Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/26A/1 - April - May 1915 - Part 1

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Awaiting approval
Accession number:
RCDIG1066706
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

AWM3S Official History, 1974-18 War: Records of C E W Bean, Official Historian. Diaries and Notebooks Hem number: 3DR1606/26A7 Title: Notebook, April - May 1975 includes references to the 1st, 3rd, 6th, 7th and 12th Battalions, Helles, the transport, GALEKA and the 28 June sortie. AWMSS-SDRLCOGI2GAN
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Lawler dropped his sword, evidently, in scrub Morshead (l) ws/coming op 28 to plation when he came on handler at abt 1Edge of Malones gully () L. sd No' a b. will you come infor my lop had his then, No swopd? He sd the poor ofd Col. ws killed, down by) those hits, Lorted just I dont tender whens Wholham c/— Hope hes alo ike that h its a begar. Mooshead made his plat lef form & moved across. (hawter waved his hand - & moved his own plation across & pined him. Ther we nothing to see there. Lawles presently stood up - they were being fired on from No1Fost or thereabts. (they wereon seaward plope) - & should now then 12 Bss when he ws shot. t 24 B C5c 1s3Ap 157. D to mon 2 2914V x 7118.30 S a Bn 4 G0 Rx/27480i DNG. 4/8 74 SoCo (P S- 2n6 ps t 50c0. Do.or Ns0 760 ct MCays of &6 waited for 22 Co)171cCo. Botton f 20-p0 10/2 1E.41 9 1440- Thropnel in Thrds vally. N slope of Bottonf Plations CH.N Col. Weis Aof DCo. cd besx 6M/. at M. Co Botton 4224R4 224 M84 2245✓ O1v.p
Wetn Blamey thinks that the furthest & westof got forward ws the Gully below Vine Ridge, the slope down to it is very steep, & theis are several small ridgs to cross- Holly Ridge, Eners Ridg). Pins Ridge. (In Pine Ridge, Mortar-f life is the one we ought to have held had we had debent maps. As it was we took the highest (apd]. Some of 15t Bn got mixed up with 6t2 away of night & wele suit up by in vicat to reiforce S.1E 11D Bn. went well C up 700 w St. Stout May. Kingdon. As then wery .C theny met some New Zatanders who had ho a d. out there they had buri the machine gan, tey 59 Daly 20 Capt. Lawler ie piked upty him on aent e e e e e t n ho ecabbans. Thereats isword alon Curiouity X Harry Freme E 661 sword -a Whaks Has a cerimonegt V on 1blade& i on handle and very bright with 15 1o 21 wine glass (3. 2nd Bde for Bottons 7C C6 Bo h.En 1- No10 2C 7 B. X L Manso4 76300°2 Kilia Ridge 106 (qun ne). 22p. c Kete 29 4 small fo asEor- 26f c7 of on myof &8 Saker of5) ta be B 00xCL49cte 70042 6p70 is on Bottons Sr Hotlanof Parly of 30 7E YC. SSG. Tipe
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AWM38
Official History,
1914-18 War: Records of C E W Bean,
Official Historian.
Diaries and Notebooks
Item Number: 3DRL606/26A/1

Title: Notebook, April - May 1915
Includes references to the 1st, 3rd, 6th, 7th, and
12th Battalions, Helles, the transport GALEKA
and the 28 June sortie.

AWM38-3DRL606/26A/1 

 

[*Rec II. Records: 1 Bn.
6 Bn 7 Bn 3 Bn
H.Q. Derana*]

26
[*Original 

AWM 38*]

DIARY No. 26.
[*3DRL 606 ITEM 26A [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 Sep., 1946.                   

C.E.W. BEAN

AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL
ACCESS STATUS
OPEN

 

? Diary 8
Hand drawn diagram - see original document
12th Bn. 
Rec II. Records: 1 Bn.
6 Bn 7 Bn 3 Bn
12 Bn [Shorthand] up to transports. H.Q. Derana
11pm Sat 24 Sent for  [Shorthand] ∧M.E transfer to destroyers
leaving the ships at 12 midnight. Whist [shorthand].
Destroyers  [shorthand] 

[*(A)*]
About 3 pm [Shorthand]
Towd [Shorthand]

 

2

12th Bn. 

