641| A/Cpl. |Mace, J. J.     |  M.M.  |On night 7/8-10/17 at Ypres.
       | (Cpl.) |                |        |
   9467| L/Cpl. |Toft, W. G.     |  M.M.  | ” 4/10/17 at Ypres.
   9722|  Dvr.  |Furniss, A. H.  |  M.M.  | ”    ”     ”   ”
   9522| L/Cpl. |Johns, W.       |  M.M.  | ” 30/3/18 at Sailly-le-Sec.
       |(T/Cpl.)|                |        |
   9579| Sergt. |Oliver, R. B.   |  M.M.  | ” 5/4/18 at Bouzencourt.
  15070|  Dvr.  |Cannell, J. H.  |  M.M.  | ” 24/4/18 at Bonnay.
   9697| Sergt. |Williams, H.    |  M.M.  | ” 22/8/18 near Bray-sur-Somme.
   3549|  Spr.  |Gallwey, F. V.  |  M.M.  | ” 29/9/18 S.W. of Le-Catelet.
  20429|   ”    |Chapman, R. E.  |  M.M.  | ”    ”      ”   ”       ”
  -----+--------+----------------+--------+--------------------------------
          _Note._ Rank shewn in brackets denotes present Rank.

   9514|  Spr.  |Collinson, F. G.|Belgium |On 6/12/17 at Le Bizet.
       |        |                |Croix de|
       |        |                | Guerre |
   9574|C.Q.M.S.|Whitrow, H. G.  | M.S.M. |(A.I.F. List No. 438 of 24/1/19)



VIII. “NOMINAL ROLL” of all ranks who have served continuously during
Service of Unit in France up to 11/11/18.

  Reg. No.       Rank.                     Name.

                  Major              R. J. Donaldson, D.S.O.
                 T/ ”                O. B. Williams.
                  Lieut.             R. W. Lahey.
                    ”                W. H. Thomas, M.C.

   9574          C.Q.M.S.            Whitrow, H. G.
   9591           Sergt.             Bayer, C. E.
   9473          F/ ”                O’Keeffe, H. J.
   9587            Cpl.              Ashmeade, F. J. L.
   9687          2/ ”                Vonbertouch, R.
   9507          L/ ”                Ainsworth. N. J.
   9586             ”                Andrews, F. L.
   9593             ”                Blaser, G.
   9512             ”                Baird, T. W.
   9543             ”                Cunningham, J. G.
   9544             ”                Doyle, J. L.
   9582             ”                Ive, A.
   9523             ”                King, A. G.
   9528             ”                Monaghan, H. H.
   9655             ”                Paget, A. A. (M.M.)
   9666             ”                Rogers, P. C.
   9674             ”                Spurr, R. U.
   9679             ”                Tassell, A. W.
   9685             ”                Treloar, A. F.
   9692             ”                Walker, G.
   9698             ”                Williams, R. F.
   9589            Spr.              Aubertin, H. G.
   9584            Dvr.              Abernethy, E. J.
   9592             ”                Beck, C. A.
   9600             ”                Bull, G. J.
   9612             ”                Cunningham, T. W.
   9440             ”                Clancey, M. J.
   9722             ”                Furniss, A. H. (M.M.)
   9449            Spr.              Graham, W. J.
   9628          .  ”                Harrip, E.
   9631            Dvr.              Hemple, W. J. T.
   9633            Spr.              Hollis, A. G.
   9548             ”                Johnson, J.
   9638             ”                Krollig, H. A.
   9643           L/Cpl.             March, H.
   9645            Dvr.              Moody, C. T.
   9718            Spr.              Merrett, W. B.
   9462            Dvr.              Monaghan, T.
   9651            Spr.              Olson, G. C.
   9664             ”                Richardson, H.
   9669             ”                Semmler, J. A.
   9675             ”                Stanley, M. J.
   9695            Dvr.              Way, F. W.
   9694             ”                Ward, W. R.
  10373             ”                Wilson, R. D.
   9700            Spr.              Wilson, J. G. W.

Average number of days leave in England:―Officers, 24. Other Ranks, 14.



IX. MUSTER ROLL to 31/12/18 of all Officers and O.R. shewing:―

                              OFFICERS.
  --------+------------------+----------+----------------+-----------+
          |                  |    a.    |       b.       |     c.    |
          |                  |  Date of |                |           |
   Rank.  |      Name.       |Enlistment|Date of Joining.| Date of   |
          |                  |          |                | Leaving.  |
          |                  |          |                |           |
  --------+------------------+----------+----------------+-----------+
   Capt.  |G. L. A. Thirkell |  26/8/14 |   23/12/17     |           |
  Lieut.  |R. G. Rutledge    |   8/6/15 |     4/2/18     |           |
    ”     |S. W. Matters     |   1/7/15 |Form’t’n of Coy.|           |
    ”     |R. W. Lahey       |  22/7/15 |       ”        |           |
    ”     |H. St. A. Murray  |  28/7/15 |       ”        |           |
    ”     |E. A. Robinson    | 30/10/15 |       ”        |           |
   Major  |R. J. Donaldson   |  1/12/15 |       ”        |           |
    ”     |O. B. Williams    | 31/12/15 |       ”        | 10/11/18  |
  Lieut.  |H. E. S. Melbourne|   4/1/16 |       ”        |           |
    ”     |R. F. Massie      |   2/2/16 |     6/6/18     |   3/8/18  |
    ”     |E. H. Rhodes      |  16/2/16 |    25/4/18     |           |
    ”     |H. C. Valentine   |  17/3/16 |    12/5/18     |           |
    ”     |J. M. Norton      |  23/3/16 |Form’t’n of Coy.|           |
    ”     |W. H. Thomas      |   1/5/16 |       ”        |           |
   Capt.  |G. Smith          |   2/9/15 |    21/9/18     | 10/11/18  |
  --------+------------------+----------+----------------+-----------+

                              OFFICERS.
  ------------------+------------+--------------------+----------------------
                    |     d.     |        e.          |          f.
                    |  Period of |                    |  Remarks, Promotions,
        Name.       |   Service  | Immediate Awards   |      and Honours,
                    |with Unit in|   and Wounds.      |     other than (e).
                    |the Field.  |                    |
  ------------------+------------+--------------------+----------------------
  G. L. A. Thirkell | 12m. 8d.   |                    |
  R. G. Rutledge    |  4m. 24d.  |                    |
  S. W. Matters     | 22m. 4d.   |Wounded 24/4/18     | To Lieut. 1/1/17.
  R. W. Lahey       | 25m. 3d.   |Wounded 14/12/16    |         ”
  H. St. A. Murray  | 18m. 1d.   |M.C. 4/10/17        |         ”
                    |            |Wounded 20/10/17    |
                    |            |Rem. on D.          |
  E. A. Robinson    | 19m. 3d.   |                    | 2/Lieut. 27/4/18.
                    |            |                    |   Lieut. 27/7/18.
  R. J. Donaldson   | 25m. 7d.   |                    | D.S.O., A.I.F. List
                    |            |                    |   340 of 4/6/18.
  O. B. Williams    | 23m. 16d.  |Wounded 31/5/18     | Captain 2/10/16.
                    |            |  Rem. on D.        |   Major 10/11/18.
                    |            |  M.C., A.I.F. List |
                    |            |  No. 427 of 1/1/19 |
  H. E. S. Melbourne| 15m. 21d.  |Wounded 24/4/18     | Sergt. 6/2/17.
                    |            |                    |   2/Lieut. 23/2/18.
                    |            |                    |   Lieut. 28/5/18.
  R. F. Massie      |  1m. 27d.  |                    | Lieut. 29/6/18.
  E. H. Rhodes      |  8m. 6d.   |                    | Lieut. 23/5/18.
  H. C. Valentine   |  7m. 19d.  |                    |
  J. M. Norton      | 18m. 10d.  |                    | Lieut. 1/1/17.
  W. H. Thomas      | 24m. 27d.  |M.C. 7/6/17         | 2/Lieut., A.I.F.
                    |            |  Wounded 21/6/17   |   List No. 136.
                    |            |                    |   Lieut. 12/5/17.
  G. Smith          |  1m. 19d.  |M.B.E. (A.I.F. List | Capt. 10/11/18.
                    |            |  No. 427 of 1/1/19)|   Transferred from
                    |            |                    |   Corps Workshops
                    |            |                    |   to 10th Fld. Coy.
  ------------------+------------+--------------------+--------------------
  _Note._―The Average Service of above in the Field 15·47 months.


