Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/130/1 - 1916 - 1917 - Part 1

AWM38
Official History,
1914-1918 War: Records of CEW Bean,
Official Historian.
Diaries and Notebooks
Item number: 3DRL606/130/1
Title: Notebook, 1916 - 1917
Includes references to the 18th and 19th
Battalions and Pozieres.
AWM38-3DRL606/130/1 

 18 Bn [[?]]
see Keppel.
19 Bn.
130
Original DIARY NO 130
AWM38    3DRL 606  ITEM 130 [1]
DIARIES AND NOTES OF C. E. W. BEAN
CONCERNING THE WAR OF 1914 - 191
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 Sept., 1946.     C.E.W. BEAN
AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL
ACCESS STATUS
OPEN

10
18 Bn [[?]]
see Keppel.
19 Bn.
130

10
2
Peace was declared
(semicolon) Bruce
retired to bed . . .
(full stop) 

10
3
18 Bn. Pozieres.
22/7/16 Marched from
Warloy to Brickfield
[a man in morning woke
up & sd "Fanny Durack"
ws still there].
23.  Sent carrying pties
to Sausage Gully who
worked to line for 36 hrs.
24/25 Bn moved by platoons
to Sausage Valley &
bivouaced in old 1st
German line.
25. Engaged carrying
forwd. 

10
4
On 25^th C.O. & adjt went up
to reconnoitre & tt night
Bn moved up & relieved
12 Bn. in line on E side
of Pozieres 9 p.m. by
Blackwatch alley.
They had 1 coy in
Copse Ave. Another in
Walkers Ave wh went
twds O.G. 1.
H.Qrs near fire-pits.
On night of 26 the 17 Bn
engaged in bombing
attack in Munster
alley. H.Q. bombing
pln (Offr & 54 or) & one Coy
incl. Coy bombers

10
5
& one pln x were sent up 
to help 17 Bn.
x L/Cpl. Wilkins, C. Coy (in one pln)
got in & used the butt of his rifle on
Germans in this attack. The Fitzgibbons
stood out in front o I trench throwing bombs
when they were advancing up Munster
Alley. (both of 28 Bn).
Diagram - see original document
The offr (Lt ^Cyril Docker) &all exc. 7 of o,r, of bombing
pln came back.
26^th 27^th Enemy's shelling
heavy on all this area.
Evg. 27^th orders were 
recd to put out a 
strong pt in front of
Tramway trench towd
windmill SE of Rd x
The sector (dug by B Coy
ws aftwds know

10 
6
as Tramway trench.
Capt. Frank Coen ws
k. on this. the shelling
ws heavy from both sides
Lieut. Picot ws k. by a shell
during I digging of this,
Lieuts Boltonwood &
Porter wd.
These were deepened
on 28^th.
In this digging operatn
& reconnoitring 3 Offrs
were k. & 8 wd.
Col. Murphy ws hit by
fragment of shell reconnoitg
in trench near Sh pt. on 27
July.     

7
Came out on Aug 6^th.
k. 6 offrs. 86 or.
w  16 offrs  434 or.
m.  50 or.
Hospital, sick & shock
1 Offr.           75 or.
10                      8
On Aug 4. The 1st Bn
recd reinft of 50 or.
At Bn H,Q. 2 shells
fell into them, 2 k. 23 wd.
4/5 O.f. 1 & 2 were attacked.
The Sth Point ws connected
by a sap after it had bn
dug (in order not give
Enemy observation). This 
ws not clear of 27 Bn
until 8.35pm. inst. of
7.30pm.
All waves in positn,
by 9p.m. Capt Brice
began to move waves
by 20 & 30 into it.

10
9
9.18 attack.
Kirke k. at O.G.1
7 Bde men a good deal
in O.G.1
Third wave went thro to OG2.
Men went beyond it
as it ws obliterated.
Capt Bruce & Capt Hobbs
were both in the windmill
& got an officers sword
iron & etc. from the
dugout there.
Sergt Bryson with L.G.
^actually got onto enemy retiring
retiring over the crest.
Capt Sadler & Capt ^Lieut Doyle were
wd shortly after O.G.2
ws reached - Lt Hobbs
ws in/c till ^Lieut. Walklate
arrd just after midnight.