Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/140/1 - August 1916 - Part 1

AWM38
Official History,
1914-18 War: Records of C E W Bean,
Official Historian.
Diaries and Notebooks
Item number: 3DRL606/140/1
Title: Notebook, August 1916
Includes references to the 13th, 15th and 16th
Battalions and Pozieres.
AWM38-3DRL606/140/1

140 16^th Bn.
13^th Bn.
POZIERES
Original DIARY No. 140
AWM 38 3DRL 606 ITEM 140[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

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20
1
140 16^th Bn.
13^th Bn.
POZIERES.
16Bn pp 1-42  1-41
15Bn  "    43-4
13Bn       47-93

1
7/8 8/9 Aug. 2 platoons of
16 Bn were used on right
& 2 were put into
Kicking off Trench (Brinds Rd)
as Reserve.
British suppd to be abt
50 yds down this trench -
but really 250 yds.
(Suffolks) 
60 men k. in circular
trench. 63 prisoners taken.
Suffolk & Norfolk dead lying
- 250 of them there seemed to be -
in front of the semicircular trench.
They were too slow after their
barrage.

20
2
Attack by 16Bn 8/9 9/10 Aug. at
midnight Reached 78, 89,
99.12.
Aug 9/10 10/11 went on to 28. 61. 13. 43.
Diagram - see original document

M.G. was not under

trees but in trench -

4 m.gs. were all taken.

2 stokes mortars

putting bombt

on circular trench

20
3
On Aug 29/30 ?10/11th during night advanced
another 150 yds to a further line
& took a few more prisoners.
Handed over on line 61. 13. 43. to
50^th Bn.
They were to have gone on to the
Quarry ^ next night (11/12) but in meantime
Germans c. attacked on Ration trench
& the strong points - & this
upset the plan. Col. pulled men
out of 28-78 (where they had
esp. bad time) during this attack.
& put them in Ration trench.
The bombt. for this c. attack lasted
several hours & ws tremendous.
The first sign was after bombt started -
movement ws seen in trenches from
Mouquet Farm to Point 54,
just S. of Road, & from Quarry
from wh Germans afterwds
came.  Also tried to get out
from Point 55 to Pt 43.
They seem to have succeeded

4
Total losses 430 50%
losses in attack abt 60
Rest by bombt. 

20
5
from Skyline trench into Ration trench.
In greater part of Ration trench there
ws nobody - the British must
have retired under the very
heavy bombt.  W
We got men out of 28-78
as soon as fight started.
Germans used to bombard these
trenches 100 yds at a time - we got
used to this & used to withdraw
men at once from heavily
bombarded parts & put them
back when bombt. started 
again.
Before the c. attack Germans
bombd. heavily from 28 to abt
99, & Ration trench.
The Lewis Guns got on to them
when they came out. A swift
c. attack wd have given us
Mouquet Farm.
Germans came out in succession
of small columns & opened
fanwise. This ws seen during

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6
the bombt - they lay in shell
holes.

When German bombt lengthened
& they came out
a pigeon message ws sent
& in 17 mins. our barrage got
onto them in Nomansland. No
barrage put up before then.
We tried to get Barrage by
rockets - & apparently these were
not seen.
In / trench up to 55
where they never got out of sight
they did not advance any distance
further or they were out of
sight in the valley until they
got over the trenches S of the
Quarry. The first movement
ws seen ^ in later stage of barrage -
but Germans did not show
over edge of hill before
their barrage lengthened.
They were not close up to
their barrage. They probly
thought the men cd not stay

7
※ Got Victoria Cross

20
8
under their barrage. (They
got close eno' to Ration trench
to get our bombs into them).
Pte O'Meara ※^. got twice 4 times thro' the
barrage to bring up bombs & flares
to Ration trench - & on second journey
took up a small party - A very
good living fine type of man.
This ws on the 3^rd day of 16 Bns innings.
The night o / next day 50 Bn.
attacked & I think got to Quarry.
On Second occasion the
[*? 29/30*] 28/29 Aug. the 16 Bn ws practically
divided in two by the stretch
from 48 to 55 to 59 where
tho' trenches were built they were 
continually blown out. Germans
were in 48.
They were first bombed out
of 48. We tried to join up 59 to 55

9
Diagram - see original document

20
10
along their old trench but we were
blown out.
13 Bn. on right. {one coy each of
                             { 14. 15 in support
29 Aug heavy rain set in.
Lt. Linus - scout officer (M. C.
first show, bar to it 2nd show) 
placed tapes along starting
line abt ¾ way across
nomansland, parallel to
objve.
(The first time we used
electric torchlights on left &
right (red blue & white for
diff. coys)).
Lights cdnt be used as we
were behind Germans on left.
We failed on 54.
Took Mouquet F.
Took trench on Rt of Mouquet.

11
M.gs opened on 
them ^ from behind after they got
thro farm.
One m.g. came up
apparently on a pulley
with man on platform -
Maj. Black shot the man.

20
12
A Coy under Capt Harwood
hung out on rt of Mouquet
when rest of bn & 13 Bn had 
been withdrawn. He ws prac.
surrounded - & had been given
up for lost when he decided
to abandon his prisoners &
clear. He had losses in
coming in.

The B & C. Coy both got to 
Farm - B lost all its officers.
They went right thro' the Fm &
sent back to say they had got it.
Germans put down heavy
Barrage S. of Farm.  Bomb
officer had armed his men
w Stokes bombs as hand grenades
for dugouts on Farm. Each
man in bombing platoon had one.
The objve ws to get beyond the
Farm. They got there - & people
began to emerge behind them -