Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/202/1 - September - October 1918 - Part 1

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open for review
Accession number:
RCDIG1066578
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

AWM3S Official History, 1974-18 War: Records of C E W Bean, Official Historian. Diaries and Notebooks Hem number: 3DR1606/20217 Title: Notebook, September - October 1918 includes references to the 30th, 38th and 40th Battalions, Proyart, Bray, Bony and Clery Copse. AWMSS-3DRI606/20211
0 40 Bn th 10 Oc 2 3812n Cu 10 Oct ✓ Mrn ten an T an Trtt MTMTTN D. A hb 30RL 6O6 MM D02 M38 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. AUSTRALLEN WAR MEEORIAL 16 Sept, 1946. C.E. W. BEAN. ACCESS STATUS EIEIEELLIIIIELETTTTTIIGEMILIISN MCCRe OALI BII WEE-SDO IOVI,IiT
Ohgil poon len pora 1a taken wen Re way phs braw is in inily grave duge to tiew the in Till ws te a du This Cooks like will Dyson's writing t I thank he was jotting down notes for a marchiy son. CwB
40 Ba Broyar night of 15/11 aug. on right attach order was s 200 39 10 38 The transport of 40Bn (mules) to amast tools + drives, sere bel by boubs passing (hospital (no fleoes just tuck to night]. Thes ws Joun up. was in biddle of La F. dun when I column ws held un ferman started to Stiaf 1 road. A let of gas.A.E. They atitieed 1 ditch aton Iroadside on rt for getting along, & when finally held up were follg 38 pa
La Hague. Messes LAux Knight killed. Tanks were coming back Maj. Payin stopped ti One coy of 37 ws stil w38. Orders wer gn to 388. Go to dig in covering Lrd 1028 44 138 & reported 6 Bde. (Miaj. mandaley 38 ws w Payine abt sooy ds to of Lat well. No answer came for hr. M May Payne sent Maj. Giblin back Ereport personally 134 alt 2.30am 20 word being read, & tanks still here Paynie gave orders for whole colum to withdraw, tonks to Cover. 3738 40 39
This had bygan & 37 Bn vere clear when orders came from I3de to diff in on a line coverin left flank of 25 Ba allack. 38Bn on Nside ofroal stood fast. The rest took over from 40 F 40 sideshipper across Royart L F.Ra. They dry in nws 1o784. 509 -30 Sloyed 4 there all 49 Aug 11 on Dusk of Aug 11/12t 40 Bu sides apper again (38 taking over) & extended to the Harlon 2 trees on the Boyarts Ed. & day ino BrHD came to
L F. dump; & D remained in support near 1 Laston (ch as heavil strafed) B Coy outo 1 line to reserve Nof Latduing. All any I & night 11/12 Sropat (ferswere v active to moss. I arty esp s on LaF. Yill. Att Pau Aug12 F Crosby O.C. DCox ran up to say there dibnt seem to be gerns out about. Our men were walking out on too A cys) & no one ceemn to be wornyng them Payne san ap Bde who had sum las message from 38 Ber
matter ws discused w Bdier & the 2 live wys were instred each to send out a patrol. Bent Roct C Coy & Seryt Braid went from &W Parry & Seryt Billing from A. They found abandoned hegso, one or two, aboudoned food - & indicatees to I ferms hat left in a hurry. They were able to walk out but when they crossed. Boyart LK Rd try were fined on. Their 18t Ryx ws Boy- LERd. 2nd objic Spur from La F. Bad objic Railway & Re King, inde E of Boyart & 1old E of the valley. t the eppated when they sot to End Oie & reported O.K. a plu ws sent
I mcanwhite abt Noon orders had reached on fom Bde to pask whole time forwd. It ws after this to Maca's ph ws sushed forward. She der toys stach t move after their pls abt 3on up to Rd (H1objer) to support him 0 on rt Rockas held aftersette sradfaras 1 high grd abt & reported 27A.3.7. back, & a plu supported him and L Balghish. C. Coy, took E. apla to TeRd on the rt he rt patrol cont get further during day. 38Bn had got alon 1Mam Rd to 28C & had a post o2 Nof 1Rd. Fom Kere t 2t of 40 Bn there us a gep. I L Macmillam Hben Perry regained him sushed (Scouts up to 2 little 2 rist S. of Rly in 21D.5.9½. The phn followed by 20& 38. Serms gattering in t across 1 valleng Enfeladed 1rly callig To
Macos returned - telling plo to hug 1 bank; be got Sex Statton, who ws in/c of N2 PL. A loy in support to Macm. in a dugont in 1D. end of Bogart. to brin his pli &-2 L. Gs put tem on the bend of rby Embanks wh ws abt t high (broad quay) Macin. pointed out I germing. whn as gioing I trouble oe I rd abt 2183.6, & suipers in I trees on both sides a f 2d). Sey S. kept 1 heads of these fo down with 2Lgo while McM. got 1 plu thro & across 1 gutl. On reading [jully bottom McM sent So to bring a message to his shr ap, & Scouts Sery!

AWM38
Official History,
1914-18 War: Records of C E W Bean,
Official Historian.
Diaries and Notebooks
Item number: 3DRL606/202/1

Title: Notebook, September - October 1918
Includes references to the 30th, 38th and 40th
Battalions, Proyart, Bray, Bony and Clery Copse.
AWM38-3DRL606/202/1 

 

B
202
40 Bn
Aug 10 - Oct 2.
38 Bn.
Aug 10 - Oct 7/3
Typed
132 -148
GC 

Original   DIARY NO. 202.
AWM 38    3DRL 606 ITEM 202 [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 
(371m.) Wt. 2205-SK550.  100 m.  12/17.

