Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/21/1 - November - December 1915 - Part 9

[Shorthand]

78
usually
1/3
usual
(e.g. Rhodo)
Young Sturdee will be sitting w his fingers on the key
Maj. Campbell

73
were standing close in but a low
thick scud ws constantly hiding the moon
& made it quite impossible to say if there
were men on the barges or not, wh were
plying across / water to them.
Abt a quarter of an hour after I
turnd in I felt a cold breath of air
on / top of my head (in spite of its
being well covered w good red hair).
That breath brought a vague misgiving.
Were we going to have a storm? We
have had a fortnight of perfect weather
& a storm is about due.
Jus The breeze rapidly increased. The
waterproof sheet over the door of my
dugout began to flap fidget to & forwards
in the gusts. I could hear the constant
whistle of the wind in the few vaque
scanty shrubs wh are left.
I had to jump up & look out - 
the clouds were moving ∧ only slowly - & /
sea seemed fairly calm as far as I
cd see. This backwater of a gully
ws fall of gusts - but otherwise
the perhaps it might be only local.
But when after I gt back into bed the
wind gradually rose - the waterproof
roof o / dugout flapped ominously.
I jumped up again- still / same
gusty gully - the incinerator fires

[Shorthand]

77
few o / chiefs up at Whites Gully
in our old home here I am / last
left - the DADMS (Col. Tebbitt) has
gone. I have asked Army Corps if

I can have my meals there for a

few days.

Went up today to Gen. Holmes &

Blamey.  Holmes gave me a sketch
of what he is doing. The days are to be Sat & Sun as at
present planned. The tps behind / firing line & supports
[Shorthand]

[Shorthand] still [Shorthand] reasonably show

[Shorthand]

[Shorthand] The troops will [Shorthand]

A B & C.  A [Shorthand] B1 B &

B3. [Shorthand]

[Shorthand] from [Shorthand]

[Shorthand] for [Shorthand]

[Shorthand] silently [Shorthand] 1st will consist of

2 [Shorthand] 2nd
Brands Hill [Shorthand] Turks Point [Shorthand] Russells Top

[Shorthand] Wire Gully [Shorthand] M'Cays Hill

Brown's Dip There the line ends. But in front of them
[Shorthand] "die hards".

74

burning rather brighter than usual
- I have noticed tt everywhere;
I went back to bed but I cdnt
sleep. The wind ws rising - would it
spoil everything. We were committed
to it now - some of guns were gone
/ transports were loading - I saw Harry
Butler, my cousin, o the 3rd F. Ambce
off after dark - by an excellent road
up Rest Gully & over / Razor Back
- no Turk could possibly see them there.
Beachy Bill ws thowing in 4
shells every ½ hour - I lay awake
hour after hour - & struck a match
& looked at my watch to time him
3 or 4 times. One shell - 5 seconds or
perhaps 10 - a second - 20 seconds -
a third. Once or twice later on he
threw / fourth shell much later
- ten minutes after - to catch any
people who were too confident of his
regularity. Two generally plunked
into / sea, two burst in / air.
The two into / sea may have bn intended
to smash up a lighter - I ws always
glad to hear them go in because I cd
tell by / sound tt he landed short of
Ari Burnu Point - & that was quite
useless - / more he put there / better.
 

76
sounded in the cove - whirr - whirr - whirr
whirrr -  whirrr! Very dry & harsh like 
/ cry of a child with meningitis - whirr -
whirr - whirr again much faster. Then
again, again, again. Was she being
driven ashore.  I got up once or twice
& went out. It ws dark under / 
heavy pall of scud - & blowing fairly 
hard. Presently came the steam whistle of a
big steamer blowing two hoots.  The Hospital ship ws 
in very close. I dont know when I got to sleep;
when morning came I asked Bazley 
what it ws like. "Blowing up," he sd.

"Whats / beach like."

"Oh the Beach is quite smooth - its
a northerly wind."
Thank goodness. I cant say what
a load that took off my mind. I
suppose / old motor lighter had merely
bn "whirrring" to the Pier to say
_ "I'm here waiting - I am the water boat -
come & attend to me quick."

The water ws covered w white
horses at a little distance; but was 
perfectly smooth inshore.

----

I packed Bazley & my 3 artists
off today w all my baggage for
Imbros. I am only keeping Jacks
sleeping bag & overcoat and my
washing things - The first divisional
staff moves out today - all exc. a

75
But sometimes / shells went away
singing far out over / point & burst
away over / bay. Each time I wondered
"Was tt over / boats?" Where is tt going.
Are / poor chaps who are putting off
getting tt murderous hail thrown over
them? Shd I wake up in morning &
find a tragedy. So long as I cd see /
flash - brilliant lemon coloured - rimming
my waterpooof sheet door way, it ws
all right; those shells were on Anzac
Beach - & no one goes there now - 
there is a road inland of it.

