Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/109/1 - May 1918 - Part 1

AWM38
Official History,
1914-18 War: Records of C E W Bean,
Official Historian.
Diaries and Notebooks
Item number: 3DRL606/109/1
Title: Diary, May 1918
Includes notes on the life of a 2lst Battalion
infantry man at rest.
AWM38-3DRL606/109/1 

1
DIARY
May 2. 1918 TO
May 12.
Barry Robinso
"Teines
109
87
Original
DIARY NO. 109.
AWM38
3DRL 606 ITEM 109 [1]
DIARIES AND NOTES OF C. E. W. BEAN
CONCERNING THE WAR OF 1914 - 1918
THE use of these diaries and notes is subject to conditions laid down in the terms
of gift to the Australian War Memorial.  But, apart from those terms, I wish the
following circumstances and considerations to be brought to the notice of every
reader and writer who may use them.
These writings represent only what at the moment of making them I believed to be
true.  The diaries were jotted down almost daily with the object of recording what
was then in the writer’s mind.  Often he wrote them when very tired and half asleep;
also, not infrequently, what he believed to be true was not so - but it does not
follow that he always discovered this, or remembered to correct the mistakes when
discovered.  Indeed, he could not always remember that he had written them.
These records should, therefore, be used with great caution, as relating only what
their author, at the time of writing, believed.  Further, he cannot, of course, vouch
for the accuracy of statements made to him by others and here recorded.  But he
did try to ensure such accuracy by consulting, as far as possible, those who had
seen or otherwise taken part in the events.  The constant falsity of second-hand
evidence (on which a large proportion of war stories are founded) was impressed
upon him by the second or third day of the Gallipoli campaign, notwithstanding that
those who passed on such stories usually themselves believed them to be true.  All
second-hand evidence herein should be read with this in mind.
16 Sept., 1946.
C. E. W. BEAN.
AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL
ACCESS STATUS
OPEN 

87
1.09  2
May 2. 1918. Moved into the
Brewery,  Querrien.
The 48th Bn is to attack
the Monument tonight as soon
as the moon is due to rise.
Leane is acting in Gellibrand's
Absence as Brigadier 12th Bde..
There xxx is this rather tough job to
be tackled.
Hand drawn diagram - see original
So he has given it to his
own, 48th, Battalion ; G
has chosen the same hour
at which he _^chose for / attack on 

3
87
Leane's Trench _^in Gallipoli - when they
started at the exact hour of
moonrise, & as a matter
of fact the moon did not reach
the horizon there until they were
just in / Turkish trench.
It was Norman who
really drew xxxxx the Bde
order for this attack.  He
tells me tt / French have
put off their attack at
Hangard till tomorrow when
they go for it at the same time
as our Brigade. Hangard
Wood.
Of course this makes a
lot of difference . the artillery
wh / German cd have concentrated
on our little attack force in 

4
87
the Copse around / monument
& Chatean wd have made put it
in his power to blow our
garrison kite high.  But if,
just as he is abt to c-attack, as
Leane is sure he will, with
tanks, / French are seen
throw their strength upon
Hangard Wood, the arty fire
will be dispersed
The 48Bn (& 13 Bn on their
left) have been gaining ground
every night.  Last night 13 Bn
(wh comes just down to / main
road) sent out a raid wh got
just up to / houses in P25C.
And the 48th Bn has made
a new line of posts every
night - each night abt
100 yds further forward.  All 

5
87
this will give / German more
trenches to shoot at & is excellent.
The 48 Bn has to form up
in / dark in front o / rly
cutting - & that is /
critical time.  If they do
this successfully without being
seen, they will make a
surprise attack.  Their Monument
post & many others have
been bombarded for 2
minutes frequently of
late.  This time there will
be a swift 2 min bombt &
the xxx 48th will follow on /
heels of it.  There are many
m.gs. in / Chateau or / wood
& atrench all round & a
trench thro' the Copse.  But 

6
87
the m.g. nests have been
heavily bombarded - at
least / Copse has, today;
& the Chateau has been
demolished by a shell - Wilkins
saw it go to day.
If our men get round or
thro' / Copse they will try
to dig in 100 yards beyond.
If they only get half way
thro, in / morning some two of our
whippet tanks will work
round / wood from its
Southern side → .
If they are attacked w
tanks or if / German
C-attacks w tanks the
tanks & our offrs have an
S.O.S. signal for tanks (for
/ first time) & this will 

7
87
call up some bigger tanks
wh are near by.
Bois l' Abbe' is _^kept pretty full of
gas by / Germans.  It is
curious how they can
fill / woods in this
way.
There has been a
very appreciative article
on what / Austlns have
done in / Times, clearly
following on my letter to
Lytton.  And Lytton writes
to say tt he is referring /
matter of Richthofen w my
letter to the Go.C. of the
R.A.F.
12 Austlns took part
in / naval raid at Zeebrugge. 

8
87
Last night after finishing
my diary I went for a
short walk to get my
toes warm, along / road
towards Warloy.  Nearing
Ebart Farm, I heard,
through/ _^dull rumble &
crump o / guns, two
if not three nightingales
Singing in / woods in /
valley.  The frogs in/
marshes were croaking.
And every now & then
a great are o / sky
to the North East was lit
by / flash flares of the gun
flashes - lemon yellow
or red.
The Yankee enqineers in 

9
87
/ village seem to mix well
w our men.  Indeed they
are hard to distinguish
Except for the hideous
little Belgian Caps wh
they have to wear instead
of their felt hats - & wh
they hate.
xxxx The 4th Bde
had an officer lately
attached to some British Divl.
Bde Hqrs - Samson his
name ws, I think.  He
was in the Q. Office there.
He tells how a Brigadier
came into the Q office one
day - a square strong looking
chap w a South African &
other ribbons _^& blurted out: abruptly: & sd : Look here
[*NO-
White Robinson, IO
of 5th Div
Bn.
C.ewB
1936*]