Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/102/1 - March 1918 - Part 5

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couple of United States officers
were almost out of the were
about.
One of these told me tt he
was from an American C.C.S.
at a village S.W. of Peronne.
Yesterday shells began to fall
in their village & about them
- & they got rid of their
cases (10 poor chaps died in
/ train) & left. They were
ordered to Villers Bretonneux
(Hqrs of the 5^th Army) but their
C.O. had just gone there this
mg. to find out whether /
place ws still Army Hqrs. This
officer told me tt they put through
5000 wd in their C.C.S alone
(I think he sd in one, ?or two, days)

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They were mostly shell
wounds he sd. These
must have bn / casualties
o / first two days fighting.
As Cadge ws going
to 3rd army we decided
to wait, hear what he
had to say when he got
back & then go North &
tell Gen. White. I wanted to
go up to Pozieres to see
how things were; but Lytton
thought it was the duty of
all who had not actual
urgent business there to wait
until the Gen keep the roads
as clear as could be.
Mackenzie & Sims got
back first from 5^th Army. They

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kindly told us what they
had gathered.
"All last night, they sd,
there ws hard fighting at /
junction o / two armies
between Bapaume &
Sapignies. We dont know
yet if / Germans have
Sapignies, but our people
had to leave Mory. after
Intense fighting had lasted
all night long at Bapaume.
"The German is at
Ervillers, - on the E. edge
of High Wood, & Maricourt.
The Germans are certainly
this morning in Bapaume.
The line runs Ervillers,
Vraucourt, Maricourt Wood,

51
Bus, Les Boeufs, Highwood, W.
of Longueval, W. of Peronne,
E. of Licourt, E. of Nesle, Golaincourt,
Cugny, E. of Chaulnes."
[Russell who came in w
Cadge a few minutes later
from 3rd Army, at Beauquesne,
says tt our line is given by
them as thro Montauban,
Longueval, thro' lower half
of Delville Wood, before
Flers, thro Ligny Thilloy,
West of Bapaume, thro
Avesnes, thro Favreuil,
W of Mory, into Green
Line. Russell sd tt we
had definitely left Bapaume
& / Germans were in it.]
The portion o / line wh

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we are most nervous interested
about in is, at / moment,
Longueval & there abouts.
There ws an idea, last
night, tt no troops at
all were in front o /
Germans there. There
The Germans were very
much done but during
/ night they must have
spread across country
& trickled into High Wood
& Longueval. Russell
has brought in particulars
o / troops who are in
front o / Germans there:
"They seem much more
satisfied by / news tt
the line has been joined up

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w / 5^th Corps," he sd.
"I dont know exactly what
tt means - but here is
what I got: The 31^st Divn
hold / line W. of Curlu to
Maricourt. The 1st Cavalry Divn
has bn used to link up -
& the 9^th Divn & 1^st Cavalry
Bde are between Hardicourt
& Montauban. The 1st
Cavalry Divn is in touch
w / 5^th Corps who hold /
line Montauban - Longueval
& have a Bde at Bazentin.
The 21st Divn has _^ been withdrawn
to Suzanne & is in reserve
there; & the 39^th Divn hold /
Somme from Biaches to Frisexx.

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all practicing it. S. Gullett makes
special trips.

I have to pull out & start my histy.

Prof. Wallace. Edinbg. man - Prof of English
Melb. Univy.
Crotty - Padre, coming over.
Ex-master of some schools in

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54 

The 3rd Army say tt / Germans
in one of their attacks this mg.
N of Bapaume did not get thro'
our barrage.
The German cavalry has
not broken thro on any scale. But
small parties have bn harassing
our retreat.
The measures to be taken
today are an attack by /
French, under Gen. Foch, Northwds
towards Nesle Ham - to be
made this mg., & an attack
by the 5^th Army in cooperatn w
them to pu Eastward from Nesle,
to push / Germans back across
/ river Somme. The German is massing,
Lytton says, by Peronne & by Bapaume.
Mackenzie sd tt Germ
- i.e. he is working on / hinges of our
retirement.