But these others were over
/ bay in North Beach. - 

W I cdn't steep. I tossed &
turned - my hands & / soles of my
feet tingling just as they have done
before I went in to bat in an
important cricket match. Here we
were committed - & this rising gale
seemed likely to stop everything - for a
week? for two weeks? It wd perhaps
make a shambles of our piers like
that other gale did - they wd take
weeks to rebuild & wd / Turks &
their great new howitzers let us do it?
The ab buzzer of one of the motor
lighters - the half armoured craft w their
weak engines designed for landing troops - 

In some cases the artists ∧& authors have
asked us to reserve the
copyright to them. Perhaps this
cd be arranged to cover all
contributions. →
Would you kindly ∧at the earliest moment cable us
if we may take advantage
of your help in this matter  →

between the parties in London
tt we trust be left to arrangements
on the spot. in London. ⇡
We are sorry that we have
had to write broach this matter
at such short notice; but
owing to the breakdown of our
the proposed publication production in
Athens time is and the fact
that it is very essential to
obtain the publication as soon
after the New Year as possible
we trust that you will forgive
this haste.
We( We believe that the
Magazine will contain from
150 to 200 pages. If a surplus 
accrues we should

[* be glad if you would arrange that the 
reimbursement of the £24 paid here in
prizes should be a first charge upon it
an as one of the expenses of production.*]
→

Trusting that you will
be able to undertake this
office matter on behalf of the 
troops here
We remain
Sinc
Yours sincerely

production they would probably
consent to undertake this part
of the editing themselves.
We desire the magazine to
be a lasting memento of Anzac
& the circumstances under which
it has been produced ought to
make it quite historical.
If y The contributions will all
have been sent in by Dec today (Dec. 8).
The editing here will occupy at least
a week. In the meantime a more
definite estimate of the number
required by the troops will be
obtained which will be sent with
with the MSS at in a later letter;
it is also the approximate
size, no. of words, no. of
illustrations (coloured & uncoloured)
so that the publishers can make
an accurate estimate.
We trust that the publishers
would accept a profit which
would make it worth their while
to produce the magazine while at
the same time devoting a fixed
portion of the price for the wd benefit
of this patriotic fund. Risks of sea
travel etc. wd have to be considered
but this can be better aranged

the production of this annual
magazine by some first class
firm of London publishers - 
possibly the printers of
"Printer's Pic" itself wd would be
willing to undertake it. We
think that the publication
would probably be bought
very widely in Eng Britain;
certainly in Australia; &
we can guarantee that at
least 10,000 copies will be
taken by the troops. Personally
we believe this ∧number would be
doubled or trebled.
The M.S.S. & pictures would
be forwarded from here completely
arranged & carefully edited &
but it would be a great advantage
if we could obtain the help of
someone in London to read the
proofs - strike supervise production - 
& ( if by any chance, any thing
unoriginal has got into the MSS
to strike it out. If the Printers'
Pic publishers of Printers Pic are
willing to do the undertake the

5/- being an amount to cover
all costs; while any surplus would
be devoted accrue to the benifit
of funds for killed or wounded
Australians members of the Anzac
force.
It was originally intended
(for with a view to the most
speedy publication) to have the
magazine printed at Athens.
We wished it to be ∧produced in the best
possible style on (the lines
we proposed to ourselves were
those of "Printer's Pic") It has
or any other of the really
first rate annuals). It has
been found, however, that it
is impossible to get this
class work of this standard
performed at Athens; & we
have been advised that the best
& quickest way is to have the
"Anzac Magazine, 1916" produced
at in London. We wd
Would it be too great a
trouble to putting you to too much
trouble to ask if you could arrange

Space for initials
Brig Gen Carruthers
Brig. Gen. white
Col. Marsh
Maj. Butler
Capt. Bean
Mr Malcolm Ross
Lt. Woods.
----
Note to Cap^t. Hore.
C.O 3rd Bn Howell Price
----
Mc David Barker
5 Field Amb
Rest Gully
---
Pte F. R. Crozier
6 Bde HQ

Headquarters
Australian & New Zealand
Army Corps
Anzac.
Dec 8^th 1915
Dear Sir George
A committee has
been formed here (consisting of
.......)

to edit & put arrange for the
publication of a New Year
magazine for Anzac. The literary
contributions are to come entirely
from members of the force at
Anzac - the drawings & paintings
& cover will be o will be made
& cover designed at Anzac by
members of the force with such
materials as are available.
We are confident that a m the
talent at Anzac is sufficient
to produce a magazine to compare
well with the annuals publ produced
of the outside world. Prizes
have been offered to the amount
of ₤24 for the best cover, stories
etc. The price for the majazine
it was originally
would we believe be between 2/6 &