Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/124/1 - July 1916 - Part 1

AWM38
Official History,
1914-18 War: Records of C E W Bean,
Official Historian.
Diaries and Notebooks
Item number: 3DRL606/124/1
Title: Notebook, July 1916
Includes references to the 2nd, 3rd and 4th
Battalions, the 1st Infantry Brigade and Pozieres.
AWM38-3DRL606/124/1 

124
R.5
Original   DIARY NO. 124.
AWM38     3 DRL 606  ITEM 124 [1]
DIARIES AND NOTES OF C. E. W. BEAN
CONCERNING THE WAR OF 1914 - 1918
THE use of these diaries and notes is subject to conditions laid down in the terms
of gift to the Australian War Memorial.  But, apart from those 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 constant 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 Sep., 1946.            C.E.W. BEAN.
AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL
ACCESS STATUS
OPEN 

124
3^rd Bn 4^th Bn 2^nd Bn.
July 1916 

1
Inform.
"Garrison consists of remnants of Bns wh have
lost heavily in recent fighting."
Cellars of village are occupied & connected
undergrd.
1^st Bde front.
Rt of 1st Bn along boxes X 11 a.O.3; X 5 c. O. 3;
X .4b.7.2. to right of 2 Bn.
Right of 2 Bn. : Bombing post X 4 d 3. O. to
[*?X4d30*] left of road X 4 d 2½ 8 trench on N W of
Road at X 4 c 2.O. to point X 4 c 6.4.
3 Bn will follow 1 Bn; 4 Bn will follow 2 Bn.
1st Objve Enemy trench X 5 6 O 3 to X 4 c 6.4.
2nd objve. trench line along the enclosure S.W. of Pozieres
& including copse N of rly line.
3rd objve. S.E. side of Bapaume Albert Rd from
X 4 b 72 to X 4 C. 6.4.
1st & 2nd objves to 1st Bn on rt.
3rd objve to 3rd Bn from X 4 b 7.2. to X 4d 2½.8
Diagram.  See original document
Identity mark: (same for Bde ?Divn.).
All ranks to wear sleeves rolled to elbow.
Green flares & ground sheets for aeroplanes.
Coy H.Qs to be in strong pts.
D: X 4 d 3½ 8
C. X 4 D 4.9¾
[*No pte letters or 
military documents.*]
2nd line to carry as many sandbags bombs tools as possible.
Every other man 2 Mills & 1 Phosphorous bomb. Every other man pick or shovels.

1
5
3 Bn
Into trenches on night of 19/20 July (La Boiselles trenches.)
Relieved 13 KRR.
20^th preparing.
21st Dug assembly trenches in rear of
parados behind right sector 1 Bn.
1st Bn ws to have gone in on 21/22nd July
to take front line but this ws put off.
[*9 or k} shell fire
11 or w. } 22nd behind 2 Bn*]
General _^ Smythe met C Os at 1^st Bn H.Q.
& gave outline of big scheme . (3.30 pm)
22nd. Officers all sent to reconnoitre
front & road up.
10 p.m. Bn left reserve trenches to assembly trenches
in rear of 1 Bn. Shelled pretty heavily
23. 0.30am, Assault on time.
Word back by runners tt 1st 2 objves
were easily taken.
01.00. 3rd wave (3 Bn) left trenches
(C. & D coys.)
Diagram.  See original document.
During Bombt wh followed 1st Bn
assault caught Pozieres Cont. Rd
Maj Edwards _^ (of A & B Coys) to Cooper Watson wd.
Capt Wren (tennis player) of C Coy also hit.
(lost _^ rt arm since
hit on stretcher)
Orders to form along tramline & get bearings.
Had to go thro 2 lines of 1st Bn &
reach tramway. 3rd objve ws line just
S of main Bapaume Rd. There ws
no enemy line there - no trace of it. 

2
(This _^ ws / day I visited them
abt 4 pm.)

