Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/133/1 - 1916 - Part 1

AWM38
Official History,
1914-18 War: Records of C E W Bean,
Official Historian.
Diaries and Notebooks
Item number: 3DRL606/133/1
Title: Notebook, 1916
Includes references to the 2lst Battalion and
Mouquet Farm.
AWM38-3DRL6O6/133/1
 

1 21st Bn.
13.3 0,40.
at Mouquet
Farm.

Original DIARY NO.135
AWM38 3DRL 606 ITEM 133 [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 Sept., 1946. C. E. W. BEAN
AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL
ACCESS STATUS
OPEN 

Hand drawn diagram - see original

13
1
21st Bn.
13.3 0,40.
at Mouquet
Farm. 

13
54
2
Hand drawn diagram - see original 

3
21 Bⁿ
Brig. _^ & B.M. chose time morning
before - waiting for abt
2 hrs to see wh light
ws best. The time they
chose ws 4.45 -
Excellently chosen.
It ws a v. dark night
- quite fine. Our heavies
had bn going whole night.
Had 21 Bn all in
positn ½ hr before the
attack. A few flares
were sent out from the
Farm as we were
getting out but did
not have to stop for them. 

 4
Hand drawn diagram - see original
All tt cd be seen of
Farm from Quarry.

13
5
The Farm had bn
reconnoitred from
Quarry the day before.
The line ws not taped
5 mins before zero
they went out & lay
25 yds in front of
front line.
Our barrage ws
beautiful. It began
just over our heads
& the lifts were very
clearly marked.
The line was as close
as 25 yards to it. 

6
Hand drawn - see original

13
7
It was rough going over
shell holes but there ws
just light eno' to avoid
them. There ws a spike
by 77 & a line of trees
along the road. & these
cd be seen. Sale
steered for them, with
No 8 platoon. The Germans
left trench at X - a few
dead were scattered
along it. Across the road
- wh ws recognised only
by the stumps of trees,
was the Zigzag trench. This
was recognisable.
Sale went a little too 

13
8
far to start with.
When On the ridge N. of this
m.gs opened very
strongly - abt 2 mins
from the start. They
were _^ (several) behind the
Farm - abt point
12 & one to left abt
pt 27 in chalky trench.
Up to this point the
line ws pretty solid
& unbroken.
The idea had bn
to estab a line
50 — 77 — 29
or thereabouts - pushing
out T heads - connecting 

13
9
up shell holes.
The line had got beyond
this before the m.gs
struck them. They followed
the barrage - that ws
/ reason of their going
on. In the din it ws
quite impossible to
hold / men back -
some followed it so
closely tt when it
stopped they got into
it themselves.
On the spur Sale
ran right into the m.g.
fire & lost a good many
men by it. They cd hear 

13 
10
the Germs. The line
became thinned, thro
casualties & _^ thro the men
going on, that they lost
communicatn along /
front. Sale had to run
up & down & organise
a bit of a line out
of men some in shell
holes others advancing
still. He chased after
those who were still
going on & brought back
some. The German
barrage had started
then - shrap. & 5.9 H.E.
Not many casualties
thro this wh ws mostly