Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/271/1 - 1917 - 1938 - Part 3

CITY OF BALLAARAT 
VICTORIA
City Engineer's Office,
Town Hall
7th January, 1932.
Dear Dr. Bean.
- Re the Battle of Bullecourt -
In reply to your enquiry dated the 9th December 1931
I have conferred with Major Ellwood.  His reply which is attached
supports my opinion on this matter and like him I cannot
recall the movements of the second trench mortar under
L/Cpl Mitchell.
However on perusing the two pages of manuscript
with Major Ellwood we agree that from the information on
hand it is substantially correct.
Yours Faithfully,
J Pascoe

TEACHERS' TRAINING COLLEGE
Ballarat, December 27^th 1931.
Dear Major Pascoe,
I can confirm
the statement that the first trench
mortar in O.G.2 was Fifth Bde
mortar. When we reached our
objective in O.G. 2 our numbers
were greatly depleted. I had 146 in
my company in the J.O.T. The first
count in O.G. 2 showed that only 22
men had got across. In addition
to these there were about 9 or 10
men of the Fifth Bde and a trench
mortar the support of which we
immediately enlisted to help us
clear the trench to the right of
the Sunken Road. The gun supported
the bombing attack of Lieut. Pickett
till a block was established. This
mortar was particularly helpful
as the enemy were outranging us
with his potato mashers and
egg bombs.
This gun was afterwards
withdrawn, if I remember aright,
to meet a critical bombing attack
in O.G.I. I have no recollection

of the quu mortar under Corporal
Mitchell but, of course, time has
dimmed my knowledge of detail.
The narrative seems to me to
be substantially correct.
Yours faithfully,
W. H Ellwood

7180.
9 December 1931.
Captain E.M. Hunt, M.C.,
Box 1467, G.P.O.
Wellington, N.Z.
Dear Captain Hunt,
In writing the narrative of the Second Battle of
Bullecourt, I mention the party led by yourself and Lieutenant
Jennings which, on May 3, cleared the sunken road in front of
the German support line. There is one point as to which I am
not clear, and that is whether your party started at the same
time as that of Captain Bland, which advanced part of the way
to the second objective, or whether it was a separate effort.
I attach a couple of pages of the manuscript dealing
with this point, and would be grateful if you would let me know 
whether, as far as your recollection goes, it is correct.
Yours faithfully,
C.E.W. Bean
Official Historian.
P.S. Would you kindly return the pages
of the manuscript with your reply? 

PHONE NO. 44-060
EMH/BG.
G.P.O. BOX 1467,
5-7 WILLESTON STREET,
WELLINGTON, N.Z.
5th. January, 1932.
Dr. C.E.W. Bean,
Official Historian,
Victoria Barracks,
SYDNEY, N.S.W.
Dear Dr. Bean:
I am writing to acknowledge receipt of your
letter dated 9th December, 1931, to which I am sorry I
have not yet found time to reply in detail.
I am pretty sure that I have Maps and Operation
Orders put away somewhere, which will enable me to answer
your question with accuracy. I will endeavour to look
these up within the course of the next week or two, and
will write you again. In the meantime, I am taking the
liberty of withholding the copy of your manuscript, which
however, I shall return in due course.
Yours faithfully,
EM Hunt

7353.
15 March 1932.
Captain E.M. Hunt, M.C.,
Box 1467, G.P.O.
Wellington, N.Z.
Dear Captain Hunt,
As I am about to send the manuscript of my next 
volume to the printer, I should be grateful if you could
spare the time to let me have a reply to my former letter
regarding the Second Battle of Bullecourt.  You will remember 
that there is one point concerning which I am not clear, viz.-
whether your party started at the same time as that of Captain
Bland, which advanced part of the way to the second objective,
or whether it was a separate effort.
When replying, would you kindly return the pages
of the manuscript dealing with this point that I previously
forwarded you, and let me know whether, as far as your
recollection goes, the narrative is correct.
Yours faithfully,
C.E.W. Bean.
C.E.W. Bean. 

