Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/259/1 - 1917 - 1927 - Part 1

AWM38

Official History,

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

Official Historian.

Diaries and Notebooks

Item number: 3DRL606/259/1

Title: Folder, 1917 - 1927

Covers Dunsterforce, units in Mesopotamia and

AIF nurses in India and includes nominal rolls,

diagrams, extract from official records and

letters by E K Burke and Matron O E Davies.

AWM38-3DRL606/259/1

 

No 259

Sinai & Palestine:

Wireless [[Sydes?]] & Cav, Div, Sig, Squ.

Mesopotamia; Dunsterforce; Nurses in Judia etc.

1st SET

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, or 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

AWM38

ACCESS STATUS

OPEN

3DRL 606 ITEM 259 [1]

 

H.N.

A.I.F

Salonica

?Chap VI. vol III

Mary Grace Sheean. (From Nurses notes for medical [[colla?]]

July 1917

Salonica: joined with 300 Aust nb. ^(from Aust) for Salonica to relieve the

Nurses. canadians there - arrvd Sal. Aug 1917 & sent to 52 BGH. 1000beds

May 1918 tfd to 42 BGH. 1500 beds. Left Sal. for Englands Feb 1919.

 

9th LHRegt

DIARY OF THE PALESTINE-SYRIA ADVANCE, 1918

Before writing the history of the great advance, I will give you

a brief detail of the preparations for same. In the middle of April

1918, our regiment moved to near Jericho, and on the last day of that

month set off for the Es Salt operations; one of the most trying and

nerve straining stunts that has been my lot to take part in. We

returned to the Jordan Valley on May 3rd and started at once building

bridgehead defences on the east side of the Jordan and carrying out

to a great extent "wait and see" tactics and trench life, with the

exception of a few mounted patrols. After about a month of this life

we moved to another trench system on the west of the Jordan and north

of Jericho, where we remained for another month, going from country

over 1,000 feet below sealevel to the hills 2,000 feet above.

While we were in the Valley a great deal of time and work was

expended on canalising streams and drawing off surface water so as to

minimise the mosquito breeding area and thus prevent malaria, which

was even then fairly prevalent. The Jordan Valley, except for those

parts near the few springs and streams, is a barren place with a

whitish soil intermingled with sulphur. This grinds up into one of

the worst dusts I have ever seen, and in July, August, and September

dust devils or whirlwinds were more than a daily occurrence. We

returned to the Valley in July on the day the Germans launched their

big attack, and they received a great reception. The next day we

took over part of the sector where the attack had been, and had the xx

job of cleaning up the mess and collecting enemy arms, equipment, etc.

This sector, known as Mussallabeh, was very bad for mosquitoes owing

to the semi-dry swamps in No-Man's Land, where it was impossible to

drain. The parts nearest to the swamps were particularly bad - one

part known as Maskerah xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

was particularly bad - and not a single man who did duty on that post

escaped malaria, although they all has mosquito nets, gloves, and

various ointments to keep mosquitoes away. Besides the worry of

mosquitoes, we were continually under shell-fire, and had the

discomfort of living in bivouacs, which are small tents about 6 feet

 

2.