                            OTHER  RANKS.
  ------+--------+------------------+--------+----------------+-----------+
        |        |                  |   a.   |       b.       |     c.    |
    Reg.|        |                  |Date of |                |           |
    No. |  Rank. |      Name.       |Enlist- |Date of Joining.|  Date of  |
        |        |                  | ment.  |                |  Leaving. |
        |        |                  |        |                |           |
  ------+--------+------------------+--------+----------------+-----------+
    422 | L/Cpl. |Meacock, L. K.    | 23/9/14|     9/4/17     |  25/10/18 |
   1919 |  Spr.  |Cliff, N. F.      | 10/2/15|    22/3/18     |  26/12/18 |
   9590 |   ”    |Bateman, S. D.    | 23/2/15|Form’t’n of Coy.|  15/12/17 |
   9574 | Q.M.S. |Whitrow, H. G.    |  4/3/15|       ”        |           |
     71 | Pte.   |Jenkin, F. H.     |  5/5/15|     1/3/17     |    4/2/18 |
   5350 |   ”    |Wright, C.        | 11/6/15|       ”        |    do.    |
   7822 | A/Cpl. |Denton, E. K.     | 21/7/15|    17/2/17     |  27/10/17 |
   2743 |  Spr.  |Lahey, N. A.      |  5/8/15|   23/11/16     |D’d of w’ds|
        |        |                  |        |                |    9/6/17 |
  14673 |   ”    |Law, D. A.        |  6/8/15|     9/4/17     |   10/6/17 |
   6296 |   ”    |McSweeney, B.     |  9/8/15|    11/2/17     |   25/3/18 |
  16634 |   ”    |Senn, L. A. F.    | 17/8/15|     9/4/17     |    5/8/17 |
   2568 |   ”    |Rundle, C. H.     | 20/8/15|   12/10/17     |   4/10/18 |
    454 | L/Cpl. |Wilson, T. H.     | 24/8/15|    25/8/17     |  10/12/18 |
   9515 |  Dvr.  |Collins, E. P.    | 30/8/15|Form’t’n of Coy.|  12/10/17 |
   3391 |  Spr.  |Barclay, D. R.    |  3/9/15|    11/2/17     |   11/9/17 |
   9523 | L/Cpl. |King, A. G.       |  6/9/15|Form’t’n of Coy.|           |
  18172 |  Dvr.  |Barton, R. D.     |  9/9/15|    19/3/18     |   24/7/18 |
   3952 |  Spr.  |Horne, A.         | 18/9/15|    13/2/17     |           |
   9434 | 2/Cpl. |Renwick, A. J.    | 22/9/15|Form’t’n of Coy.|   29/6/17 |
   9519 |  Dvr.  |Fuller, S. T.     | 29/9/15|       ”        |   25/9/17 |
   9471 |  Spr.  |Westlake, H.      | 2/10/15|       ”        |           |
   9432 | S/Sgt. |Barker, H. E. W.  | 5/10 15|       ”        |    6/2/17 |
   9573 |  Sgt.  |Thompson, W.      |10/10/15|Form’t’n of Coy.|   25/4/18 |
   9442 |  Dvr.  |Cawle, C.         |11/10/15|       ”        |           |
   2064 |   ”    |Russell, J. G.    |12/10/15|    17/9/17     |           |
   9507 | L/Cpl. |Ainsworth, N. W.  |13/10/15|Form’t’n of Coy.|           |
   456N |  Dvr.  |Cronon, J.        |16/10/15|    13/6/18     |  22/12/18 |
   9503 |  Sgt.  |Staples, A. H.    |   ”    |Form’t’n of Coy.|   22/9/18 |
   9542 |  Spr.  |Whitaker, N. A. F.|   ”    |       ”        |   30/3/17 |
   9613 |   ”    |Davies, W. L.     |22/10/15|       ”        |           |
   9463 |   ”    |McNamara, W. T.   |28/10/15|       ”        |    6/6/17 |
   8950 |   ”    |Cameron, D.       | 6/11/15|    12/10/17    |    3/1/18 |
   9581 |  Cpl.  |Sibbick, G. W.    | 7/11/15|Form’t’n of Coy.|   2/10/17 |
   9591 |  Sgt.  |Bayer, C. E.      |11/11/15|       ”        |           |
   9675 |  Spr.  |Stanley, M. J.    |13/11/15|       ”        |           |
   9448 |  Dvr.  |Clancey, M. J.    |16/11/15|       ”        |           |
   9517 |   ”    |Fletcher, A. W.   |20/11/15|       ”        |    9/7/17 |
   9458 |  Spr.  |Moore, W. P.      |   ”    |       ”        |           |
  14500 |  Dvr.  |McMillan, R. E.   |   ”    |    12/1/17     |   26/2/18 |
   484N |   ”    |Lowth, T. J.      |29/11/15|    24/1/18     |           |
   9466 | L/Cpl. |Scott, J. S.      |   ”    |Form’t’n of Coy.|           |
   9532 |  Spr.  |Mackay, G.        | 2/12/15|       ”        |           |
   9578 |  Cpl.  |Moore, J. R.      | 3/12/15|       ”        |  16/11/16 |
   9511 |  Spr.  |Barclay, A.       | 4/12/15|       ”        |    5/8/17 |
   6674 |   ”    |Lamb, H. P.       | 6/12/15|    11/2/17     |  12/12/18 |
   9543 | L/Cpl. |Cunningham, J. G. | 8/12/15|Form’t’n of Coy.|           |
   9529 |  Spr.  |Murray, D. A.     |   ”    |       ”        |    6/6/17 |
   9535 |   ”    |Pern, H. W.       | 9/12/15|       ”        |    7/4/17 |
   9444 |  Spr.  |Dahl, J.          |10/12/15|Form’t’n of Coy.|  24/12/16 |
   9508 |   ”    |Auld, A. L.       |11/12/15|       ”        |           |
  14867 |  Dvr.  |Gibson, T.        |   ”    |    10/6/17     |  15/10/17 |
   9454 |  Spr.  |Jackson, C. A.    |   ”    |Form’t’n of Coy.|  11/10/17 |
   9512 | L/Cpl. |Baird, T. W.      |13/12/15|       ”        |           |
   9468 |  Spr.  |Wegman, J.        |   ”    |       ”        |   23/5/18 |
   9603 |   ”    |Burnett, J. E.    |15/12/15|       ”        |  11/10/17 |
   9607 | L/Cpl. |Christie, T.      |   ”    |       ”        |    2/8/17 |
   9610 |  Spr.  |Coverlid, E.      |   ”    |       ”        |   24/6/17 |
  17617 |  Dvr.  |Eagar, D’A. H. S. |20/12/15|    12/2/18     |   21/4/18 |
   9689 |  Spr.  |Wade, W. J.       |   ”    |Form’t’n of Coy.|  15/11/16 |
   9604 |   ”    |Byrne, J.         |21/12/15|       ”        |  24/11/16 |
   9625 |   ”    |Hammond, A. J.    |   ”    |       ”        |           |
   9521 |  Cpl.  |Jones, C. C.      |22/12/15|       ”        |           |
   9436 |  Spr.  |Adamson, T. G.    |24/12/15|       ”        |           |
   9539 |  Cpl.  |Stewart, A. McN.  |   ”    |       ”        |           |
   9449 |  Spr.  |Graham, W. J.     |27/12/15|       ”        |           |
  10889 |  Dvr.  |Browning, R. J.   |28/12/15|       ”        |   7/12/16 |
   9448 | L/Cpl. |Evans, W. W.      |   ”    |       ”        |    9/6/17 |
   9518 |   ”    |Fowler, P. C.     |   ”    |       ”        |  23/11/17 |
   9722 |  Dvr.  |Furniss, A. H.    |22/12/15|Form’t’n of Coy.|           |
   9473 | F/Sgt. |O’Keeffe, J. H.   |   ”    |       ”        |           |
   9546 | L/Cpl. |Horne, M. J.      |31/12/15|       ”        |    5/8/17 |
   9533 |  Spr.  |Paxton, W. H.     |   ”    |       ”        |   16/2/17 |
   9692 | L/Cpl. |Walker, G.        |   ”    |       ”        |           |
   9451 |  Cpl.  |Hewitt, J.        |  3/1/16|       ”        |   30/9/18 |
   9459 | T2/Cpl.|Meeson, H. T.     |   ”    |       ”        |           |
   9688 |  Spr.  |Wachsmuth, H.     |   ”    |       ”        |  16/11/16 |
  15620 |   ”    |Wilson, A. W.     |   ”    |     9/4/17     |           |
  15066 |   ”    |Whitehead, A. H.  |   ”    |       ”        |           |
  10904 |  Dvr.  |White, W. R.      |   ”    |    28/6/17     |           |
   9602 |  Spr.  |Bunn, H.          |  4/1/16|Form’t’n of Coy.|   28/4/18 |
   9669 |   ”    |Semmler, J. A.    |   ”    |       ”        |           |
   9469 |   ”    |Walker, T. H.     |   ”    |       ”        |   30 3/18 |
   9470 |   ”    |Wilkes, W.        |   ”    |       ”        |           |
   9439 |   ”    |Band, A. H.       |  5/1/16|       ”        |           |
   9450 | T/Cpl. |Gray, G. W.       |   ”    |       ”        |  12/12/17 |
   9461 |  Spr.  |Marshall, W. J.   |   ”    |       ”        |   31/8/18 |
   9462 |  Dvr.  |Monaghan, T.      |   ”    |       ”        |   3/12/18 |
  19897 |  Spr.  |O’Sullivan, J.    |   ”    |       ”        |  19/12/16 |
   9662 |  Spr.  |Porteous, A. McK. |  5/1/16|Form’t’n of Coy.|  14/10/17 |
   9715 |   ”    |Symonds, H.       |   ”    |       ”        |           |
   9472 | T/Sgt. |Gardner, G. A.    |  6/1/16|       ”        |           |
  10900 |  Spr.  |Stevenson, J. H.  |   ”    |    29/3/17     |   3/12/18 |
   9686 |   ”    |Villepastour, H.L.|   ”    |Form’t’n of Coy.|           |
   9547 |   ”    |Lace, W. H.       |  7/1/16|       ”        |    6/6/17 |
  19588 |   ”    |Lyall, J.         |   ”    |   20/11/16     |           |
   9657 |  Dvr.  |Parham, B.        |   ”    |Form’t’n of Coy.|    8/6/17 |
   9464 |  Spr.  |Roberts, D.       |   ”    |       ”        |           |
   9465 |   ”    |Simpson, D. M.    |   ”    |       ”        |    6/6/17 |
   9433 | 2/Cpl. |Taylor, J.        |   ”    |       ”        |           |
   9694 |  Dvr.  |Ward, W. R.       |   ”    |       ”        |           |
   9438 | C.S.M. |Brodie, G. C.     | 10/1/16|       ”        |   26/8/18 |
  10882 |  Dvr.  |Burton, A. E. F.  |   ”    |    24/3/17     |           |
   9618 |  Spr.  |Emerson, J. J.    |   ”    |Form’t’n of Coy.|           |
        |        |                  |        |     5/8/18     |           |
   9544 |   ”    |Francey, S.       |   ”    |Form’t’n of Coy.|    6/7/17 |
   9660 |   ”    |Penrose, R. L.    |   ”    |       ”        |           |
   9522 | T/Cpl. |Johns, W.         | 11/1/16|       ”        |           |
   9524 |  Spr.  |Kennedy, J.       |   ”    |       ”        |   13/5/18 |
   2863 | 2/Cpl. |Newton, G. L.     | 11/1/16|   12/10/17     |           |
   9676 |  Spr.  |Stark, W.         |   ”    |Form’t’n of Coy.|   21/8/18 |
   9540 | L/Cpl. |West, B.          |   ”    |       ”        |           |
   9541 |  Spr.  |Wallace, W.       |   ”    |       ”        |   23/9/17 |
   9606 |   ”    |Castle, A. E.     | 12/1/16|       ”        |           |
   9443 |   ”    |Duckling, E. J.   |   ”    |       ”        |    9/6/17 |
   9447 |   ”    |Flay, E. C.       |   ”    |       ”        |   4/10/17 |
   9446 |   ”    |Gunn, N. A. J.    |   ”    |       ”        |   16/9/18 |
   9452 |  Dvr.  |Johnsen, J. A.    |   ”    |       ”        |           |
   9453 |  Spr.  |Jopling, J. V.    |   ”    |       ”        |   26/1/17 |
   9456 |   ”    |Melrose, J.       |   ”    |       ”        |           |
   9528 | L/Cpl. |Monaghan, H. H.   |   ”    |       ”        |           |
   9525 |  Spr.  |L’Estrange, T.    | 13/1/16|       ”        |   23/9/17 |
   9536 |  Dvr.  |Pope, J. G.       |   ”    |       ”        |           |
   9513 |  Spr.  |Cowe, J.          | 14/1/16|       ”        |   15/1/17 |
   9444 | L/Cpl. |Doyle, J. L.      |   ”    |       ”        |           |
   9617 |  Spr.  |Eley, C. T.       |   ”    |       ”        |    5/8/17 |
   9634 |  Dvr.  |Howe, H. W. C.    |   ”    |       ”        |  15/10/17 |
   9548 |  Spr.  |Johnson, J.       |   ”    |       ”        |           |
   3701 | L/Cpl. |Angell, A. N.     | 13/1/16|   24/11/17     |   21/9/18 |
   9436 |   ”    |Hutton, F. W.     | 15/1/16|Form’t’n of Coy.|   23/9/17 |
   9575 |  Cpl.  |Benham, C. B.     | 17/1/16|Form’t’n of Coy.|   13/6/18 |
   9601 |  Spr.  |Bunn,   G. L.     |   ”    |       ”        |           |
  10883 | L/Cpl. |Barrie, P. H.     |   ”    |       ”        |           |
   9627 |  Spr.  |Hansen, H. B.     |   ”    |       ”        |    3/9/18 |
   9718 |   ”    |Merrett, W. B.    |   ”    |       ”        |           |
   9467 | L/Cpl. |Toft, W. G.       |   ”    |       ”        |    5/4/18 |
   9534 |  Spr.  |Power, R.         | 19/1/16|       ”        |    6/6/17 |
   9597 |  Dvr.  |Bray, R. T.       | 20/1/16|       ”        |   25/8/18 |
   9649 |  Spr.  |McArthur, J. A.   |   ”    |       ”        |   28/1/17 |
