Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/84/1 - August 1917 - Part 1

AWM38
Official History,
1914-18 War: Records of C E W Bean,
Official Historian.
Diaries and Notebooks
Item number: 3DRL606/84/1
Title:  Diary, August 1917
Incudes references to third battle of Ypres,
Hazebrouck and the Australian artillery.
AWM38-3DRL606/84/1

[*DIARY    84
Aug.2
1917
_________________
& Arty on July 31*]
Original    DIARY NO. 84.
AWM38    3DDRL 606 ITEM 84 [1]
DIARIES AND NOTES OF C.  W. BEAN
CONCERNING THE WAR OF 1914 - 1918
The use of these diaries and notes is subject of conditions laid down in the terms
of gift to the Australian War Memorial.  but, apart from these 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 contest 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

34
[Drawing - please see original]
Vieux-Berquin
Merris

7    1     84
DIARY
Aug. 2
1917
________________
& Arty on July 31

7    2
Aug 2.  Raining still - all day.
Some of the roads on the
flats are under water.
I sent a message today
to Australia, of which I have thought
a lot of later.  The Allies are
tending towards "No annexation"
terms - they didn't start make
war for annexation & they
are ready to repudiate & restore
all annexatns tt have bn
made.  Russia & America
have made none, so they
are only giving back what 
Britain has taken;  &
tho' / French Govt stands
for / annexatn of Alsace
Lorraine, wh is no doubt
right as / provinces are
more than half French,
still the French army is so

7    3
sick o / war tt it is
inclined to say - let Alsace
& Lorraine go to hell, & - so long
as we can get back from /
Germans / rest of France - give
us peace.
Great Britain has taken 
many colonies from Germany
but I dont think / British
Govt wd hesitate to give
them back if Germany were
a republic or a democracy.
It is better for us to come out
of this war poorer rather
than richer.  But they feel
themselves bounden to give
India, Australia, N.Z. &
S. Africa what those dominions
ask for seeing tt they have
fought so well for / Empire.
Hughes did not come to /

7    4
Imperial Conference;  & now
he doesnt say what Australia
wants in / matter of annexatn,
he only says that he does
must not be taken as
agreeing to what the British
Prime Minister says abt
conquered countries being free
to choose what Govt they 
wish.  That is to say he
doesnt take / responsibility
of choosing what he wants;
but assumes / liberty of
criticising anything tt is
done for him in default of
his own decision.
Australia as a whole
wd probably shriek at the _^first idea
of colonies being given back,
because it is given to quick shallow judgments;
but it certainly wd not
assume / responsibility

7    5
of urging tt more Australian
attacks shd be made &, say,
10,000 _^Australian casualties incurred,
in order to get New Guinea.  As
a matter of fact, if it thought over
/ matter, it wd XXXXX _^I believe honestly prefer
to hand back N. Guinea;  provided
it were quite safe agst being
N. Guinea being given to Japan,
or Germany allying herself
w. Japan and lending it as
a base for sea attack.  One wants
Australia duty and _^to think this over & make up
her mind on it this for herself
& then say what she wants &
take / responsibility of it.
I sent a very short
telegram to this effect tonight.
I know they may call it
"political" & may move
to recall me.  But it is a 

7    6
contribution I can make to
peace.  And I am quite satisfied
tt it is right to make it whatever
/ result.
As I had just finished
it when I had a request from
Gen. Birdwood to come up to his
H.Qrs next the Town Hall (he still sleeps at La Motte)
& give a hand w a message
to the Aust all: cabled for by the Sydney "Sunday
Times" after the first 3 years o
/ war.  I wrote something scrappy
on / spur o / moment.
White had also bn asked to
provide a suggestion for / message
& he wrote a splendid one -
a most elevating & inspiring
message, I thought.  Birdwood
made a few alterations, for
the better, - the little man has
a keen enough mind - &
then I condensed it.
By jove, White is an
able chap.  I couldnt have

7    7
composed his message,
used though I am to / job.
I had a look with de
_^Crespigny at the 15 inch shell hole in Gen.
Birdwoods back garden - the
shell fell there two days
ago when they were shelling firing at
Hazebrouck - It smashed
/ garden wall & blew down
a section o / next neighbours' garden
wall also.
As I came back tonight
thro' the drizzle & mist
a big picquet passed marching
up / street - first division,
I believe.  They had a
row last night at a
canteen where two of our
men blacked the British
canteen Sergeants eye because
he refused to sell _^cigarettes to them

7    8
after / canteen ws
closed.  The canteen Sergt.
went home to bed & made
no complaints but some
other employee did.  It
makes one rather suspect
tt / canteen Sergt may
have sd something to them
wh they would not stand.
No sooner do our birds
get with a new area near our Army Headquarters than
tempers were they are sure
to choose tt sacred spot
to have a row in.  They
preserved - by some
miracle - a wonderful name
in the 2nd Army.  But
it ws bound to come to an
end some day.  The first
thing the 7^th & 9^th Bns do
in coming back here from