Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/225/1 - 1915 - 1918 - Part 1

AWM38
Official History,
1914-18 War: Records of C E W Bean,
Official Historian.
Diaries and Notebooks 

Item number: 3DRL606/224/1 

Title: Notebook, August - October 1918
Includes references to the 53rd, 54th, 55th and
56th Battalions, Peronne, Bellicourt and Villers-
Bretonneux.

AWM38-3DRL606/224/1 

[*54 Capt R.G.
56. ^Downing (w 54 at Peronne).
Capt Mann
55. Stutsbury & Miller adjt & Wyllie
53. Smith Capt W.E.  }
Col Cheeseman.        } Bellicourt
Lt Hill. DSO.                 }*]
 

Original
DIARY NO. 224.
AWM38
3DRL 606 ITEM 224 [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 these 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 

Peronne where attd by 53 Bn
Hand drawn diagram - see original document 

Hand drawn diagram – see original document 

(Gen Stuart)
14 Bde Sept Aug 31
Original plan as arranged
at Confce at 5th Aust D.H.Q
at
Bde Crossed not at Omiecourt
(wh ws too hot) bridge broken
by shelling all day, but
at Buscourt.  Xing finished
by 8 p.m. & Bns near Clery
(not in squares originally
intended as shelling ws v.
hot indeed).
At this time / idea
ws for 14 Bde to follow up
2 Divs attack - push thro'
to Doingt etc & xxx (as
Elliott cdnt cross the Somme,) to
cover Elliotts troops crossing Somme
S of Peronne (if ^cover needed). Peronne
ignored at this time.
1 

Aug 31
At 9 p.m. Confce ws called
at 6 Bde Hqrs near
Buscourt Herbecourt (?).  G.S.O. I (Borwick)
2 Divn ^ws present.  It lasted till
midnight.
At tt confce Peronne &
Mt St Q were to be made
separate fights - Peronne
gn to 14 Bde (wh until
then had bn vaguely intended
for Doingt;) Mt St Q to 6th
Bde.
Zero for 2 Divn started ws fixed at 6 am as
it ws necy to get 53 & 54
into position.
Objves for tt day were
for 53 Bn: "N & S. line between I 23 &
I 24 "(for exploitation).  With
Arty Shoot (area shoot) to Darmstadt Trench.
for 54 Bn: Peronne (to ^far E edge of it)
2 

56 Bn, when 53 & 54 had gone
on, were to turn S. past E
of Peronne & take / high
ground in I 35 & O 5 (S of
Peronne) w rt flank refused
towds river.
Marshall (54 Bn) ws to
make good Flamicourt across
/ Causeway & other Xings.
Part of this plan ws carried out.
Sept 1/2  At 11 p.m. messages
began to arrive from 2 Divn, from
5th Divl Arty & other sources tt
Australian troops were moving abt
in / streets of Mt St Q.  Bdier ws
ordered to push on.  Bns said 2 Div
ws not in St Q. but assurances 
from rear were quite emphatic
3 

that they were, & / order
had to be gn in spite of Bn. C.Os
fears.
This attack ws made at
1 p.m.; at 12.15 Bdier gave /
order to attack x at 1 pm;
At 12.50 informatn came from
5th Div. that 2nd Div (xxxx 6 Bde)
ws to attack at 1.30.  This ws
his first definite informatn tt
2 Divn were not where they sd
they were; x Bdier tried to
stop 14 Bde attack but it
ws too late.
(1.P.M.( Attack ^by 53 (& 2 Coys of 56 wh were supporting and got drawn into (attack got on some distance
but had to come back after dark) xx
2 Coys of 55 were already w Col Cheeseman
(53) for use if necy. These two
were involved on / flank of this
attack as no one ws there).
4 

56 Bn & (2 Coys) 55 were
still in hand.  56 ws ordered by Bdier
to relieve 54 in N part of Peronne tt night
& work take remainder of Peronne at dawn.
(This ws cancelled on later orders).
Sept 1/2 There ws a Confce at
H Qrs of 8th Bde, at 9.30 p.m.
This Confce drew up plan for
a new attack - Divl Commdr,
C.R.A., Bdiers 14th & 8th Bdes,
& one of staff of 7th Bde.
The plan for / attack ws
again drawn up as modified
on / same objve (line betw
I 23 & 24 for exploitation).
14th Bde ws to do this
One Bn ws also to mop up
NE corner of Peronne.
15th Bde ws to attempt /
Somme Xing again.
14th Bde ws to try &
mop Flamicourt. Same Bde ws
to make Highgrd S of Peronne
5 

(not to take Doingt this
time) by moving behind troops
who had passed Peronne
& swing E of / town & S.
15 Bde if it crossed ws
to xxx Doingt take a front on / High Ground
facing E onto / Cologne River.
14 Bdier had allocated
this work as folls:
56 for main attack
(with 7 Bde on left)
55 (less 2 Coys) to follow it,
swing S, & seize high grd.
54 to complete mopping
up of Peronne & assist as far
as possible w Flamicourt (wh
/ Germ. wd have evacuated)
53 & 2 Coy 55th much
tried out, as reserve.
(These instrns were sent by
Telephone to Legge BM. & by him to Bns wh (exc Marshall) were on / telephone.)