Boer War

[From The Queenslander, 5 May 1900, p. 839.]

The Boers fully understand the various uses of barb-wire. They have employed it to confuse a charging enemy and when sections of that enemy have fallen into their hands they have utilised this comparatively modern invention to keep their prisioners  within bounds. The captured British officers who have been taken to Pretoria are housed in the State Model School from which it will be remembered Mr Winston Churchill made his escape. The school is a modern and well built building, having many large and lofty rooms and surrounded by a broad and cool veranda. The officers have their own cooks and servants. The bathrooms are commodious and books can be procured from the State Library. The rations supplied to the prisoners are of much the same quantity and quality as those issued to the wives and families of burghers throughout the State.

The great bulk of the captured men, however, are in camp at Waterval, the new military prison camp outside Pretoria. Their quarters consist of a series of long galvanised iron sheds. In them the soldiers make themselves comfortable and seem to have settled down to a regular garrison existence. The large enclosure is surrounded by a barbed wire entanglement. Each corner is protected by stockades, on which Maxim guns are mounted. Each stockade is in electric communication with the others and the whole camp seems to form an absolutely secure detention ground for the prisoners. The sentry appear to be men of middle age. They are in every day mufti and look anything but military, the only evidence of soldierly duties being their rifles and bandoleers.

Further Reading:

Boer War, General Topics

Boer War

Battles where Australians fought, 1899-1920

Citation: Boer War, General Topics, British POW's at Waterval

Posted by Project Leader at 6:47 PM EADT

Updated: Tuesday, 27 July 2010 10:34 PM EADT

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AIF Headquarters

3rd Echelon

The duties of the 3rd Echelon

The duties of the 3rd Echelon.

When exploring service records, routine orders and other files relating to the administration of the AIF, the one constant in all the paper work is the reference to the 3rd Echelon. This ubiquitous organisation was the driving engine of the AIF in Egypt, France and Britain. 

As these posts unfold, the duties of the 3rd Echelon, as seen by the Commanding Officers at the time, will unfold. This is the first instalment.

RE OFFICERS

Precedence, Promotion, Resignations and Relinquishments are properly questions for the A.H.S., G.H.Q.

If Commanding Officers referred such questions to their Headquarters for transmission through the proper channels to the A.H.S., G.H.Q. the 3rd Echelon would only be interested in so far as the record is concerned, i.e., when London Gazettes and Lists of Appointments etc., published with General Routine Orders are received. Care has to be taken to avoid encroaching on the A.M.S.'s Department.

PRECEDENCE OF OFFICERS.

Army Order 35 of 1915. All officers belonging, transferred, posted or attached to a unit will take precedence therein and in their respective ranks according to the date of the appointment or promotion to those ranks and not according to the date on which they actually joined the unit for duty.

The London Gazette has at different times laid down that Officers of the overseas contingents take rank with Officers of the Regular Army from date of appointment or promotion.

RANK AND RESIGNATION OF OFFICERS.

G.R.O.'s and Circulars published as required. T. F. Regulations 9B.

All these questions are finally disposed of by the A.H.S., G.H.Q. and should be submitted through the Commanding Officers to Headquarters of Formations for forwarding if necessary to G.H.Q.

T. F. Regulations legislate for special selection for promotion where such a course is considered necessary in the interests of the Service. Officers in the New Army may be promoted by selection and not necessarily by seniority.

Seniority and precedence of an officer is important in allocating temporary or acting positions, something that happened on a regular basis in a unit.

Further Reading:

AIF Headquarters, 3rd Echelon

AIF & MEF & EEF

Battles where Australians fought, 1899-1920

Posted by Project Leader at 4:27 PM EADT

Updated: Wednesday, 28 July 2010 5:51 PM EADT

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Diaries of AIF Servicemen

Bert Schramm

1 June 1918

Bert Schramm

Bert Schramm

2823 Private Herbert Leslie SCHRAMM, a 22 year old Farmer from Whites River, South Australia. He enlisted on 17 February 1916; and at the conclusion of the war Returned to Australia, 10 July 1919.

During part of the course of his military service with the AIF, Bert Schramm kept a diary of his life. Bert was not a man of letters so this diary was produced with great effort on his behalf. Bert made a promise to his sweetheart, Lucy Solley, that he would do so after he received the blank pocket notebook wherein these entries are found. As a Brigade Scout since September 1918, he took a lead part in the September Offensive by the Allied forces in Palestine. Bert's diary entries are placed alongside those of the 9th Light Horse Regiment to which he belonged and to the 3rd Light Horse Brigade to which the 9th LHR was attached. On this basis we can follow Bert in the context of his formation.

The Diaries

The complete diary is now available on the Australian Light Horse Studies Centre Site at:

Bert Schramm Diary

Finding more about a service person. See:

Navigating the National Archives Service File 

Bert Schramm's Handwritten Diary, 28 May - 3 June 1918

[Click on page for a larger print version.]

Bert Schramm's Diary

Saturday, June 1, 1918

Bert Schramm's Location - Auja bridgehead defences, Jordan River

Bert Schramm's Diary -   Day Patrol. Had a bit of a brush with enemy outposts but no one hurt.

9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary

9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Auja bridgehead defences, Jordan River

9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - One hundred and thirty all ranks engaged on Anti - Malaria work. Daly, Major TJ, in command of Brigade Party. Work consisted in narrowing the Wadi Mellama, the confining of the waters thus increasing the current and preventing mosquito breeding.

9th LHR AIF War Diary, 1 June

 

Darley, TH, With the Ninth Light Horse in the Great War, Adelaide, Hassell Press, 1924.

No Entry.

Previous: Bert Schramm's Diary, 31 May 1918

Next: Bert Schramm's Diary, 2 June 1918

Sources Used:

Bert Schramm's Diary

National Archives Service File.

