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

i.e. bec. he knows me
& I am writing /
war history.
 

tried to get it for Ross, too,
but White doesn't know Ross.
He gave it to me for a
"special reason" & / only
way I cd think of keeping
my faith w both Ross &
White & saving trouble for either
ws simply to tell Ross I
had not bn able to get it
for "us" - its a quibble
amounting to a lie, but
I cant let White fall in for
discriminating.

----
A beautiful night but
misty - Exactly what
we want. Three big
transports off Anzac are

now quite hid in / mist
& one can rarely see / moon.
I can see The lights o / hosp.
ship - a long bright green line
w one red cross in / middle
- is / most noticeable
part o / landscape.
A lighter has just come
in to Watson Piers. It is
just typical o / Naval Staff
work. The fellow in charge
first started by bawling "ahoy"
for abt 5 minutes - 5 or
6 times. "Is this where
you want this lighter?"
he roared twice. Somebody
may have answered - 
I cdnt hear. The motor

lighter then came on towards /
N side o / pier where the
piers o / broken T piece or
elbow are still standing.
White had told me tonight they
cdnt get in on tt side, so
I knew he'd have to go back.
However - whoever ws on
/ pier let him come as
far as he cd on / North side
& then sd "You'd better go
back & come in / other side."
It took him ¼ hour to turn
& come in again - altogether
he ws between x ¼ hr & 25
minutes getting his
lighter alongside. If

this sort of thing happens
tomorrow or Sunday of course
it is "Goodbye" to any plans
o / Army Corps - however good.
I dont suppose / navy has
brought all these lighter captains
to / place & shown them exactly
where they are to lie - 
their staff work is miserable.
They have put a line
of bags down Watsons Pier
today - but they're not so much
good as otherwise bec.
they dont protect men on /
south side o / pier wh is
/ only one men can
disEmbark from. The
Navy planned / pier

[Diagram- see original scan]

with an L^xx piece at / head of
it on / N. side - they were
going to fill it in w canf concrete
to protect their pinnaces - 
It meant tt all traffic on /
pier was absolutely open to
Beachy Bill - & get it ws
a highly selfish bel idea
& Gen Williams, who must
have known / objectn,
was had very weak to
carry it out - Beachy
has this pier to an inch
whenever she wants to shell
it. (Of course / concrete
never ws forthcoming & /
T piece ws only broken &
 

"Coom along an' help
General Lesslie, boys," it
said " an' doan' tarry
now!"

spoils / pier today.
2.35 I had sat up to abt. 1 am.
working out a timetable of tomorrows
events & / next days, when
I heard a sound of provincial
English voices hurrying past my
door. Beachy ws shelling
vigorously - 8 or 12 shells
one after / other. I looked out
- & the whole sky to / North
ws a great red glow. There
ws clearly some great fire in our
lines.
I went across w my
(or rather Embleton's) Camera- 
Something or someone had set
fire to our stores - a huge
dump of MacConochies
rations & biscuits & a little
oil. There ws some oil
lying about. "It started w someone

who knew a thing or two!" sd
one of / men.
[All / time I am writing
this I can hear those damned
naval fools bawling at / top
of their English voices on /
beach - God has blessed / British
navy w much courage &
little brains].
The Army Corps Signal Coy
& as many Australians
as were handy were working
round / fire might & main,
watering / next stack to keep
it clear & trying to dam w
∧sandbags the oil wh spread along the
tram rails. In / midst of
them in his shirtsleeves ws
Gen. Lesslie - spade in hand,

sleeves rolled back,
wrist watch flashing in / glare,
right in / thick of it all /
time as he has bn in every
awkward business I have awkward
strenuous dangerous business
I have seen him take up.
They had got / fire under
within an hour - Beac working
very hard. Beachy Bill
plugged some shells over
very close to them into /
beach or / water but they
scarcely turned to look
(it gives Beacly a splendid
line for / pier - it is just
opposite / end of / pier.
Luckily for us B. probably
thinks it is his work - he's

sure to claim it anyway
if he is like most other
guns.
I waited to see it under in hand -  
Of course it is a most
serious thing for us – the Turks
must suspect we may be
destroying stores. White sd
to me tonight "It's one of
those things you cant
calculate upon - Bean, - one
of those things wh may upset
most of your calculations."
As I came back I thought that
todt I'd drop in & tell
him how it was. He ws
talking into / telephone. I
cdnt help hearing him
say: "I wonder the police

didn't give earlier notice
of it [Beachy is having another
go for it - just one shell has
passed over as I write]
Kerosine - it looks as if tt
must have been laid - 
No. I doubt if its a bad
intentioned feller - I think
they'd have followed it up
if it had been - whereas they've
only put in a few shells.
Beachy gives one / impression
tt he thinks he did it -
We must have / place
looking absolutely normal
tomorrow - And I'Il tell
you another thing- Tell / 
naval officer he must

keep those lighter men quiet.
We cant have them shouting out
"Where do you want this
lighter?" tomorrow. He must
put a pistol to their heads
or something. Send those
signallers back in good order
when you've finished w
them."
Th I sd: "I wish / Turks
cd see / way our fellows
are working down there
- tt wd show them we didn't
want to light it. Anyway
they can hardly think we'd
go & give them this notice
tt we're leaving. I expect
a Taube will come over
tomorrow”