Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/138/1 - July - August 1916 - Part 1

AWM38

Official History,

1914-18 War: Records of C E W Bean,

Official Historian.
Diaries and Notebooks
Item Number:  3DRL606/138/1
Title: Notebook, July - August 1916

Includes references to the 11th, 21th, 48th and

51st Battalions, Pozieres, Mouquet Farm and

Gallipoli.
AWM38-3DRL606/138/1

28 Bn
Pozieres

Original  DIARY NO. 138.

AWM 38 3DRL 606  ITEM 138 [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 

18     1 
28 Bn
Pozieres 

2

54. 9.2. in)

55. 8. in)

36 Bde.

3   28 Bn
Diagram – see original document
Bn went ^ in straight up 
Bapaume Rd. to
Pozieres.

18             4
28/9  Aug July.     1
28^th Bn had right on rly on 

road & left on 150 contour

(Martinpuich map). 250 yds

front.

The tramway trench was abt 3-4 

ft deep.  It was held by 19 Bn.

28^th came up by Emu trench 

then over ground, across rly, 

moved in front o / rly &

lay down in the waves.  

They were close in rear of 

one another (4 waves) & 

had to take up interval 

when they moved out.

Got cd By 11.15. pm. were formed 

for attack.

The Germans opened 

with m.g. & barrage abt 

11.40 - 10 mins before our

bombt was due to open.

The waves went forward 

in perfect order & all of them

18
2
5

reached the enemys wire 

tho' 1st wave was decimated.  

Other waves came on.

Diagram - see original document

1st 2 waves were to take O.G.1

2nd 2 __________________O.G.2.

As first 3 & 4^th waves arrived

at the wire they found 1 & 2

held up there.  The wire 

was intact & the men were

running up & down trying 

to get an opening - hammering 

at the wire with rifle stocks, 

trying wire cutters - trying 

to tear posts up.

The posts were iron. Wire 

ws very strong & quite

intact.  The wire was quite 

exposed.  On morning of 28^th 

Gen. Holmes reports tt /

wire ws not cut.  The idea

6

After this fight

A Coy came out 50 strong

B ______________  70    "

C  ______________ 70    "

D  ______________ 60    "  

                                250.
[137 Came out of

actual fight]         

That is including all.  

Got abt 300 reinfts. 
90 & 130.

Took abt 400 into the 
Aug 4 fighting & brought 
abt 200 out.

18
3
7
was not to bombard the 

trenches too much so as to

have them intact when 
taken.

Germans had three tiers

of m.g. fire - & advanced 

m.g. posts which swept right 

& left along the wire.  All the

Our men got into craters 

& opened up on Germans. 

All the Lewis Guns were 
served.  Shells    

Barrage seemed to be across 

the road abt from E to W 

almost enfilading the advance.            

D Coy first reported (Lt Anglen sent word) 

tt they were held up by wire 

(abt 1.30).  Runners were 

sent out to the Coys telling 

them to withdraw to tramway 

trench.  It was abt 3.30 before

18
4
8                                                                                                

they got back.

2/Lieut Glover ws seen to enter

the trench with a couple of 

men but nothing has ever bn 

heard of them since.

All Coy commdrs were k. or. w.

D Coy  Maj. Welsh }

Lieut Ellis } k.

C. Coy  Capt Isaac. w (arm amputated)

B Coy  Capt Gibbings k.

A Coy  Capt Macrae k.

Lt. Levetus k.

Lt B.A. Bell k.

Lts Dawson w

Hammond w

Col. Collett w.  (H.Q. in a shallow trench 

- shell.)
Lt P.T.C. Bell w. & missing

prob. k.

2/Lt Glover missing.

& (Lt.H. Bateman k. day before.) 
[*13 Total
8k 5 w.*]

18
5
9                                                                                    

withdrawn tt night to Tara Hill. 

4 Aug.  2 Coys sent to 

Tramway trench, & 2 had to 

hold strong points in front 

of Sunken Road (part of old

jumping off trench of 1^st Divs. attack)  

These were moved up abt 
midnight.

H.Qrs moved up to 19 Bn 

H.Q. near the Bap. Rd. in the 

old ambulance.  25 27 & 28 HQ 

were here.

Abt 4 a.m. a message came 

thro tt / Germans were 

counterattacking.  Col. Leane 

went forwd. & saw the Germans 

coming over ^ O.G.1 just N of Elbow 

where rt of 25^th was a good 

way out of touch with left 

of 27^th.  There ws a biggish

in OG2

18
6
10
gap here.  Germans cd be 

seen coming over sky line

dimly. Leane ordered Foss

to take 2 Coys forward 

& meet them.  There ws 

a heavy barrage on, along 

Tramway trench - just along /

front of it.  (This ws / first 

time they had hit Tramway 

trench.)  Foss went forward 

in open order - every man 

had to go when the whistle 

blew.  Some went too far 

to left.  Some kept straight.  

Foss w abt 40 men reached

the neighbourhood o / Windmill 

- found no one at all there.  

He dug in abt 30 yds straight left 
of it (^X) & sent back for

supplies & ammn. By this