 


Oh girl you met your [[?]]
 you and your love taken [[?]]
The wage of the brave
Is an early grave
has need
Ah girls be good to diggers
To infants & to leuts
To all who heed away the dead
find them in new boots
Till comes a day when they are shed
and buried in them boots
[This looks like Will
Dyson's writing but I
think he was jotting down
notes for a marching song.
C.E W.B.]
 Hand drawn diagram - see original 

 

40 Bn Proyart.
Night of 10/11 Aug.
on night attack order
was
Hand drawn diagram – see original
The transport of 40 Bn (mules)

& drivers ^ w ammn. & tools were hit by bombs
passing / hospital (no flares -
just luck tt night). This ws
going up.
40 ws in middle of La F. dump
when G Column ws held up
& German started to straf /
road.  A lot of gas, & H.E.
They utilised / ditch
along / roadside on rt for
getting along, & when finally
held up were follg 38 past
1

 

La Flaque.  Message came Knight
killed.
Tanks were coming back.
Maj. Payne stopped them.
One coy of 37 ws still w 38.
Orders were gn to 38 &
40 to dig in covering / rd
Hand drawn diagram – see original
& reported to Bde. (Maj.
Maudsley 38 ws w Payne
near abt 500 yds E of
La F. mill.  No answer came
for ½ hr - 1 hr Maj Payne sent Maj.
Giblin back to report personally.
By abt 2.30 am no word
being recd & tanks still there,
Payne gave orders for whole
column to withdraw, tanks 
to cover.
← 37 38 40 39
2

 

This had begun & 37 Bn
were clear when orders
came from Bde to dig in
on a line covering left
flank of 20 Bn attack.
38 Bn on N side o / road
stood fast.  The rest took
over from 40 & 40
sideslipped across /
Proyart La F. Rd.
Hand drawn diagram – see original
They dug in
- mg ws
foggy.
Stayed
there all
Aug 11 on
Dusk of Aug 11/12 they 40
Bn sideslipped again (38
taking over) & extended to the
2 trees on the Proyart Framerville Harbonniere
Rd. & dug in.  Bn HQ came to
3

 

La F. dump; & D remained
in support near / factory
(wh ws heavily strafed) &
B Coy out o / line to
reserve N of La F dump.
Hand drawn diagram – see original
All Aug 11
& night 11/12
/ Germs were
v. active w
m.gs. &
arty esp
on La F. Mill.
Abt 8 a.m. Aug 12 Lt Crosby O.C. D Coy
rang up to say there didnt seem
to be Germs out ahead.  Our
men were walking out on top
(C & A Coys) & no one seemed
to be worrying them.
Payne rang up Bde who had
a similar message from 38 Bn.
4 

 

matter ws discussed w Bdier
& the 2 line coys were
instrcd each to send out
a patrol. Lieut Rock C Coy
& Sergt Braid went from C,
& Lt Parry & Sergt Billing from
A.
They found abandoned
m.gs., one or two, abandoned
food - & indicatns tt / Germs
had left in a hurry.  They were
able to walk out but when
they crossed Proyart La F. Rd
they were fired on.
Their 1st objve ws Proy - La F. Rd.
2nd objve Spur N from La F.
3rd objve Railway & Rd
Xing, imd. E of Proyart & / old
trenches E of the valley.
When they the left patrol got to 2nd objve
& reported O.K. a pln ws sent
5 

 

6
※ meanwhile abt Noon orders
had reached Bn from Bde
to push whole line forwd.
It ws after this tt Macm's
pln ws pushed forward. The
order Coys started to move
after their plns abt 3 p.m.

up to / Rd (1st objve) to support
him.  On rt Rock ws held
up ^ after getting as far as / high grd abt
27 A. 3. 7. He Both offrs reported
back. & a pln supported him
and Lt Dalgleish. C.Coy took
a pln to the ^ La F. Rd on the rt.
The rt patrol cdnt get
further during day.  38 Bn
had got along / Main Rd to
28 C & had a post or 2 N of
the Rd. From there to rt of 40 Bn
there ws a gap. ※
Lt Macmillan when Parry
rejoined him pushed / Scouts
up to 2 little trenches just S. of
Rly in 21 D ?C . 5.9½.  The pln
followed by 2s & 3s.  Germs
gathering in trenches across / valley
enfiladed the rly cutting.  So
x7 

 

Macm. returned - telling
pln to hug / bank; he
got Sergt Statton, who ws
in/c of No 2 Pln. A Coy in
support to Macm. in a
dugout in / S. end of Proyart,
to bring his pln & 2 L.Gs
& put them on the bend o /
rly embankt wh ws abt
5 ft high (broad guage) Macm.
pointed out / Germ. m.g.
wh ws giving / trouble on /
rd abt 21 B 3.6, & snipers
(in / trees on both sides o /
rd.)  Sergt S. kept / heads
of these Gs down with 2 L.Gs
while McM. got / pln thro
& across / gully. On reaching
/ gully bottom McM sent
a message to S. to bring
his pln up, & Scouts Sergt
8

 



 

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