Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/128/1 - 1915 - 1916 - Part 1

AWM38
Official History,
1914-18 War: Records of C E W Bean,
Official Historian.

Diaries and Notebooks
Item number: 3DRL606/128/1

Title: Notebook, 1915 - 1916
Includes references to the 10th, 11th, 13th and
17th Battalions, Pozieres and Gallipoli.

AWM38-3DRL606/128/1 

11 Bn Pozieres
Original
DIARY NO. 128.
AWM 38    3 DRL   606  ITEM [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 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 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 

X   
11 Bn Pozieres
 

1
Germans were sending up flares from
front trench.
16 Platoon ws on a bit of a rise &
a German m.g. got 3 of them on
assembly ground before bombt started.
Had had no sleep since 19 June ? July
working whole time to deepen trench.
Xxxxxxxxplatoon & on fatigue.
Lot of sniping in B. Watch alley during these days
Lieut Nichol ws k. by sniper there.
No challenge. But we cd see
the mound of their parapet
quite close - not 50 yds away.
(supposed to be 150 yds)
1st line had to be out there ½ hr
before bombt started, creeping on
tummies - bayonets fixed & not
covered. There ws no m.g. in front
of 15 pln but there ws one in front trench
on right. (Maj. Milner prob. hit by
this.)

8
2

Pozieres 11 Bn
Diagram - see original document
D Coy got within 20 or 30 yds of trench before barrage
lifted. Lieut Hastings D Coy ws hit there before
bombt started. He was on left of 15 platoon
& trying to get commn w 1 Bn. 

8
3
Instrns were to roll up sleeves &
get up as close as they cd.
Trench ws very knocked abt. Many didn't
recognise it - (we had bn able to see Germans
burying men all day - for 3 days.
There ws no resistance in trench.
One of our men had the butt of a rifle on his
head & he bayoneted the German - 5 in
one crater - hands up - one threw
a bomb).
A & D Coys had to stop in Poz.
trench & B & C went over straight away
& went right into the barrage - Orders
were to risk a bit in order to
get close up to it.
As soon as bombt lifted 2nd Line
went straight on - someone on right
ws keeping them on too far. Men were
being shot down - so they be
"Come on boys its lifted" but
there were only 2 or 3 messages.
"Come on 11th" (Belfort) & abt 20
were got together. Barrage had gone
right on a hell of a way. Belfort
waited till some of the 11th straggled 

3a
Diagram - see original document
As 11th reached 1st line they cd
see Germans by light of flares
(wh were firing from flanking trenches)
running back to village on their
left. Flares still went up from O.G. 1
& K trench & across village

8
4
back. Then they went on past the
1st & 2nd tramway. There ws a sort of
ditch round / wood round / hedge
- an ordinary water ditch.
At first dawn we were being sniped
from a ^cellar dugout just S. of the Bap.Rd.
(from wh 16 later came out)
Sergt Maj. of C.Coy said "I'll go across
& see if he cd find / snipers. (they were
firing not 20 yds away) Give us a bomb
or two." "Give us a couple of bombs."
He found a house there & shouted
to / men inside to
come out. Come out you bastards.
The answer was a clip from an
automatic pistol across the back 
of the neck. He threw his bomb &
killed 3 & the other 2 were bayoneted.
[He wanted to go on during / night - "I
think we cd walk to Berlin" he sd]
Helmets were splendid.
Germans seemed to be right
round - and offrs were getting
anxious - but they were astounded by 

5
[*water, mgs., bombs 
were coming up*]

8
6
the amt of work tt had to be done by daybreak.
There ws a commn trench right back. (Pioneers had dug trench)
The 9 Bn got too much to the left.
In morning the men went on
prospecting for souvenirs - shooting
standing up - running forward in wood
& shooting.
The 9 Bn were all over the
place.
Men were put during ^2nd night xxxx
xxxx on patrol to connect up
w 3rd Bn & a listening post &
sentry put into wood to watch
the village.
Supports were all connected
up 1st night but front line not till
later.
A barricade of bricks ws made
across / road by 12 Bn to protect
their left flank.
There were a lot of bicycles about
round where the Electric station was -
In the Stn there were heavy cables. (4 cptd leaning agst house - they
were blown up)
No damage from shrapnel tonight.
One of their shells seemed to lob on 

