Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/84/1 - August 1917 - Part 4

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
  • Shorthand
Status:
Open to contributions
Accession number:
RCDIG1066614
Difficulty:
5

Page 1 / 10

37 BBt Cost 3K & I wd in the steent (of drivers only 1Cpl. Carrying annur K. 7 man wd. 38 officers & wather. - 9 k. 11wd 2 doctors &. at Zillebeke before the stunt 350Bty Andley Parker as a medical orderly an Bt Dion ffrom Quenslamd Southport - in Bank) to Bod JABde there at Arzac. When two detachments of 7t Bty were wipes outat short interral, be walked up & asked to be taken on as a gunver. This ws done He could as ganner, comminione at Heurbaix. He we k. 22nd pety. at he battery who ws in action, registering for yures. Dr. Nicholson an instance of good driver picking up odd sandbsp, water cans or dropped diumunition, C1N.6 or 7 26 06 7 ato. I aa sooner have left the 60s7 then any other
It tooked like a turn to frow weaker this morning. Ihe cloads were hyher & thre was. an occasional sign of a rift. But after much a stow came down heavier tha ever - & the crops are mostly now lying flat more than half, any way, I should say Maj. fen. Frenchard, commdy the Air service in France, ws in to truch with the Hon. Maurice Baring - the later ratier a crude coarse tooking person - Frenchard sd to I great difficalt in air us to know whetheer another machie was or ws not ferman, Deer airmen constantlyalacd our own machines - not often fatuly; but sometimes they cause them to crash. A couply
46 If weeks up a machine flying on another acrodrome not its own – attacked a machine below it chased it down to witin 100 feet of ground; caused it to crash & killed its occupants, went off to its own acrodsome & reported to it had brought down a ferman machine; a second message ws recd. from the attacking airmen to German machine had Bortish Colours. Trenchard sd to next year it will be very difficuly for our people t photograpt at 8000 feelas they do now. They cd do it at 20,000 fo as well as I firman (I are as ther our photos at th height as good but the artiller say the photos
41 are not sufficiently acc detailed at to beight & so we have to give him 8000. But aixd year it may cost us 4 or I planes Every day, & we cannot afford it. He sd to aty height of our air-supremacy - beginning of Somme Battle we were losin C& S machiig a day (I think t wo1 number - anyway for more than I public thought) White tells me to Haig ws down here a few days ago & ws Allin asking him what cd be done in 1 fom case of the desertions of the 4th sust. Dion - These desertion he sd were serious. While
42 5d Yes. General, very. tay asked what io be done White sd to the Australian Fout wel never, he thought agree to have threst men shot. They had an objecty to any fory of deate senalty even, in place. Hay sd quietin well. suppose if it joes onhe may have to ack them to with draw teir troops, White flushed up - but he kept a curt on his tougne & did at say & you don't dare to do it 1t which is what he had it in mind to say Hay - who had reppid this outin anger, before he thought, came back to subject. well, do you think there is any other way you can suggest hesd
efS 43 White sd to if these man cought when were brought into companies to be worked we I line - it wd have I right effect. They were mainly trying to fet away from shells - & they did it successfully white ws under impression to they wl be shot in any army except I Austiation. I sd to they ad not in I ferman army Batter bears this out - he says it has incrased desertion but as a reform intraduced, he thought, to scnt I Sociatits White broughting. 4 mest oday at Aug. ch one of the mo intellectual tn have een in
44 army - a Colovel Robertson, who is JL01 under gen. Harrington on the Endari staff. He had his legansted at Lt Eloz & now has a steet slate inst. of a bone there. He ws away for a year. He had a real nice face, a biiht eye, & a pod forehead: So it as no surprise when while sd to be passed on first to 1staf Colee in Whites year - 1906 Now this chap in only glO I. He as away for a year it is trut; but why has he not got on fuithen than that White ws talking of Hais yeite & saying he as cimpressed by some of his qualities. Can he sick his subordinates ?I asked. White shook his head.
45 Plumen is prolf best of them. Gough a driver a man of boundless every & Elthuscaam; but not a great general. Kawlinson apt to lett J.H.C down so some of them think. Hay not deal by what oes a Pbygough for examptn ough will he is told always crab any man whose name is suggested to him. Daviard forl of a fellow - what could you cxpiet with a bloody ideat like that - &To on. in charge I told them at lunch of the ferman plane with Britich markings which turned its wof outs men arount gillebete take - & white sdt still he thought
46 Tenchard ws right - too fermans didn't use our markings. You think it ws one of ours wh mestook his positn? I asked. He nadded. You heard of what happened Loughs Hers, hidd, the advanced Hass he ws havin buill up at Freanicourt?An airman came one dry & saw it & this over it & simply riddled the huts a bullets. Iuckily no one was in the place - but it as one of our dermen. When he came down they arresty him & it turned out he had quit lost himself. He thought he ws over erman lives. Hws onrd gougls
47 characteristics to try + put hi HErs up in place miles ahead of where any other Army Commdr would. He p. as having ther built up at Tremicourt where our old Drr. Art Hhis were ahead of town. He saw camp command out in Albert one day. He ws sutting off his visit to I new Hars (then being built) till next day. The fermans were shelling it lest time I was up tere, lesd. believe gough had to give up I idea. When he came up Nork here be immediately tried to put his H9s again up within 7 or 8 wiles of the

 

37
BB 3rd Bty Cost 
3 k & 11 wd in the stunt.
(of drivers only
1 Cpl. carrying ammun k.
1 man wd.)
 

7 38
officers & Walker. - 9 k. 11 wd]
2 doctors k . at Zillebeke
before the stunt
_____________________
Audley Parker 3rd Bty ws a medical orderly
in 1st Divn (from Quensland,
Southport - in Bank there) to 3rd FA Bde.
at Anzac. When two detachments
of 7th Bty were wiped out at
short interval, he walked up
& asked to be taken on as
a gunner. This ws done -
He contd as gunner, commissioned
at Fleurbaix. He ws k.
22nd July. at the battery wh
ws in action, registering for Ypres.
___________________________
Dr. Nicholson an instance of good driver
- picking up odd sandbags, water
cans or dropped ammunition,
[shorthand]
etc.
I wd sooner have left the 6 or 7. . . .
? than any other. . . . 
 

