Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/215/1 - August - September 1918 - Part 1

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open for review
Accession number:
RCDIG1066673
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

AWM3S Official History, 1974-18 War: Records of CE W Bean, Official Historian. Diaries and Notebooks Hem number: 3DR1606/21517 Title: Notebook, August - September 1918 includes references to the 46th Battalion. AWMISS-3DRICO612151
4 46Bu Ang w Sept 18 aecrntintt tp trteete Ferete MM M M ahr l D 302L 6O6 IM 215 L AWM38 DIARLES AND NOTES OF C. E. W. BEAN CONCERNING THE WAR OF 1914-1918 THE use of these diaries and notes is subject to conditions laid down in the terms of gift to the Australian War Memorial. But, apart from those terms, I wish the following circumstances and considerations to be brought to the notice of every reader and writer who may use them. These writings represent only what at the moment of making them I believed to be true. The diaries were jotted down almost daily with the object of recording what was then in the writer’'s mind. Often he wrote them when very tired and half asleep; also, not infrequently, what he believed to be true was not so —but it does not follow that he always discovered this, or remembered to correct the mistakes when discevered. Indeed, he could not always remember that he had written them. These records should, therefore, be used with great caution, as relating only what their author, at the time of writing, believed. Further, he cannot, of course, vouch for the accuracy of statements made to him by others and here recorded. But he did try to ensure such accuracy by consulting, as far as possible, those who had seen or otherwise taken part in the events. The constant falsity of second-hand evidence (on which a large proportion of war stories are founded) was impressed upon him by the second or third day of the Gallipoli campaign, notwithstanding that those who passed on such stories usually themselves believed them to be true. All second-hand evidence herein should be read with this in mind. AUSTAELIN WAR LLLORIAL 16 Sept, 1946. C. E. W. BEAN. ACCESS STATUS MEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEIEEEEEEEMLEEEEEEEEEEEEEET Or) MIIS WEES I . SJ.C.45
46 Bn old System 0 of as fero along the C 7 c beee te ate te a compas Bde a 6 en taidon But fof was so thick the ws kept as near Warprce Aban when the trench ws followed which leads NC Taillowx wood. as B Coy so1
half alew Pre were Den to the if 22D 9 far A ten 2 place, abt 30 the ser The S Drvn had at b ten fer on the sam a that 48Bn foth in the old Vomanslay le e t officer lea tank (of the 12 wh wene the D saw it took his tanko But the aex Cank
50 far a like it & it bee HeJ 32 Bn of B acce re 7 tofo had life Some o1.Co as on decides hes a make their own way to the I.Of tr position were alead there when Br am The others were at Tailloun assenbly place.
No when it back n Key There ther trecetanks flan - 2 ten t S. th th O. O.D. O. 0. we re also r tats ank betw 4s SE 5
strike W. of R. ab Bn it a e to T.O. 7 fighting with t B on le Reginal it its fr Insan Wd. C9. vi a couple 4.2 4 fetti the Boch X Te Tite Jean for fer 6 Be so
in to Vale VrS. Rd E t to epposed le t in 28BoD o en to point it X mes fire from spital on its final ob aso from the Dr Dis S P. of 11 < Tor up the G6Ba les to the
i idg to for 1 bs too steep He re the fte t dis tel. She tan boy here st firing wt hos it we they who setfire 2 heavy np were d in a bit of of to hospital buts W. of the k s sleep A an S4
a Senk N.o two sect - one pair from 30 fust N 1rd from att 19A (o o Rose was ie id an cleared lte but thase on I let fom could tfire while Ba to or its objec. Two cwis pwnas got MM for taking out a couple of 6.8 uns to about S0B 5.9. slaying on I gans to then

AWM38

Official History,

1914 - 18 War: Records of C E W Bean,

Official Historian.

 

Diaries and Notebooks

 

Item number: 3DRL606/215/1

 

Title: Notebook, August - September 1918

Includes references to the 46th Battalion.

 

AWM38-3DRL606/215/1

 

46 Bn  
215

Aug 8

Sept 18.

Typed

375-385

Original
DIARY NO 215.

AWM38
3DRL  606 ITEM 215 [1]

DIARIES AND NOTES OF C.E.W. BEAN

CONCERNING THE WAR OF 1914 - 1918.

 

THE use of these diaries and notes is subject to conditions laid down in the terms of gift to the Australian War Memorial. But, apart from those terms, I wish the following circumstances and considerations to be brought to the notice of every reader and writer who may use them.

 

These writings represent only what at the moment of making them I believed to be true. The diaries were jotted down almost daily with the object of recording what was then in the writer's mind. Often he wrote them when very tired and half asleep; also, not infrequently, what he believed to be true was not so - but it does not follow that he always discovered this, or remembered to correct the mistakes when discovered. Indeed, he could not always remember that he had written them.