8
7
their own shells (or else they blew him
up) when we got into the first trench.
There ws a lot of sniping - men running
abt for souvenirs - little shelling till next
night - Casualty corner. B. Watch alley
& sunken Rd were getting it then.
Fairly early in morning men who were
prospecting in village bombed various
houses & dugouts. From one dugout a colonel
[*? prob dressing stn
w 12 Bn)*]
several officers & abt 18 men were brought in.
Offr Made them hand over revolvers knives etc.
Germans gave us cigars, chocolates, cigarettes -
men found wine on table.
They said to questions if there were men
in the further trenches “Ich weiss nicht."
The chief duty of our officers ws to see
tt digging ws gone on with.
(11 Bn saw Germans running back
after c-attack behind hedge early tt
morning after 12 Bn & 9 Bn had turned
them)
Monday afternoon Forbes ws shot when
going forwd to get in some more
prisoners from a trench from wh we had 

8
Diagram - see original
Here ws a little strong pt of abt 20 or
30 Germans in a corner of a trench behind
the hedge at X. Hallahan ws going
round right & Forbes left (as marked)
Some Germans held up hands. An officer
or someone came up from the dugout. There
ws a great commotion in trench ^(one shot ws fired). It ws
then Forbes sd he wd go round left.
He ws shot as he got thro the hedge - Germans
were firing at / time.
That afternoon they got 16 prisoners in one lot
7 in another (brought in by a corporal on
his own who advised them to go out &
get in 30 in the trench above) 5 in anor.
^corpl ws killed at same time as Forbes with 3 others & wd 3
brought in by one man, and one as party
ws moving out (in a shell hole)
H's platoon sergt ws hunting in dugout
for wire - & when down there he heard some

8
9
got a prisoner. Forbes & a few men
went out to get in the mob. They
tried to make them hold up their
hands & some did - but an officer
or some others came running up ^from dugout & shot
Forbes thro the head & two men.
Sunday night Germans began to pitch
 in shells.
Monday morning they went thro / hedge
gurgling & talking down in some second story.
He threw a bomb down & came back to trench.
As soon as he ws back a white rag
appeared out of the dugout (in house) &
16 men walked out.
Sunday night 12 Bn went across rd &
11th went out w them & dug line in
semicircle in front of road. The shelling
ws not heavy tt night.
On Monday aftn the shells began to
get heavy on 11 Bn sector.
On Monday night the patrols were
sent out to try & find the 8 Bn. They
cdnt find 8 Bn so they started to 

8
10
clean out trench wh ws running abt
250 yds towards 8 Bn sector. It ws just
a case of cleaning it out - no Germans.
It ws noticed tt no flares were going
up from / strongpoint beyond / hedge
of day before. While cleaning trench the
order came abt 1 pm tt they were
to move up & make a line
along / rly. They did not know tt
they had to meet the 8 Bn - & 8 Bn
did not know tt 8 11 Bn ws
coming out (the 8 Bn order said
tt they (8^th) were to do / joining up).
So neither bn knew / other ws out
operating. The right of where 8 Bn
had to go to ws ^same strong Pt - & this
ws left of where 11 Bn had to go to.
They did not get out to the tramway
11 Bn ws in the strong post when
8 Bn came up. They put a Lewis
gun on & 11 Bn put L.G. & rifle fire
back. It was just getting daylight &
the mistake ws soon discovered. Capt
Lenay, L.G. offr., saw their hats &
colours - he sd it was the 8 Bn from
start. The 8 Bn must have noticed it