3rd Australian Infantry Battalion

[Rockturner]

Can anyone help me to piece together the 4 Company Organization for the 3rd Battalion.

HQ's is fairly straight forward but I'm having trouble discerning the correct Officer Commanding, Second-in-Command and Officers Commanding the 16 Platoons. The the issues is not be able to figure out the new structure as there is no rhyme or reason as to how each battalion reorganized especially when some of the original 8 Company officers were moved about as required. Generally you can figure out the pattern if you can identify at least two of the companies but not so with 3rd unfortunately.

Cheers

Rockturner

 

[stevenbecker]

Mate,

Looks like no one can say.

My poor reading shows only one officer at the change over in Jan 1915 (Capt CWH Coulter Company commander), but after that both the War diary and Unit history are quiet on D Company during the landing.

page 35 unit history

So I can little on this sorry.

[Rockturner]

Thanks Steve,

No it's not the best is it. The 5th and 13th aren't far behind either. I think I can piece together C Company by stealth and elements of B and D but it may require some guess work.

I may also need to look through some of my compilation type books to see if their any personal accounts stating the company they were in and who their officer was.

With luck there may also be some members out there with family in the 3rd.

Cheers

[tankengine888]

I'm in a damned Religion class with my interest withering, so, I'll do a bit of impromptu research.

Bearing in mind, most of this information relates to during the landing.

Machine Gun Section - 2/Lieutenant Thomas Hatfield Evans

A Company - Major Ernest Samuel Brown
1 Platoon - Carter (unidentified)
2 Platoon - Lieutenant William Christian Beeken
3 Platoon - Lieutenant George Edward McDonald

B Company - Captain or Major Malcolm St John Lamb
Unknown Plt - Lieutenant David McFie McConaghy

C Company - Captain Charles Edward Leer
9 Platoon - Lieutenant Robert Orlando Cowey

D Company - Possibly Capt Burns??

Unknown
2Lt Owen Howell-Price - He is photographed with Leer and Cowey (both C Coy) so logical to think he was a platoon commander in C Coy?

 

Did I misunderstand the question? Probably.
Is some of the information incorrect? Probably.

Zidane.
 

Edited 16 April by tankengine888

[stevenbecker]

That maybe my fault, as I read rock was after only D Company officers sorry

[tankengine888]

4 minutes ago, stevenbecker said:

That maybe my fault, as I read rock was after only D Company officers sorry

Well I'm a bit confused myself.

I had a re-read. Is he trying to find-
A. What company became which in Jan 1915
B. Platoon Commanders

I'm bargaining A.

[Rockturner]

Steve and Zadane,

Thanks for helping out.

I'm trying to construct the new company organization as it stood for the landing with all the officers names.

With Zadane's help we now know that, B and D formed the new C Company and that A and F formed the new A Company.

So far I have constructed the following:

A Company

OC Major Earnest Brown

2 i/c Captain David McConaghy

No.1 Platoon, Lt William Carter

No.2 Platoon, Lt William Beeken

No.3 Platoon, Lt George McDonald

No.4 Platoon, Lt Lawrence Street

B Company

OC Major Malcolm St John Lamb,

2 i/c Captain John Chester

Platoon commanders unknown until I  figure out the who formed the last two companies

C Company

OC Captain Charles Leer

2 i/c Captain John Wilson

No.9 Platoon, Lt Owen Howell-Price

No.10 Platoon, Lt Robert Cowey

No.11 Platoon, Lt Lt Donald Moore

No.12 Platoon, Lt Thomas Cadell

D Company

OC Major Captain Charles Coulter, 2 i/c Captain Colin Austin

No.13 Platoon, Lt Cedric Brodzik

No.'s 14-16 unknown

Allocated officers remaining include G White, Butler, McFarlane, Barlow, Goldring (there were two, one was Sigs Officer) Hinde and Burns.

Much of this work is based on embarkation rolls which are not always 100% accurate. I think the main thing is to at least everyone involved with the Gallipoli landings despite the fact there maybe some inaccuracies with the platoon commanders. Most unit histories provide the necessary information but unfortunately the 3rd Battalion is a shocker.

Thanks guys

Rockturner

 

[tankengine888]

Cowey has a book, A Platoon Commanders something or other. He most definitely commanded 9 Platoon, not 10. 

Cowey is also listed as Leer's 2iC, and handed the Company to him after being mortally wounded on Mortar Ridge.

I wonder where Burns fits in.

Edited 16 April by tankengine888

[Rockturner]

Thanks Zadane,

I've swapped Howell-Price for Cowey but as I said I'm not expecting to get it all correct. My main concern is to list everyone, as Bean was unable to do, at least so they are remembered as having participated in the Gallipoli Landings. I'm also not too bothered about delving too deeply into intricacies of the land battle as my concern is essentially the first days of landing which is more than enough for entree, main course and dessert.

Rockturner

[tankengine888]

I at one point wanted to list all the officers of the 53rd Battalion who were present at Fromelles. I got all the Company Commanders and the whole of D Company understood (I have a special interest in D Coy), however all other companies were, quite frankly, bland (information-wise). Thought it would be easy, considering only 2 officers of 30 odd came out not wounded.

Anyways, I'll take another look over Beans notes when I'm home. 

Zidane.

[stevenbecker]

Mate,

I know the problem, I spent hrs, days and months trying to ID all Regt, Sqn and Troops leaders in each ALHR during the war 

I am sure I got some of it right, where possible, but mostly failed 

Even when you have the Sqn rolls books in your hot little hands, that does not always help

In the end, I just recorded what I could, and maybe someone else will have better luck