   9530 | L/Cpl. |Monca, C. H.      |   ”    |       ”        |   14/5/18 |
   9592 |  Dvr.  |Beck, C. M. A.    | 21/1/16|       ”        |           |
   9509 |  Spr.  |Bugden, F. C.     |   ”    |       ”        |   14/5/18 |
   9516 |  Spr.  |Doyle, D. J.      | 21/1/16|       ”        |   23/9/17 |
   9633 |   ”    |Hollis, A. G.     |   ”    |       ”        |           |
   9520 |  Cpl.  |Hunt, W.          |   ”    |       ”        |  29/10/18 |
  10893 |  Spr.  |McLean, N.        |   ”    |    25/5/17     |           |
   9663 |  Cpl.  |Richards, H. E.   |   ”    |Form’t’n of Coy.|    5/8/17 |
   9537 |  Spr.  |Rooke, R. J.      |   ”    |       ”        |    2/4/17 |
   9572 | C.S.M. |Sloan, B.         | 21/1/16|Form’t’n of Coy.|           |
   9699 |  Spr.  |Williams, W. T. D.|   ”    |       ”        |   5/12/16 |
   9514 |   ”    |Collinson, F. G.  | 22/1/16|       ”        |           |
   9545 |   ”    |Horder, W.        |   ”    |       ”        |           |
   9460 |   ”    |Monk, E. T.       |   ”    |       ”        |           |
  10902 |   ”    |Townsley, A.      |   ”    |       ”        |   18/5/18 |
   9506 | 2/Cpl. |Darnell, T. E.    | 24/1/16|       ”        |   14/3/18 |
   9724 |  Dvr.  |Jones, S.         | 24/1/16|       ”        |           |
   9658 |   ”    |Pearce, A. V.     |   ”    |       ”        |           |
   9672 |   ”    |Smith, H. E.      |   ”    |       ”        |  29/10/17 |
   9455 | L/Cpl. |Kay, H. I.        | 25/1/16|       ”        |   18/5/18 |
   9457 |  Spr.  |Lenham, H.        |   ”    |       ”        |    9/6/17 |
   9702 |   ”    |Wiley, E.         |   ”    |       ”        |           |
   7411 |   ”    |Boys, A. A.       | 26/1/16|     9/4/17     |           |
   9644 |   ”    |Merrett, A. F.    |   ”    |Form’t’n of Coy.|           |
   9665 |  Dvr.  |Rogers, L. C.     | 27/1/16|       ”        |   4/10/17 |
   9666 | L/Cpl. |Rogers, P. C.     |   ”    |       ”        |           |
   9624 |  Spr.  |Hamilton, J. S.   | 28/1/16|       ”        |           |
   9719 |   ”    |Paine, G. T.      | 29/1/16|       ”        |   14/5/18 |
   9713 | L/Cpl. |Rushforth, J. H.  |   ”    |       ”        |   13/5/18 |
  10403 |  Spr.  |Harrap, A. S.     | 31/1/16|  In England    |    6/6/17 |
  14504 |  Dvr.  |Roots, D.         |   ”    |    24/3/17     |   15/3/18 |
  14683 |  Spr.  |Moore, W. J.      | 31/1/16|    11/2/17     |   17/2/17 |
  15070 |  Dvr.  |Cannell, J. H.    |  1/2/16|    16/6/17     |           |
   9615 |  Spr.  |East, H. B.       |   ”    |Form’t’n of Coy.|   18/4/17 |
   9679 | L/Cpl. |Tassell, A. W.    |   ”    |       ”        |           |
   9474 |  Spr.  |Gemmell, J.       |  2/2/16|       ”        |   5/12/16 |
   9668 |   ”    |Sandoe, C. C.     |   ”    |       ”        |           |
  15797 |   ”    |Clutterbuck, J. W.|  3/2/16|     9/4/17     |           |
   9622 |   ”    |Grayson, W. G     |   ”    |Form’t’n of Coy.|           |
   9636 | 2/Cpl. |Jackman, L. F.    |   ”    |       ”        |           |
  14957 |  Cpl.  |Nixon, C. E.      |   ”    |     9/4/17     |           |
   9571 | M/Sgt. |Russel, W.        |   ”    |Form’t’n of Coy.|  16/10/18 |
  14678 |  Dvr.  |Trowbridge, C. B. |   ”    |     5/2/17     |           |
   9687 | 2/Cpl. |Vonbertouch, R.   |   ”    |Form’t’n of Coy.|           |
   3862 |  Spr.  |Lovell, T. G.     |  4/2/16|   23/10/17     |           |
   9621 |   ”    |Francis, ―        |  7/2/16|Form’t’n of Coy.|  15/11/16 |
   9642 |   ”    |Machin, ―         |   ”    |       ”        |           |
   9648 |   ”    |Myhill, G. P.     |   ”    |       ”        |           |
   9670 |   ”    |Sinclair, A.      |   ”    |       ”        |   28/6/17 |
   9683 |   ”    |Thompson, C.      |   ”    |       ”        |  23/11/17 |
   9698 | L/Cpl. |Williams, R. F.   |   ”    |       ”        |           |
   9700 |  Spr.  |Wilson, G. W.     |   ”    |       ”        |  22/11/18 |
   9701 | L/Cpl. |Wright, J. R.     |  7/2/16|Form’t’n of Coy.|           |
  15132 |  Spr.  |Stubbington, F. W.|  8/2/16|     9/4/17     |   12/1/18 |
   9620 |   ”    |Forrest, E. C.    |  9/2/16|Form’t’n of Coy.|           |
   9586 | L/Cpl. |Andrews, F. L.    | 10/2/16|       ”        |           |
   9612 |  Dvr.  |Cunningham, T. W. |   ”    |       ”        |           |
   9611 |  T/Cpl.|Crawford, F. S.   |   ”    |       ”        |           |
   9717 |  Dvr.  |Kendall, W.       |   ”    |       ”        |    3/1/18 |
   9639 |  Spr.  |Lean, C.          |   ”    |       ”        |           |
   9643 | L/Cpl. |March, H.         |   ”    |       ”        |           |
   9645 |  Dvr.  |Moody, T. C.      |   ”    |       ”        |           |
   9646 |  Spr.  |Moore, B.         |   ”    |       ”        |   26/2/17 |
   9661 |   ”    |Petney, F. F. J.  | 10/2/16|      ”         |    6/6/17 |
   1818 |   ”    |Rowe, J. P.       | 11/2/16|   29/11/17     |           |
   9584 |  Dvr.  |Abernethy, E. J.  | 14/2/16|Form’t’n of Coy.|  10/11/18 |
  10250 |  Spr.  |Flannagan, M. J.  |   ”    |   23/11/16     |    6/6/17 |
   9582 | L/Cpl. |Ive, A. L.        |   ”    |Form’t’n of Coy.|           |
   9697 |  Sgt.  |Williams, H.      |   ”    |       ”        |           |
   9654 |  Spr.  |Olson, G. C.      | 15/2/16|       ”        |           |
   9623 | T2/Cpl.|Hamilton, J. M.   | 16/2/16|       ”        |           |
   9647 |  Spr.  |Murray, A. B.     |   ”    |       ”        |    4/2/17 |
   9656 | F/Sgt. |Pappin, J. L.     |   ”    |       ”        |    1/1/18 |
   9628 |  Spr.  |Harrip, E.        | 17/2/16|       ”        |           |
   9650 |  Cpl.  |McGrath, A. A.    |   ”    |       ”        |   23/7/18 |
   9674 | L/Cpl. |Spurr, R. U. P.   | 17/2/16|Form’t’n of Coy.|           |
   9596 |  Spr.  |Boyce, W. A. C.   | 18/2/16|       ”        |   22/5/18 |
   9651 |   ”    |McIlwain, S.      |   ”    |       ”        |   23/7/17 |
   9664 |  Spr.  |Richardson, H.    | 18/2/16|Form’t’n of Coy.|           |
   9703 |   ”    |Young, W.         |   ”    |       ”        |   14/5/18 |
   9600 |  Dvr.  |Bull, G. J.       | 19/2/16|       ”        |           |
   9608 | 2/Cpl. |Cleave, B.        |   ”    |       ”        |           |
   9690 |  Spr.  |Wakefield, B. B.  |   ”    |       ”        |  17/10/17 |
   9576 | C.S.M. |Brander, J. J.    | 21/2/16|       ”        |  12/12/17 |
   9594 |  Spr.  |Boettcher, W.G.K. |   ”    |       ”        |   15/5/18 |
  15305 |   ”    |Bowyer, A. E.     |   ”    |     9/4/17     |   20/7/18 |
   1822 |   ”    |Davey, G.         |   ”    |     2/3/17     |           |
   9709 |   ”    |James, T. A.      |   ”    |Form’t’n of Coy.|           |
   9667 |   ”    |Rivers, F. E.     |   ”    |    7/12/17     |   30/4/18 |
   9677 |  Dvr.  |Talbot, T.        |   ”    |Form’t’n of Coy.|    6/6/17 |
   9588 | 2/Cpl. |Atkins, C. P.     | 22/2/16|       ”        |   8/10/17 |
   9614 |   ”    |Dawe, B.          |   ”    |       ”        |           |
   9637 |  Spr.  |Kempson, C. H. A. |   ”    |       ”        |  23/11/17 |
   9579 |  Sgt.  |Oliver, R. B.     |   ”    |       ”        |    8/7/18 |
   9583 |  Cpl.  |Temple, B. H.     | 22/2/16|       ”        |  18/12/18 |
   9681 |  Sgt.  |Thomas, H. C.     | 22/2/16|Form’t’n of Coy.|           |
   9691 | L/Cpl. |Walden, L. J.     |   ”    |       ”        |   14/9/18 |
   9721 |  Dvr.  |Watkinson, F.     | 23/2/16|       ”        |   3/12/18 |
  15454 | L/Cpl. |O’Connor, T. E.   | 24/2/16|    16/6/17     |           |
   9635 |   ”    |Howitt, A.        | 25/2/16|Form’t’n of Coy.|           |
   9655 |   ”    |Paget, A. U.      |   ”    |       ”        |           |
   9693 |  Spr.  |Wannan, J. W.     |   ”    |       ”        |    1/5/17 |
   9593 | L/Cpl. |Blaser, G.        | 26/2/16|       ”        |           |
   9630 | M/Sgt. |Helling, J. A.    |   ”    |       ”        |           |
   9632 |  Spr.  |Henry, R. C.      | 28/2/16|       ”        |   8/10/17 |
   9587 |  Cpl.  |Ashmeade, F. J. L.| 29/2/16|       ”        |   4/12/18 |
   9505 |  Sgt.  |Campbell, H.      |   ”    |       ”        |   28/9/18 |
  17839 | L/Cpl. |Haddow, A.        | 29/2/16|   17/11/17     |           |
   9682 |   ”    |Thomas, W. C.     |   ”    |Form’t’n of Coy.|   12/8/18 |
  10984 |  Spr.  |Merton, C. H. T.  | 31/2/16|In England.     |    9/6/17 |
   9619 |  Dvr.  |Flannagan, W. H.  |  1/3/16|Form’t’n of Coy.|           |
   9685 | L/Cpl. |Treloar, A. F.    |   ”    |       ”        |           |
   1555 |   ”    |Hansford, R. G.   | 22/3/16|    21/7/17     |           |
   9714 |  Spr.  |Sutcliffe, J. H.  | 22/3/16|Form’t’n of Coy.|  14/10/18 |
   375A |   ”    |Curran, J.        | 3/3/16 |    30/9/17     |  24/12/18 |
   9631 |  Dvr.  |Hemple, W. J. T.  |   ”    |Form’t’n of Coy.|           |
   9671 | L/Cpl. |Smith, C.         |   ”    |       ”        |    1/9/18 |
   9673 |  Spr.  |Smith, M. M.      |   ”    |       ”        |           |
  15767 |   ”    |Salmon, C. F.     |   ”    |    10/6/17     |   4/10/17 |
   9641 |  Cpl.  |Mace, J. J.       |  4/3/16|Form’t’n of Coy.|           |
    431 |  Spr.  |Byatt, A.         |  6/3/16|    6/11/17     |           |
    392 |   ”    |McKay, D.         |   ”    |    30/9/17     |   30/6/18 |
  15334 |  Dvr.  |Matheson, G.      |   ”    |   12/10/17     |   17/7/18 |
  10292 | L/Cpl. |Lowe, W. H.       |  9/3/16|  In England.   |  15/10/18 |
   9720 |  Dvr.  |Rogers, J.        |  9/3/16|Form’t’n of Coy.|   23/9/17 |
   9589 |  Spr.  |Aubertin, H. G.   | 13/3/16|       ”        |           |
   9695 |  Dvr.  |Way, F. W.        | 16/3/16|       ”        |           |
   9659 | L/Cpl. |Pearce, W. H.     | 17/3/16|       ”        |  23/11/17 |
   9638 |  Spr.  |Krollig, A. J.    | 19/3/16|       ”        |           |
   9708 |   ”    |Boothey, S. F.    | 20/3/16|       ”        |           |
    375 |   ”    |Burbidge, P.      |   ”    |    30/9/17     |           |
   9609 |   ”    |Coombe, L. B.     |   ”    |Form’t’n of Coy.|           |
   9640 |   ”    |Leleu, F. E.      |   ”    |       ”        |   31/5/17 |
  10907 | L/Cpl. |McBain, G. J.     |   ”    |       ”        |           |
  15749 |  Dvr.  |Tibbits, E. C.    |   ”    |    20/3/18     |           |
   1143 |  Dvr.  |Cunningham, A. E. | 25/3/16|   23/11/16     |           |
    382 |  Spr.  |Gill, D. E.       | 26/3/16|   14/12/17     |   4/12/18 |
   9723 |   ”    |Coker, S. H.      | 27/3/16|Form’t’n of Coy.|           |
   2173 |   ”    |Hepworth, T.      |   ”    |     9/4/17     |  11/10/17 |
    388 |   ”    |Kennington, H.    |   ”    |    30/9/17     |           |
   1596 |E.R.Sgt.|Sharp, A. F.      | 27/3/16|   12/11/16     |           |
  10373 |  Dvr.  |Wilson, R. D.     |   ”    |   23/11/16     |           |
  16122 |  Spr.  |Chamberlain, P.   | 28/3/16|    16/6/17     |           |
   9712 |   ”    |Rawling, L. C.    | 30/3/16|Form’t’n of Coy.|    9/5/18 |
  16466 |   ”    |Geddes, J. C.     |   ”    |    10/6/17     |   15/6/18 |
  16482 |  Dvr.  |Gittins, A. H.    |  3/4/16|     ”          |  18/10/17 |
   3549 |  Spr.  |Gallwey, F. V.    |   ”    |   29/11/17     |           |
