O 1/3

1^st Infantry Brigade Headquarters,

S.A.O.E.F.

Mex Camp. ALEXANDRIA

January 23, 1916

Lieut-Colonel Purcell, D.S.O.

O/C Depot Battalion, South African Contingent,

Aldershot,

ENGLAND.

With reference to your private letter to the G.O.C., I am directed to inform you that Lt-Col. Helbert has been written to regarding your promotion to Lieut.-Colonel and he has been asked to do everything in his power to expedite gazettal.  The G.O.C. suggests however, that you see B-Genl DORAN personally in this connection.

With regard to the 12 Officers which you still require Lieut.-Col. Helbert has been instructed to cable at once to South Africa to ascertain definitely how many Officers are there for this Brigade and how many can be sent immediately.  On receipt of the reply he is to cable its contents here when the G.O.C. will take steps without delay to fill all existing vacancies in Commissioned ranks.

The delay which will necessarily occur owing to the necessity of sending from here to you those promoted to commissioned rank to fill existing vacancies cannot be avoided although it is much regretted by the G.O.

I enclose a roll of the Officers who were left behind under your command which shows a total of 9 Captains, 14 Lieutenants, 7 second Lieutenants, 30 Officers in all, to these have been added 6 second Lieutenants, whose promotion to that rank was recommended some time prior to the Brigade leaving Bordon.  Will you kindly let me know by return of post whether these promotions have been approved of, if they have not kindly represent the matter as an urgent one to the Brigadier-General, General Staff, Aldershot, who was written to on the subject about the 26^th December.  The original recommendation for these promotions having been forwarded to the G.O.C., 16^th Division, at the time when the Brigade formed a portion of that Division.

With regard to the appointments of Second in Command, Adjutant and Quartermaster, you should deal direct with Brigadier-General, General Staff, Aldershot, notifying me a soon as possible for the information of the G.O.C., what has been done in the matter.

J. **** Baker

Major,

Brigade Major.

NOMINAL ROLL OF OFFICERS WITH DEPOT BATTALION.

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1^st SOUTH AFRICAN BRIGADE.  DEPOT BATTALION.

Officer Commanding, Lt,-Col. J.F. Purcell, D.S.O.

1^st REGIMENT.                     2^nd REGIMENT.                                3^rd REGIMENT.

Captains.                               Captains.                                           Captains.

Woodhead, H.                      Symes, H.C.                                      de Jersey, F.H.

Whiting, E.                             Macdougal, Ian                                 Montgomery, H.

                                                                                                            Tomlinson, L.W.

                                                                                                            Lane, A.B.

Lieutenants                           Lieutenants.                                      Lieutenants.

Roffe, –                                   Lagerwall, F.A.                                 Healy, J.W.T.

                                                Cochran, F.E.                                   Langdale, G.H.

2^nd Lieutenants                    2^nd Lieutenants                                2^nd Lieutenants

Brown, A.H.                           Tatham, E.V.                                     Phillips, E.J.

                                                Cochrane, J.E.B.D.                          Ellis, P.H.

                                                Bru-de-Wold, T.W.                           Crudas, N;

4th REGIMENT.

Captains.                               Lieutenants.

Mowat, G.                              Graham, R.D.

Ramsay Rae, H                    Bayly, Z.B.

                                                Micklem, T.N.

                                                Gemmell, D.

                                                Taylor, J.S.

                                                Davies, J.

                                                Benny, F.E.

                                                Norton, M.L.

                                                Duff, C. de V.