Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/89/1 - September - October 1917 - Part 10

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Awaiting approval
Accession number:
RCDIG1066619
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 6

104 mentione. Biidwoas someting 1efict i ws all very well butte were cases when tsuch thi ongtt to be brought notice commanding medming to that might be a petp to Der. Lawrind as gin. Harrington to know how bad his Saftwork rt was). took it t Birdin a regrd his as confidential Jodle the ray But up tens my opinion gave him to back nay it 91 tet w &tot told
02 Cotober ws saddah 13 rn up to come to butters office There WS fen friver of Kins B3 de X sdto Freve Ken 40 sent he had atto bens name for ay of his battati ton the had awrena held it up Hen on round to speaking eveld had bu the officers of the mey Di 52 wd oten unti he approve peac encal to 5 had th Ibetter t they see this a or
23 Bean t stictor there men have pe Sd know if I 8 you dog cant look to their offis 264 to matign them know dont I can whom took I took then straght to Birdward Sin who hox ehearh very taken atack tI had said but told them whiteref a noth on Vcontrary &hed officers in o exstaned the to them colorse difficutties und 4 the tabn march totl t Gen tatotenpe
404 I believe credit. t tain word Kens did matie damagin not statiments about men t Oct On 1 th Hay saw Carreppondents the Dreding Butish Corresits Rloss & myself (byon has to back Canada 40 4o I believe). Tere ws apretty acute the censoship. crisislated in thie wost censor, Hutten old and witson only consideration whose ti was anyth am donng
10. safl ? Hew is it going to affect me?. was cacked about the end of April, H J.C. Taunthorpe, an Indian Civilian of great abilit + a big minded + most lovable man who had been, aating nd as censor offilms (o rather liked pob) was putin his place & made Lieut Colonel, We thought to all 1 difficultess of censorhip had be solved in one act; but Gen. Charteris being suspicious of anyone not in the army, put in over Taunhore a certain Colonel Church a good enough eld a face tike a four apple soldier with who had made some suasess as a postal censor. Church ws to be over all Special Intelligence Intelliance included Intitlptice ofenemy gaine thro' our milety eyes- acroptines, presoners captin intelligence of sinsious E 2 Int cliginee gane through our
o 166 wt ffte means (31 our ssecret spieg ist the meadures aga & at to all spie 14) Eneuise news-leakage of control the these photog letter press. through the vesitor All this last is specing intelignce press 50 to as the it not peallan is contcarned cenaorship buta antspy whiah knows what censorfi information rightly Erreind is quite propety this toe who know what performed what he is thet Enemy Endws to want to know But charteris. suppose make sake of for extra sure, ad t sa allowed Church

D39                        101

mentioned...
Birdwood sd something xxx
to / effect tt it ws all very
well, but there were cases
when such things ought to be
brought to / notice of commanders
(meaning tt it might
be a help to Gen. Lawrence or
Gen. Harrington to know how
bad his staff work really
was).
I took it tt Birdie wd
regard this as confidential.
But he rang up Godley &
gave him my opinion & Kens
name to back it; Godley
told Lawrence; & today

 

D39                              102

(October 13) I ws suddenly
rung up to come to
Butlers office. There ws
Gen Trevor (of Ken’s Bde) &
Ken. Trevor sd tt
Lawren he had told sent
along Ken’s name for xxx
the command of his battalion
Lawrence had held it up
under on / ground tt Ken
had bn speaking evil of
the men & officers of the
66th Divn, & wd not
approve until he had Ken’s
denial; & had sd. to Trevor
tt they had better go along
at once & see this man

 

 

D39                               103
Bean. “I am / only
protector these men have, “
he sd,  "& you know if I
dont y I cant look to their
offrs not to malign them
I dont know whom I can
look to -“

I took them straight to
Gen. Birdwood, who ws
clearly very taken aback,
but told them tt I had said
nothing whatever agst /

men or officers, & had ^on / contrary only
explained to them the colossal
difficulties under wh the
Xx march had bn made.
Gen. Lawrence, to do him

 

D39                        104

 credit, had, I believe,
taken Ken’s word tt
he did not make damaging
statements about / men
to me.
On Oct 11 Gen. Haig saw
 / correspondents - the
accredited British correspts 
w Ross & myself (Lyon has
gone back to Canada,
I believe).
There ws a pretty acute
crisis lately in the censorship.
The old and worst censor, Hutton
Wilson, whose only consideration
in doing anything was “Am I

 

D39                         105

safe?" “How is it going to affect me?”
was asked about the end of 
April, & Capt J.C. Faunthorpe, an
Indian civilian of great ability
& big minded & most lovable man,
was brought in who has been acting as censor of films
(& rather liked / job) was put in
his place & made Lieut. Colonel.
Xxx We thought tt all / difficulties
o / censorship had been solved in
one act; but Gen. Charteris,
being suspicious of anyone
not in the ^old army, put in over
Faunthorpe a certain Colonel
Church - a good enough old
soldier with a face like a sour apple,
who had made some success as
a postal censor. Church ws to 
be over all “Special Intelligence”
[Intelligence includes 1. Intelligence
of / enemy gained thro’ our military 
eyes -  aeroplanes, prisoners captured,
Intelligence of Divisions etc; 2. Intelligence
gained through our

 

 


D39                    106
 Write xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
spies & secret means (3) our
xxx measures against the
enemies spies (4), & akin to all
these the control of news leakage
through the press, photos, letters,
or visitors. All this last is “special 
intelligence “.  So far as the press
is concerned, it is not not really an
anti-spying censorship, but a
censorship which knows what
information wd be useful to /
enemy - & this is quite properly  rightly
performed by those who know what
/ enemy knows & what he is likely
to want to know.
But Charteris, I suppose
for / sake of his orders making extra sure, has
Xxx in order to allowed Church

 

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