Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/143/1 - 1915 - 1916 - Part 1

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

Diaries and Notebooks

Item number: 3DRL606/143/1

Title: Notebook, 1915 -7976
includes references to the 12th, 27th, 28th and
45th Battalions and Pozieres, Gallipoli and Gird
Trench.

AWM38-3DRL606/143/1

Original                                                                           
DIARY NO 143 
AWM38                     
3DRL 606 ITEM 143 [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 consideration 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 the 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

23     1
27 Bn GIRD trench
12 Bn Pozieres
& Ap 25/15

P.48. Note at beginning
of Page to be copied into
Nos 1 , 2, & 3 copies of Diaries

2

28 Bn  From M 24 a  4½  5½ to M 17  D  7½ 5
Objve M 18 c  8.2 to M 18 a.3.½.

25 Bn. German arty reply on front line ws
very weak.
Germans in trench stood well up in face of
arty fire (such as it ws) & fought very steadily .

23     3
28 Bn. Nov 5. 9 am 

attack agst gird trench,
A Coy. Phillips hit day before

C.O.
Lt. WR Moore went over & ws apparently killed.
Hit across the eyes
Probably died coming home.

Diagram - see original document

A lost 92 out of 131, all
offrs, & all n. c.os except one
Sergt. Sergt Keillor.
7 offrs & 274 o.r. k. w. &m.
German seemed to be holding front trench strongly
6 mins bombt. (3 mins 150 yds
before trench, then rises of 50 yds
each min.
They did not seem to 
hit trench; for on left our
men our men were fired at as they
left trench & on rt they lay
thick on top of hill. German
trench ws well held & they
had m.gs on parapet & were
standing up firing, the  barrage

4
Diagram – see original document

Gird trench 1st objve

Gird support 2nd objve    

Ground in nomansland rose slightly
(valley on left to Eaucourt l'Abbage)
& then fell slightly. Gird trench ws on
crest or a few yds in front of it.
Abt 100 yds from parapet first
saw G. trench ^seemed a long way off – not

bad going – good brisk walking
pace, heavy but not so bad
going as expected – v hard
at finish.   
23     5
being well over them. They were
not very close to their own
barrage.
The first report came back
after midday - from f.o.o left & rt coys in,
centre bring up.  2 platoons
of D coy put in w ^ offr; they got
out - abt 10 reached. At 2 pm. heard
from this officer - LL ther 
he found the officer & abt 10 men
there. They cd see no one at rt or
at left.
The line had got in parts
to within 50 yds of German trench.
In one place to 40 yds – Germans
had thrown a bomb & they
withdrew to abt a little. Af

During day they cd not put
up a head or a hand – but
after dark began to come in.
Shell fire ws mostly over our
heads - casualties by m.gs

6
As jumped out. Germans
on rt near maze & in it was
got a fine view & fired heavily –
Mostly rifle fire at this time –
very heavy & accurate. M.g.
fire later. That began to knock
men over. S This part seemed
manned as tho attack first
noticed there — but only heads
of observers on front of
28 Bn. The heads of the others
in front came up quickly.
On right of 28 Bn heads were
all up when first seen.
Maze is on high ground & arty
ws not interfering w this at all.
There ws on inf. attack agst
part of this — D Coy 28 ws
to have attacked there with
composite Bn ^in place of 25 Bn but this  ws
changed suddenly. 25 Bn came
up at his last moment – w
Nix at head of his coy – they
came out in single file (not   
23      7
rifle fire.
A Coy on left went out
with Tommies — who went
out at same time & did
not get into trench. Tommies
are sd to have stopped
their third wave.
28 Bn went out in
2 waves —  ½ coy in each
wave, (& 3.½ coys in line).
The 2nd wave 40 yds behind
first.
The Bn H.Qrs ws heavily
sniped the day before;  &
4 offrs. were sniped there —
finally had to use commn
trenches tho' up to waist in
water.
The next day the Germans

