Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/229/1 - December 1918 - February 1919 - Part 2

have been very trying - I
was never through a bitterer day
- wet through with cold driving rains.
I got through the last
battalion - 18th - on Dec 31st.
Whirled off the same day through
Phillipeville right away to the
Meuse valley near Givet to
see the 43rd Bty to see Padfield, the
officer of the R.A.A. who ws sd to
have reached Gouy w / Americans.
After listening carefully to the story
I am not sufficiently confident
of its truth to place any reliance
in it - it is very vague; the
vaguest I have had from any
officer; & P. cdn't tell me how
he got back to camp our lines. I dont
think much of the man & his manner ws not good.
But what was worth while
was a long yarn next day
9

with Sanderson, commdg
the 43rd Bty. who was in the 
fight at the Nek & reached
/ Turkish parapet - &
came back.
Next That day Fullwood I
reached Charleroi & stayed
with _^∧Sid Gullett; next day via
Charleroi, Quatre Bras,
Waterloo, Brussels, Hal,
Ath & Tournai to Lille where
I stayed with Birdie & White;
next day to Boulogne where
I stayed at the Hotel de France.
Cutlack had crossed that
day & stayed wit met me
there; Wilkins blew in from
Cologne; he is to go w me
to Gallipoli; & Howe, an
officer of 3rd Bde, (11 Bn) who ws
10

on / left at Anzac /
first day & who is being
allowed to come at my
request also.
Wilkins says that Casey
ws in Cologne also. He & Casey
were so struck with the surliness
of the Germans & / mildness
of the rules laid down by /
British authorities - there ws
so much tt grated (for example,
our own authorities are
employing British labour
battalions - British! - to sweep
the roads a few miles out
of Cologne along which
(besides our own people)
German farmers drive
their carts! There are cafés
& all sorts of places in full
11

swing, very bright inside,
out of bounds to British troops!
There are not enough places
reserved at the Opera for
British officers to book them
if they wish to. For a fortnight
the British authorities enforced
the same rules eg. as to curfew
(everyone to be indoors at 7pm)
as the Germans    & so on ; had in Belgium.
After a fortnight they relaxed
or abolished them!
Casey was convinced
that our men wdnt stand
this & advised tt they shd
not be sent to Germany.
And so they are not going.
On Jan 4th I sd goodbye
to Cutlack & old Boddy. - & with
12

Wilkins & Howe crossed to
London.
In London we I had
very heavy work to get thro
in time; but by Jan 18, when
the War Office had our passage
eventually fixed, managed to
leave with the following comprising
what we call the Australian
Historical Mission:-
C.e.w.B. historian.
Capt G.H. Wilkins M.C. official photographer
Capt GW Lambert, official artist
Lieut. H. Buchanan, topographical expert.
Staff Sergt G. Rogers Asst. Topo. expert
Lieut. H.V. Howe - fxxxxy to identify positions
reached on left on day of landing.
Lieut. J. Balfour - my assistant.
Staff Sergt R.W. Bazley, war Records.
13

Jan 19. We crossed from
Southampton last night to
Havre in transport _^∧City of Poona - the
first British merchant ship to
enter Hamburg or Bremen after
/ war to take off British released
prisoners. Today in Havre.
Jan 20. Last night in train to Paris.
Left Paris tonight for Modane.
Jan 21. Arrived at Modane & changed
to train for Genoa. At Genoa
found tt our baggage cd not
catch / same train as we to 
Rome.
Jan 22. Reached Rome. _^∧All went to
Carmen at / opera.
Jan 23. Baggage still not arrived. 
Went round Rome today. Bazley
has fallen ill with influenza.
14

Jan 24. Bazley went to the
British troops Rest House
& was left behind there -
to follow, probably to Egypt.
My Gillette razor ws stolen
out of my toilet bag in my
haversack last night in the
porters lodge of the Hotel. I
bought another Gillette today;
it was stolen I locked it in my
suit case together with part of
my Anzac diary & other things.
Tonight the suit case, & Howe's
suit case were stolen from
our seats in our railway
compartment - certainly by
the staff of the railway while
we were at dinner. Howe
is staying another night in Rome
15

to track them if possible.
We are going tonight to Taranto.
Jan 25.  Arrived at Taranto at
lunchtime & xx were transferred
out to the Rest Camp 4 miles
outside.  Very muddy - almost
like France.
Jan 26.  Today at 1 p.m. we
embarked on H.M.S.
Asphodel for Malta -
It was very rough indeed
& this ship is one to shake
the bones out of your body.
Wilkins, who ws never
sick before, was seasick
almost at once.  The old
chap went up & camped
(as did Sergt Rogers) on top of
our luggage.  It shifted & shifted

during the evening until
he must have bn two feet
lower than when he started.
Lambert is rather the life of
this party.  He has an unlimited
fund of stories which he tells
exceedingly well; not quite
such a brilliant brain as
Dysons, nor so unassuming.
But a public spirited man.
With his pointed beard &
light horse rig out - Australian
hat - & spurs which he
religiously wears on board
ship - he looks like a cavalier.
He likes above everything to
feel himself a soldier.  The
Aust. Govt is giving him ₤3
a day, & has guaranteed
₤500 for a picture of the landing
17

Jan 27.  Arrived at dusk in
Valetta.  Staying at the
Hotel Sta Lucia - 9 shillings
a day inclusive - far and
away the cheapest we have
struck.  Went to the Opera -
Fedora.
Jan 28.  Today arranged our
passages in Princess Ena
sailing Jan 30.
In the afternoon I
got a car detailed to me &,
at the request suggestion of the authorities
here, visited the Australian
graves at Pieta & Addlorata
& Amtarfa Cemeteries.
Jan 29.  All day writing report
for Gen. White on our claim to a
share  in the Cinema profits
of the War Office Cinema Committee.
18