Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/82/1 - July 1917 - Part 2

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^near Bapaume in support of the 4th Corps

wh relieved us at Bullecourt.

The second Anzac Corps was

out of the line except the

N.Zealanders -

 

I crossed over leaving

the car at Boulogne & taking

Bagley & Boddy to help us

over with some relics, - the

centro way notice which

Masefield had helped to

dig up (it was a splendid

idea of his to get it) & some

shell cases ^maps etc.

 

I had nearly 4

weeks in England. The first

week in London, arranging

for a new photographer.

Baldwin's illness had knocked

him right out. I went down

to see the little chap & explain 

 

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that we could not

continue the arrangement

-we had scarcely any

photos of Bullecourt or

Messines though he pluckily

stuck to it, in spite of

dysentry, for two days; &

as for Bullecourt, the corpl

sergt who assisted him

had to do I work. Baldwin

quite agreed. I was very

anxious to get an Australian

photographer this time; & 

just before leaving London

I have  Mawson, the

South Polar Explorer, told

smart that his photographer

Hurley was due in a few

days.

 

After frittering a week in

London it became clear to me

 

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tt unless I went to I

country & stayed there I

shd get no holiday. I had

bn asked by ^Phillip Gibbs to

see Lt. George & get his

support for the new changes

in the censorship. They

had  The war corrrespts

had managed to make

such an impression 

on the govt, thro' their

proprietors, that Hutton

Wilson had bn removed

& Farnthorpe - a fine

broad minded man at last -

put in his place. But H.Wilson

had an uncle who was

Governor of Gibraltar - T

that was quite sufficient (as

appointments go in England) to

enable him to get back 

 

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again into what was

one half of his old position

-the charge of visitors to

the front. He was retained

there - another Colonel

named Church was put

in over Farnthorpe; ( not a

narrowminded man - but

so new to I job tt, they say,

he referred to H. Wilson on

every point which arose -

about the old rubbishy

quarrels about Malcolm

Ross' right to be a Captain

& so on, were continued;

& Farnthorpe ws on I

point of resigning.

 

I wanted to see Lt.George

also, & I asked White

whether, if I saw him, I

shd ask for I divisions tt

he brought together. He sd tt it

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wd be a good thing.

 

I tried to get an

interview with Lt. George

first through Mr Donald,

Edr. of the "Chronicle",

he suggested doing it thro'

the newspaper proprietors.

I asked Box, Fisher's

secretary & he told me

it cd be arranged direct.

 

Later he told me tt

it wd be necessary to

have some bigger matter

to place before Lt. George

than that o I censorship &

my photos.  Wd I put

before him the case for

the removal from Goughs

command & I 1st Anzac Corps.

 

I cd see tt Murdoch

& Box must have bn

speaking over it & were 

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anxious to have Gen. Gough

removed - Murdoch

has wanted this ever since

the Bullecourt fight [He was

more than ever impressed by

the unfair unequal amount

of fighting which falls, according

to him, on the Australians.

Murdoch's strong patriotism

causes him to see with only

one eye otherwise wherever

our soldiers are concerned. He

told me ^at the Bullecourt time

that he thought our divisions

should be differently treated

from the rest in the way

of relief from fighting - & when

he heard they were going

under Gough he said "I suppose

they cd be murdered again" - It

seems to me they are treated in 

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the same way as the best

British Divisions, wh ws what

Haig told Murdoch].

 

I told Box I wouldn't

go so far as to say tt^to [?] Lt.George ought

ought to get the sack, as I

had no idea tt they had

anyone in I least degree better

to put in his place. Box had

bn rather impressed with

Allenby. "He says what he 

means, anyway!" But I

told Box I wdn't mind

telling Lt.George exactly what

happened at Fromelles &

Bullecourt as far as I

knew it, & tt I wd certainly

ask for the ^Australian divisions to

be used brought together. Everyone

wants it.

 

Both Murdoch & Box

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were insistent tt Lt.

George wd do nothing

unless he saw tt it

wd directly help him.

xxxxxx. As it wd help him

to have a victorious end

to I war, he wd listen to

anything tt wd tend to

win I war; but merely

tt a thing was right, or

tt it ws due to Australia

to treat her as a nation -

this wd have an appeal

to him. They went further

in speaking of Hughes.

We decided to ask Lt.George three

The question arose whether

things:-

or no we should ask

Hughes to do something for

the benefit of the A.I.F. -

(1) get the ^Divisions brought together,

(2)get the corps staffed

by Australians, & (3) appoint

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ask for I direct representation

so in case to so to 

of Australia in London

so tt Birdwood cd resort

to them instead of always

having to write through [H.Q.

as he does now. It

ws decided tt I best way

ws to write cable & get wire Hughes

to do ask for these three

things (I didn't agree with

the precise way of doing

No 2 - anyway I couldn't

take a hand in forcing

Bir Howse sd tt I only

way to do it ws to get the

Australian govt to wire

& request Birdwood to

state what British officers

were indispensable.

This wd force B. to use

Australians because he 

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couldn't reply tt men

like Lotbiniere were

indispensable, when they

he had had so long to

train up competent

Australians. Austra Then,

having this list supplied

it, the Australian govt wd

be able to offer to supply

an Australian Corps Staff

(i.e. to make the 1st Anzac

Corps staff Australian).

I did  cd see tt it ws

a certain means of obtaining

I end - but I cd not

employ it because there

ws another way, wh ws

to ask B. straight - tell

him Australia wishes to

make the staff Australian;

& he wd do it, I believe -

indeed I am sure he wd.