Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/244/1 - 1916 - 1933 - Part 23

8
Nov 27.  13 Bn reliev took over as Rt Bn [[Gruenbeet]] Sector.
BN HQ in Possum Reserve trench (N26D12) A & B Coys in
Fl. N21D26 - C48x48 - 22D97½ - 20 b61
Nov 29.  C Coy (Marks) reld A Coy (²¹C48 - ²⁰761) no CTS
∴ had to relieve quickly. Find - by 6pm. F.L.
much impd by A Coy. Placed Coy HQ in dugout in
Sunken Rd w Coy Scouts 20^x ahead as guard.
Dec. 1  At 3.15am LG on end of Goodwin's post saw
a Germ run across their front. They fired a burst &
he ran into Sunk Rd almost on top of Marks
Scouts. Scout on gd threw a bomb, wd G.
who surrendered. Marks dressed him in
dugout & found he was a runner w message
from Coy Commdr in Barly trench to Pln Commdr in 
Lard Trench, from which he ws returning w
answer when he lost his way & ran into
our post.
The message ws notificn that G. staff
had decided to evac. & salient & asked pln 
Commdr to rept on a trench to be sited along /
base o / Salient. Pln Commdr ^had reported adversely.
A map o / area, showing our lines & theirs
was enclosed & / whole file ws being returned.
"Natly our G.S. was delighted. We had prepared for
an att to drive them out o / very trench wh
they now proposed to vacate." (also Stormy Tr yday) 

PHONE
CENTRAL 5832.
COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA.           
PUBLIC SERVICE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS.
192
Anzac Book Fund.
Fixed Deposit Receipt
No 31999 Clt Bank, Melb.
In Safe in Gen White's office.
£2,500.
£293. 6.11 Currt. a/c.

 [[?]]

Reference attached letter from General Birdwood, I am
able to furnish the following details regarding the death of Lieut.
L. E .J. Fitzgerald.
Capt. C. M. Lillie D.S.O. states -
On 25th July 1916, Lieut. Fitzgerald with his bombers had orders
to place a bombing post at Munster Alley after we had reached our
second objective.  About 2.45 a.m. he reported to me that he had
done this, and stated that the enemy were bombing our moppers-up
out of the first objective.  I ordered him to hand over his
Battalion Bombing team to his sergeant and to deal with the latter
situation himself with the Company bombers.  This was the last I
saw of Lieut. Fitzgerald.  From accounts received from men with
him he behaved with the utmost gallantry until his death.  He and
his party engaged the enemy closely, and there is no doubt that
their action against an enemy who had a plentiful supply of bombs
saved the main body of the Battalion from being cut off.  He was
killed shortly before daylight by a burst of machine gun fire while
leading his bombers across the open in order to get within bombing
range of the enemy, who were outdistancing us with their egg bombs.
He fell near the two trees alongside the railway in the vicinity of the
Windmill.

D A Luxton Lieut-Co.,
Commanding 5th Battalion, A.I.F.
11/5/18 

H.N. No 1.
Glasgow. Mouquet Farm.
Glasgow thinks that the sandwiching of the
13th Battalion between two battalions of his own brigade
in the attack on Mouquet Fm, Aug 14/15 1916, was a mistake
and may have conduced to the failure.
On the second innings of the bde the fact that
something was accomplished and ground won cheered the men,
and though they lost heavily they had recovered their
spirits&within 3 weeks would have been fit to undertake
another big job.

noted. 

51 Bn
Being hard pressed.  Enemy bombing up our trench
from both ends.  Strong point in our left rear has not
been cleared as they are sniping from our rear. Trench
half-full of wounded and dead - can't get them back.
Can a party be organised to clear strong point?  If
not it will go hard with us.  Only have about 30
men with me. No sign of a communication trench
to us from farm as yet.  Lost trace of 52nd.  Believe
we have got come too far.  8.30 a.m.  Lieut A.G. Clifford.
                      
[*52Bn*] Are out of food & water. Have given orders
to broach iron rations.  Sending prisoner back by
messenger.  D. S. Maxwell Lt A. Coy.
P.S.  Believe Captain (Lovett) said "52nd
men were quite knocked out."  Rot, we are
going strong. D.S.M. 

