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

Original    DIARY NO. 84.

AWM38    3DDRL 606 ITEM 84 [1]

DIARY    84

Aug.2

1917

_________________

& Arty on July 31

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

[Hand drawn sketch, please see original]

 

 

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

^Crespyigny 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