Item 01: Sir Charles Rosenthal diary, 25 September 1914-31 December 1918 - Page 329
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[Page 329]
Head Quarters where he remained till after lunch and then with his Secretary returned to Corps HQrs. In the meantime I had been ordered by 2nd Anzac to assume command of 4th Aus. Division. I at once wired General Birdwood and later wrote him full particulars. The body was removed to 2nd Australian CCS near Steenwerk, and the funeral has been arranged for 3 PM tomorrow. The General's death has cast quite a gloom over the whole Division, and I for one have lost a good friend. A number of sympathetic wires were received this afternoon notably from the Army Commanders, Gen. Birdwood, Gen. Godley, Gen. Walker and Gen. Hobbs.
Tuesday 3rd July
Early this morning Major Holmes, Lt. Col. Travers and Lt. Col. Watson arrived from 1st Anzac to attend the funeral. At the funeral itself the following attended: Representatives from all units of 4th Aus Div, Representatives from the Army Commander General Plumer, who could not himself attend because of the King's arrival at Army HQrs., Generals Birdwood, Godley, White, Carruthers, Hobbs, Russell, and many others whose names I cannot remember at present. The funeral ceremony was very impressively carried out, Gen. Glasgow's Brigade finding the firing party and bugles. Major Holmes and Col. Travers are staying till tomorrow to go through and pack the late General's effects.
Wednesday 4th July
This morning I attended to various papers including several Court Martials. I found it absolutely necessary to recommend the death sentence in the case of 4 men guilty of desertion. At 2 PM in company with Cols. Bernard and Armstrong, Mr. Maxwell, Gens. Glasgow and Robertson with their Brigade Majors I attended at the Ballieul Town Square to meet His Majesty King George. In company with Gen. Plumer he received representative officers of 2nd Anzac and its Divisions, and then inspected the captured trophies from the Messines Battle. Later he left for the vicinity of Neuve Eglise and the Tankodrome.
In the morning he had visited the old Front lines before Wytschaete and had also gone to the top of Kemmell. An investiture was to have been held at 5.30 PM at Army Head Quarters at which I had been commanded to attend, but owing to Insignia not having arrived from the Lord Chamberlain the Investiture had to be cancelled.
Major Holmes and Lt. Col. Travers returned to 1st Anzac during the afternoon and I moved my quarters to Divisional HQrs.