HN
White - Pozieres
Haig coming to J Anzac Headquarters after Legge's failure.
On 29 July w Kiggell ^(Haig looking very angry ^& K. rather nervous), took White & Birdwood
to the map in White's office, & standing before it with them
described what he thought were the causes of failure &
dressed White & Birdwood down. Haigs facts were wrong "You
can't come here, as you do after your victories in
Gallipoli, & imagine you can tackle this enemy as if
you were fighting Bashi Bazouks!" he said. Haig's facts
statement of the facts was wrong in many respects, & White
wanted once or twice to interrupt, but Kiggell stopped
him. Once Haig said "Listen to what I say, young man
I am giving you the benefit of my experience."
Haig after Birdwood said nothing, probably being
a little out of his depth (though White didnt tell me so).
After Haig had finished, he changed the subject; walked
round the room & remarked "You have nice quarters
here", & was going out of the door with a friendly
remark when White stopped him. "I can't in justice 
let you go, Sir," he said. "Why what do you want of me,"
asked Haig kindly. "Come to this map Sir," sd White. "I
cannot let you go ^when I know you are under a misapprehension on these points
of which I know the truth to be different."  And he took
Haig to the map & pointed out: "You said that the heavy
artillery etc etc ---- The fact is they were ------ You said
this ----- & this -, & that ------- But the fact is ----- so on & so on".
Haig put his hand kindly on his shoulder, & made
some quiet approving remark, & went out.
White urged me ( impressed upon me (after reading Chap. 24 of Vol III
that he & Birdwood should bear the blame of not having protestd
[*more forcibly to Gough against the successive attacks against
Mouquet Farm. "We could have done so", he said, "& though Gough would have
taken us along to Haig, Haig would, I believe, have upheld us. We must
bear the blame for not doing that. I did not, of course, realise it at the time,
but I would do that now. We used our weight much more effectively at Passchendaele."*]
[*White tells me that he thinks Gough influenced Haig to go on with piecemeal tactics.
Haig's fault was - he did not know when to stop - & he left too much to his subordinates.*]

1 Bn.
More of (1) life on Pen
(2) Early days in Fr.
P 46 Describe the Ypres
Sector a little.
Pozieres. Heanes a/c best
but requires editing
Not so well written
as the other
P 61. Meaning of wds in
back etc
Pp 77 - 79 should be
combined with pp 73 - 78.

7th Bn (D Coy)
part in 5 Bn bomb attack July 25
Diagram - see original document

Somewhere in France
29/7/1916.
Dear Mrs Lynch,
It is with a sad heart
that I am endeavouring to write these few
lines of comfort to you, on the death of your
noble son Norman.  I being the Corporal in
charge of the crew to which Norman was
attached, am in a position to give you the
inspiring facts, which fate decreed should
lead to his self-sacrificing end.  It was
during the great attack by the Australians
on the fortified village of Pozieres that
we suffered intense hardships, the worst
of which being the want of water.  Your
gallant son came to me and offered his
services to go through the shell swept zone
in an endeavour to get our water-bottles
filled.  We felt proud of him as we wished
him the best of luck on his journey, but
it was God's will that he should not
return to us, a shell killing him instantaneously
on his backward journey,
just a short distance from us, and
his hearts desire remained unfulfilled.
You will see by the above that your
courageous son ^died whilst trying to help
his mates.  We are sending you several
little presents you had sent Norman,
which we found in his pack; and
when you receive them you will see
through the dark cloud of sadness,
his face reflected, and on it the indellible
words "A gallant hero."  Hoping that these
few lines will bring you much comfort
and assuring you that his name
will be fondly cherished and reverred
amongst our section
I remain with heart-felt sympathy
A. J. Pretag Cpl.
2 Machinegun Compy,
1st A.I.F.

Pte Norman Lynch
Killed France
Parents reside at
224 Walham Rd.
Perth

6th MACHINE GUN COMPANY ASSOCIATION
Incorporating 2nd Machine Gun Battalion
W.A.CARNE,
Hon. Secretary
12 Mc.Killop Street,
Melbourne,  28th April 1930
Vol III Corrections.
Mr C. E. W.Bean,
Official Historian,
Victoria Barracks,
Sydney.
Dear Sir,
I am writing to point out a discrepancy which I have noticed
on page 713 of your Volume III.
A footnote on that page (No. 39) reads "Those of the 6th
Brigade ,however, under Lieutenant Windsor are said to have hit forty or
fifty of a German working party"  The reference is to operations on the
6th August.
The incident referred to actually took place in the dim
light of the morning of 27th July as recorded in the 6th Company Diary,
'Resume' of action at Pozieres" by Captain L.F.S.Hore and "notes" by
Brigadier J .Gellibrand.  Lieut. Windsor was severely wounded on the
morning of the 28th July, was carried out of the line and did not
rejoin the Company till some months later. 
Yours faithfully,
W. Carne