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Cinema: What Pearce got Formerly British - Pozieres Film.
Now Press Photogr. responsible.
1 Neg 1 Prt copy to records - But cant ensure
lasting more than 5-10 yrs. unless some
scheme found
Trophies:
Idea of sharing w British.
(1.) (2.) & (3) from Folgers letter.
→
We to suggest list when Hughes comes here
Tank, submarine etc.
←(We rely on our ideas for excellence of our museum
e.g. dressed men, trees, old worn duckbds etc
? Navy: Co
Special historians will advise. Brit. have
made start - lot of our stuff to them.
Can the Navy come in - Cmd Offr to adv?
At present matl stored largely in
France. Matl (1) collected by units
(2)    "              "  us. A
lot from Pozieres etc.
Museums offr in France. Egypt
warned.
Every idea tt can be thought of is
being employed. Cutlack, Wilk, etc
 

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Mackenzie says tt German
agents have bn spreading
[*Poz. memorial site. *] rumours &
stampeding
/ French populatn in some o /
villages. An Orders have bn was up on the
wall at Army Hqrs, Mackenzie says,
gn tt anyone found spreading
these reports is either to be handed
over to / military authorities
or to be shot at sight.
We came North to Beauquesne,
passing endless empty lorries & busses
going N. for troops - 2 lots of
about 200 in each they were. They
had just come S. w troops & were
returning to their parks beside
/ road. We had them all / way to
near Lillers & one's eyes simply
ached w / dust.
At Beauquesne the army told
us tt no Australians were coming to
them - they were going in further
North (i.e. under 1st Army). But
Maclagan as we left, who shd drive
up but Gen. Maclagan & Duncan
Maxwell. They sd tt they were
looking for the 17^th Corps -
(Three (two pages ahead)

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Anzac Book to
Canadians.
1. Before I give up I want to
put my ideas on paper.
What is being done: - Since I wrote split
from publicity -
3 ^ main Types of Trophies Records
Doctg. Immensely improved.
Copies to be obtd from Brit.
All our diaries recd. Copies
now criticised imd.
Sectl historians bn apptd
for special work - & assts
These now responsible
Correspce to be dealt w.
Gullett (2ce wd) in France.
Gullett in Egypt
Photographic: Press & Record
Egypt: Both Same
France Sep.
[*Outside collectn by
Trophy Museums Officer
copied by staff *]
bec. we find tt the same type
a proper organtn.
One man going
Complete index being made; sectn in London (air photos
↑ Pictures: Offl. Artists: all seen it.
A.I.F Artists {Records
{ camouflage.
(they were painting, as
it was).
↑ Sectl historians to advise. Medical artist etc
78

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Prin. retained by you - This
is Austrln history.
(What Smart has.) photos, any Bk

why.   Dysons Book etc
Gullett now responsible for hist in Egypt.
Entirely logical now Exc. Offl. Artists work.
owing to diffs. of arrang^t & Smarts
special knowledge this rests w him.

being handed over.

for getting facts needed by them.
(duplicate negs to Smart.)

(Brit. dont own theirs).
of man cant do Both. We are only people who have
2d hospitals, 1 for units. etc. under Rec. offr in France. 
etc & copying Brit. Negs.)
Lambert in Eg. Suggest work in Aust.
25 Sketches Each
Portraits etc. Suggestn of 2 pictures 1. Art. idea
2. what we ask
Very gd bargain.
Sculpture so as to have men who were there.
Nearly all Australians registered will have seen the front

80
Holland abt (1) Censored groups &
(2) Record photos   Can we [shorthand] one
copy from index in a separate book.
Lytton - 4 Buckingham
St. - call and see

Cable to Australia abt. English
& French food situation.

Gullett's correspondentship.

Williams for further [shorthand]

Suggestion to Smart abt
Artists Pictures.

M Nevinsons Photos.

Fenders,
Gloves.
Trunk (box).
Hough Filming
Turn over Relics.
Is my Box at Bank?
78

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81
Get Miss Dean's Typed a/c of tunnellers
Regtl. Articles.  Have Notice put
with my diaries
White. YMCA. Nurses.
Pearce
Dodds }
White } re trophies.
Griffiths}
Mrs Inglis.
? Pearce re Propaganda.

Get diaries from trailer

Brain. Subsistence allowance.

Latch Key of Office.

Gullet & AIF Xmas Bk
(Cassells re.)

Ask for sketch & drawing
Map in Anz Book ( Tell. Williams)

Butters a/c of June 4
Hand drawn diagram – see original
Thro thick burst.
½ of each Coy [shorthand].
& next night they all
went out in dust storm.
Death of Sergt at
Pozieres