Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/270 PART 2/1 - 1918 - 1939 - Part 8

96
TELEPHONE NOS.
F 2597.
F 2598.
COMMUNICATIONS TO BE ADDRESSED TO
“THE DIRECTOR.”
IN REPLY PLEASE OUOTE
NO. 7/1/40/
COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA.
TELEGRAPHIC ADDRESS
"AUSWARMUSE."
AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL.
POST OFFICE BOX 214 D.
EXHIBITION BUILDINGS, MELBOURNE.
"They gave their lives. For that public gift they
received a praise which never ages and a
tomb most glorious —not so much the tomb in
which they lie, but that in which their fame
survives, to be remembered for ever when occasion
comes for word or deed..
9th April, 1930.

Dear Mr. Bazley,
Richthofen’s death.
With reference to your letter, 5636 of the 25th
March, I regret that we do not possess the original
statement purported to have been signed by Lieutenant
J. C. Doyle. The copy of Doyle’s statement which we hold
is a typewritten one and was attached to a letter dated 9th
June 1918 received by the Australian War Records Section
in London from Major L. C. Beavis, O.C., 53rd Battery, A.F.A.
A Copy of Major Beavis's letter, of which we hold the
Original, is enclosed for your information.
A search has also been made for the original of
Lieutenant Doyle’s statement amongst the operation and other
papers held in the library but without success.
I regret that we are not in a position to help you in the matter.
Yours sincerely,
[[J ?]]
Mr. A. W. Bazley,
c/o Official Historian,
Victoria Barracks,
Paddington, NSW.
 

97
Copy.
A87108.
FRANCE
9/6/18.
Australian War Records Section,
103 Horseferry Road,
WESTMINSTER.
4386/39/11.
Reference your circular memorandum dated 15th May 1918
relating to Australian War Museums.
On 21/4/18 the Lewis gunners of this battery brought
down Captain von Richthofen, the famous German aviator. The
machine was taken away by the A.F.C. and then handed over to
the R.A.F..  At the end of last month I wrote asking that
efforts should be made to secure the plane for the Australian
War Museum and received the enclosed reply.
I understand that the R.A.F. have claimed that they
brought the plane down, but in view of the fact that other
than the British plane, which was being pursued, there were no
planes within 1000^x yards of Richthofen when he crashed, this can
hardly be so. I am enclosing a copy of the report on the
occurrence.
It seems a pity that it does not appear possible to
obtain the plane, or such parts of it which are not required by
the R.A.F., for the Australian War Memorial.
I hope I have not committed a breach of regulations
in writing to A.I.F., H.Q. direct, but I thought it as well to
bring the matter to your notice.
(Signed) L. E. Beavis,
MAJOR.
Lt [[Pauch]] of same bty states that Evans & Buie
were the gunners actually working the two guns
of the 53rd Bty wh fired
 

AUST
 

98
5670.
8 April 1930.
Major L.E. Beavis, D. S.O.,
Staff College,
Camberley, England.
Dear Major Beavis,
A controversy has been proceeding here and elsewhere
as to the means by which Baron Richthofen met his death. The
matter is not very important, but the Official History should be
accurate, and I would therefore be grateful if you would inform
me as to your recollection whether the Lewis gunners of your
bettery who fired at him were Gunners Buie and Evans, as is most
generally stated, or Gunners Buie and Seccull, as Lieutenant
Doyle, formerly of your battery, contends. Doyle has written to
me several times stating that Evans wrongly received the credit
due to Seccull, and has advised me to write to you in the matter.
1 should be glad of any assistance that you could give me.
Yours faithfully,
C.E.W. Bean
Official Historian.
 

