Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/253/1 - 1918 - 1939 - Part 1

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

Diaries and Notebooks
 

Item number: 3DRL606/253/1

Title: Folder, 1918 - 1939
Covers 1918 fighting and includes articles,
reviews, maps and notes by Bean and A W
Bazley.

AWM38-3DRL606/253/1
 

Part 1 - AMIENS.
253
1st SET.
Original
DIARY NO.20.
AWM38
3DRL 606 ITEM 253 [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
 

Army Quarterly.
Vol. ii p. 267.
Some Notes on Tank Development During the War. Col Sir H. Elles.
Hamel
Aug. Offensive.
Vol i p. 263-289  Marshal Foch. Long article by Col C J C Grant

Vol vi p.298  An aspect of the Battle of Amiens, 1918 . By Cyril Falls.   X
Vol. vi p.11.  A German account of the British Offensive of Aug 1918   X
(contributed by the Historical Section, (2 D)
Vol.v p. 314}
Vol. vi p. 44}  The British Campaign in the West Aug - Nov 1918   X
Vol. viii p 295.  Organization of the Tank Corps
(see p.301  "Projects" in 1918)
Vol. ix p.234  Intelligence at an Army H.Q. on the W. Front during the
last phase of the Great War. By Col. F.S.G. Piggott    X
Vol. x p. 261  General Lord Rawlinson
An Appreciation by Maj. Gen Sir Archibald Montgomery
Vol. xvi p. 13.  Douglas Haig. By Sir J Davidson & Lt Col Boraston
Vol. xvi p. 408.  Article on The German Casualties In the Great War  X
Vol xxi p. 329  The Last German Offensive. Rheims 1918
(Review of German Official Monograph)
 

5th Apr., 1918] BATTLE OF DERNANCOURT 389
to find Germans approaching on both flanks. About this time
he received a welcome reinforcement from the supporting
company of the 45th-a platoon under Lieutenant Allen⁴⁹
(brother of the battalion commander) being sent forward
by order from Colonel Imlay. On its way from Pioneer
Trench this platoon, to its surprise, had found itself under
fire from Germans who had come up the hill-slope near the
casualty clearing station. On reaching the 47th's support
trench Allen, by order of Captain Symons, moved along to
the extreme right and reinforced Goodsall just beyond the
road to the quarry. The Germans were then getting round
Goodsall's right, and Allen ordered twenty of his men to
leave the trench and form a line to the right flank, in order
to prevent encirclement; but no sooner was the line out in
the open than a machine-gun was turned upon it, killing or
wounding twelve men and forcing the rest back to the trench.
[*New Par*] The Germans had suddenly appeared in front of the left
company, at only 100 yard's distance. Company Sergeant-
Major Hare⁵⁰ ordered a Lewis gunner, by the name Maumill,⁵¹
to fire at them. Captain Symons, thinking the men seen must
be Australian, ordered fire to cease, but Maumill, recognising
them clearly as German, kept on. The rest of the garrison,
as soon as they were sure of the oncomers' identity, joined
in. But one Lewis gun was disabled, and, though fire was
maintained. the enemy's movement could not be stopped.
The old French sap was without traverses, and the enemy
on the right now brought up pineapple-grenade throwers
and was enfilading the right of the trench with these and
machine-guns. Anyone attempting to line the front bank
was shot from the rear, round which the Germans were now
pushing; the only direction in which men could fire was to
the flank, and they were falling so fast that Goodsall and
the officers with him- Lieutenants Smith⁵² and Allen-
_____________________________________________________
⁴⁹Lieut. J. H. Allen, 45th Bn. Railway clerk; of Hurstville, N.S.W.; b.
Hurstville, 3 Nov., 1892.
⁵⁰C.S.M. H.J.Hare, D.C.M. (No.2961; 47th Bn.). Carter; of Hobart; b.
Hobart, 24 Aug., 1886.
⁵¹ Pte. J. H. Maumill (No. 28989- 47th Bn ). Miner; of Launceston, Tas.; b. Beaconsfield, Tas., 15 Jan., 1883.
⁵² Lieut. J. E. Smith, 47th Bn. Ironmonger; of Cheepie, Q'land; b. Burrangong,
Young, N.S.W., 10 Oct., 1892.
 

7 Aug 1918
38128 Gnr W.L. Atkinson}
28323 Gnr. J J Leyden     } 113 ^How Bty
rendered valuable assistance
in [[?]] of tanks
 

2 The REVEILLE July 31, 1930
August Offensive : Twelfth Anniversary
(By General Sir John Monash