Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/90/1 - October 1917 - Part 8

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Awaiting approval
Accession number:
RCDIG1066658
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

ox 5a it t 200 blue Cime or men tolowr patches on Saw the Bdiers arms T4e their wdnt patiols sent out one believe but if know. Teldon Wc N.2 ats places ron right b We have not gaud a peal 2e irch Te int n on torety i Sucth occasions in blackness w Iac difficutly Extraording of they know they the me isoliti & alik a to 24 t found be going to others may
1 ot each back itself Bothen feets post They our barragh think th back on to brought with 28 thy thn Bdin battal ton 14 dr afe te batroto Co not do tuch a them ne es o0t 1 et are positive 4 there fits not acropt 63. statement ys it nw dead of and 46 4ad come I baka t fenns the ta not ont aidge ye
72 it Hea 1 8f1h tothe te there 4 were fights for Pors befor outs attack They wand it. fom the Sunrn Rd. the chalf fit Rd. e mes in one attack brave white ohers tred Stente hath wa todo in when Then brate sho by an had 1o some back 60 the tiks were shot the Drvons ty ehe for back. I don't tendes t ths true of this last; & Cikily not But it gives an idia of fight had a more complite tombt. 88 lere Their meanis as t Ever mts flare 1000 ahead a of our li H looks tough o they ocupi that sauntry 7 ta The to it Fet ta Oct hane Oct 42 en Con fautures pity in the finst ig some we way cecond by none they were undinatin far two reacons. They banked on 14 demordliastin ferinders who has certainly thapntmed His important They wanted & to increate to make use of it it; & they thought to by giving Tws at nights
64 1h ae rest him no do this &might tdd stratey of driving the advantage & further him off tis ridge perhaps. breaking him-the sadabey wos in retidiness It ws held to we were through the Cast line of difence up therehe has flish of blood got only ts. not blockhouses 6 a month take the t mate to let uo. Hay this theory the O hoped to further than go Paschendatte certainly one further step possibl more They t2 wanted get germans off Paschendacte to tacties Ridge For Stratgic
613 reasond Jure Hays am 475 ti had detirn on determingd 53til H fens thave observate over as turiy Twinter shall we teward oatin. be ata in though also Coverlooke in Frind. X overtiok t we aout to put mn Genns, down into Ifwe to overtok them they put them there will hen ot tn The toho 80 te weth fr fridge is sandy Therefore Good live even of 50.00 are toae Set Eapchw e tl
76 cam most than stal bre morall &comfort lif tin stratigicat object A5 a h found. Ire is alia this as facation whether 15 onl out 2 to carry we chose w0 each te few push X weaken the aount te popth Th weather We ehew te6 way had on ta weath Oct9 on thet t be bad tenen d be ba we it Oct 4 face of our som I treet t 4 4 Expense
circumatinces thes under a fighr objective is we tried are had ever tr than 3000yards before Dwn for the Bod had thinnex much 127 be tan we he apt thinner orii everthad before fund being bogged & St4 fort Amnn ond te gave the place 13 preparation art onedo in pursua The German new plan, massed of their troops in I their port line This new at Betterne plan only wants shattern tey had were in bombe crenches & pont of the Wgealanders reachd it ancut. before it dayin
so body arriedbly The object ws tt the result t instead wa Derman morall of towerm lower we ours raing X tread batthe each ours Ferman rond te an euch of frouns. not won excuse is hevey test What ttn wortd. if atigie ovjed 5t and doe pursue plan you 4 pet it Oct. 14 fwish As Mardock just has me lett 4 two con 2 men bodies of our le Pasche fet t one 748 4dth proble Thurch -ong on the 6ep and clearout ti did
te 7o a the Farm C barr 14 th I thought letts tell our shels be po an the th our at writ ere Bom whit 80 blockhons acrow co T0 Ravebeek 3 men & Ie I saw ack the ot 4 I suppose they And an officer. that th 87 B were out morn in port 5at on till the alto Hams. 505 twe had by trought fent, Monast in back snserabundant caution previous evening &a Ws practice barray put o can tis be wounded or no true woundedI at 5.30 am 5 on I think this aad be Mis of an untess at dawn 50
31 wonn were encials it 514 put aat an attack Heaywh Justifies 5d.Imen intertained out ther The are to e ta mytae of place the take attack Pasestile Corps WF& to rest tonce Anroe S one had t we as they stop will 15t An ac 10 days for I make roads witl part 5 Di them ofCanadians act on 144 having had and 18t a6 Cannot ept git to 2 but witl piote out at puet gue partofling. 4 pioncers were workin 4

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70
200 feet it saw our
men on / blue line -
saw the colour patches on
their arms.  The Bdiers
sent out patrols & wdnt
believe it, but one has
very seldom know /
planes wrong.  N.Z. also is
- right back - We have not gained an
inch.  The real reason for
the retirement of men on
such occasions is tt in
/ rain - w / blackness &
extraordinary difficulty of
the mud - they know they
are isolated & unlikely to
be found.  They know
tt others may be going 