3
5
no casualties - saw no Germans -
Capt J.R.O.Harris _^ [N. Shore Grammar School] had to take charge of this & got
in touch w both flanks & got them dug
in. By daylight they were down
out of sight 4 or 5 ft. Went 8 ft in end.
Tools were carried by 2nd wave of
this line.
D & C Coys 4 Lewis guns, 2 sectns
of bombers in front line.
A & B 4 L. guns, 2 sectns bombers, H.Q.
details _^ & scout platoon in line from wh 2nd 1st Bn
had started. Chief diffy when objve
reached ws in making sure what
was the main road as it was much
defaced by shells.
Were not connected w 3rd Bde on rt.
2 Platoons & 2 Lewis guns were needed to fill
gap on rt. When 3rd Bde connected up these
were not needed & were sent brought back agn. Exc. L. guns.
During day patrols were pushed into Poz.
& captd 9 prisoners. Our arty barrage ws not
lifted enough. Two large calibre enemy guns were
captd by Bn on Ground later taken by 3 Bde.
July 24. Mond. Enemy shelled heavily  along Albert - 
Bapaume Rd & commn trenches from 7 am to 1 pm & from
3 pm to 7 pm.
This day night at 121 p.m. A & B Coys relieved
C & D in front line. 3^rd Bn then held two parallel 

Diagram.  See original document
Posts then held by 8 Bn
as found by Howell Rice
were X 4 b 45-65;
X 4 b 07 (Engrs constring.
strong post.) X 4 a 9.4 to
9½ 5; (Rd by church ws
pretty safe - Half one dome
shaped window ws left. It ws
the land mark.) X 4 a 8.2 - 9.2.
Also coy in cemetery.
X I noticed this curious
parallel trench on Monday &
it made an excellent commn trench
& shelters - the front line being
crammed with 6 Bn.
It ws 3 or 4 ft deep - a
straight xxx cut.
4 Bn were bombing in
K. trench.  Abt 6 a.m. Saw Germans
running N.wards up O.G.1
along shallow part of trench.
Germans had strong Pt just being built O & very
heavily timbered (not on maps) at X 4 B 05.
Did whole battalion go?
Whole Bn left went
up. Some in
with 4th some in
old German
gun position. German barrage across
rd seemed to shorten to N. side of Rd.
O.C. blown over twice - the trench 2a blown
in on him while writing report. Men got thro well - few hit - ground so smashed tt few fragments.
? see anything of Germans this day
Was there a German trench?

4
5
trenches 150 yds apart w frontage of 300 yds
on S.W edge of Pozieres. H.Q. in open trench.
25 July at 2 a.m. Enemy shelling increased & rly
6 a.m. became intense on both fire & commn trenches.
At 3.45 - order recd from / Aust Inf Bde tt 8 Bn
were advancing at 3.30 am - 3 coys of 3 Bn to 
support / advance. Col. O.G. Howell Price & Lt
X  Bulkley went thro Poz. to see 8 Bn &
X  reconnoitre line of advance.
7 a.m. C.O. ordered Bn to advance &
take positn w right joining 8 Bn
& left on orchard Strong Point
8 a.m. shelling intense. Whole sectors of trench
wh were 8 to 10 ft deep were levelled.
Men were buried & w diffy dug out.
Capt R.O. Middleton & Lt J.S.F. Bartlett
(acting Coy O.Cs) wh returning from getting instrns from C.O.
were killed. A & B Coy had then no officers
C.O. reallotted commands & now had one
officer per coy. & Bn staff.
5.30 Lt A.O. Duprez wd & evac^d.
8.15 Lt H.S. Chapman pinned down by heavy timber
(thro' shell) & unconscious; few mins. later buried & killed
by another shell.
8.30.  ^X Advance started thro v heavy H.E. barrage
& light long range M.G. barrage.
10. am Orchard reached. Line taken up & A & D coy 

