Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/81/1 - June 1917 - Part 5

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56
the patrols is uncertain.
All these divisions
are longing to get back
under Birdwood & his staff.
Salier of 12 Bde told me
so - Holmes of 4 Divn -
Leane of 48 Bn - Even
Blanchard Field Cashier
of 3rd Divn.
June 13. Gen Godley to review 12 Bde
near Church La Creche 11 am.          Staff Capt.
tomorrow.                                        12 Bde.
                                                            13 Bde.
After that 13 Bde at Canteen
Corner.
June 14. Went out to
Gen Godleys reviews
& later to the 48 & 47
Bns to get their story
 

57
Godleys Speech to 12 Bde - men looking
v. well.
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Speech to 13 Bde
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The 48^th (who were in both - in thick
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June 14^th ws nothing like so trying
as Pozieres - shellfire nothing like so heavy.
Weather still glorious -
as it has been all thro' this
battle, &, exc. for a few days,
since April 20 or thereabout.
Almost unnaturally hot for
this season, esp. in May.
I must not forget 
the work the Aust. tunnellers
did at St Yves (33 had HQrs
there) Catacombs, Tunnel
at St Quentin - etc. A
little Aust. unit runs the
Electric light engine at in
St Quentin tunnel - 4
men belonging to an isolated
"Electrical operating" unit
of some sort.
 

62
June 15 ^th. Got a message
from Godley that he was
going to review the third
Divn - meeting Gen.. Monash
at Doulieu - which meant
"Come and report my 
speech." This was a
nuisance as it was my
last day (I had asked for
leave from June 16^th as
I am fairly stale) & I wanted
to see the 49^th Bn & 56th
also if possible.
The 3rd Divn Units were
in splendid condition - the
men stepped out well. The
33rd & 34th looked splendid,
but the 35th looks what I
believe it is - the weakest of
the lot. It has a miserable poor
old moaning weed of a colonel
in Goddard^X.
Godley, who never strikes one 

[*^X This is too severe. Goddard is a good fellow, but of purely scholarly
type, delicate, & quite unfitted to lead Australians, I should say
CEWBean Dec. 1930.*]

 

as being in the least sincere, sd
to [[?]] Bde
63
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64
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To 9 Bde.
 

65
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66
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Got promise from Godley
of photos of [[?]] etc at Messines
for Australian records.
Saw White 33 Bn, &
Stewart & O.C. 34 Bn.
Had dinner at Steenwerk
^Cafe' with some 3^rd Div & some 4^th
Div officers. The 3^rd Division
men were a little shy of
4^th Div to start with tho
they were from same states
- S A & W A. But 3rd Div.

 67

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