  15741 |   ”    |Whitfield, F. J.  |   ”    |     9/4/17     |           |
    480 |   ”    |Watson, H.        |   ”    |    25/8/17     |           |
  16797 |   ”    |Gees, H. W.       |  5/4/16|    30/9/17     |           |
  16481 |  Dvr.  |Gees, R. T.       |   ”    |     5/1/18     |           |
   9710 | L/Cpl. |Mackay, C. R.     |   ”    |Form’t’n of Coy.|           |
  16804 |  Dvr.  |Robinson, H. R.   |   ”    |    6/11/17     |           |
   9678 |  Spr.  |Tamlin, C. E.     |   ”    |Form’t’n of Coy.|           |
  15750 |  Dvr.  |Cover, W. C.      |  6/4/16|    18/5/17     |           |
    449 |  Spr.  |Hounam, E. T.     |   ”    |    16/8/17     |           |
  15769 |  Dvr.  |Thackeray, R. N.  |  6/4/16|    18/5/17     |           |
  17684 |  Spr.  |Campton, F.       | 12/4/16|     5/6/18     |   30/9/18 |
  15692 |  Spr.  |Bond, P. W.       | 17/4/16|     9/4/17     |           |
  15693 |   ”    |Bond, R. S.       |   ”    |       ”        |           |
  15485 |  Dvr.  |Connor, M.        | 20/4/16|     9/1/18     |   2/12/18 |
  15782 |  Spr.  |Selby, B.         | 25/4/16|     9/4/17     |           |
  15779 |   ”    |Hill, W. T.       | 26/4/16|       ”        |   12/4/18 |
   2710 |   ”    |Ross, J. J.       | 29/4/16|   15/11/17     |   12/8/18 |
    460 |   ”    |Morrow, C. J.     |  1/5/16|   14/12/17     |   27/5/18 |
   9706 |  Sgt.  |Marshall, G. W. J.|   ”    |Form’t’n of Coy.|   30/7/18 |
   9707 | 2/Cpl. |Serisier, F. W.   |   ”    |       ”        |   30/3/17 |
  16892 |  Spr.  |Hodgson, H. H.    |  2/5/16|     4/7/17     |   21/3/18 |
  16127 |   ”    |Hodge, W.         |  3/5/16|   19/10/17     |           |
  16136 |   ”    |Vasco, L.         |   ”    |   23/10/17     |   18/5/18 |
   1719 |   ”    |Allanson, S. A. H.|  4/5/16|     2/3/17     |           |
  16802 |  Dvr.  |Smith, W. V.      | 15/5/16|     6/1/18     |   16/2/18 |
   2682 |  Spr.  |Williams, J.      | 27/5/16|    29/8/18     |    7/9/18 |
   2904 |   ”    |Moran, F. E.      |  7/6/16|   15/11/17     |    5/5/18 |
   2862 |   ”    |Franck, R. H. H.  | 13/6/16|   29/10/17     |   26/9/18 |
   6520 |   ”    |Higgins, A. S.    | 14/6/16|    22/3/18     |           |
   3552 |   ”    |Porter, T. E.     |   ”    |   17/11/17     |  27/12/17 |
  17817 |  Dvr.  |Swinton, ―        |  3/7/16|   29/11/17     |  21/12/18 |
   3195 |  Spr.  |Clarke, C. L.     |  6/7/16|    30/9/17     |           |
   2950 |   ”    |Christensen, F. P.| 15/7/16|     6/9/17     |  31/12/18 |
  16783 |   ”    |Copland, G. N.    | 17/7/16|     4/7/17     |           |
   3454 |  Spr.  |McLaughlan, H.    | 17/7/16|   17/11/17     |   21/9/18 |
   2815 |   ”    |Adams, J. E. J.   | 28/7/16|     1/9/17     |           |
   3198 |   ”    |Dear, A. H.       | 31/7/16|    13/9/17     |   25/7/18 |
   9223 |  Dvr.  |Bennett, C. A.    | 30/8/16|   20/11/16     |  22/11/16 |
  17775 |  Spr.  |Dudley, C.        | 21/8/16|    6/11/17     |           |
  16794 |   ”    |Sologub, E.       | 26/8/16|     4/7/17     |           |
  16785 |   ”    |Dillow, A.        |  7/9/16|       ”        |    5/8/18 |
  18528 |  Dvr.  |Englert, A. O.    | 15/9/16|    19/2/18     |   30/6/18 |
  16658 |   ”    |Friend, J. A.     | 20/9/16|    10/6/17     |           |
  17792 |  Spr.  |Richardson, T.    |   ”    |    6/11/17     |  11/10/18 |
   6772 |  Dvr.  |Gleadhill, R. A.  | 24/2/16|    28/3/18     |           |
  17791 |  Spr.  |Russell, G. A.    | 27/9/16|    6/11/17     |   2/11/18 |
   3614 |   ”    |Jolly, G.         | 28/9/16|   29/10/17     |           |
  17793 |   ”    |Reynolds, R.      | 30/9/16|    6/11/17     |           |
  16637 |   ”    |Scott, C. W.      | 2/10/16|    27/6/17     |  31/12/17 |
  16277 |  Dvr.  |Jones, L. C.      | 3/10/16|    10/6/17     |   3/12/18 |
  18162 | L/Cpl. |Doyle, T. L.      | 6/10/16|    27/2/18     |           |
    877 |  Spr.  |Parkinson, V.     |11/10/16|   14/12/17     |           |
   3333 |   ”    |Darvall, A. H.    |12/10/16|    13/9/17     |   4/10/17 |
  17692 |   ”    |Dwyer, W. J.      |   ”    |   17/11/17     |  19/12/17 |
  17788 |   ”    |Poulton, H.       |   ”    |     9/2/18     |           |
  16859 |  Dvr.  |Campbell, W.      |16/10/16|   13/10/17     |           |
   2399 |  Spr.  |Piggott, L. J.    |   ”    |    25/4/18     |           |
  16838 |   ”    |Setchell, A. W.   |   ”    |     4/7/17     |           |
  16683 |  Dvr.  |Tyrrell, J.       |   ”    |    16/6/17     |           |
  17238 |  Dvr.  |Carmichael, A. B. |23/10/16|     4/6/18     |    2/8/18 |
  16977 |  Spr.  |Greenwood, F. G.  |   ”    |     4/7/17     |   23/4/18 |
  16891 |   ”    |Hyndman, J.       |   ”    |       ”        |           |
  16985 | L/Cpl. |Hudson, H. L.     |   ”    |    13/7/17     |   29/9/18 |
  16877 |  Dvr.  |O’Brien, G.       |   ”    |   14/12/17     |    9/1/18 |
  16684 |  Spr.  |Turner, J.        |   ”    |    16/6/17     |           |
  17711 |   ”    |Wheeler, H. S.    |   ”    |   17/11/17     |           |
    878 |   ”    |Parkinson, J. P.  |24/10/16|    9/12/17     |   26/9/18 |
  17771 |   ”    |Ashton, E. H.     |27/10/16|    6/11/17     |           |
   3188 |   ”    |Oldham, E.        |28/10/16|   29/11/17     |           |
  16973 |   ”    |Griffiths, H. M.  |30/10/16|     4/7/17     |           |
   3419 |   ”    |Pugh, V. G. A.    |   ”    |     1/9/17     |   14/5/18 |
  17737 |   ”    |Sams, S. E. B.    |   ”    |    6/11/17     |           |
  16882 |  Dvr.  |Swan, W. P.       |   ”    |   14/12/17     |           |
   3347 |  Spr.  |Gordon, J. K.     | 4/11/16|   12/10/17     |           |
  17390 |   ”    |McCulloch, H.     | 6/11/16|   14/12/17     |   26/9/18 |
  17401 |   ”    |Smith, W. G.      |   ”    |    6/11/17     |           |
   3431 |   ”    |Seller, T.        |   ”    |       ”        |  21/12/18 |
    866 |   ”    |Regan, T. R. W.   | 8/11/16|   14/12/17     |           |
  17403 | L/Cpl. |Stewart, A.       | 9/11/16|    6/11/17     |           |
  19754 |  Spr.  |Wilkins, H. W.    |13/11/16|    18/4/18     |   28/9/18 |
   3488 |   ”    |Winston, R. H.    |15/11/16|   29/11/17     |   27/7/18 |
  17696 |   ”    |McCormac, E. T.   |20/11/16|    6/11/17     |  20/11/18 |
   3634 |   ”    |McMurray, N.      |21/11/16|       ”        |           |
  17734 |  Spr.  |Rivers, C. F.     |21/11/16|    6/11/17     |           |
  18526 |  Dvr.  |Dickson, B. C.    |22/11/16|    19/2/18     |           |
  17702 |  Spr.  |McEvoy, W. H.     |11/12/16|    6/11/17     |           |
  17265 |  Dvr.  |Simpson, J. McN.  |   ”    |    24/1/18     |           |
  17266 |   ”    |Simpson, W. B.    |11/12/16|    24/1/18     |           |
  17726 |   ”    |Ward, R. M.       |   ”    |       ”        |           |
  16955 |  Spr.  |Cameron, C. M. G. |23/12/16|     4/7/17     |           |
   3391 |   ”    |Cherry, L. T.     |30/12/16|   15/12/17     |   12/5/18 |
   3676 |   ”    |Ingram, G. A.     |   ”    |   17/11/17     |           |
   7724 |E.R.Sgt.|Wilson, A. A.     |        |    11/9/18     |           |
  19472 |  Spr.  |Russell, C.       |  3/1/17|    25/4/18     |           |
  18721 |  Dvr.  |Mannix, T. L.     | 20/1/17|    19/2/18     |   22/5/18 |
  18285 |   ”    |McSweeney, J. H.  | 23/1/17|    19/3/18     |           |
    875 |  Spr.  |Jones, T. C. A.   | 30/1/17|    6/11/17     |   30/6/18 |
  18533 |  Dvr.  |Pashley, G.       |  5/2/17|    19/2/18     |           |
  18286 |   ”    |Mealing, J.       | 17/2/17|       ”        |           |
  18258 |  Spr.  |Steel, H. E.      |   ”    |    12/2/18     |           |
  18222 |   ”    |Fraser, S.        | 19/2/17|    19/2/18     |           |
  18283 |  Dvr.  |Kingsbury, S. G.  |   ”    |     4/6/18     |  26/10/18 |
  18643 |  Spr.  |Newton, T. A.     |   ”    |     2/2/18     |   27/8/18 |
  18730 |   ”    |Leach, W. H.      | 23/2/17|       ”        |           |
  19473 |   ”    |Scales, J. H.     | 24/2/17|    25/4/18     |           |
  18764 |  Dvr.  |Kilcup, H.        | 28/2/17|     4/6/18     |           |
  18614 |  Spr.  |Brown, A. W.      |  1/3/17|     9/2/18     |   30/9/18 |
  18680 |  Dvr.  |Burke, W.         |   ”    |     4/6/18     |  12/10/18 |
  18647 |  Spr.  |Reid, J.          |  6/3/17|    27/2/18     |   23/5/18 |
  18645 |   ”    |Page, A. R.       | 12/3/17|     9/2/18     |   6/11/18 |
  19999 |   ”    |Jenkin, J.        | 11/4/17|     5/6/18     |           |
  19519 |   ”    |Fox, H. J.        | 19/4/17|    13/6/18     |           |
  19919 |   ”    |Robertson, H.R.R. | 20/4/17|     5/6/18     |           |
  19653 |   ”    |Saward, G. D.     | 21/4/17|       ”        |           |
  19645 |   ”    |Jones, A. J. V.   | 24/4/17|    25/4/18     |           |
  19294 |   ”    |Grummet, A. E.    |  7/5/17|     5/6/18     |   22/7/18 |
  20382 |   ”    |Ford, J.          |  8/6/17|    13/6/18     |   21/9/18 |
  20419 |   ”    |Reed, E. E.       |   ”    |     5/6/18     |   26/9/18 |
  20265 |   ”    |Hyde, A. E.       | 12/5/17|    13/6/18     |           |
  20098 |   ”    |Cadwallader, C. P.| 12/5/17|    18/6/18     |           |
  18970 |   ”    |Paxton, W.        | 23/6/17|     5/6/18     |           |
  19510 |   ”    |Chandler, T. A.   |  1/6/17|    18/6/18     |  21/12/18 |
  19512 |   ”    |Dale, R. H.       |  4/6/17|   14/10/18     |           |
  20005 |   ”    |Spencer, ――       |  9/6/17|    13/6/18     |   30/9/18 |
  21767 |   ”    |Griffiths, G. H.  | 12/6/17|   14/10/18     |           |
  20001 |   ”    |Melville, F. J.   | 12/6/17|     5/6/18     |           |
  19897 |   ”    |Kent, E. C.       | 20/6/17|       ”        |           |
  20383 |   ”    |Fraser, A.        | 25/6/17|    12/6/18     |           |
  19815 |   ”    |Goddard, H.       |  2/7/17|     5/6/18     |   26/9/18 |
  19286 |   ”    |Faulkner, J. A.   |  5/7/17|       ”        |           |
   3582 |   ”    |Larson, J. E.     |   ”    |    22/7/18     |           |
  19891 |   ”    |Gordon, F. M.     |  9/7/17|     5/6/18     |           |
  20216 |   ”    |Smith, C. B.      | 19/7/17|       ”        |           |
  29377 |  Spr.  |Blake, R. A.      | 13/8/17|    13/6/18     |   8/11/18 |
  21791 |   ”    |Hughes, H. C.     | 30/8/17|   14/10/18     |           |
  21792 |   ”    |Hughes, E. R.     |   ”    |       ”        |           |
  21796 |   ”    |Jacobsen, S.      |   ”    |       ”        |           |
  21738 |   ”    |Dibble, J. J.     | 14/9/17|       ”        |  22/12/18 |
  21754 |   ”    |Finch, W. O.      |15/10/17|       ”        |           |
  20429 |   ”    |Chapman, R. E.    |26/10/17|     5/6/18     |           |
  21679 |   ”    |Anderson, E. E.   | 3/11/17|   14/10/18     |           |
  21396 |  Sgt.  |Korner, H. C. R.  |15/12/17|     5/8/18     |           |
  22136 |  Spr.  |Patterson, R.     |        |   14/10/18     |  14/11/18 |
  (Note)|        |                  |        |                |           |
   9598 |   ”    |Brown, E. C.      |        |Form’t’n of Coy.|           |
        |  Dvr.  |Noghran, J.       |        |       ”        |           |
  ------+--------+------------------+--------+----------------+-----------+

