Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/271/1 - 1917 - 1938 - Part 5

Immarna
[[Arbarinon?]]
12^nd Dec
Dear M^r Bazley
I have to thank Capt.
Bean & your good self for letters of
29 & 30^th inst.
Next Wed 14^th Dec Can you make it

Thursday 15^th. If so please phone me

at Slade's.
Carlson incident. I discussed this with
several at Friday night's Committee
meeting. I had also written out
to find particulars re Johnson of A Coy
who was concerned in the incident.
I suggest you write M^r Lutton 14
Barsley Av Kogarah. M^r Maclagan S.M
35^th Bn AMF Newcastle. Wharton's
address as known to us was Eastwood.
I understand he is a science master

4

Madigan was highly esteemed throughout the Bn
as a soldier & a man & is a fountain of
knowledge for all things appertaining to the Second.
Please ask Laver to continue his narrative
up to & including Bullecourt.
Laver was another of the 2nd Bn Subs who
could not get promotion or a company in 1918.

Millar never got further than permanent S.I.C
in 1918 although a Captain then. Laver was
only made temp Capt in 1919 as a friendly
act after he had been ADC to the Divn
Commander.
Lt Campbell Thanks I would be glad to be present.
Your enquiries re Brew & Armstrong
I attach these particulars.
Bullecourt Gibbon informs me that Lt Wharton
recommended Sgt. Nobby Clarke of the L. TMB
for his wook at Bullecourt.
Sgt. M^cPhee - Sam Mann is reported to have
gone to Q'land with Sgt M^cPhee. Perhaps he
knows his present address. Will you write him.
If I can help in any other way
please advise.

Yours truly
Taylor

2

under the Education Dept. M^r S. Clutterham
was a stretcher bearer at the time. Write 
him c/o M^r Lutton. It should also be
possible to interview M^r Carlson. According
to the 'Pictorial' he is residing at Rozelle.
Mr Morgan's narrative appears very clear
& correct on many other incidents & as
he bandaged up the wounded Carlson he
may have got the personal story from
the man. My memory of the "hearsay"
at the time was that there was no white
flag used & knowing Mulligan & his
very high standard of soldiering Morgan's
story is to be taken as possible. Again
Wharton was very level headed &
reliable. Yet he could be wrong.
Lt. S. Telfer was present at Bullecourt
His address is Argyle St Millers Pt Sydney.
Sgt. Barker 35 Kepos St Redfern

3
was also present as Lewis Gun Sgt.
(the late Lt Hillman was L.G. Officer) & should
give you a good narrative.  It will be
best to see most of these men as they are
generally no good on paper.
Laver's Story Thanks for this. I will
copy it & return it to you but not tonight.
Laver is incorrect where he refers to Millar
as Capt.  Millar, like the other 3 Coy Commanders
were only Lts.  Pavior was wounded - 
he was the officer hit on the head by a returning
him up on the railway embankment.
Malcolm Patterson Lt. was the O/c of the C. Coy
platoon attached to A. as per Bn Operation Order No 7.
Donaldson could give you a good story if you
could find him. He was in Sydney a few months
ago - but is a floating quantity.
The Madigan Laver refers to is the CSM
Madigan attached to the 35^th Bn AMF Newcastle.
He was the man who dug so long & so well
when the 2^nd Bn lost a bunch of officers at Ypres
in 1916.

[*See Campbell*]
2 Bn Bullect
(Notes of interview with Mann, O'Connell & Murphy
at Fred Taylors, Oct 1929)
As 2 Bn went up there were a no of 
men behind T. (incldg Gs) abt 12 sheltering
behind a T. Gs shot them as they tried to get in.
Wharton's recdn.

[*1733. Pte 

Arthur ^ Leslie Carlson*]
A L Carlson, When S/B killed Carlson
dashed to spot, stood on bank, waved
white flag, & carrd wd man. Sniped at, stopped, 
& waved white flag. 2nd bearer went out
Carlson did not stop but motioned again
to cease fire. Carlson ws presently
shot in thigh. He put flag in wd man's
hand & carrd dragged him in. He had
2 SBs carry in wd man across Nomansland when
one SB ws. k. Under mg. fire Carlson dashed
to / spot, stood on a bank waving white flag
fire ceased & then carrd in the wd man
C. then went back 80^x across Nomansland still under
mg fire & taking wd man on his shoulder carrd
him back 40^x when mg fire became too
intense. He then climbed up on a wire
stay & waved / flag w one hand & motioned
to cease fire w / other. When firing
ceased he returned to wd man & carrd
him to safety. After a minutes rest he
went back across Nomansland still coldly &
determinedly to rescue anor man 100^x distant
Each time

