Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/197/1 - April - May 1918 - Part 1

AWM38
Official History,
1914-18 War: Records of CE W Bean,
Official Historian.

Diaries and Notebooks

Item number: 3DRL606/197/1

Title: Notebook, April - May 1918
includes references to the 23rd Battalion,
Noreuil and Bullecourt.

AWM38-3DRL606/197/1

ORIGINAL  DIARY NO. 197.
AWM38  3DRL 606 ITEM 197 [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

1

From Lt B Anderson
23 Bn Noreuil .
On night on wh attack
ws made 23Bn (wh
got orders late in mg to
move tt aftn) moved
from Favreuil to
Vaulx /V. Sugar Refinery
(2 coys) & centre of village
(2 Coys) . Coy Commd of
C Coy. gave them some
idea of scheme wh ws
v. hurried & hazy.
People didnt seem to
know much what ws

2
wanted - preparatns
incomplete. [Brazenor
away ^(after Flers), 23 under Bateman
Brazenor returnd in June.]
It ws understood tt
2 Coys were to
attack Lagnict & 2
to attack Noreuil. The 2
Lagnict Coys were first
to clear Bois de Vaulx
wh as reported by
mtd patrols to be held
by enemy. They didnt
know they were to move
same night. After Bn
had turned in Coy

3

Commdrs were wakened
up & tw called to Bn HQ
& gn order of attack.
They left instrns before
going away tt Coy ws
to be roused. All ws
ready by time they
came back. German ws
shelling  Vaulx. Cavalry
had gone to outskirts of
village & had bn fired
on from ^Bois de Vaulx. Bn
C & D Coy were
told to attack Lagnict -

4
It ws ^later undstood by
Bn tt aeroplanes
C/⇢        had reported
D/⇢        tt there were 
no enemy
in / village. At / time
they were gn no infm
as there wsnt time.
A & B were to
attack Noreuil with
21 Bn on their left (The
5^th Divn ws on Rt.)
At 2.30 am they
were to form in front
of B de Vaulx, clear

5
it out & move to
Lagnict.
They formed in waves
abt 200 yds in front o /
wood - how they succeeded
in findng / way is a mystery
- it ws drizzling rain,
v. cold- a lot o / time
ws lost in going up /
main street of Vaulx
as they had to break
into single file in
many parts owing
to bldgs blown up lying
across / rd.

 6

From the crucifix they
cut half right across
/ open to / front o /
wood. It ws drizzling &
very cold. Night had bn immsly dark
There ws no barrage.
They went forwd; as soon
as / front wave moved /
others folld without any
noise - no barrage.
When / scouts got
into / wood - the noise
must have frightened
any enemy ^there. There ws
no rifle shot & no casualties
till / wood ws past.

7
After passing / wood
being late – it ws growing
light - & as / ^∧ Germs now put up a few flares and m.gs. from /
rt front xxxxx were
beginning to play - C Coy
moved  half left across
to / left hand crest o /
valley and lined at once
the Noreuil-Morchies
Rd (a single line of
skirmishers) & D
Coy moved right (&
disappeared into / dark

8
to line up similarly
somewhere on / South
side o / valley leading
from B. de Vaulx to
Lagnict.
C Coy extended nearly
to / crest (abt to 100 contour
on their left - rt abt 50yds
N of Vaulx Lagnict Sunken
rd.)  m.g fire be They
moved off, & m.g. fire
began to come from this
Sunken Rd on their rt
(as C Coy got closer / Germs cd