Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/108/1 - April - May 1918 - Part 11

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Cable to Australia on / subject.
We shall move ^our chateau from Beaucourt when the
2nd Divn moves.

May 1st.  I saw Genl. White at Corps today, & asked
him he told me tt he had had David down to see him
from G.H.Q abt / University for the A.I.F. David
brought Pollock.  White ws very busy, but he sd tt /
two of them were not very helpful or conclusive.
David made a number of not very final comments,
& / idea wh White received ws tt David
was not very anxious to leave / high quarters
in wh he is involved at G.H.Q among the
personages of importance there - White ws impressed

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w / idea tt what ws wanted was one strong
man to go directly ahead, draw / scheme,
& put it sho straight & soon before a committee -
He suggested Bp. Long to them, & they seemed
to jump at him as being suitable – I think
so too, if he has / imagination. White, good
chap, had I believe spent some of his precious
time drawing up some papers on / subject, wh
he showed them.  I don't suppose they realised
the sort of man they were dealing with.
Anyway, he is going to get Bp.

              
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Long to tea & get me in to meet him for
half & hour ; &. we can thrash out an outline
o / things to be aimed at.
Some days ago White sd to me about
this scheme - "One thing I want them to avoid,
Bean: I want them to draw it big, to think out
the big goals which they intend to achieve & then
plan to reach it by big bold methods - to avoid
any half hearted stop-gap finnicking scheme.  There
seem to me three things to provide for:-
"First compulsory professional or liberal
training for those who would have been training for

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their vocations in Australia.
"Second - General Education (along certain
lines which we find desirable to provide for) of
the general run of the A.I.F - this wd be
voluntary -
"Third - technical training in crafts
& trades - I am not quite sure to what extent
this will be possible, but it is the third
category."
It wd be possible to make these voluntary
courses an alternative to parades, he
told me.
Gullett has cleared 85 xx packs cases of relics from Boulogne.

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Winston Churchill was at Corps HQrs (& up to the front) two
days ago. He says G.H.Q. is confident & full of optimism-
/ German losses are heavier than we expected in / North,
& the battle of Kemmel on Ap. 29 into wh they threw 13
divisions without gaining a foot ws disastrous for them.
A bigger shove will come – [I expect agst / French]- but G.H.Q.
thinks / Germans are held.
The 4^th Divn are to gain a little more space in
front of V/B by an attack on May 3. The French on their
right also will attack. White told me tt Birdwood ws down
to see / French Genl. South of us yesty to arrange this, but
did not insist on their doing what we wanted them
to do.
[Hand drawn diagram please see original]
This was what
White & Maclagan
wanted even if
/ French left / centre
alone altogether. But
/ dotted line is what they 
are doing - & this brings
/ French line at rt angles to
ours. We are getting away from our old
objectn to salients, White sd; but the
mix up of communications of / French w
ours is difficult.
The Germans have the 1^st, 109^th & Jaeger
Divns on / front there all new, behind the

[*9^th Bavarian Divn. wh is an old
"stellung" or "trench holding" Division. We are
strafing a relief tonight. Every night we hear strafs

or raids *]

Fordyce
Corps [shorthand}
for Dyson.
No. 3.

[Hand drawn sketch please see original]
(17735) Wt.  2205-SEK550. 100000. 1/18. Sir J.C. & S.