Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/134/1 - November 1916 - Part 1

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

Item number:3DRL606/134/1

Title: Notebook, November 1916
Includes references to the 21st and 28th
Battalions, Mouquet Farm and Flers.

AWM30-3DRL606/134/1 

Original
DIARY NO 134
AWM38    3DRL 606 ITEM 134 [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 

14
1
21 Bn Mouquet
28 Bn Flers
Nov 16
134

14
2
Sergt O'Toole              B Coy
 Hand drawn diagram - see original document     

14
3
Got in abt where
marked.
Cant recognise Zig
Zag trench
Got into own barrage &
jumped into trench in orchard.
A m.g. was rattling
on right during xx charge from
Farm. They got in their
own barrage (after waiting
to find Zig Zag trench & then
advancing -) & came back
to trench in orchard.
They formed a strong
point in nearest end
of trench zigzagging
towards 77, and faced Farm

4
Hand drawn diagram - see original document

14
5
Capt Robertsonn ws there
with Lt Cummins (22 Bn)
Lt. Clareborough (21) ws
also k. there. Occupied
abt 75 yds of this trench.
There was a strong post
placed at end nearest
Farm & at other end.
(abt 6 p.m.)
Abt 10.30 an aeroplane
came over. They signaled
to it with looking glasses. It
came over 3 times. The
aeroplane came lower
each time & saw them.
Our own arty ws
playing on them. They were 

6
Hand drawn diagram - see original document

This trench was very blown
out & irregular & in
getting from our dugouts to
/ other you cd be sniped. 

14
7
70 to start w. By
this time they were 30
& a lot of wd. Pte O'T.
ws wounded then with
a bit of a bomb.
The Germans were bombing
them from the Farm. The
21 in trench ws bombing
back w Mills Rifle 
Grenades. The heaps
of Farm were abt 60
yds away.
In the corner 2 ws Capt
Dugouts Robertsons Dugout
Germans came out of
Farm down trench towards
this at 12.30. There ws
a high earthen bank 

14
8
behind this & they cdnt
well retreat over this.
A few of 21 came round
traverse to warn party
in dugout 1. And men
in strong point in rear
came up to join fight.
They retired to shell holes
in front of trench & beat
retreat firing at Germans.
Capt Robertson, & Cummins
& Sergt. Curphey & Ptes
Ross & Daly were appty
taken prisoner in corner near
dugout 2. Germans
came at them over top
to E as well. 

14
9
[Hand drawn diagram - see original document]
within 6 mins
They got down into Gully
NW of Farm into a narrow
little  sap  m.gs
were cracking overhead.
They went along this sap
for abt 50 yds. There
ws a German lousing
himself apptly. O.T. 
shot him. Got out of that
sap on rt hand side.
A m.g. in same trench opened
on them from S. & caught
several. There were
now 8 left. They got
into shellholes in 27 D or
33 A - There were several 

14
10
men in these shellholes
besides them. One man
in same shell hole as O.T.
ws shot thro the heart
– he got into hole & had
time to say "give these
(papers) to Mrs . . . " &
died at once.
They lay there all the
afternoon. The Germans
were sniping all / afternoon
& the 21 sometimes managed
to get a shot at Germans
crossing a high bit of trench
to get into their firing line.
Up to then O.T. had Rifle
bayonet & bandolier.