  71

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71
back & each isolated
post feels itself forgotten.
They think tt our barrage
will be brought back onto
them - & they are not far
wrong.  The Bdier & battalion
commandr, when his patrols
do not get in touch w
them next day, is most
positive tt / men are
not there; fights / aeroplane
statement - says it ws
dead or wounded they saw.
And if he had his way, in
wd come / barrage.
The Germans are
not on tt ridge yet so far

 

72
Pozieres:
Kennedy of the Heavy Gunners
tells me there were 4
fights for Pozieres before
ours.  They used to attack
it from the Sunken Rd
(? to the Chalk Pit Rd) - some
brave men, in one attack
he saw go on while others
started to dig in half way.
Then when the brave chaps
who had gone on began
to come back some of
them, he thinks, were shot
by the Devons, lying behind,
for coming back.
I don't know tt this is
true - this last; v. likely not. But
it gives an idea o / fight.
Our attack had a more complete bombt.
[*& ws at night*]

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73
as we know.  Their nearest
flares ^even last night ^(13/14) were
1000 yds ahead of our
line.  It looks as though
they had not occupied
that country yet either.
The last two fights
Oct 9 & Oct 12 have
been complete failures -
in the first we made some
way;  in / second none.
They were undertaken for
two reasons.
(1) They banked on /
demoralisation o / Germans
- wh has certainly happened
& is important.  They wanted
to make use of it & to increase
it; & they thought tt by giving

 

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74
him no rest we might
do this; & might add
the ^strategic advantage of driving
him off this ridge; & further;
perhaps breaking him - the
cavalry ws in readiness.
It was held tt we were
through the last line of
defence, up there;  "he has
"only flesh & blood apt,
"us, not blockhouses -
"they take a month to
"make " -  Haig told us.
On this theory they
hoped to go further than
Paschendaele - certainly
one further step; possibly
more.
(2) They wanted to
get / Germans off
/ Paschendaele board for
Ridge.  For strategic & tactical

 

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75
reasons I am sure Haig
had determined on this, &
is still determined.  If / Germs.
have / observatn over us
during / winter, we shall
be in an awkward salient,
half  (overlooked though also
overlooking) & in / mud.
We want to put the
Germs. down into / mud &
to overlook them.  If we
put them there they will
lose ^men & we gain not. The top o
/ ridge is sandy & gravelly
& good living.  Therefore
even if we lose 50,000
men in getting Paschendaele

 

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76
we shall gain more than
tt in life & comfort & morale.
As a strategical object
this is clearly sound. The
only question is as to whether
we choose / way to carry it out.
_______
We pushed in each
case against the weather.
The weather prophet had
warned us.  We knew /
weather had bn bad & ws
likely to be bad on Oct 9;
& we knew it wd be bad
on Oct 11.
In / face of our Somme
experience, we tried it.

 

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77
Under these circumstances
(1) We tried a bigger objective
than we had ever tried
before - 3000 yards
for the 3rd Divn.
(2) We had a thinner, much
thinner arty than we had
ever had before, owing to
/ guns being bogged &
ammn hard to get up.
(3) We gave the place only
one days arty preparation.
The Germans, in pursuance
of their new plan, massed
troops in their front line
at Bellevue.  This new
plan only wants shattering
bombt - They had wire in
front of their trenches & /
N Zealanders reached it
& dug in before it uncut.

 

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78
The object ws so badly carried out
tt the result ws tt instead
of lowering / German morale
& raising ours, / we lowered
ours by each of these battles
& raised / German; & we
won not an inch of ground.
What is / good of excuse is the very best
strategic ^(or psychological) object in / world, if
/ plan you pursue does not
& cannot get it?
Oct. 14
As I finish -
Murdoch has just
come in to tell me tt two
bodies of our men did
get to Paschendaele
- 37th & 40th; one near
/ church & one ^probly on the left,
and tt they did clear out

 

79
and tt they got to
Crest Farm thro our
own barrage (I ad have written
that I thought / shells there
were hard to tell from
our own shells when
we saw tt party go
thru the hedge).

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80
some blockhouses across
the Ravebeck & 3 men
got back (the 3 I saw I suppose) tho
they lost an officer.  And
that the 37Bn were out
in front on Saty morning
till 11am. altho the
SOS line had bn brought
back by Genl. Monash in
superabundant caution
/ previous evening & a
practice barrage ws
put thro ( can this be
true, wounded or no
wounded?) at 5.30 am
on Saty.  I think this
must have been an
SOS at dawn - unless

 

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81
it was a General's nervousness
agst an attack.  It fully
justifies  what I fear wh I sd / men
out there feared entertained.
The Canadians are to
take / place of the 2nd Anzac
Corps & attack Paschendaele.  2nd
Anzac go at once to rest,
as they have had none;
1st Anzac will stop in
& make roads for 10 days;
& then perh.  5 Div will
act on / rt of Canadians.
1st Anzac having had 3
months rest cannot get
out at once but will probly
go to a quiet part o / line.
As / pioneers were working

 

 

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