 

 

7 39
It looked like a turn to finer
weather this morning. The clouds
were higher & there was an
occasional sign of a rift. But
after lunch a storm came down
heavier than ever - & the
crops are mostly now lying flat
- more than half, any way, I
should say.
Maj. Gen. Trenchard, commdg
the Air service in France, ws
in to lunch with the Hon. Maurice
Baring - the latter rather a crude
coarse looking person - Trenchard
sd tt / great difficulty in / air
ws to know whether another
machine was or ws not German.
Our airmen constantly attack
our own machines - not
often fatally ; but sometimes
they cause them to crash. A couple
 

 

 

7 40
of weeks ago a machine flying
of over another aerodrome -
not its own – attacked a
machine below it - 
chased it down to within 100
feet o / ground ; caused it to
crash & killed its occupants;
went off to its own aerodrome
& reports tt it had brought
down a German machine; a
second message ws recd.
from the attacking machin
pilot airmen tt / German
machine had British colours.
Trenchard sd tt next
year it will be very difficult
for our people to photograph
at 8000 feet as they do now.
They cd do it at 20,000
ft as well as / German (? are
our photos at tt height as good ^as theirs)
but the artillery say the photos
 

 

 

7 41
are not sufficiently accura
detailed at tt height &
so we have to give them
8000. But next year it
may cost us 4 or 5 planes
every day, & we cannot
afford it.
He sd tt at / height
of our air - supremacy - /,
beginning o / Somme Battle -
we were losing 4 & 5 machines
a day (I think tt was / 
number - anyway far more
than / public thought).

White tells me tt Haig
ws down here a few days
ago & ws xxxxx asking
him what cd be done in /
case of the desertions of from the
4th Aust. Divn - These desertions
he sd were serious. White
 

 

 

7   42
sd "Yes, General, very."
Haig asked what cd be done,
White sd tt the Australian
Govt wd never, he thought,
agree to have these men
shot. They had an objectn to any
form of death penalty even in peace.
Haig sd quickly. Well,
suppose if it goes on the I
may have to ask them to
with draw their troops.
White flushed up - but
he kept a curb on his tongue
& didn't say "You don't
dare to do it!" which is
what he had it in mind
to say.
Haig - who had ripped
this out in anger, before he
thought, came back to /
subject. "Well, do you
think there is any other way
you can suggest," he sd.
 

 

 

Aug 5.
 

 7 43
White sd tt if these men
when ^caught were brought into companies
to be worked in / line - it
wd have / right effect.
They were mainly trying to get
away from shells - & they
did it successfully.
White ws under /
impression tt they wd be
shot in any army except
/ Australian. I sd tt they
wd not in / German army.
(Butler bears this out - he
says it has increased desertion,
but ws a reform introduced,
he thought, to suit / Socialists)

Aug. 5th. I met White brought in today, at
lunch, one of the most few intellectual
looking men I have seen in /
 

 

 

7 44
army - a Colonel Robertson,
who is GSO 1 under Gen.
Harrington on the 2nd Army
staff. He had his leg crushed
at St Eloi & now has a
steel plate inst. of a bone
there. He ws away for a year.
He had a real nice
face, a bright eye, & a good
forehead ; so it ws no
surprise when White sd tt he
passed in first to / Staff College 
in Whites year - 1906.
Now this chap is only GSO 1.
He ws away for a year it is true;
but why has he not got on
further than that.
White ws talking of Haig
yesty & saying he ws impressed
by some of his qualities. "Can
he pick his subordinates ?" I
asked. White shook his head.
 

 

 

7 45
Plumer is probly / best
of them. Gough a driver -
a man of boundless energy
& enthusiasm ;  but not a
great general. Rawlinson
- apt to let x G.H.Q down
so. some of them think. Haig
goes a great deal by what
he is told ^ - by Gough, for example; & Gough will
always crab any man
whose name is suggested to
him : "Damned fool of a
fellow" - "What could you expect
with a bloody idiot like that
in charge" - & so on. 
I told them at lunch of
the German 'plane with
British markings which
turned its m.g. onto men
around Zillebeke lake - &
White sd tt still he thought
 

 

 

46
Trenchard ws right - the
Germans didn't use our
markings. "You think it ws
one of ours wh mistook his
positn?", I asked. He nodded.
"You heard of what happened to
Goughs HQrs," he sd, "the
advanced HQrs he ws having
built up at Fremicourt ? An
airman came down over one day
& saw it & flew over it
& simply riddled the huts
w bullets. Luckily no one
was in the place - but it
ws one of our airmen. When
he came down they arrested
him & it turned out he
had quite lost himself.
He thought he ws over /
German lines."
It ws one of Goughs
 

 

 

7 47
characteristics to try &
put his H.Qrs up in places
miles ahead of where any
other Army Commdr would.
He x ws having these built
up at Fremicourt where
our old Div. Arty HQrs were,
ahead o / town. We saw
/ camp commandant in
Albert one day. He ws putting
off his visit to / new
HQrs (then being built) till
next day. "The Germans
were shelling it last time
I was up there," he sd.
I believe Gough had to
give up / idea. When he
came up North here he
immediately tried to put
his HQrs again up
within 7 or 8 miles of the
 

 

 

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