he ws sniped at he stopped; climbed to
a prominent position & motioned to cease
fire. On reaching / wd man he stooped &
bandaged him. Anor bearer then went to
help him in x. They placed him on the stretcher
but 2nd bearer ws shot dead. Carlson
never flinched but stood bolt upright on
a mound & motioned to cease fire.
Then taking wounded man on his back
& placing / flag in his hand Carlson
walked back towds / trench. Sniping
recommenced & C ws shot thro the
thigh. There he lay for several minutes
& crawled out again & placing
/ flag in / other man's hand he grasped
him by / arm & dragged him all 
/ way back to / trench still under fire.
The wd man ws shot again in /
process. C refused to be carrd
out by / bearers & crawled along
/ trench 100^x, finally carrd out in
a state of utter exhaustion. All this
I witnessed myself & such an example
of cold deliberate & inspiring
courage ws inspiring to / hundreds
who witnessed it.

H Wharton
D Coy 2 Bn

OConnell A Coy.
Gs were rfcg. from rt front from house. L.G.
got onto them. German offr ws there directing -
distribg men. O'C. tried to get him w rifle
& ws shot in process. This ws in first show.
[*A*]

In second show O'C. ws shot in arm -
Moye (C) also ws wd in this att. (?)
[*D*] B. Swain ws shot in this show.
Plenty of bombs but Gs were outranging us
& we were short of rods for rifle grenades.
A Coy had to get close in, & they were v. troublesome.
The Bn had plenty of bombs -
Murphy had dump of bombs in OG 2 -
there when they got in - Sent up in panniers.
Rods ran short but were replaced. Bombing
pty well ahead in the Nomansland behind it in wh G. bombs
fell.
Westbrook k 2nd time in by shell at mouth of [shorthand].

D Coy. Pte Marshall 4351. During taking of
OG 1 assmd commd of both sections of
bombers when bombg sergt k. (in/c of leading
bombing team).
2336 Sgt S. N. Telfer - on patrols w
Wharton in OG 1 on May 4. 80^x up trench
Gs encountered preparing to att. Telfer sent
back to give alarm - promptly assumed
command of all men in vicinity as relief was
in process. He directed mg fire etc so tt
a wave of Gs follg bombg att ws quickly
dispersed. (Probly inter coy relief - These
were probly tps attg O'C.) C/Att lasted abt
½ hr. Telfer contd to fight in foremost
squad of bombers during D Coy's
subseqnt advance of 500^x up O.G. 1.
till wd when attg last S/P. & while
passing to rear [[cheered?]] men.

[*D.C.M.*]
4295. ^ A.T. Grant L/Cpl. No 1 L Gr. xx w D Coy in 
O.G. 1 during G c/a - got them going overland.
Norris & Wharton w D Coy.
Moye got M.C.

Bullecourt. May 6
2 Bn R Morgan (S/Br)'s diary.
On 6 May 1917 when 2 Bn ws moving for
the second time into the line at Bullecourt
a German barrage caught them. The Embankment
was being shelled, but the trench was xxxxxx the Bn passed it. In the Pioneers Trench
a fatigue party was met going out; the trench was
shallow, floored in places with dead, broken
down w shells. Passing was slow & difficult
& ws seen by / Germans. When the two parties
were passing a heavy shelling descended.
"The scene to me is indescribable -
roar of bursting shells, screams of dying men,
fumes & smoke. Luckily Major Southey kept
his head, & calling to us to follow him, left /
trench & running at right angles reached a
bank where we took shelter & rested for a

few minutes.  Looking back one could only
see a huge cloud of smoke & now & again
a figure would emerge from it running away
from / place as hard as they could go. These

few minutes contain for me more excitement

than I have experienced during / whole campaign."
P.T.O

Capt Campbell 10. 2 Bn
Capt. Wisken ws an offr. then of 2 Bn in OG. 1 but he was
not in proper control of the bombing in OG. 1.
Campbell, who had been in O.G. 2 with
Moyes & Connell, ^ went round & found that the men
in O.G. I were not so for ahead. They
were sitting down rather despondently 

with no officer in charge. He sent a
report to the Colonel who sent up Capt.
George Mann. In the meantime
Campbell himself took charge in OG 1
& led the bombing, In & it moved on
again.
Our bombers were well in
- with the German bombs bursting
behind them & doing little damage
"except filling the place with smoke
& smell, and bits of tin." Moy's &
O'Connell were practically stripped
to the waist, for it was a very hot day.
Campbell, when Mann arrived, was
leading him along the trench when they
overran a German, whom Campbell hit on
the head with a bag of bombs, & killed.
[*Meanwhile*]