                             OTHER  RANKS.
 -----------------+----------+----------------+---------------------------
                  |    d.    |       e.       |            f.
                  |Period of |                |
      Name.       |Service   |Immediate Awards|Remarks, Promotions, and
                  |with Unit | and Wounds.    | Honours, other than (e).
                  |in the    |                |
                  |Field.    |                |
  ----------------+----------+----------------+---------------------------
  Meacock, L. K.  | 18m.     |                |To L/Cpl. 5/10/17  (1914
                  |          |                |  Personnel) on leave U.K.
  Cliff, N. F.    |  6m.     |                |(1915 Personnel)
  Bateman, S. D.  |  1m. 7d. |                |Invalided to Australia.
  Whitrow, H. G.  | 25m. 7d. |M.S.M. (A.I.F.  |
                  |          |  List No. 438) |
  Jenkin, F. H.   | 11m. 3d. |                |Transferred to 11th F.A.
  Wright, C.      |  8m. 11d.|                |      ”          ”
  Denton, E. K.   |  8m. 10d.|                |To 2/Cpl. 5/8/17.
      _Note._―Transferred to A.F.C.           |  To A/Cpl. 31/7/17.
  Lahey, N. A.    |  6m. 15d.|Wounded 9/6/17  |
  Law, D. A.      |  2m. 1d. |                |To Hospital.
  McSweeney, B.   | 13m. 14d.|                |    ”
  Senn, L. A. F.  |  3m. 26d.|                |Transferred to A.F.C.
  Rundle, C. H.   |  1m. 20d.|Wounded 15/10/17|To Hospital.
  Wilson, T. H.   | 15m. 15d.|                |To L/Cpl. 21/3/18. To Hos.
  Collins, E. P.  |  9m. 9d. |Wounded 12/10/17|Invalided.
  Barclay, D. R.  |  7m.     |                |Invalided to Australia.
  King, A. G.     | 25m. 7d. |                |To L/Cpl. 9/10/17.
  Barton, R. D.   |  4m. 5d. |                |Invalided to Australia.
  Horne, A.       |  9m. 8d. |                |
  Renwick, A. J.  |  7m. 5d. |                |Killed in Action.
  Fuller, S. T.   | 10m. 1d. |                |Transferred to 5th Aus. D.A.C.
  Westlake, H.    |  4m. 26d.|                |
  Barker, H. E. W.|  1m. 1d. |                |To S/Sgt. Transferred to Base
                  |          |                |  Records, France.
  Thompson, W.    | 16m. 4d. |                |To Hospital.
  Cawle, C.       | 16m. 4d. |                |
  Russell, J. G.  | 15m. 14d.|                |
  Ainsworth, N. W.| 25m. 7d. |                |To L/Cpl. 6/7/18.
  Cronon, J.      |  3m. 9d. |                |To Dvr. 30/3/17. To Hos.
  Staples, A. H.  | 22m. 5d. |Wounded 29/9/18 |To Cpl. 30/9/17. To Sgt.
                  |          |                |  8/10/18.
  Whitaker, N.A.F.|  1m. 7d. |                |To Hospital.
  Davies, W. L.   |          |                |Left behind in England.
  McNamara, W. T. |  3m. 25d.|Wounded 6/6/17  |Invalided to Aust.
  Cameron, D    . |  2m. 21d.|                |To Hospital.
  Sibbick, G. W.  | 10m. 8d. |Wounded 2/10/17 |Invalided to Aust.
  Bayer, C. E.    | 25m. 7d. |                |To Cpl. 7/5/17.
                  |          |                |  To Sgt. 25/5/18.
  Stanley, M. J.  | 25m. 7d. |                |
  Clancey, M. J.  | 25m. 7d. |                |
  Fletcher, A. W. |  7m. 15d.|                |To Hospital.
  Moore, W. P.    |          |                |Left behind in England.
  McMillan, R. E. | 14m. 7d. |                |To Hospital
  Lowth, T. J.    | 11m. 7d. |                |To Dvr. 30/3/17.
  Scott, J. S.    | 18m. 9d. |                |To L/Cpl. 1/9/17.
  Mackay, G.      | 23m. 22d.|Wounded 7/4/17  |
  Moore, J. R.    |          |                |Transferred to R.A.F.
  Barclay, A.     |  8m. 11d.|                |Transferred to A.F.C.
  Lamb, H. P.     | 22m. 1d. |                |Transferred to A.G.B.D.
  Cunningham, J.G.| 25m. 7d. |                |To L/Cpl. 6/7/18.
  Murray, D. A.   |  6m. 12d.|                |Killed in Action.
  Pern, H. W.     |  4m. 13d.|                |Invalided to Aust.
  Dahl, J.        |  1m.     |                |Killed in Action.
  Auld, A. L.     | 24m. 9d. |Wounded 11/4/17 |
  Gibson, T.      |  2m. 1d. |Wounded 15/10/17|To Dvr. 13/3/17.
  Jackson, C. A.  |  7m. 12d.|                |Invalided to Aust.
  Baird, T. W.    | 25m. 7d. |                |To L/Cpl. 6/7/18.
  Wegman, J.      | 14m. 28d.|                |Invalided.
  Burnett, J. E.  | 10m. 17d.|Wounded 11/10/17|Invalided to Aust.
  Christie, T.    |  9m. 8d. |                |To L/Cpl. 1/1/17. Invalided.
  Coverlid, E.    |  7m.     |                |Invalided to Australia.
  Eagar, D’A.H.S. |  1m. 13d.|                |Invalided.
  Wade, W. J.     |          |                |Invalided to Aust.
  Byrne, J.       |          |                |  ”         ”
  Hammond, A. J.  | 24m. 10d.|                |
  Jones, C. C.    | 23m. 23d.|M.M. on 7/6/17  |To L/Cpl. 6/7/17. To 2/Cpl.
                  |          |Messines. Wounded| 9/1/18. To Cpl. 29/10/18.
                  |          |Gas 26/5/18     |
  Adamson, T. G.  | 15m. 5d. |                |
  Stewart, A. McN.| 17m. 20d.|Wounded 8/10/17 |To 2/Cpl. 17/5/17. To Cpl.
                  |          |M.M. on 4/10/17 |  8/10/18.
                  |          |  at Ypres      |
  Graham, W. J.   | 25m. 7d. |                |
  Browning, R. J. |     13d. |                |Invalided to Aust.
  Evans, W. W.    |  6m. 15d.|Wounded 9/6/17  |To L/Cpl. 16/5/17. To Hos.
                  |          |  M.M. on 7/6/17|
                  |          |  Messines      |
  Fowler, P. C.   | 11m. 29d.|                |To L/Cpl. 25/12/16. Invalided
                  |          |                |  to Aust.
  Furniss, A. H.  | 25m. 7d. |M.M. on 4/10/17 |
                  |          |  at Ypres      |
  O’Keeffe, J. H. | 25m. 7d. |                |To F/Sgt. 1/1/18.
  Horne, M. J.    |  8m. 11d.|                |Transferred to A.F.C.
  Paxton, W. H.   |  2m. 22d.|Wounded 16/2/17 |Died of wounds same day.
  Walker, G.      | 25m. 7d. |                |To L/Cpl. 1/12/17.
  Hewitt, J.      | 22m. 6d. |Wounded 30/9/18 |To L/Cpl. 31/7/17. To 2/Cpl.
                  |          |                |  27/10/17. To Cpl. 24/5/18.
                  |          |                |  Invalided to Aust.
  Meeson, H. T.   | 23m. 5d. |                |To L/Cpl. 24/1/18 To T2/Cpl.
                  |          |                |  29/10/18.
  Wachsmuth, H.   |          |                |Left behind in England.
  Wilson, A. W.   | 14m. 5d. |                |
  Whitehead, A. H.| 20m. 22d.|                |
  White, W. R.    | 18m. 3d. |                |
  Bunn, H.        | 17m. 4d. |                |To Hospital.
  Semmler, J. A.  | 26m. 7d. |                |
  Walker, T. H.   | 15m. 29d.|                |Invalided to Aust.
  Wilkes, W.      |          |                |Left behind in England.
  Band, A. H.     | 24m. 16d.|                |
  Gray, G. W.     | 11m. 6d. |Wounded 12/12/17|To L/Cpl. 6/2/17. To 2/Cpl.
                  |          |                |  16/2/17. To T/Cpl. 6/12/17.
                  |          |                |  Died of W’nds same day.
  Marshall, W. J. | 21m. 7d. |Injured accid’tally |To Hospital.
                  |          |  31/8/18       |
  Monaghan, T.    | 24m. 9d. |                |Transferred to A.G.B.D.
  O’Sullivan, J.  |     25d. |                |To Hospital.
  Porteous, A.McK.| 10m. 20d.|                |Invalided to Aust.
  Symonds, H.     |          |                |Transferred to C.R.E.
  Gardner, G. A.  | 21m. 21d.|Wounded 13/9/18 |To L/Cpl. 31/7/17. To 2/Cpl.
                  |          |                |  13/12/17. To Cpl 25/7/18.
                  |          |                |  To T/Sgt. 29/10/18.
  Stevenson, J. H.| 16m. 15d.|                |Transferred to A.G.B.D.
  Villepastour, H.L.|        |                |Invalided to Aust.
  Lace, W. H.     |  6m. 12d.|Wounded 6/6/17  |Invalided to Aust.
  Lyall, J.       | 15m. 17d.|Wounded 4/10/17 |
  Parham, B.      | 17m. 6d. |                |To Hos. A.W.L. from 22/10/18.
  Roberts, D.     |          |                |Left behind in England.
  Simpson, D. M.  |  6m. 12d.|                |Killed in action.
  Taylor, J.      |          |                |Left behind in England.
  Ward, W. R.     | 25m. 7d. |Wounded 24/4/18 |
                  |          |  Rem. on D.    |
  Brodie, G. C.   | 21m. 2d. |Wounded 12/12/17|To Sgt. 1/12/17. To C.S.M.
                  |          |Rem. on D. D.C.M.|  13/3/18. Died of wounds
                  |          |on 4/10/17 at Ypres| same day.
                  |          |Wounded 26/8/18 |
  Burton, A. E. F.| 25m. 7d. |                |
  Emerson, J. J.  |  4m. 26d.|                |Left behind in England.
  Francey, S.     |  7m. 13d.|                |Killed in action.
  Penrose, R. L.  | 24m. 1d. |                |
  Johns, W.       | 20m. 5d. | Wounded 6/7/17 | To L/Cpl. 17/5/17. To 2/Cpl.
                  |          | M.M. on 30/3/18| 13/4/18.
                  |          |at Sailly-le-Sec.| To T/Cpl. 16/12/18.
  Kennedy, J.     | 17m. 19d.|                |Invalided to Aust.
  Newton, G. L.   | 14m. 19d.|                |To L/Cpl. 6/7/18.  To 2/Cpl.
                  |          |                |    16/12/18.
  Stark, W.       | 15m. 20d.|M.M. on 5/6/17 at|Invalided to Aust.
                  |          |Plœgsteert Wood |
  West, B.        | 24m. 22d.|                |To L/Cpl. 6/7/18.
  Wallace, W.     |  9m. 29d.|                |Transferred to A.G.B.D.
  Castle, A. E.   | 24m. 25d.|Wounded 2/10/17 |
                  |          | Rem. on  D.    |
                  |          |Wounded 15/10/17|
  Duckling, E. J. |  6m. 15d.|                |Killed in Action.
  Flay, E. C.     | 10m. 10d.|                |   ”        ”
  Gunn, N. A. J.  | 10m. 1d. |                |To Hospital.
  Johnsen, J. A.  | 23m. 3d. |                |
  Jopling, J. V.  |  2m. 2d. |                |Invalided to Aust.
  Melrose, J.     |          |                |Left behind in England.
  Monaghan, H. H. | 25m. 7d. |                |To L/Cpl. 6/7/18.
  L’Estrange, T.  |  8m.     |                |Invalided to Aust.
  Pope, J. G.     |          |                |Left behind in England.
  Cowe, J.        |  1m. 21d.|                |Invalided to Aust.
  Doyle, J. L.    | 25m. 7d. |                |To L/Cpl. 18/6/18.
  Eley, C. T.     |  8m. 11d.|                |Transferred to A.F.C.
  Howe, H. W. C.  | 10m. 21d.|                |Killed in Action.
  Johnson, J.     | 25m. 7d. |                |
  Angell, A. N.   |  9m. 27d.|                |To L/Cpl. 6/7/18. Transferred
                  |          |                |  to Inf. Off. Training
                  |          |                |  Btn.
  Hutton, F. W.   |  9m. 29d.|                |Invalided to Aust.
  Benham, C. B.   | 11m. 12d.|                |Invalided to Aust.
  Bunn,   G. L.   | 21m. 28d.|                |
  Barrie, P. H.   | 23m. 21d.|                |To L/Cpl. 18/6/18.
  Hansen, H. B.   | 19m. 18d.|                |Injured accidentally.