having time to get properly
into positn — & Nix ws shot
leading out straight over the top
of Tank lane - far to left of
where they shd have bn.
As soon as left got in full
view of German line they say
usual German m.g. post in
Nomansland get up & run back
to German trench (w something
wicked under their arm). They
ran through out barrage,
unharmed, to their own trench.
Line stumbled forwd.  & stumbled
to remains of a T head sap
(where this party had bn), crossed
ov it & reached pt abt 40 yds
from German line. All this time Germ
rifle fire growing &see m.g fire
had reached a maximum - both
from flanks & front. Cd nt notice
Men from shell holes opened
on enemy - & we saw a lot

fall. They ^Germans tried to mount a m.g.
fire on parapet in front. Two men
picked off at once. Some more
tried to mount gun - were hit agn  
– but at least they mounted it
& that drove our few men
into shell holes. A few of
our shells had dropped into trench
& we saw men fall -but
they were immed. replaced.
The field guns were firing v.  

23       8
opened w ^one heavy shell wh
fell into German front trench.
A parcel of red flares went
up. A second shell came
into German line - twice
as many flares went up.
A third shell fell in - regular
fireworks. A fourth fell
50 yds ahead of German line
– ^a dud –  then to  50 yds behind our
line –  duds.
So Germans fire (as we 
know they do) sometimes onto
their own troops.

 8A

Diagram – see original document

at very close range. Not eno'
H.E. ws used. There ws more rifle
fire than at Pozieres & ^as many m.gs.
The night before, our arty had strafed
him at dusk & he barraged. The 
same at 1 a.m. When 1st Divn attacked.
On evg. of 5 Nov. the moment our wd began to get
back in half dusk – German signal flare went
up & barrage came down within 2 mins. We ony
forcing his front line & w our antiquated 
methods it ws 15 mins before barrage came.
No. 6 at same time hour saw Germans  reinf

23     9
27 Bn.
Occupied From N 19 a 5.8½ to
M 24 B. 47

Objve. Bayonet trench from top of
bank of Western Branch of
Y ½ Hollow rd
Jumped off at 9.10
B. Coy had bn in support in
Gird trench, but had bn joined
to part of 26 Bn to make up
composite Bn inst. of 25 Bn.
B Coy had to be rapidly moved
in morning (word at 6.30 –
took till 9 am. to finish) into
Gird trench from Z to U. They
were there just in time to
attack from there Bite trench (& part of Maze)

[*  (cont on foot of page 8A) forcing his front line & w our antiquated 
methods it ws 15 mins before barrage came. *]

10
Diagram – see original document

23     11
28 & 27 went in to line which
53 Bn had taken up.
A runner went up from Bn
H.Q. right before, lost his way
& before he knew ws looking in
to German trench wh he sd
ws packed with men. They bombed
him, but he got back.

The rt flank got in -
portions of C.  D. & A Coys
(Capt. Elder of C. Coy in Command).
Bombt. started at 9.10.
3  mins in Nomans land -
then 50 yds a minute later.
Doesnt seem to have got German
trench. Men moved slowly -
left Coy ws heavily hit going
over. German m.gs. started
as soon as barrage began -
On left ground flat & men were
under fire whole way.
There were casualties all

23      12
the time.
C Coy held on
for 1½ hrs.
B Coy. in Bite trench
held till
relieved on
Nov 6 –

We got in in abt 4 places. On
rt. Germans abt 10.30 came
down ½ Sunken Road 
Diagram – see original document
& down unmarked
commn trench on left of C. Coy.
& started bombing from both flanks.
We had not many men in trench
& they were using German bombs
(all ours (2 per man) were gone).
[German trench ws v similar
to ours - connected shellholes
v. muddy - no duckboards,
a few bombing traverses].
Elder ws shot thro  – sheepskin
on back & bullet raised red
weal across his back but
he got back safely. Col. had