Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/98/1 - February 1918 - Part 5

84                                                39

of fact being given to

50 men from 1st, 4th & 5th

Divns (originals) on each

ship going to Australia;

but it is not advertised

because it can be given

to so few tt the 2nd & 3rd

Divns do not possess the 

necessary percentage in

their units even to send

one man. It has not been

told to the 2nd & 3rd Divns.

tt this leave is being given].

So White, when he 

mentioned Egypt, as a

possible subject for

further action. Was just

evidently giving me a

 

84                                          40

hint tt something had been

done. Or, more probably,

had t r in planting

seed o t idea tt it ws

a possibility. The force

has j arrived at a fairly

general impression tt

Egypt is on t cards. The

knowledge of what has

been done has certainly

not leaked out; but the

probability of the move

is so advantages o t move

are so clear tt they argue

it likely to happen.

McNichol at tea

dropped quite another

a hint of another project -

McVilly, the sculler, had

 

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joined the B____d party;

he sd.

[Capt. Persius in

the German papers says

tt besides t big western 

offensive, there is need for

Germany to turn her

eyes to t sea - "for there

are rumours current in

England of a sea offensive"]

German prisoners taken

in t splendid raid by the 37th

& 39th Bns last night talk

of an offensive in Champagne

as being t main German 

offensive so far as they know.

Birdwood & Dodds have

 

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turned down Whites scheme

for the Australian artists,

but have allowed us an

increased number of outside artists (in

fact any number Smart

asks for) - White ws going

to have made them all

honorary Captains for t period o t

war in return for t first

option on all their work.

The suggestion wh Dyson &

I made to use the best

artists inside the A.I.F

for camouflage experts is

allowed. One is to go to each

Divn, one to Corps, & one

to AIF Hqrs.

 

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