                  |          |                |  Invalided to Aust.
  Merrett, W. B.  | 25m. 7d. |                |
  Toft, W. G.     | 16m. 11d.|Wounded 5/4/18  |To L/Cpl. 5/10/17.  To
                  |          |M.M. on 4/10/17 |Hospital.
                  |          |  at Ypres.     |
  Power, R.       |  6m. 12d.|                |Killed in action.
  Bray, R. T.     | 20m. 10d.|Wounded 10/6/17 |To Hospital.
  McArthur, J. A. |  2m. 1d. |                |Transferred to 3rd Div.
                  |          |                |  Sal. Corps.
  Monca, C. H.    | 17m. 11d.|                |To L/Cpl. 5/8/17.
                  |          |                |  Invalided to Aust.
  Beck, C. M. A.  | 25m. 7d. |                |
  Bugden, F. C.   | 16m. 22d.|M.M. on 4/10/17 |Invalided to Aust.
                  |          |Wounded 17/10/17|
  Doyle, D. J.    |  9m. 29d.|                |Invalided to Aust.
  Hollis, A. G.   | 25m. 7d. |                |
  Hunt, W.        | 23m. 5d. |                |To 2/Cpl. 13/9/17.  To Cpl.
                  |          |                |  13/4/18.  Transferred to
                  |          |                |  A.E.T.D.
  McLean, N.      | 19m. 6d. |                |
  Richards, H. E. |  4m. 19d.|                |To Cpl. 6/2/17. Transferred
                  |          |                |  to A.F.C.
  Rooke, R. J.    |  4m. 8d. |                |Killed in action.
  Sloan, B.       | 14m. 13d.|Wounded 7/2/17  |To C.S.M. 26/8/18.
  Williams, W.T.D.|      21d.|                |To Hospital.
  Collinson, F. G.| 19m.     |Wounded 24/2/17 |
                  |          |Croix-de-Guerre |
                  |          |(Bel.) on 6/12/17|
                  |          |  at La Bizet   |
  Horder, W.      | 15m. 16d.|Wounded 17/10/17|
                  |          |  and 30/5/18   |
  Monk, E. T.     | 19m. 8d. |Wounded 9/6/17  |
  Townsley, A.    | 17m. 24d.|Wounded 16/2/17 |Invalided to Aust.
                  |          |  Rem. on D.    |
  Darnell, T. E.  | 13m. 1d. |                |To 2/Cpl. 16/11/16. Invalided
                  |          |                |  to Aust.
  Jones, S.       | 23m. 16d.|Wounded 10/6/17 |
  Pearce, A. V.   | 22m. 25d.|                |
  Smith, H. E.    | 11m. 5d. |                |Transferred to 5th A.A.S.P.
  Kay, H. I.      | 17m. 24d.|                |Transferred to A.F.C.
  Lenham, H.      |  6m. 15d.|                |Killed in action.
  Wiley, E.       |          |                |Left behind in England.
                  |          |                |  Invalided to Aust.
  Boys, A. A.     | 17m. 25d.|Wounded 7/7/17  |
  Merrett, A. F.  | 22m. 27d.|                |
  Rogers, L. C.   | 10m. 10d.|Wounded 4/10/17 |Invalided to Aust.
  Rogers, P. C.   | 25m. 7d. |                |To L/Cpl. 6/7/18.
  Hamilton, J. S. | 23m. 15d.|Wounded 8/7/17  |
  Paine, G. T.    | 16m. 9d. |                |Invalided to Aust.
  Rushforth, J. H.| 17m. 19d.|                |To L/Cpl. 12/8/17. Invalided
                  |          |                |  to Aust.
  Harrap, A. S.   |  6m. 12d.|Wounded 6/6/17  |To Hospital.
  Roots, D.       |  8m. 14d.|                |To Hospital.
  Moore, W. J.    |       6d.|                |Transferred to 10th F. Coy.,
                  |          |                |  Aus. Engrs.
  Cannell, J. H.  | 18m. 4d. |M.M. on 24/4/18 |To Dvr. 13/3/17.
                  |          |  at Bonnay     |
  East, H. B.     |  4m. 24d.|Wounded 18/4/17 |Invalided to Aust.
  Tassell, A. W.  | 25m. 7d. |                |To L/Cpl. 6/7/18.
  Gemmell, J.     |     21d. |                |Invalided to Aust.
  Sandoe, C. C.   | 19m. 10d.|                |
  Clutterbuck, J.W.|17m. 19d.|Wounded 4/10/17 |
  Grayson, W. G   |          |                |Transferred to C.R.E.
  Jackman, L. F.  |          |                |Transferred to Min. of Muni’s.
  Nixon, C. E.    | 20m. 22d.|Wounded 22/8/18 |To L/Cpl. 5/10/17. To 2/Cpl.
                  |          |  Rem. on D.    |  30/12/17. To Cpl. 30/12/18.
  Russel, W.      | 23m. 22d.|                |Transferred to A.E.T.D.
  Trowbridge, C.B.| 11m. 29d.|Wounded 4/10/17 |
  Vonbertouch, R. | 25m. 7d. |                |To L/Cpl. 16/11/16. To 2/Cpl.
                  |          |                |  16/10/18.
  Lovell, T. G.   | 14m. 8d. |                |
  Francis, ―      |          |                |Invalided to Aust.
  Machin, ―g      | 17m. 21d.|                |
  Myhill, G. P.   | 15m. 28d.|Wounded 8/10/17 |
  Sinclair, A.    |  7m. 4d. |                |Invalided to Aust.
  Thompson, C.    | 11m. 29d.|                |   ”       ”
  Williams, R. F. | 25m. 7d. |                |To L/Cpl. 8/7/18.
  Wilson, G. W.   | 23m. 28d.|                |To Hospital.
  Wright, J. R.   | 17m. 13d.|Wounded 15/10/17|To L/Cpl. 7/5/17.
  Stubbington, F.W.| 9m. 3d. |                |Invalided to Aust.
  Forrest, E. C.  | 24m. 13d.|Wo’d’d 24/12/16 &|
                  |          |13/7/18 Rem. on D.|
  Andrews, F. L.  | 25m. 7d. |                |To L/Cpl. 6/7/18.
  Cunningham, T.W.| 25m. 7d. |                |
  Crawford, F. S. | 24m. 8d. |                |To 2/Cpl. 9/1/18. To T/Cpl.
                  |          |                |  29/10/18.
  Kendall, W.     | 13m. 29d.|                |Invalided to Aust.
  Lean, C.        | 24m. 26d.|                |
  March, H.       | 25m. 7d. |                |
  Moody, T. C.    | 25m. 7d. |                |
  Moore, B.       |  3m. 2d. |                |Invalided to Aust.
  Petney, F. F. J.|  6m. 12d.|                |Killed in action.
  Rowe, J. P.     |  3m. 15d.|                |
  Abernethy, E. J.| 23m. 16d.|                |To Hospital.
  Flannagan, M. J |  6m. 12d.|Wounded 6/6/17  |Invalided to Aust.
  Ive, A. L.      | 25m. 7d. |                |
  Williams, H.    | 17m. 3d. |Wounded 24/2/18 |To 2/Cpl. 7/5/17. To Cpl.
                  |          |M.M. on 22/8/18nr.|17/6/17. To Sgt. 30/7/18.
                  |          |Bray-sur-Somme  |
  Olson, G. C.    | 25m. 7d. |                |
  Hamilton, J. M. | 20m. 5d. |                |To T2/Cpl. 29/10/18
  Murray, A. B.   |  2m. 10d.|                |Invalided to Aust.
  Pappin, J. L.   | 11m. 9d. |                |    ”          ”
  Harrip, E.      | 25m. 7d. |                |
  McGrath, A. A.  | 19m. 14d.|                |Transferred to 44th A.I. Btn.
  Spurr, R. U. P. | 25m. 7d. |                |To L/Cpl. 23/8/18.
  Boyce, W. A. C. | 11m. 24d.|Wounded 10/6/17 |To Hospital.
                  |          |  and 22/5/18   |
  McIlwain, S.    |  7m. 29d.|                |To Hospital.
  Richardson, H.  | 25m. 7d. |                |
  Young, W.       | 17m. 20d.|                |Invalided to Aust.
  Bull, G. J.     | 25m. 7d. |                |
  Cleave, B.      | 23m. 2d. |                |To 2/Cpl. 25/7/18.
  Wakefield, B. B.| 10m. 13d.|Wounded 7/10/17 |Died of wounds same day.
  Brander, J. J.  | 12m. 18d.|Wounded 18/12/17|To O.S.M. 17/1/17. Invalided
                  |          |                |  to Aust.
  Boettcher, W.G.K.|14m. 7d. |Wounded 4/7/17  |To Hospital.
  Bowyer, A. E.   | 15m. 11d.|Injured 20/7/18 |To Hospital.
  Davey, G.       | 10m. 28d.|                |
  James, T. A.    |          |                |Transferred to C.R.E.
  Rivers, F. E.   |  4m. 23d.|                |Invalided to Aust.
  Talbot, T.      |  6m. 12d.|Wounded 6/6/17  |  ”          ”
  Atkins, C. P.   | 10m. 14d.|M.S.M. on 4/10/17| ”          ”
                  |          |  at Ypres.     |  To 2 Cpl. 7/5/17.
                  |          |Wounded 8/10/17 |
  Dawe, B.        | 24m. 7d. |                |To 2/Cpl. 30/7/18.
  Kempson, C.H.A. | 10m. 25d.|                |Transferred to A.G.B.D.
  Oliver, R. B.   | 19m. 14d.|M.M. on 5/4/18 at|To Sgt. 7/5/17.
                  |          |  Bouzencourt   |Transferred to Engr. Cdt.
                  |          |                |  Battn.
  Temple, B. H.   | 24m. 4d. |                |To Cpl. 13/4/18. Transferred
                  |          |                |  to H.Q., A.I.F., London.
  Thomas, H. C.   | 17m. 12d.|                |To Cpl. 17/6/17.  To Sgt.
                  |          |                |  28/12/18. Transferred to
                  |          |                |  A.E.T.D. 29/12/17.
  Walden, L. J.   | 21m. 20d.|                |To Hospital.
  Watkinson, F.   | 19m. 8d. |                |Transferred to A.E.T.D.
  O’Connor, T. E. | 18m. 15d.|                |To L/Cpl. 6/7/18.
  Howitt, A.      | 24m. 27d.|                |       ”
  Paget, A. U.    | 25m. 7d. |M.M. on 7/6/17  |To L/Cpl. 15/1/18.
                  |          |  Messines.     |
  Wannan, J. W.   |  4m. 16d.|                |Attached to C.R.E.
  Blaser, G.      | 25m. 7d. |                |
  Helling, J. A.  | 24m.     |                |To 2/Cpl. 14/6/18.  To Cpl.
                  |          |                |  23/7/18. To Sgt. 16/10/18.
  Henry, R. C.    |  9m. 18d.|Wounded 8/10/17 |Invalided to Aust.
  Ashmeade, F.J.L.| 24m. 10d.|                |To 2/Cpl. 23/7/18. To Cpl.
                  |          |                |  16/10/18. To Hospital.
  Campbell, H.    | 17m. 18d.|                |To Sgt. 30/9/18. Transferred
                  |          |                |  to A.E.T.D. 28/9/17.
                  |          |                |  Transferred to E.C. Btn.
  Haddow, A.      | 12m. 20d.|                |To L/Cpl. 6/7/18.
  Thomas, W. C.   | 20m. 19d.|                |To L/Cpl. 23/7/18. Killed in
                  |          |                |  action.
  Merton, C. H. T.|  4m.     |Wounded 8/1/17  |Killed in action 9/6/17.
  Flannagan, W. H.| 19m. 13d.|                |To L/Cpl. 23/7/18.
  Treloar, A. F.  | 25m. 7d. |                |Attached to C.R.E. To L/Cpl.
                  |          |                |  5/12/16.
  Hansford, R. G. | 17m. 10d.|                |Attached to C.R.E. To L/Cpl.
                  |          |                |  1/9/18.
  Sutcliffe, J. H.| 22m. 21d.|                |Transferred to Aus. Base Post
                  |          |                |  Office, for duty.
  Curran, J.      | 15m. 14d.|Injured 24/12/1 |To Hospital.
  Hemple, W. J. T.| 25m. 7d. |                |
  Smith, C.       | 18m. 3d. |                |Died in Hospital 31/12/18.
  Smith, M. M.    |          |                |Left behind in England.
                  |          |                |  Invalided to Aust.
  Salmon, C. F.   |  3m. 24d.|Wounded 4/10/17 |To Hospital.
  Mace, J. J.     | 22m. 24d.|M.M. on night of|To L/Cpl. 29/7/17. To 2/Cpl.
                  |          |7-8/10/17 at Ypres| 3/1/18. To Cpl. 30/7/18.
  Byatt, A.       | 13m. 25d.|                |
  McKay, D.       |  9m.     |                |To L/Cpl. 22/5/18.  Killed
                  |          |                |  Accidentally.
  Matheson, G.    |  9m.     |                |Injured accid’ntally. To Hos.
  Lowe, W. H.     | 21m. 7d. |                |To L/Cpl. 5/3/17.  Invalided
                  |          |                |  to Aust.