We had [Shorthand] only 100 yards. 
H.Q.s   A.  D.  B.   C.

Our convoy was instructed to [Shorthand] the [Shorthand] on the short in [Shorthand] where it was to go to.
A&  ½ D were to go left.
B & C right
[Shorthand]

A.Co. [shorthand]

[Shorthand] S o / NZ B [Shorthand]

[Shorthand] Col. [Shorthand]

[Shorthand] Lt Pat [Shorthand]
[Shorthand] Capt Burt ∨2nd AG [Shorthand]

[Shorthand] Capt Lawler [Shorthand]

3 [Shorthand]
[Shorthand]

 

3

12th Bn.
H.Q. & AG 224 g3 [Shorthand]

[Shorthand] NE 224 c 8
Here Col [Shorthand]

[Shorthand] Capt Lawler
[Shorthand]

[Shorthand] 700

At ~ 4pm [Shorthand] 

[shorthand]
[Shorthand]  2nd [Shorthand] 224 f 1
Col. Brand [Shorthand]
[Shorthand]
[Shorthand] (same night)
Capt Lawler Lt [Shorthand]
[Shorthand]

B Co along to 224 G8 [Shorthand]
[Shorthand] 224 G9 [shorthand]

[shorthand]

Saw [shorthand]  224 w 7 & 8 [Shorthand] (400)
[Shorthand]
[Shorthand] 224 H5 - 7 [Shorthand] No 5 [Shorthand]

 

4

12th Bn.
[Shorthand] Received orders 

224 18 [Shorthand] 10 [Shorthand]

[Shorthand] (3 [Shorthand] B Coy 1 [Shorthand] 10th Bn)

[Shorthand] 10 [Shorthand] Oldham
[shorthand] 8.30 - 9 [Shorthand] 

[Shorthand]

[Shorthand] contour [Shorthand]

1 [shorthand] 12 [shorthand]

[Shorthand]

[Shorthand] Desult
[Shorthand] 1.30 [Shorthand] 

[Shorthand]

[Shorthand] pitted

[Shorthand] 4 pm [Shorthand]

[Shorthand]

[Shorthand] 6 pm [Shorthand]

[Shorthand]

 

5

12th Bn.
[Shorthand]
[Shorthand] Col Weir [Shorthand]
[Shorthand] Lts Foster & McPherson
[Shorthand]

[Shorthand] 10 [Shorthand]

[Shorthand] 4 C [Shorthand]

[Shorthand]

[Shorthand] Ross [Shorthand]

[Shorthand]

26 [Shorthand]

3 [Shorthand]

[Shorthand]

[Shorthand] 100 [shorthand]

[Shorthand]

1.30 [Shorthand]

[Shorthand] 100

[Shorthand] 6 Wed [Shorthand] 8 [Shorthand]

[Shorthand] (i.e. 12 Bn).

[Shorthand] 60 [Shorthand]
[Shorthand] 300

[Shorthand]

29th Roll call 8 [shorthand] 472 [shorthand]

[Shorthand]

[Shorthand] Landed [Shorthand] 7th

 

Lawler dropped his sword, evidently, in /
scrub. Scott Morshead (Lt) 2 Bn ws coming up
w platoon when he came on Lawler at abt
/ edge of Malone's Gully.(?) L. sd "It's a b---!
Will you come in on my left?". He had his
revolver then & no sword. He sd; "the poor old Col.
ws killed, down by those huts, dropped just 
like that! ^I dont know where Witham is - Hope he's alright -
He & I were pals. Oh its a beggar!" Scott Morshead
made his plat. left form & moved across .
Lawler waved his hand  & moved his own
platoon across & joined him. There ws nothing
to see there. Lawler presently stood up - they
were being fired on from No 1 Post or
thereabts. (they were on seaward slope) - &
shouted "Now then 12 Bn" when he ws 
shot.