x 7 feet and 3 foot 6 inches high, and a shade temperature of 130

degrees, and the nights never seemed to get cool. The whole of the

regiment was taking 10 grains of quinine a day as a preventative

measure. After a month in this sector, we were relieved by the British

West Indies Regiment, leaving only a few men as mounted supports, and

the regiment moved to a nice little stream which started from a spring

known as Ainduk, a most glorious spring coming out of the hills of the

Wilderness a little to the north of the Mount of Temptation. Along

this stream were growing all kinds of tropical fruit - bananas, figs,

pomegranates, etc. The stream was conveyed over a deep xxxx wadi by

an aqueduct built, I believe, by the Romans. At this place we

erected shower baths and were very comfortable. About the 20th

August we left this place by night and started to move towards the

coastal sector via Jerusalem. All troops left the valley by night

and those coming down came in by daylight. This was done to mislead

brother Turk; as troops left the valley dummy camps with canvas

horses were erected. We were all sincerely glad to leave the valley

and hoped we would never need to go there again. Its heat and dust

are beyond description. As a child I was often told to go to Jericho

- well, I think it would be kinder to direct people to the nether

region. We moved to near Ludd by four night marches, camping in olive

groves, when possible, during the day. I went down with malaria on

23rd August, but only had a short spell of it, as I was back with the

regiment on 13th September. The regiment had been and was still

training very had with sword drill and tactics from 4a.m. till

midday, besides specialist training in the afternoon. We had Regimental,

Brigade, and Divisional tactical schemes - these were carried out

daily, finishing on the morning of the 18th September. During this

period all equipment had to be overhauled, horses shod, and a

thousand and one details attended to. Everything was working up to

the great adventure. During the course of this training many men

went down with malaria and debility. The Jordan Valley, together

with the past life in the desert and the conditions of life generally

which is a part of this campaign, were showing their effects and

taking their toll. On 17th September 1918 the C-in-C had all

 

 3.

commanding officers at a conference and gave a detail of the operations.

Nothing was committed to paper, nor the date of operations given.

The operations were to start at about daybreak of the 19/9/18. Before

I go on with my diary, I must go back a little. While we were at

Mussallabeh, two of my officers on two successive nights, each with a

party of 8 men, carried out most excellent patrols behind the enemy's

defences. Lieutenant McDonald, M.C., went the first night and placed

a flag within 50 yards of one of the enemy's strong posts, which was

concealed in the low scrub; and the next night Lieutenant Lane did a

similar feat further to the east. This patrol had some trouble getting

back. At the first light of day we took the positions of these flags

with rangefinder and compass, and they tallied very well with the

positions these officers had given by pacing in the dark. Both

officers penetrated about 1000 yards behind the enemy outpost line.

Now back to the great advance.

18/9/18. The regiment moved out at 6.45 p.m. 100 hundred under

strength, owing to fever.- moved to near Jaffa, travelling at rate of

5 miles per hour. We offsaddled here and rested for the night.

19/9/18. At 4.30 a.m. a short but terrific bombardment commenced

on the coastal sector. We reveilled officially at 5 a.m. (we were all

awake), fed horses, breakfasted, and remained off saddled until 8.30

a.m., when orders were received to be ready to move in half an hour.

Information was received that your infantry had been successful in

breaking the line at 9.45 a.m. The regiment, with the remainder of the

brigade, moved north through Sarona, travelling at a rate of 6 miles

an hour till a place called Jellil was reached. This was clost

behind where out artillery had been in the morning. We arrived at

this place at 11 a.m., watered horses, and moved up to near the

trenches and halted for half and hour to feed horses. We resumed the

march, moving out a walk, and halting ten minutes in every hour and

passed through our wire and the enemy's, and crossed the trenches by

places prepared by the engineers. Two cavalry divisions were ahead

of us. Where we crossed the trench the usual mess of war was to be

seen, and here and there an abandoned enemy battery, scattered parties

of prisoners marching back, small parties of supports to our infantry

4.

- some even had their fifes and drums playing. We crossed the Nali

Iskanderun near Muhammed at 7 p.m., where we fed horses and camped for

the night. The divisions ahead of us still kept moving on.

