Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/23/1 - December 1915 - Part 1

AWM38
Official History,
1914-18 War: Records of C E W Bean,
Official Historian.
Diaries and Notebooks
Item number: 3DRL606/23/1
Title: Diary, December 1915
Also covers the evacuation.

AWM38-3DRL606/23/1

Diary 23
Dec 13. ' 15
Original    DIARY No. 23

3 DRL 606 ITEM 23 [1]
AWM 38 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

Diary 23
Dec. 13. 15

Diagram- see original document.

Diagram- see original document.

Patent gun to fire after men leave
invented by Pte Scurry Moonee Ponds 7 Bn
Muffled feet.-
4Bn 60-4  officers 6-7
         60-4  officers  9. 1 m.g.
         60.4   officers 2 [[shorthand]] 3 or 4 [[shorthand]]
         Very last 5 of these  - 5 active men
Anzac

This puts the colonel in sap Q7 & on [[shorthand]] last.
40 men & adjt the [[shorthand]]. 10 minutes before the end. Then 25
men 2 officers and colonel.
Anz. Line at Present.                          
20.19.17.18.13 L.H, 23, ½ 21, 23, ∧24 ∧coNT. 7, 2,3,1,4,LH 7.5.6
½ 21 1^st division C to Brighton
Patent gun. Down Victoria Gully.

Diagram - see original document

Taube yesty came over Gaba Tepe
flying very high. Our battle plane ws
below & the Taube ws headed from S.
by a 2nd Brit. plane. A 3rd plane headed
here from / North & when last seen he
was flying in / directn of Imbros.
Abdul is putting out tins in front of his
wire here.
2 LH Bde  :  

Diagram - see original document

450. 8 mgs to go in 3,3,2.
Leaflet from Brighton
Shanghai are to go 2nd [[shorthand]]
We blew up other day on right
4.7 gen T 715. 1896 destroy long time
2nd division 3650 1st 1.
                        3000 2nd 1.
Div Commndr to leave last on 1st [[shorthand]]
Bde ∧Comms. B2.
Bn Comms C1 now
Paton (25 Bn) 5^th Bde. Lamrock 5 Bde.
Watson (24 Bn) 5^th Bde

150 [[shorthand]] rations
Parties on last need to have only gt coats
& packs- 1st need to take some of them
2 Bn signallers w parties C3
Forwd line right to end.
Sigs bring shell instruments
Last night B.G Sir A Russell KCMG.
Ev. men but shell [[shorthand]] from head with a [[shorthand]]
Rear Party under Col Paton.
from Maclagan's Knoll CS Knoll
Plugges, Walkers, No 1.
Rt 75 1 Div.
Plugges 90 of the 18^th. w 8 mgs. on
Plugges
& report as outside by Paton on [[shorthand]] ridge
7 days food for 150 men. 150,000 rd
166 Mills grenades & Reserve water

on Plugges. Col. P. may arrange their [shorthand]
on Pl.s Walkers.
Col Patons office will be in communication with

MLOs office [shorthand]
No missions unless you [shorthand] the enemy is attacking
in force .
Rear gd under (Russell) will 
direct our party commune (Paton) if
mines be blown after all our party
retired.  When retire need be [shorthand]
No effort to remove a large number of casualties.
17 Bn 520 rendezvous in reserve
gully.
13LH in Lone Pine Between
Tambo & Lone Pine;
via Bridges Rd & Rest
Gully.
1650 1st party (5.20)

1550
1st party         Blue funnel line sank
17.  420            in canal beginning
18. 160              of July.
19. 460
20. 250
13 LH. 310       N. Beach 6pm
R. vous Rest Gully

2nd night  A
17 Bn 120 23.50                Rendezv.
18       175  Div Train 51    Res. Gully
19       100 Med Ord, 50    5.20.
20      300 Div HQ.4        6 N Beach
21        50   1000

700 2nd Pty.
21^st. 180, 22w 190, 23^rd 180,
24.  150   Watsons Pier. 8pm.
7.15. at R. vous. (1^st Div Rif Camp)

3 Party
21.     350
22     250      3.15 am Reinf. Camp.
23.     300
24      165       4am Watsons Pier
Div J.  75
Med.   50
DHQ.  10
        --------
         1200

B1.
21.              100,      
22              150      R.v. 1^st Div Rif. Camp.
23              100          10.15
24             200      11 Walsons
Engs.        30
Med.         20
             --------
               600

Watson at Rif Cmp

M gunners 35 (for our party)
D.H.Q. 7 (600)

13 2      17.            27 )
             18.         100 )
             19.           57 )
             20.          81 )
             21.           42.)
             22.          114 )             12 - 12.20.
             23.         186 )             Watsons
            Div Sig   34 )              1 a.m.
            Med       40 )
            5 Bde
        (& Q Sig)     13. )
           6 ....           14 )
          DH.Q.         9 )
                 ---------------------

C 17.     50
    18.   140 (50 on Plugges 40 walk ridge)
    19.     30
    20.   100 (m.g.s on Russells Top
    21.      20                   & Post Pn
    22.     60
    24     100
D Sig. 21, Eng. 15, 5 Bde Sig. 11 Gds 11

Garrisons on Plugges
& Post P. [[shorthand]] by order
O.C. our party 

1 inf capt. 1 RE sub or NCO
1 RE other rank 2 signallers
for Bn HQA

                             Como Pier
C. 1.          17.           2.       2.35
                 18.          2.30   2.55
                 19.          2.        2.35
                 20         2.45      3.5
                 21&22   2.15      2.45
                 24         2.15      2.45
& all mgs.

C.2.          17.         2.35    3.10
                 18.        2.55    3.20
                 19.        2.35     3.10
                 20        3.5       3.25
                 21&22  2.45     3.15
                 24        2.45     3.15

C.3.          17.        3.20     3.55
                18         3.15       3.40
                19         3.20      3.55
                20        3.25      3.45
                21.22     3.15      3.45
                24        3.15       3.45.