Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/93/1 - November 1917 - Part 4

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shortest of reinfts all thro' -
and 2nd Divn is worst off
next to 4 Divn owing to
its heavier losses.
Wilkins has constantly
bn up / line agn w Harley.
The other day, coming
back by himself, he saw
tt they started to shell /
duckboards at Zonnebeke
as he reached them - but
decided to take his
chance.  In / middle of
crossing he heard a
whizz & presently found
 

30
In the advance of 43rd Bn,
I think it was, at Zonnebeke,
2 Germans were seen firing
a m.g. both lying ^mostly under /
water of a shellhole, only
& w / gun in the water
also.  A sergt saw them
& caught them from / rear.
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himself lying in a shellhole,
his camera & gas mask under
him keeping his head above the
water.  Some Canadians
pulled him out & took him
to a dressing stn - He
wasnt hurt.  He is still
going up.
When I got back to
1st Anzac, I had a note from
Milner, 1st Divn, to say
tt the Commander in Chief
had considered the
recommendation for
immediate reward for
 

12                            32
Wilkins (Military Cross) &
Hurley (mention) wh I
had sent in & had
decided not to give them
an award. I was furious
- Hutton Wilson & Lee
D.S.Os -  H.W a coward timid weakling
pure & simple & the other
man a do-nothing, 40
miles behind / firing line;
& these men nothing who have seen
more fighting than any
staff officer - nothing -
They will be put up again
for the Birthday honours.
 

12                                  33
Nov. 11^th.  Across to
England with Hurley.
My old brother Jack
was there at the Hotel,
waiting for me, to explain
me a scheme he had - &
a thoroughly good & practical
one two - to help our men
in their troubles with
Venereal disease, & to
protect the women of australia
& our future nation against
the diseases by getting the
men to realise the dangers
to their homes & to the
race.  He wants to form
a Legion of Honour -
 

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in which men can enrol
themselves to protect
the purity of our nation,
against disease & agst
drink - Archdeacon Ward
who lectures on this to all
our units is enthusiastic
& will help him.
Jack has now 100
men at each of his debates
in tt venereal hospital
at Bulford - he is the only
Officer who supports it.  They
padre used to but he
has dropped out.  J. is
always in the chair.
He had 500 there when
they discussed conscription
 

12                                 35
& abt 490 voted agst
it.
He says the padres
are looked down on by
/ men rather than otherwise
- more than half of them,
that is to say.  The Salvation
Army. Church Army, &,
YMCA men are worth
their pay but the church
has utterly missed it.
Archdeacon Ward
knows this, too -
Jack's idea is to treat
the man there like self respecting
human beings - the only
care for their malady is
self respect.  He is about
 

12                          36
the only man there with
a mind big enough to
see it.
 

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