  Rogers, J.      |  9m. 29d.|                |Invalided to Aust.
  Aubertin, H. G. | 25m. 7d. |                |
  Way, F. W.      | 25m. 7d. |                |
  Pearce, W. H.   | 11m. 29d.|                |      ”        ”
  Krollig, A. J.  | 25m. 7d. |                |
  Boothey, S. F.  | 20m. 13d.|                |
  Burbidge, P.    | 14m. 3d. |                |
  Coombe, L. B.   | 24m. 7d. |                |Rejoined from Hos. 7/1/19.
  Leleu, F. E.    |  6m. 7d. |                |Killed in Action.
  McBain, G. J.   | 17m. 20d.|                |To Dvr. 28/11/16. To L/Cpl.
                  |          |                |  12/8/18.
  Tibbits, E. C.  |  7m. 26d.|                |
  Cunningham, A.E.| 18m. 23d.|                |To Dvr. 23/11/16.
  Gill, D. E.     | 10m. 1d. |Wounded 23/4/18 |To Hospital.
  Coker, S. H.    | 21m. 2d. |                |
  Hepworth, T.    |  4m. 19d.|                |Transferred to 3rd A.A.S.P.
  Kennington, H.  |  5m.     |                |
  Sharp, A. F.    | 22m.     |Wounded 6/3/17  |To L/Cpl. 5/10/17. To 2/Cpl.
                  |          |  and 6/10/17   |  30/12/18. To E.R. Sgt.
                  |          |                |  8/1/19.
  Wilson, R. D.   | 25m. 7d. |                |
  Chamberlain, P. |  6m. 21d.|Wounded 4/8/17  |
  Rawling, L. C.  | 17m. 16d.|                |To Hospital.
  Geddes, J. C.   | 12m. 5d. |Wounded 15/6/18 |Died of wounds same day.
  Gittins, A. H.  |  4m. 8d. |                |To Hospital.
  Gallwey, F. V.  | 12m. 3d. |M.M. on 29/9/18 at |
                  |          |S.W. of Le Catelet.|
  Whitfield, F. J.|  8m. 6d. |                |
  Watson, H.      | 14m. 4d. |                |
  Gees, H. W.     | 15m.     |                |
  Gees, R. T.     | 11m. 25d.|                |
  Mackay, C. R.   |          |                |Left behind in England.
  Robinson, H. R. | 13m. 25d.|                |
  Tamlin, C. E.   |          |                |        ”          ”
  Cover, W. C.    | 19m. 13d.|                |
  Hounam, E. T.   | 10m. 21d.|                |
  Thackeray, R. N.| 14m. 19d.|                |Rejoined from Hos. 19/1/19.
  Campton, F.     |  3m. 25d.|Wounded 30/9/18 |To Hospital.
  Bond, P. W.     | 19m. 7d. |                |
  Bond, R. S.     | 20m. 22d.|                |
  Connor, M.      | 10m. 23d.|                |Invalided to Aust.
  Selby, B.       |  8m. 22d.|                |
  Hill, W. T.     | 12m. 3d. |                |To Hospital.
  Ross, J. J.     | 18m. 23d.|                |Invalided to Aust.
  Morrow, C. J.   |  5m. 3d. |                |Transf’d to 107th How. Bty.
  Marshall, G.W.J.|  8m. 23d.|                |To Sgt. 25/11/16. Transferred
                  |          |                |  to A.E.T.D.
  Serisier, F. W. |  4m. 7d. |                |Transf’d to U.K.A.I.F.
                  |          |                |  Depot.
  Hodgson, H. H.  |  8m. 17d.|                |Transf’d to 11th Field Amb.
  Hodge, W.       | 14m. 14d.|                |
  Vasco, L.       |  6m. 25d.|                |To Hospital. Died in Hospital
                  |          |                |  3/8/18.
  Allanson, S.A.H.| 21m. 29d.|                |
  Smith, W. V.    |  1m. 10d.|Wounded 16/2/18 |To Hospital.
  Williams, J.    |       9d.|                | ”    ”
  Moran, F. E.    |  5m. 20d.|                | ”    ”
  Franck, R. H. H.| 10m. 7d. |                |Transf’d to 44th A.I. Btn.
  Higgins, A. S.  |  9m. 9d. |                |
  Porter, T. E.   |  1m. 10d.|                |Transf’d to 7th Field Aus.
                  |          |                |  Engineers.
  Swinton, ―      | 12m. 22d.|                |Transferred to A.E.T.D.
  Clarke, C. L.   |  7m. 20d.|Wounded 22/5/18 |
  Christensen, F.P.|14m. 17d.|                |Transferred to A.E.T.D.
  Copland, G. N.  |  7m. 24d.|                |
  McLaughlan, H.  | 10m. 5d. |                |Invalided to Aust.
  Adams, J. E. J. | 15m. 3d. |                |
  Dear, A. H.     | 10m. 13d.|                |  ”           ”
  Bennett, C. A.  |          |                |Left behind in England.
  Dudley, C.      | 13m. 25d.|                |
  Sologub, E.     | 10m. 26d.|                |
  Dillow, A.      | 13m. 1d. |Wounded 17/10/17|Transferred to 3rd Div. Sig.
                  |          |  Rem. on D.    |  Coy.
  Englert, A. O.  |  4m. 11d.|Accidentally    |
                  |          | wounded 30/6/18|
  Friend, J. A.   | 16m. 26d.|                |
  Richardson, T.  | 10m. 25d.|Wounded 1/10/18 |Died of wounds 10/10/18.
  Gleadhill, R. A.|  7m. 13d.|                |To Dvr. 10/12/18.
  Russell, G. A.  | 11m. 26d.|                |Invalided to Aust.
  Jolly, G.       | 12m. 19d.|                |
  Reynolds, R.    | 13m. 25d.|                |
  Scott, C. W.    |  6m. 4d. |                |  ”          ”
  Jones, L. C.    | 17m. 23d.|                |Transferred to A.G.B.D.
  Doyle, T. L.    | 10m. 4d. |                |To L/Cpl. 6/7/18.
  Parkinson, V.   | 12m. 17d.|                |
  Darvall, A. H.  |      21d.|                |Killed in action.
  Dwyer, W. J.    |  1m. 2d. |                |To Hospital.
  Poulton, H.     | 10m. 6d. |                |
  Campbell, W.    | 14m. 18d.|                |
  Piggott, L. J.  |  8m. 6d. |                |
  Setchell, A. W. | 17m. 27d.|                |
  Tyrrell, J.     | 18m. 15d.|                |To Dvr. 13/3/17.
  Carmichael, A.B.|  1m. 28d.|                |To Hospital.
  Greenwood, F. G.|  9m. 17d.|                |      ”
  Hyndman, J.     | 15m. 8d. |                |
  Hudson, H. L.   |  6m. 29d.|Wounded 8/10/17 |To L/Cpl. 5/10/17. To Hos.
                  |          |  and 29/9/18   |
  O’Brien, G.     |      26d.|                |Transferred to 10th Field
                  |          |                |  Coy. A. Engineers.
  Turner, J.      | 17m. 23d.|                |To Dvr. 13/3/17.
  Wheeler, H. S.  | 13m. 14d.|                |
  Parkinson, J. P.|  9m. 17d.|                |Transferred to 43rd A.I. Btn.
  Ashton, E. H.   | 13m. 25d.|                |
  Oldham, E.      | 13m. 8d. |                |
  Griffiths, H. M.| 14m. 25d.|                |
  Pugh, V. G. A.  |  8m. 14d.|Wounded 23/5/18 |To Hospital. Wounded while
                  |          |                |  in hospital 23/5/18.
  Sams, S. E. B.  | 13m. 25d.|                |
  Swan, W. P.     | 12m. 17d.|                |
  Gordon, J. K.   | 14m. 19d.|                |
  McCulloch, H.   |  8m. 29d.|                |Transferred to 43rd A.I. Btn.
  Smith, W. G.    | 13m. 25d.|                |
  Seller, T.      | 13m. 15d.|                |Transferred to A.G.B.D.
  Regan, T. R. W. | 11m. 21d.|                |Attached to C.R.E.
  Stewart, A.     | 13m. 21d.|                |To L/Cpl. 21/3/18.
  Wilkins, H. W.  |  5m. 10d.|                |Transferred to 1st Aus. S.B.A.
  Winston, R. H.  |  6m. 14d.|Wounded 30/5/18 |Invalided to Aust.
  McCormac, E. T. | 12m. 14d.|                |  ”        ”
  McMurray, N.    | 12m. 11d.|                |
  Rivers, C. F.   | 13m. 26d.|                |
  Dickson, B. C.  | 10m. 18d.|                |
  McEvoy, W. H.   | 18m. 10d.|                |
  Simpson, J. McN.| 11m. 7d. |                |
  Simpson, W. B.  | 11m. 7d. |                |
  Ward, R. M.     | 11m. 7d. |                |
  Cameron, C.M.G. | 15m. 25d.|                |
  Cherry, L. T.   |  4m. 28d.|                |To Hospital.
  Ingram, G. A.   | 12m. 18d.|                |
  Wilson, A. A.   |  3m. 20d.|                |Trans. for discharge 18/1/19.
  Russell, C.     |  8m. 6d. |                |
  Mannix, T. L.   |  3m. 3d. |                |Trans. to 37th A.I. Batt.
  McSweeney, J. H.|  9m. 12d.|                |
  Jones, T. C. A. |  7m. 25d.|Wounded accid’tally|To Hospital.
                  |          |  30/6/18       |
  Pashley, G.     | 10m. 12d.|                |
  Mealing, J.     |  9m. 25d.|                |
  Steel, H. E.    | 10m. 19d.|                |
  Fraser, S.      | 11m. 10d.|                |
  Kingsbury, S. G.|  4m. 22d.|                |To Hospital.
  Newton, T. A.   |  6m. 18d.|Wounded 27/8/18 | ”    ”
  Leach, W. H.    |  8m. 15d.|                |
  Scales, J. H.   |  7m. 3d. |                |
  Kilcup, H.      |  6m. 27d.|                |
  Brown, A. W.    |  7m. 21d.|Wounded 30/9/18 |Transferred to Aust. Emp.
                  |          |                |  Coy. 10/11/18.
  Burke, W.       |  4m. 8d. |                |Invalided to Aust.
  Reid, J.        |  2m. 26d.|                |Invalided to Aust.
  Page, A. R.     |  8m. 17d.|                |Transferred to A.G.B.D.
  Jenkin, J.      |  6m. 26d.|                |
  Fox, H. J.      |  6m. 18d.|                |
  Robertson, H.R.R.| 6m. 26d.|                |
  Saward, G. D.   |  6m. 26d.|                |
  Jones, A. J. V. |  5m. 16d.|                |
  Grummet, A. E.  |  1m. 17d.|                |Transferred to 10th Field
                  |          |                |  Coy. A. Engineers.
  Ford, J.        |  3m. 18d.|                |Transferred to H.Q.A.I.F.
                  |          |                |  29/11/18.
  Reed, E. E.     |  3m. 12d.|                |Transferred to 44th A.I. Btn.
  Hyde, A. E.     |  6m. 18d.|                |
  Cadwallader, C.P.| 4m. 18d.|Wounded 30/9/18 |
  Paxton, W.      |  5m. 24d.|                |
  Chandler, T. A. |  6m. 3d. |                |Transferred to A.G.B.D.
  Dale, R. H.     |  2m. 17d.|                |
  Spencer, ――     |  3m. 17d.|Wounded 30/9/18 |To Hospital.
  Griffiths, G. H.|  2m. 17d.|                |
  Melville, F. J. |  3m. 24d.|                |
  Kent, E. C.     |  6m. 26d.|                |
  Fraser, A.      |  5m. 10d.|Wounded 30/9/18 |
  Goddard, H.     |  3m. 21d.|                |Transferred to 35th A.I. Btn.
  Faulkner, J. A. |  6m. 26d.|                |
  Larson, J. E.   |  5m. 9d. |                |
  Gordon, F. M.   |  6m. 26d.|                |
  Smith, C. B.    |  6m. 4d. |Wounded 30/9/18 |
  Blake, R. A.    |  4m. 25d.|                |Transferred to 3rd Aust.
                  |          |                |  M.T. Coy.
  Hughes, H. C.   |  2m. 17d.|                |
  Hughes, E. R.   |  2m. 17d.|                |
  Jacobsen, S.    |  2m. 14d.|                |Rejoined from Hos. 19/1/19.
  Dibble, J. J.   |  2m. 8d. |                |To Hospital.
  Finch, W. O.    |  2m. 17d.|                |
  Chapman, R. E.  |  6m. 26d.|M.M. on 29/9/18 at|Wounded 30/9/18.
                  |          |S.W. of Le Catelet|  Rem. on D.
  Anderson, E. E. |  2m. 17d.|                |
  Korner, H. C. R.|  4m. 26d.|                |
  Patterson, R.   |  1m.     |                |Transferred to 10th Field
                  |          |                |  Coy. A. Engineers.
  Brown, E. C.    |          |                |Left boat at Fremantle.
  Noghran, J.     |          |                |Died on boat.
  ----------------+----------+----------------+--------------------------



