Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/88/1 - September 1917 - Part 5

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open for review
Accession number:
RCDIG1066618
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

937 who was asteep soyds away had his Eye blacked, as hele in bed by a shoapael pellet wh drove thro from below thro his mattrers + pellow;- so low is the spreed of the pellets in this new Ferman bomb. pertdown Sept 6th Tursday to all the Dions except 4h- 2nd at Kinesin 1sto Ben Berguin, Subdenly sells (where the German put 15 big. them the other day shells into a fiell prolly by mistaken them on some spys report for advanced G.H.D., 5th at Blernyhen 3rd At Fanquembergues; we tought 4t were at Caistre but found they had fore down to Bonry near Bir Dion, Got to them all a notice about the Xmas Book ish white wants ne to get out.
3 23 Sept 7 Murdoel is pisnade io t 1 best form of Liaison that of an offe, similer to Doods at the HigheCommig. office; not like Buckley, but a o can stayd up to the t 8 fice. Yallett, ate Murdoch had sone, m about the hestor of the oto g the begi of thes hists ought not to be set off too long and second to alteo?I we not indispendable as bar Correspt, I was in dispensatly As. Hisbrian. He talken to me for a long tame I agreed not allogit for his reasons, but because it is obvious to te record work make it impossibly to do the correspt work properly, & the bok suffer. There balations I have not visited Bullicourt, + measures, a
26 II have only vito B tadalii written a couple of articles in the last month. The Auskalian papers will becrying out for their own corespond into a thes petity exaitty what the system of the oficial conscopt, Dt intended to avoid I spoketo White. He sd to dd beable t hehep bat he agreed to see itthro ws avesible the Char was might. last anoter two years. Io to London + comeover of theie is anything on. we suggest to Austialiat ha appoint asuccavior. Dat. Sept 8. Bod Din wk Galet stay there visiting the and, 4th Lod Deus X
B7 Broke Sept ept 5 Sept to 26t Bor to get Sun 9 Lagnicourt Malf Y Poguris To Pholancourt with 70. Mon Mirby to see Holland abt thotes To Wortrenit to took tho lack photos releever. & get our To 22723 Bno. 11 Tues gettng vack 4 Cas The News has arrived that Rornly is marching on Petrograd & Kerensky has declared him an enevyg. The Godknows whit thes means. t12. Wed. Spenkwholedey ary off letters at Hodgaf while sa being repairet. It was a holday out follow by 1 first clear autuma night. Br Thus Back t Go Dr 0
23 42 45t Bn. on way. aga 2 To 44AF 15 14 Friday B0d Bns & 4114 Field to I saw to very finte. theie officer, Maj. Donaldson - who wsiter to ad f credit for all the boy had done ws really doet Brigad. A force peteest Bden 1 is1 Butler of 4St Bn Old me Heron - the goungsterfrom 42n who succede Board as CO of415t Bn - had ade his Br (finest in 1Bde, Met Rockliff of the old 11th, now 44t who afer being at the Landing storming of Jaba Tipe, Attack on Leane's G, & Cattalk on leanes i, ws wd + on regoining on Austratia, to 44K & really as poste
137 43 firng tin Comman a when hil the colorel broke down Set Met Gullet, Sept1St Wilkins & Blanchard.i Who came doon. to D.A. G. Forry T Galletts & my batuen & [two loory drivers is working party to go to Pozieres & get what relies we ad still find there for tustalian Muslams. the met them at St Pol. & Gullett wilkis & I went by car out Hocns & tind to Pures.Withins o Soml pectures Sent lday at t Sund. at Pozieres; & half filler the loing with rifles to fixes ound in O.G.1 & ets
237 in t French. The hares 24 Registration Union her done its work magnificently well rows of little white graves macked al te trenches Brinds Rot where the 728 61 Beles reached it, also, was filles with a stragghy line of small white croases. be market our ralics, as we got tem, with the place were found herethe 6 Stept this night at the officers club albert. Sept. 17 Monday - Sent off to trn & with Willim & Gallitt to Vaulk and Norenel - + Kin over Lagnicourt Novenil shelled v Dis s vvery heavily as t Canto see of it was ploughed up the flat great cultivation paddd like
B 45 tengths of light onto which tramling had been ploughed like stribble Laguicounl all on 1 other hav was as dedd as the grave. our old gan positis were t the only bette decerte? weed find had be Shalf out & ws just being blo two of its guns- de halfa will back about bey Wilkins took a ni of photos. We left thenghs Vaul where we had tee at the yuica- At 4.30 we took the road tho Arras Ithen thio Bethne m down the slope t of Vany Ridge, & past Souches, we suddenly fown a our selves arr a most bu looki d t view eopain glorions with the shells burstin pens & the Cowter on the former. Budge of L0s, & rency of the
16 bittlfiuls heret whole Even British as as muddle of in brokethro 1008. Lenvon As we came hom of us frnd he in im the resy again & flare as of a burning dump, momentary over spreadinn flow horizon & they whole clouds. aw hit and plan of our attack on the 20th fuer. blee 24 Dir me Di There is to be barrage 1000 4 do a yds Miak lines of it.
27 37 V VV RE. G. 2.ie. ✓ X 780 pds X ✓ ✓ ✓ ✓ Cingans m.9. 184pr4 4 A11V V pdro 18 There is an at To lroal between Each of these i of 2007ds exc. the 60es 8.2.09.2- wh have 100 yds -10, 9oogds; & as the 60 pdrs throw forward their shrepnel this means a keckness of 10007ds. At the objectives. the bung wid wander offe light guus will keep up a protective barrage, while the heavies wander off into the country for 1000 yds & come back again after the final ban objective it will wander offints I country several times & come back ago