20/9/18. At 1 a.m. we were on the move again to repeat a feat

that had been accomplished by Thotmes with an army from Egypt in 1472

B.C., when he advanced up the Arah or Mus Mus pass, greatly against

the advice of allies, for they said man whuld have to go behind

man and horse behind horse (otherwise in single file), and that a mere

handful of men could hold up the column, also there were two better

roads. Anyhow, Thotmes himself led the way and had a great victory

near Armageddon or Megiddo. We moved up this same pass in single file

through the narrow pass dominated by hills on each side, and at about

11 a.m. came to its end, where between tow colls the plain of

Esdraelon with Mount Tabor and the hills round Nazareth made a most

wonderful panorama. We had covered some 55 miles since the previous

morning. We rested there at El Lejjun, watered horses, offsaddled - 

water was plentiful - and all ranks bathed, which was very

refreshing after our hard march, and had a well earned rest for a few

hours. There were 1,000 prisoners, Turks and Germans, here which had

been charged by the Indian Lancers and had surrended after about 200

of the enemy had been despatched. At 4.20 p.m.we moved off again.

Two regiments, brigade headquarters, machine gun squadron, a battery of

armoured cars, and R.H.A. to capture all xxxxx roads to north and east

of Jenin - an important military centre on the railway near the point

where the road to Nablus passes out of the hills on the the plain.

We covered the distance, about 9 miles in an hour and quarter.

On the way out a party of the enemy was seen on our right - these had

been charged and captured by a troop of the 10th L.H. Regiment - and

Lieutenant Cruddas, D.C.M., was despatched with his troop to

investigate and discovered more enemy in bivouac. Lieutenant McDonald,

second in command of C Squadron, was sent off with two troops to

outflank them, and helped Lieutenant Cruddas. The enemy was packing

up camp and did not know we were in the locality. McDonald drew

swords and went at them. The enemy was so surprised and not being

able to see the strength of our small posse, and being so astounded by the appearance of cavalry in their midst [[??]]

 

5.

officers and men, including many Germans, 200 horses, and 200 mules.

This did not delay the advance of the column. The West Australian

regiment was leading, and by 6 p.m. was right round the town; our

regiment astride the railway and all roads leading to the north were

held. "A"Squadron sent patrols to the north which captured 29 motor

lorries. The assistant adjutant, Lieutenant Barker, had an exciting

experience just after dark. A motor xx trolly on the railway made a

dash to escape, and the Germans and he had a duel with pistols as he

galloped alongside of them. No one was xxxx hurt. The railway line

further north was cut so the Huns did not get away. It was great

sight ^just beforeto see the various squadrons moving over an ideal cavalry

gound; the swords reflecting the pink rays of the sun, which was

shortly to set, and its place taken by a nearly full moon. Here and

there German machine-gunners put up a good fight and had to be xxxx

severely dealt with, so the sword was the main weapon of

offence. Prisoners were taken everywhere, and before dawn on the

21/9/18 ^over 7,000 prisoners had been captured by two regiments that would

not total more than 600 sabres and a machine-gun squadron. About

sunrise the outposts were drawn in, and the whole regiment was

collected on an aerodrome area just west of Jenin, and two squadrons

- B and C - were sent into town to collectprisoners and search the

place generally. By x 9 a.m. the prisoners had reached the number of

8,500, including over 2,000 Ge rmans. During the search xxxxx "B"

Squadron found a large store of champagne (120 cases), and some of

this was afterwards distributed amongst the troops. There were also

large quantities of German beer, tinned vegetables of a very good

quality, and all kind of stores and equipment were left, although the

enemy on seeing us advance the previous evening had set fire to his

dumps and burned his aeroplanes. As far as I heard there were 24

burnt 'planes here and 2 were taken from the enemy complete. Jenin

was the headquarters of a flying squadron, and here the Huns had

erected a large stone monument to their fallen airmen and there were

inscribed on it the names of thirteen officers who had been brought

down in action. On the east side of this memorial was affixed

 

6. 