12th Bn

Machine gunner of 12th was with his gun in the trenches
when he was shot at and he was wounded but got a revolver to [[?]]
Stayed through night; early next morning moved off at 8.30

relieving 4 Bn in firing line. German [Shorthand] 48 [Shorthand]. Went back
(?) to the [Shorthand]  where we were going to have a [Shorthand] .
We relieved 4 & 8th relieved us.

3rd about 6 pm we came in as supports to the firing line.

4 men took over these trenches. Been here ever since.

D Co smaller party of the lst that we [Shorthand] 

Went to M'Cays ridge. Then waited for 2 brigade
[Shorthand] saw it coming and went over to Bolton's ridge
and [shorthand] first came under fire from the E. went on to gully
and over another ridge and into another gully.

Shrapnel in Shrap valley.
N slope of Boltons ridge it was [Shorthand] trench
(Col Weir on relief of D Co.

cd see Turks beneath a ridge
G M'C [Shorthand]  at M'C's ridge
We move to Bolton ridge  224 R4
to 224 M 8-9

[Shorthand]  224 S & O. No fire from right.

 

Blamey thinks that the furthest they Witham
got forward ws the Gully below ^& West of Pine
Ridge. The slope down to it is very steep, &
there are several small ridges to cross -
Holly Ridge, Snipers Ridge, Pine Ridge.
(The Pine Ridge, Mortar Ridge [Shorthand] line is the one we ought
to have held had we had decent maps. As it
was we took the highest land).
Some of 1st Bn got mixed up with 6th.
away on right & were sent up by
Capt M'Nicol to reinforce 5th.
Lt. Shout 1st Bn. went well [Shorthand] up 700 w
Maj. Kingdon. As they were - [Shorthand] they
met some New Zealanders who had had a [Shorthand]
out there - they had buried the machine 
gun, they sd.
Baby 700 - well round the side of it. He told me this [Shorthand] mentioned
Capt. Lawler - There ws / sword alone
no scabbard.
Curiously enough Harry Frewe [Shorthand] 
pick up a sword. It ws a ceremonial sword coloured w khaki
on / handle and very bright with V.R. on / blade & it
ws picked up by him on
He told me this before I mentioned
12th Bn

Opened  firing on wine glass (37 ridge)
2nd Bde came to Boltons ridge
We moved forward moving due E.  On [Shorthand] side of B's ridge
we got heavy machine gun fire. No 10 platoon
of [Shorthand] 
Hand drawn diagram - see original document

Some 100 men went [shorthand] at Kilia ridge and [Shorthand]

[Shorthand] 4 in the afternoon. 

[Shorthand] small ridge as E [shorthand] 

[Shorthand]
Witham (Co ws c D.) Witham (Co ws c) 8th on my [Shorthand]
[Shorthand] 5 [Shorthand]
[Shorthand] Saker of 5th [Shorthand]

[Shorthand] 400. [shorthand]
[Shorthand] 700 [Shorthand] 6 & 7 [Shorthand]

[Shorthand]
Holland [Shorthand] on Boltons [Shorthand]

Party of 30 [Shorthand] G. Tepe

[G.E  [Shorthand] 6 - 7 [Shorthand]*]

 

12th Bn

18-19 abour 8 pm. when bombardment started guns men were seen
by 12 Bn - coming down slope of Kilia ridge

in masses w [Shorthand] 

7.5 Turks are [Shorthand] battalions their lines. "They are to
cover their advances with [Shorthand] 

from 3rd brigade

Fr. Col Smith : 7.40 [Shorthand]

[Shorthand] 9th [Shorthand]

Hand drawn diagram - see original document

Enemy on Kilia Ridge 
& Pine Ridge.

12th Bn

We were watching the Bacchante for an hour.

Munro [Shorthand] No 1 platoon and all [Shorthand]  No 2 platoon 

[Shorthand] Tooth

Lawler had a sword - [Shorthand] 900 [Shorthand] 

[Shorthand]

Photo. Wheel of No 3 gun Hughes 7th trenches had been reached [shorthand] 

Hand drawn diagram - see original document

From Phillips
 

 

 

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