Embarkation Roll, AWM8.

Australian War Memorial Roll of Honour

Nominal Roll, AWM133, Nominal Roll of Australian Imperial Force who left Australia for service abroad, 1914-1918 War.

War Diaries and Letters

All War Diaries and letters cited on this site should be read in conjunction with the Australian Light Horse Studies Centre, War Diaries and Letters, Site Transcription Policy which may be accessed at:

Australian Light Horse Studies Centre, War Diaries and Letters, Site Transcription Policy 

Further Reading:

Bert Schramm Diary

Bert Schramm Diary, Album

Bert Schramm's Photo Album

9th Australian Light Horse Regiment, AIF

9th Australian Light Horse Regiment, War Diary, Day by Day Account

Battles where Australians fought, 1899-1920

Citation: Diaries of AIF Servicemen, Bert Schramm, 1 June 1918

Posted by Project Leader at 1:01 AM EADT

Updated: Saturday, 28 May 2011 4:51 PM EADT

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3rd LHB, AIF

3rd Light Horse Brigade

Gallipoli Signal No. 7, 1 June 1915

Gallipoli Signal No. 7, 1 June 1915

The transcription follows: 

Sent at 6.23 pm
To Third Infantry Brigades
1 June 1915

Following message received from Corps Headquarters begins: Informaiton received yesterday indicates that first Army Corps troops taking eith transports say sixteen thousand men from fear of submarines disembarked and left Constantinople for Peninsular via Uzun Kupri and Keshan AAA The leading echelons of these troops are probably reachin a point somewhere between Anzac and Bulair this afternoon AAA The First Army Corps are considered good troops ends

From Australian Division
Time 6.10pm
CRB White

 

This is an interesting signal detailing an intelligence report forecasting the arrival of about 16,000 men from the 1st Corps to Gallipoli.

Note:

One of the most complete set of Light Horse unit signals at Gallipoli belongs to the 3rd Light Horse Brigade. Signals provide a window into the unvarnished form of history. These are the comments made by people who had important needs that required immediate attention. As such, they tell a story about a campaign that existed before the occurence of the newspaper reports leading to the Official Histories and all the other works that followed. Since they do not originate in a vacuum, it is the immediacy of the signal in a dense communication transfer that gives it a unique currency. It is a moment in time. We need all the other items such as the War Diary, Routine Orders and lastly, the published books to get a fully appreciation of the humble signal.

Further Reading:

3rd Light Horse Brigade Signals

3rd Light Horse Brigade, AIF

Battles where Australians fought, 1899-1920

Posted by Project Leader at 12:01 AM EADT

Updated: Wednesday, 28 July 2010 6:04 PM EADT

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9th LHR, AIF

Pro Gloria et Honore - For Glory and Honour

Regimental March -  Marching Through Georgia

The Diary

1914

Monday, June 1, 1914

See 4th Military District, South Australia for militia activities.

1915

Monday, May 31, 1915

9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Walkers Ridge

9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - 2100 In accordance with instructions from Brigade Headquarters, fire was placed on the Turkish trenches north of Quinn's Post with a view to assist in a forward movement from Quinn's Post. Fire was sustained for half an hour.

3rd Light Horse Brigade War Diary - Preparing shelters for Brigade Headquarters, Walker's Hill.

Conference with COs and 2ICs regarding sorties to Turk trenches.

8th Light Horse Regiment two men wounded; 9th Light Horse Regiment 1 man wounded, 2 killed and one missing.

Carew Reynell Diary - All quiet. Can see Turks digging in on our late No. 3 Post.

1916

Thursday, June 1, 1916

9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Roadhead Serapeum.

9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - Routine Patrol and Training work carried out.

The City of London Yeomanry take over Posts "7" and "58" with the corresponding Patrol Posts No.'s 1 and 3. "B" Squadron returning to Roadhead Camp.

Order received from General Headquarters prohibiting all natives to cross through the front line - any seen wandering about near to the posts to be at once fired upon. All Bedouin Markets to be forthwith closed.

Lieutenant H Williams, "B" Squadron, admitted to No. 1 Australian General Hospital, Ismailia.

1917

Friday, June 1, 1917

9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Um Urgan

9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - The Regiment undertook routine work for the day.

Divisional Gas Officer trained three Troops, one per Squadron.

Hotchkiss Rifle and Signalling Parades carried out.

1918

Saturday, June 1, 1918

9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Auja bridgehead defences

9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - One hundred and thirty all ranks engaged on Anti - Malaria work. Daly, Major TJ, in command of Brigade Party. Work consisted in narrowing the Wadi Mellama, the confining of the waters thus increasing the current and preventing mosquito breeding.

1919

Sunday, June 1, 1919

9th Light Horse Regiment Location - Tel el Kebir

9th Light Horse Regiment War Diary - 1000, voluntary church parade conducted by Turner, Captain Chaplain RC.

1100 Hahn, Lieutenant HJ; and, nine Other Ranks proceeded to Cairo on leave.

1500, Tod, Lieutenant PA; and, patrol returned to camp and reported all normal.

1900, voluntary church parade conducted by Turner, Captain Chaplain RC.

Previous: 9th LHR AIF War Diary, 31 May

Next: 9th LHR AIF War Diary, 2 June

Sources:

See: 9th Australian Light Horse Regiment, Contents

Australian Light Horse Studies Centre, AIF War Diaries of the Great War, Site Transcription Policy

Further Reading:

9th Light Horse Regiment AIF

Bert Schramm Diary

9th Australian Light Horse Regiment, Roll of Honour 

Battles where Australians fought, 1899-1920

Posted by Project Leader at 12:01 AM EADT

Updated: Saturday, 7 August 2010 2:20 PM EADT

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