38         D37   
who was asleep 50 yds away
had his eye blacked, as he lay
in bed by a shrapnel pellet wh
drove thro' from below thro' his
mattress & pillow, - so low is
the speed of the pellets in this new
German bomb.
Sept 6th Thursday. Went down
to all the Divns except 4th-
1st at Neuf Vieux Berguin, 2nd at Renescure
(where the German suddenly shelled
them the other day - put 15 big
shells into a field probly by mistaking
them on some spy's report for
advanced G.H.Q., 5th at Blaringhem,
3rd at Fauquenbergues; we
thought 4th were at Caistre but
found they had gone down to Bomy,
near 3rd Divn. Got to them all a
notice about the Xmas Book wh
White wants me to get out.
 

 

39 
D37 Sept 7th, Frid. Murdoch is persuaded
tt / best form of liaison is
that of an offcr, similar to Dodds,
at the High Commve. office; not
a man like Buckley, but a
man who can stand up to the
war office.
Gullett, after Murdoch had gone,
got on to me about the history of the 
war; he sd tt ws the beginning
of this history ought not to be
put off too long. and secondly
tt altho' I ws not indispensable
as war correspt, I was indispensable
as Historian.
He talked to me for a long
time; & I agreed, not altogether
for his reasons, but because it is
obvious tt the record work makes
it impossible to do the correspt
work properly, & they both suffer. There
are battalions I have not visited
since Bullecourt, & Messines;
 

 

40
D37 & I have only visited one
battalion written a couple of
articles in the last month. The
Australian papers will be crying out
for their own correspondents of and this
^competition is exactly what the system of the
official correspt ws intended to
avoid.
I spoke to White. He sd
he had hoped tt I would be able to
see it thro', but he agreed tt
the change ws advisable - /
war might last another two
years. I ^ am to go to London & come over
whenever there is anything on. I
have to suggest to Australia to 
appoint a successor.
Sept 8. Sat.
Went with Gullett to 3rd Divn.
to stay there visiting the 2nd, 4th
& 3rd Divns.
 