the propeller of aeroplane. Close by was a cemetery with the graves

of many airmen, each marked by some part of an aeroplane. Captain

Nelson was detailed to be military governor of Jenin, and at about 

10 a.m. we moved the regiment to near a very nice orchard with plenty 

of figs and tomatoes. After watering the horses we rested till 7 

p.m., when we moved about two miles to the north to get away from the 

gardens and irrigated country so as to avoid mosquitoes. During the 

whole of this operation not a single enemy plane was seen, owing to 

the very good work fo our airmen, and so rapid had been our advance 

that German prisoners taken would not believe that the line had been 

broken and that we had travelled the distance. German officers 

actually told me that we had landed at Haifa on the 22/9.18. At 4

a.m. Major Parsons, D.S.O., was sent out to the east with a composite 

squadron of two troops from each of "A" and "B" squadrons to intercept 

the enemy who were retiring north on to Beisan. Near a place called 

Jelbon, Mt. Gilboa, Corporal A.H. Todd was in charge of the right 

flank patrol (six men) and saw a party of the enemy taking up a

position behind a prickly pear hedge, (they evidently had their attention

on the centre patrols of our force). Corporal Todd by skilfully 

reconnoitring their position found he could outflank the enemy, which 

he did, and, drawing swords, he charged them on their flank. They 

tried to put up a resistance, but could not change their front 

quickly enough, and 3 officers and 28 other ranks, including several 

Germans, were taken prisoners. Corporal Toss was awarded the DCM

for this gallant action. At 1 p.m.  the regiment, less Major Parsons' 

force, moved to the north of El Afule, where we arrived at 6 p.m., 

watered horses, and had our evening meal. Major Parsons joined us

at 8 p.m. 

On 23rd September 1918 at 1 p.m. we moved south xt through El

Afule and bivouacked in a position east of the town. Just north of 

an enemy aerodrome where there were six captured enemy machines, one 

of which landed and was captured after El Afule had been taken by the 

Indian Lancers on 20/9/18, the pilot finding our cavalry in possession 

of the place tried to rise but was shot down; he was carrying 

important despatched. The whole of the roads through Jenin and 

7. 

El Afule were blocked with the remnants of the retreating army, 

hundreds of motor cars, lorries, horse drawn transport, etc. During 

the day of the 24th and part of the 25th September the regiment was 

employed in guarding, escorting, feeding, watering, and generally

looking after prisoners. At 6.45 p.m. we moved off for Tiberias; the 

balance of the brigade had left at 5 p.m. We were delayed owing to 

the regiment that was to relieve our guards over prisoners arriving 

four hours late. We had orders to attack Tiberias at dawn, but the 

place was captured after a brisk fight by a part of the 8th Light 

Horse Regiment on the evening of the 25/9/18. We moved at a brisk 

walk up the winding road to Nazareth - a pretty village in a hollow 

of the hills with plenty of gardens xxxxxx roundabout. From there we 

continued to move till Kep Kenna (Cana in Galilee) was reached at 11.30

p.m., where we caught up with the brigade and halted till midnight of 

the 26/9/18.

Shortly after midnight we were on the move again and reached the 

high ground overlooking Tiberias at 5 a.m. The Sea of Galilee was 

most beautiful at sunrise, with the reflection of the hills to the

west and the sun-kissed clouds. To the north-west could be seen the 

Horn of Hattin, the traditional mount of the Beatitudes, and also the 

place where Saladin utterly defeated the crusader. At 10a.m we 

were on the move again to a place called Medjel, or Magadala, the 

traditional birthplace of Mary Magdalene. Here we arrived at noon

and swam ourselves and horses in the lake and camped in a plantation 

of eucalyptus planted to absorb the moisture out of the ground,m and 

thus prevent in a degree the breeding of mosquitoes. The scenery 

from here is beautiful. The lake or sea is a perfect blue, and not 

the leaden colour of the Dead Sea, and also, the water is fresh. 

Rugged hills rise all round and to the south could be seen the steam 

rising from the hot springs which empty themselves into the lake

south of Tiberias. The lake lies 600 feet below sea level, and the 

country around its edges is very fertile. Near the water's edge are 

to be found the remains of the ancient buildings and in some places the 

shores are rock bound, but there are some fine beaches, covered with 

myraids of shells, which would make fine places for children.