 

These records should, therefore, be used with great caution, as relating only what their author, at the time of writing, believed. Further, he cannot, of course, vouch for the accuracy of statements made to him by others and here recorded. But he did try to ensure such accuracy by consulting, as far as possible, those who had seen or otherwise taken part in the events. The constant falsity of second-hand evidence (on which a large proportion of war stories are founded) was impressed upon him by the second or third day of the Gallipoli campaign, notwithstanding that those who passed on such stories usually themselves believed them to be true. All

second-hand evidence herein should be read with this in mind.

16 Sept., 1946.     C. E. W. BEAN.

AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL

ACCESS STATUS

OPEN

 

46 Bn.

Spent night before in

old system W of Vaire Wood.

Fog ws thickening when

46 Bn moved at Zero +60.

They moved by platoons

along the road, closing up

by coys as the fog became

thicker. It had bn intended

to cut ^early off to the left on

a compass bearing to

Bde assembly positn

near Tailloux Wood - But

as fog was so thick the

road ws kept as a guide.

to near Warfusee Abancourt.

Where the trench ws followed

which leads N to Tailloux

Wood. As B Coy got 
1 

 

halfway up this trench

they heard firing thro' the

fog ahead. Presently Germans

were seen in the trenches

at 22 D 9.5 - 9.1

& a few of them were hit.

A tank had reached this

place, abt 30 yds from

the Huns, & had broken down.

The 3rd Divn hadnt bn seen by

these Germans.

[On the same road that

46 Bn folld, in the old

Nomansland lay a mine.

The back officer leading a

tank (of the 12 wh went along

the Div boundary) saw it

& took his tank round it.

But the next tank cdnt 

2

see 

see so far ahead as its

predecessor, & ran over

it (it looked like a box lid)

& it blew up.

The Germans 46 & a party

of 32 Bn mopped up these

Germans (possibly 20).

Bn got onto its

assembly pt. E of Tailloux

Woods with rest of Bde.

By time they moved off

the fog had lifted.

Some o / tanks on acct.

o / fog had decided to

make their own way to the

J. Off truck position - &

were ahead there when Bn

arrived. The others were

at Tailloux assembly place.

3

 

From there these tanks moved

on rt flank o / Bn

when it moved.

From there to the J.O.

position the S.W. of Hazel

Wood, Bn struck 20 

Germans. The third Divn

had got on well. Only 2

wd men or so came

back & the spirits of

Bn were very high.

They reached the J.O. position

marching by plns in arty

formation. On the J.O.

positn in 19 B & D the

Bn moved with 6 tanks

Hand drawn diagram – see original

There were also 12 tanks on /

rt flank betw 4 & 5 Divns

4

 

Bn moved diagonally to

strike the main rd just

W. of Richmond gully.

The 46 Bn came on a

dug out abt 300 yds ahead

of the J.O. positn. 30 Germs

came out of here without

fighting with their hands up.

Bn on left ws fighting near

Reginald Wood. 46 Bn

met its first oppositn

from Susan Wd. This ws the

left Coy. Near here they got

a couple of 4.2 hows wh /

Germs had bn getting away -

the Boche had gone.

The next oppositn ws

oppositn S of Jean Wood from a

few Germans who had dug 

5

 

in hurriedly tt morning.

When they reached the

N & S. Rd E of Valerie Wood,

the two rear Coys A & C.

leap frogged thro' the leading

Coys, & led.

The trenches & wire shown

in 28 B & D West o / Gully

dont exist. As Bn got

past tt point it came under

& heavy m.g. fire from the

hospital on its final objve,

& also from the 5th Div sector

S. of / road. The armoured

cars had not yet gone

thro. The 5th Div were anything

up to 1000 yds behind on

the 46 Bns rt.

They had to make rushes by 6

sections, making use of arty

 

[shorthand]

cover.

At the edge of this gully

the tanks were of no use

for / moment as / gully

ws too steep. The German fire

ws coming from the red brick

hospital opposite & from

the hospital huts or compound camp

across / road. A red x

flag ws still flying from

/ hospital. The tanks did

good service here stan lying

on / opposite bank &

firing into this hospl & possibly

it ws they who set fire to it.

2 heavy mgs were later

found in a bit of trench just

W. of the hospital. house opp. The hospital huts.

The bank ws so steep tt

7

 

a tank (of 5 Div?) trying to

get down it S of / road rolled

over & lay there. A

Two o / 46 Bn tanks were hit,

on / top o / Bank N o / road

just on / gully's edge, by

two sections of field guns

firing, one pair from 30 D

just N o / rd, & one pair

from abt 19 A (or C?) [of

these guns. those near /

main road were cleared later,

but those on / left front

contd to fire so lon while Bn

ws on its objve. Two

Lewis Gunners got MMs

for taking out a couple of

L. Guns to about 30 B 5.9.

& playing on / guns to their 

8

 

 

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