 

41
D37 Sept 9. Sun. To 26th Bn to get
Malt [shorthand], Lagnicourt &
Pozieres.
Sept 10. Mon. To Rolancourt with
Hurley to see Holland abt Photos
to Montreuil to look thro'
& get our back photos released.
Sept 11. Tues. to 22 & 23 Bns - 
Broke steering gear of car getting back to Cassel.
The News has arrived that Korniloff
is marching on Petrograd &
Kerensky has declared him
an enemy. The God knows
what this means.
Sept 12. Wed. Spent whole day
clearing off letters at Hoograf
while car ws being repaired.
It was a hot day out followed
by / first clear autumn
night.
Sept 13. Thurs. Back to 3rd Divn
 

 

42
D37  again; saw 45th Bn. on way.
Sept 14th Friday. To 44th &
43rd Bns & 11th Field Coy
where I saw tt very fine.
officer, Maj. Donaldson - who
insisted tt all / credit for
all the Coy had done ws
really due to / Brigade. It
is the happiest Bde in / force.
Butler of 43rd Bn told me
tt Heron - the youngster from
42Bn who succeeded Board
as C.O of 41st Bn - had
made his Bn / finest
in / Bde. Met Nd Rockliffe
of the old 11th, now 44th,
who after being at the Landing,
storming of Gaba Tepe, Attack
on Leane's Trench, & c. attack
on Leanes Trench, ws wd &, 
on rejoining in Australia,
was posted to 44th & really
 

 

43       D37
commanded / firing line
in Messines when his 
highe colonel broke down.
Sept 15. Sat. Met Gullett,
Wilkins & Blanchard with
who came down w /
D.A.G's lorry & Gulletts & my
batman & / two lorry drivers
as working party to go
to Pozieres & get what relics
we cd still find there for
the Australian Museums.
Gullett ^Wilkins & I went on to
I met them at St Pol &
Gullet Wilkins & I went
on to Amiens & my car & 
thence to Pozieres. Wilkins
got some pictures.
Sept 16 Sund. Spent / day
at Pozieres; xx half filled the
lorry with rifles w fixed
bayonets found in O.G. 1 &
 

 

44        D37
in K trench. The Graves  
Registration Union has done its
work magnificently well, &
rows of little white graves
marked all these trenches.
Brinds Rd, where the 7th & 6th
Bdes reached it, also, was
marked filled with a straggling
line of small white crosses.
We marked our relics, as
we got them, with the place
where they were found.
Slept this night ^ & / last at the
officers club, Albert.
Sept. 17 Monday - Sent
xxxxxxx off the lorry &
went with Wilkins & Gullett to
[*for record photos*] Vaulx and Noreuil - & then
over to Lagnicourt. Noreuil
valley xxxxxxx is still shelled very heavily
at times - we could see
the flat of it was ploughed up
like a great cultivation paddock.
 

 

45          D37  
 the Lagnet into which ^ lengths of light tramline
had been ploughed like stubble.
Lagnicourt valley on / other hand
was as dead as the grave.
Our old gun positns were
deserted, & the only battery
we cd find had bn half
blown out & ws just being
dug in - two of its guns - 
about half a mile back.
Wilkins took a number
of photos.
 That night we  We left
Vaulx - where we had tea at
the YMCA - at 4.30;
we took the road thro
Arras; & thence thro Bethune
- & coming down the ^ rear slope
of Vimy Ridge, & past Souchez, we
suddenly found ourselves
looking out of over a most
glorious xxxx pause of plain  wide view - Lievin &
Lens with the shells bursting
in the former, & the Tower
Bridge of Loos, & Grenay - the 
 

 

46            D37   
whole battlefield where /
British as nearly as ever
broke thro in / muddle of
Loos.
As we came from Steenvoorde
we found  saw ahead of us
again & again the rosy
flare as of a burning dump,
spreading momentarily over
/ whole horizon & lining / low
clouds.
Saw White & he told me /
plan of our attack on the 20th: 
[Hand drawn sketch- please see original scan.]
There is to be a barrage 1000 yds
yds thick - 5 lines of it:
 

 

47            D37     
[Hand drawn sketch- please see original scan.]
8in 9.2. etc
& 60 pdrs   
6 in guns
m.g.
18 pdrs & 4.5 how
18 pdrs
This will advance There is an
interval between each of these xxx
of 200 yds exc. the 60 pdrs wh
have 8.2 & 9.2 - wh have
100 yds - i.e. 900 yds; & as the
60 pdrs throw forward their
shrapnel this means a thickness
of 1000 yds.
At the objectives the heavy
barrage wil wander offe light guns
will keep up a protective
barrage while the heavies
wander off into the country for
1000 yds & come back again;
after the final barrage objective
it will wander off into / country
several times & come back agn
 

 
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Robyn GRobyn G
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