Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/236/1 - 1915 - 1918 - Part 1

AWM38
Official History,
1914-18 War:  Records of C E W Bean,
Official Historian.
Diaries and Notebooks
Item number: 3DRL606/236/1
Title: Notebook, 1915 - 1918
Includes references to the 9th and 11th
Battalions, the 3rd Field Ambulance, Gallipoli,
Pozieres, Bullecourt and Proyart.
AWM38-3DRL606/236/1

Montbrehan 236)
Neil Munro.  "Glasgow News"
Original.  DIARY NO. 236.
AWM38        3 DRL 606 ITEM 236 [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
[*MAIL for Plunket*]

STRICTLY PRIVATE and CONFIDENTIAL
C. E. W. BEAN
Book No. 235. 236
These diaries and records are the personal property of Mr. C. E. W. Bean,
Official Australian War Correspondent, and are kept with the Australian
Government records only for convenience and safety. They are on no account
to be inspected nor to be used for the compilation of any history except by
express permission of Mr. Bean. In the event of his death they are left by will
to Brigadier-General John Gellibrand, A.I.F., whom Mr. Bean has made his
Literary Executor in all matters referring to his War History, and whom he
desires to succeed him in writing it; the New Zealand records amongst them
to go to Capt. Malcolm Ross.
While Mr Bean's records will eventually be given by himself or by his
executors to the Australian Commonwealth, they contain a great many matters
which are on no account to be fully made use of within present lifetimes; in
any of them great caution must be be exercised in judging the value of any
criticisms made or comments passed at the time of the event.
The system on which these notes were written was to put down from
day to day exactly what was present to the writer's mind; but this was very
often wrong, and in such cases it does not by any means follow that a contradiction
appears in the diary. The diaries must, therefore, be judged as a
whole, and daily comment should not be taken as signifying anything more
than what the writer at the moment believed to be true. - C. E. W. BEAN.

From Genl Monash. Sept 28.
(transcribed: see book 274A)
Canadians are on the outskirts of Cambrai
gen line lies along W side of the canal.
3 army got one Bn ^ across first but has now an unauthorised brigade across
and they found 3 bridges at Marcoing not blown
up. They have over 10 thousand prisoners.
Hal [[Jone's?]] corps is working down tt spur and he is
optimistic about reaching the extreme point of the bend tonight.
There is still a big ^ westward bend south of this. The 3rd
corps is still west of V/Guislain.
Today the French 2nd army 4  a French army of 5 divisions and a Belgian
army attacked up north.
Next [shorthand] of sequence is the 4th army. 
As far as I know the first French army will follow
the day after.
1

My orders are to force a passage of the canal and
breach the Hindbg line between Bellicourt and Le Catelet
with a view to passing thro' the gap and estab
what may be called bridgehead on the Eastern side of it.
At the same time exploiting Northwards and Southwards through the gap made
with a view to uncovering a crossing of the canal
so that down south I may uncover passages for the
9th corps, and northwards for the 3 Corps
& the 3 army.
While on / N 3 army and 3 corps
will make no attempt independent of my attempt to
cross the canal, on the South the 9 Corps
will try to cross independent of me at 
Bellenglise.
9th Corps are putting in 46^th Divn & will & 6th Brit Divn
^ & will have 1^st & 32 ^ Divns up their sleeves.
The 3rd Corps are holding ^ a 2000 yds
front they are quite played out. 5th Corps might
cross at Vendhuile. I dont think 3 Corps will try to
2 

13 Corps with 4 Divisions is in reserve in the
4th army not employed at present.
To enable me to accomplish tt task they have given me
27th & 30^th & a good deal of the artillery belonging
to the 3 Corps (American Divisions).
I am placing the 27 in the North and 30
in South. Zero is 5.50 tomorrow morning.
Essential parts o / Plan.
Essential parts of the plan  Bad weather  inspect troops I am not sure
we can realise the whole plan.
Trouble w / Amns. is in their front line.
Americans do / first phase
3 & 5 Australian divisions exploit to / red line.
Total penetration of about 7000-8000 yds.
Beyond tt I have put down a cavalry line because I have a 5th Brigade
of cavalry. The line runs W of Brancourt
that is the least they must achieve - sure to go E of tt if they
go at all.
3

The black lines ^ on / map are / eventual lines of advance -
American Corps, Australian Corps, 9 Corps.
The Americans have no artillery.
Thus far it is more a questn of engineering and calculatn than of
fighting.
We have taken the 1st phase as tho' it were a set piece attack under a barrage,
3500 yards to each division, barrage falling on dead straight lines.
We have ^ (for this?) 17 field artillery brigades. The barrage go at 4 minutes
on the start line and 4 minutes per 100 yards thro'out.
15 minutes pause after the line of the tunnel has been
passed to let people get their breath.
30.2.7
27 30 60 
There will be 8 Bns in front line and 4 in the 2 line.
Those in the front line are assaulting Bns. The 4 in the 2 line
are for mopping up the tunnel and H line which are suspect

to be full of underground fortifications. Their orders
are very strict. Mopping up & nothing else.
On no acct to join in the advance.
The American regiments
went in in the following order
Diagram – see original document
They will attack in the following order:-
Diagram – see original document
We have the American tank Bn here and this gives the 27 Divn
1 more tank per Bn (5 per Bn); 30 Divn
has 4 per Bn.
5

29. Battle [[Lined?]] at Cook etc
30 Big block.
Wilkins to meet us. 
1 Gilbert Parker. Dined w them
←2 Party went to Boulogne.
[5th D.H.Q.] 
3 Tunnel Estrees (Battle)
4. Estress II
5. Montbrehain
6 Murdoch left
7
Tea w Hobbs. Saw American Gen. Lewis.
Wanted to go back by American H Q.
Called in at Am. H.Q. They said they were put forward
and we cannot see them.  Hobbs complained but had got leave to use his artillery.
23 Tovey 
Cook on battlefield

I have an m.g. battalion of 192 guns
which the Boche has never had before. That is only ½
of the resources of the 2 divisions. This is only ½ their 
Vickers guns .
80 tanks will make the breach and these are included
in the mopping up tanks .
They have built ^ ?passages from the tunnels into trenches and sunken roads.
Orders are that no hole is to be left unguarded.
I am very sanguine about these orders being carried out.
Artillery: - 
The chief problem is very strong wire.
For the last 2 days and all this night we are cutting lanes
with 6 in. hows; they are cutting lanes 2 per
battalion front. With these lanes and 80 tanks
we hope the tanks will be able to lead the infantry
thro.
The first phase will involve the capture of Bellicourt
6

7 

Nauroy Le Catelet &
Gouy.
As the green line is well beyond the East side 
of the canal it is necessary to form defensive
flanks. That is the function of these regiments:-
105 on the North  117 on the South. They have also
to exploit a little to N & S to get
(green dotted line) elbow room ^ (green dotted line). They also will have
8 tanks each for tt purpose. That is, 8 besides the 80.
We have a doxxx deeper penetration (4400 yds
for the first phase) than we ever had before. This is a total range
of 6300 yds, much deeper at northern
end than on the south end - recuperators
have to be used at / N end and spring buffers
at the southern end. This is v. difficult bec. divisions
have to be given their own artillery afterwds -
Divisions dont like losing their own artillery.
There is all the time a regular C/bty barrage made
8