5
9 men of Inf (157 Regt) who were taken by 3 Bn
were taken near these gun pits [[shorthand]]
Bulkley (Int. Officer) ws out w this
patrol, searched all dugouts etc.
xx Sniping at these men walking abt
ws accurate but not bad - from
[[shorthand]] trench.
Right of 3 Bn was at 3 X 4 B 72.
left on X 4 d 38. Linked up there.
Sl trouble in linking up Rt of 3 Bn w
left of 3 Bde. (wh started late).
8th Bn did not go thro 3 Bn but thro
4^th; & 3 Bn didnt know they were there.
[11 Bn in [[shorthand]] trench seem to have
bn charged by 8 Bn. It is sd some of 8 Bn
were k. They were certainly there dead]
6 Bn were digging out on top in
broad daylight - (some were sniped)
betw orchard & back [[shorthand]] trench.
v. Heavy barrage on Pozieres all the
time.
This shelling eased tt night (when
3 Bn _^ ws relieved there ws not a heavy
barrage).
When 3 Bn left there ws good trench thro
orchard to cemetery - & in touch w 4 Bn.
on rt - trench came abt to hedge [[shorthand]]

6
5
6 Bn. reported at 10 am & connected line from
X 4 b 45 to cemetery & thence continuous line
to . 8 Bn.
At 10 pm. B Coy 6 Bn took over 3 Bn trenches in
orchard & Bn moved back to Pozieres trench
w H.Q. at X 10 b 9.7.
July 26. 2p.m. Moved to Sausage Valley
7.15 pm. N.W of Albert.
July 27    Offrs     O.R.
                 14 13      539
(incl. M.O. & Padre)
Casualties   [NC.Os 24 k. 39 w.]
             k        w        m.
Offrs    5       10 9       
o.r.       93     405      18
            ___    ___       ___
             98      414     18   Total.     498
                                           530       + 18
                                                         516
July 23. Noone ws in dugouts along Bap. Rd. on
3 Bn front. They searched & bombed them. No
dead there. Fair number thro village.
Lot were shot in early morning when ducking
away behind N back garden hedge of village.
Diagram.  See original document.
They seemed to come out of [[shorthand]] gun pits at 44.
(sheet La Boiselle 1-5000)
Cellars along rd were all smashed. Some
maps in them. 

7
5
When shelling of morning of July 24 eased the 3rd
Bn dug down _^ S of Bap. Rd till all trenches were 7-8 ft deep.
Heavily shelled night 24/25. No sleep possible.
By 8 a.m. on July 25 trenches S. of Bap. Rd
were prac wiped out untenable.  A coy had bn prac. wiped
out. As shells were not so heavy in front,
O.C. moved whole Bn up (inst. of 3 coys).
S. Bearers working without hesitation
all thro. (abt 4 lost). O.C. organised
Bn abt X 4 b. 0.7. (orchard)
1st Bde. Patrols had marked a line abt
100 yds from enemys 1st line. (with tape).
Officer of 1st Bn who ws k. did this. (He went out
to German wire in daylight - a reinft officer
Inf. to be there 5 mins before zero.
(Enemy were throwing flares from
Pozieres - some capt^d. in front line).
Inf. to move forwd as soon as bombt.
begins.
As soon as 1st objve occupied, 2nd
line to double thro 1st line & move as
close to 2nd objve as possible.
3rd line to leave trenches as soon as
2nd objve is occupied by 2nd line.
(They had 800 yds to go. 2nd Barrage lifted
at 1 a.m. ∴ 3rd line started at 1 a.m.) 

8
5
1st Bde attack.
1st objve.
2nd Bn            1st Bn
2nd objve.
2 Bn                  1st Bn
3rd objve.
4^th Bn                3^rd Bn.
Reserve in
old Australian frontline
4^th Bn               3^rd Bn.
Old austr. front line ws partly dug by Tommies after
1st Battle of Pozieres. You cd see nothing from there
It ws on reverse slope of Sunken Rd valley.
["The word Retire will not be used or acted
upon. In the event of men having to be withdrawn
from any pt another word will be used."
This is a good idea.]
Get copy of barrage map from
Divl orders. 

9
5
"8 Bn attack will be over a frontage
of 2 coys, each coy in 4 waves over
a frontage of about 100 yds.
Rt to form along advanced posts.
                  in       out
L. Pine ? 765  - 200.
                 675
Poz:         792  - 535 (at Albert)
           (+ 75 left       (72 of these were
   Gordon Dump)   left from Gordon Dump)
114 men & 1 offr. (reinft) joined since.
(most old men)
Exc. 43
535 + 114 = 649. strength return now xx 683.
Daily strength 617.