PHONE NO. 44-060
EMH:MB.
G.P.O. BOX 1467.
5-7 WILLESTON STREET,
WELLINGTON, N.Z.
15th. March 1932.
Dr. C.E.W. Bean,
Official Historian,
Victoria Barracks,
SYDNEY, N.S.W.
Dear Dr. Bean,
Referring to your letter dated 9th December 1931
and my reply of the 5th January, although I have made a
thorough search I cannot trace anything except a map which I
carried with me on the morning of 3rd. May 1917 and this does
not prove anything regarding the point you mention.
As I remember it, my job that morning was first
of all to maintain contact with a party led by Captain O.A.
(? initials) Jones because he and I together were to reach
the line marked "3rd." on the enclosed map. You will see the
three phases of our objective marked "1st., 2nd. and 3rd."
respectively. At no time do I remember seeing or communicating
with Captain Bland.
Captain Jones was severely wounded, I think
actually before reaching the Hindenburg line, and I saw him
lying unconscious late in the afternoon at the C.C.S.
Lieut. Jennings was near me when he was killed,
just beyond the sunken road behind the German support line
in U 23. My party was then under fire from our left flank and
slightly to our rear so I returned, taking a few of them to the
sunken road and working along it to the left into the support
trenches, leaving the others of my party in shell craters.
It was while my now small party were trying to
clear the Germans from this part of their line and secure the
position of the men I had left in front in shell holes that I
was wounded.
Visibility was bad that morning owing to the 
dust and smoke from heavy shell fire and I have no idea what 

Dr. C.E.W. Bean.  -2-     15.3.32
Captain Bland's movements were but I do remember gathering into
my party a few men who had lost their way and whom I recognised
as having become detached from the party on my right.
I hope some of this information will be helpful
and shall be obliged if you will kindly return the enclosed map
to me when finished with. The copy of your manuscript is
returned herewith as requested.
Yours faithfully,
EM Hunt

6688.
22 May 1931.
Captain C.W.H.R. Somerset, M.C.
"Caboonbah"
Toogoolawah,
Esk Line, Q'land.
Dear Captain Somerset,
In describing the Second Battle of Bullecourt for the
Official History, I have had to deal with a counter-attack made
by the Germans on the right of the 1st Battalion, about 4 in 
the morning of May 4, 1917, not long after the 1st Battalion 
had gone in. I understand that the Germans had a flammenwerfer,
but they did not penetrate to the road which lay on the right of
the 1st. Probably you had a block on the right of the road.
The 2nd Battalion, which was just coming in at the time, has
come record of this counter-attack, as has the 6th Brigade which
was just going out; and in the history of the 1st Battalion 
I see it is said that you yourself were engaged there, and that
you hopped out of the trench and pelted the Germans with bombs.
All the account are very scrappy, and I should be most
grateful if you could give me the benefit of your recollection 
which might help me to co-ordinate them. I enclose a rough
sketch of the line.
Yours faithfully,
C.E.W. Bean
CEW Bean
Official Historian. 

[*H.N. Bullecourt 2.
1st & 2nd Bn.
May 4.*]
Caboonbah
2^nd June 1931
The Official Historian
Victoria Barracks
Dear Sir,
I have your letter of May 22^nd asking
for information re a counter attack launched
by the Germans on May the 4^th 1917.
May I go further & describe the happenings from
the time we entered the line on the night of
May 3^rd, 1917.
The 1^st Bn had moved up to strengthen the 2^nd Div
which was to launch an attack on Reincourt in
conjunction with an English attack on Bullecourt.
This attack was carried out & I understand
Reincourt was entered but the English troops
failed to take Bullecourt. Later a counter attack
by the Germans forced the 2^nd Div to vacate
Reincourt & in doing so they Germans captured
a considerable number.
The 3^rd & 1^st Bns were then rushed up to reinforce
& hold that portion of OG1 & 2.  that the 2^nd Div had
taken. The 3rd Bn. was in front in OG2 & the
1^st Bn in OG1. The position was a most shaky
one for the enemy was on both flanks of