99
Staff College 
Camberley
22nd May 1930.
Dear Mr. Bean,
(Your letter no 5670 dated 8/4/30)
I am afraid the controversy over
Richthofen's death will be a frequently recurring
subject. It is unfortunate, but due to the fact
that although the facts were simple and could
only point to one conclusion, as I shall briefly
show below, the R.A.F. were - in many
quarters - allowed to take the credit.
In regard to your query - the gunners
concerned were Buie and Evans. That Doyle
is in error I have confirmed by consulting a
copy of his statement of the ocurrence - the copy
being with the Fourth Army Records presented to
the Staff College in memory of Lord Rawlinson.
In this statement he says it ws Evans was the
lewis gunner in charge of the gun, near which
he - Doyle- was standing at the time. Seccull
was also a lewis gunner but he was not
manning a gun at the time of the incident.
I hope you will pardon me if I briefly
review the circumstances which are fairly
accurately described in Vol VIII of the official History
 

99a
From the battery which was on the reverse slope
almost on top of the ridge between the Arne and the
Somme we were watching the "dogfight" of a large number
of planes over about Sielly Laurette when the officer in
our O.P. on the north bank of the Somme some 2000 yards
in front of the battery reported that two planes had separated
from the fight - a Sopwith Camel pursued by a red
machine - and that they were flying toward the direction
of the battery. The Anti-aircraft lewis gunners immediately
manned the two guns which were mounted on posts one
about 75 yds. behind the other at the left of the battery.
Before many seconds had passed the planes were
seen flying low along the west-east trough of the
Somme. The pursued plane was deviating to right
and left with the pursuer close behind, its general
direction being towards the lewis guns. The
ridge on which we were lay transversely across
the path of the planes and they were very low above
the ground - I estimated 100' to 150' - and the camel
was in the line of fire for a while. Then both
guns fired bursts of fire with the plane coming
head-on almost at them. It turned towards
the north immediately the guns fired and
crashed. There was no third plane in the
neighbourhood - for 2000 yards at best- and the
pursued plane could only fire through the
propellor. 3 Div. machine guns had been firing
at the plane as it passed over the Somme valley,
bud it was still manoeuvring as the planes
approached the battery. When the Camel saw he
 

99b
was no longer pursued he circled round the area
once and then flew west. Richthofen's body was
brought to my dugout and I personally saw the
bullets and other wounds before the 3rd Sqn.
tender came for it.
The facts are so simple. Therefore, although
the matter has no historical importance, it is
understandable that witnesses of the occurrence -
especially members of the 53rd Battery - should
have something to say when some airmen claimed
having shot him down. The probable explanation
is that a camel shot down a red triplane somewhere
else, on that part of the front about the same time.
and ∧ that the li pilot had not pin-pointed the spot -
possibly two miles away. A very distressed
pilot was brought by his Wing Commander to
see me that afternoon claiming he had brought
the plane down, but I had to point out that
there was no third place in the neighbourhood.
The London Illustrated papers at the
time showed full page pictures of a British
Camel diving on the tail of Richthofen,
who was either fleeing or, falling in flames
So, at the time, I concluded that ∧from the higher command point of view the value
from air propaganda would be better for
one the cause, than our personal satisfaction
at on being awarded the credit.
Yours faithfully,
L.E. Beavis
 

100
TEL. NO. TEMPLE BAR 1567 EXT.
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AND QUOTE

400/18/104.Mil.

AUSTRALIA HOUSE,

STRAND, LONDON, W.C.2.
9th May, 1931.
Dear Sir,
With reference to the article on Baron Manfred
von Richthofen published in the April number of the
Army Quarterly, I desire to inform you that a letter
written by Major L.E. Beavis, whose Lewis Gunners
were actually responsible for bringing Richthofen
down, has been forwarded by me for publication in
the next issue of the Army Quarterly.  Major Beavis's
account is substantially the same as that given in
the Official History of Australia in the War 1914-18
Volume VIII, Australian Flying Corps, Pages 249-252.
As no doubt you are interested in this
subject I am forwarding a copy of Major Beavis’'s
letter for your information and would be pleased if
you would acknowledge receipt of this letter.
Yours faithfully,
[[?]]
DEFENCE LLAISON OFFICER.
Captain C.E.W. Bean,
Historian,
Victoria Barracks,
Paddington
NEW SOUTH WALES.