EXPLANATORY NOTE.

A FIELD COMPANY, AUSTRALIAN ENGINEERS.


A Field Company, Australian Engineers, is almost exactly the same as
the corresponding unit of the Royal Engineers. There are three Field
Companies to a Division, grouped under the command of the C.R.E.
(Commanding Royal Engineers), who accompanies Divisional Headquarters.

Each Field Company is normally commanded by a Major, with a Captain as
Second in Command, and includes 5 Subalterns, 9 Warrant Officers and
Sergeants, 14 Corporals and Second Corporals, 46 mounted rank and file
(mostly drivers), and 139 sappers. As this last total has to supply
all unit details, such as cooks, etc., it will be seen that the “man
power” of a Field Company is comparatively small even when at full
strength. There are 75 horses (some of which may be replaced by mules)
on the establishment, and also 29 bicycles.

The unit is organised into a Headquarters and 4 equal sections. Each
section, commanded by a subaltern, has a special double tool cart (4
horses), containing a large assortment of engineer tools and stores of
all kinds, a G.S. limbered wagon (two horses), and a pack animal. A
considerable quantity of explosives is carried by each section, also a
lift and force pump and hose.

Company Headquarters has a G.S. wagon for technical stores (four
horses), a water cart (two horses), a mess cart (one horse), and three
bridging wagons (six horses each). Two of these carry a pontoon each,
together with superstructure, and the third carries two Weldon
trestles and superstructure. Altogether enough material is carried for
five spans of 15 feet each of bridge to carry Field Artillery.

Sappers are armed with rifle and bayonets, drivers with rifle only.
Towards the end of the war each Company was issued with five Lewis
guns.



Printed by Meggy, Thompson, & Creasey,

98 High Street, Chelmsford.



Transcriber Note:


Words and phrases in italics are surrounded by underscores, _like
this_. Dialect, obsolete and alternative spellings were left
unchanged. Inconsistent hyphenation was not changed. Obvious printing
errors, such as backwards, upside down, or partially printed letters,
were corrected. Final stops missing at the end of sentences and
abbreviations were added.

The following were changed:

  - Removed duplicate “of” … little village of Recquebrœucq …
  - In Appendix IX, Other Ranks, changed “Waymf W.” to “Way, F. W.”;
      and “T’ransf’d” to “Transf’d.”
  - The tables in Appendix IX. were split in parts so that the data
      would display more readily on handheld devices.





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