Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/274/1 - 1918 - 1941 - Part 19

H N
18 Sept 1918
27 Parolles Rd.
London N.19.
18th.March '40.
Dear Sir,
In a publication called "Twenty Years After",
edited by Maj.Gen. Sir Ernest Swinton, I came across a
picture of Le Verguier (P.989 Vol.2) and was surprised to
see written under it that here on the 18th. Sept. 1918, more
than fifty Germans were taken prisoner by four Australian
soldiers.
Details of the exploit are not given, but I
believe it must be none other than one in which I myself took
part. I am naturally curious to know if this supposition is
correct and am therefore taking this liberty of writing to
you about it - hoping as I do so that you will not consider
my presumption too great, and that from your expert knowledge
of the history of the A.I.F. you may be able to settle the
point for me.
May I therefore give a short description of
the incident in which I took part, in the hope that you may
be able to identify it, or otherwise, with the one referred
to in "Twenty Years After".
On the morning of the 18th. Sept., just before
dawn, my battalion (the 11th.) attacked at Le Verguier. As
was often the case in hopping-over - in this case accentuated
by the darkness, the mist and the barbed-wire entanglements
there was some scattering and confusion.
After a time I came upon what seemed to be a
landmark - a broad communication trench zig-zagging back from
the middle of a hedge. We had been told previously that
there would be just such a communication trench in the middle
of our sector.
At this point I believe there were five of us
in our little group - all members of the battalion but not
of my platoon. One, I remember, was a young fellow named
Clarke - but the names of the others, after this lapse of
time, I cannot remember.
We started along the trench, keeping on the
top and firing down into the dug-outs along the side. Soon
we made our first contact with the enemy - a couple of
German soldiers who put up their hands as soon as we loomed
out of the darkness on top of them. We sent them off back
to the rear under the guard of one of our party.
It was a little further on that we made our
big bag. Imagine our surprise, on coming round a bay of
the trench, to find ourselves peering ahead over what seemed
to be a sea of upturned faces and upraised arms. The trench
 

(2)
was here widened out considerably, and it was literally
packed with Germans. Dawn was breaking, but what with
the mist it was still quite dark, so the Germans had no
idea of the strength of our party.
We got them into some sort of order and
started them off towards the rear, sending one of our
number with them as escort.
The three of us now remaining pushed on
along the top of the trench. But we hadn’t gone far
before we met our nemisus. A shell landed and burst
right among us. We were all hit - Clarke and I were
wounded, and the third man was killed outright.
Fortunately Clarke could still walk, and so
could I with Clarke’s assistance, so we were able to get
back and out of it.
That was the end of the war for me, and from
that day to this I have never even suspected that the
incident might have found its way into official records.
Yet it seems now that it may have done so - since time
and place and number all coincide with the incident
referred to in "Twenty Years After".
Again I hope you will forgive the liberty
I am taking in writing to you.
Yours faithfully,
F. Lucas
Late Pte. 7746
11th. Batt.
1st.A.I.F.
 

Add
H N
Woolbrook. NSW
Oct 10. 1927
Capt. Bean
Official Historian
A.I. F. Sydney
Dear Sir:
about the
8th of July of present year, a letter
appeared in the Northern ^Tamworth Daily Leader
drawing public attention to an incident
that took place in France, - a meeting
of a company of A.I.F. men, about 150
of them, who were arrested, & received
terms of imprisonment of from one
to seven years, but who were ^after at
armistice time, allowed their
freedom to return home again with
their comrades; but their pay was
witheld from them on arrival in
Australia, as part of their punishment
for their breach of discipline,
and a Mr Stagg, an A I F Secretary
was said to have been the one who
in 1927 was successful in obtaining
for those men all the pay that
 

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had been withheld from them since 1918.
I had a letter written me from France in
1918, telling me of such an incident having
taken place by a Coy. of 150 of 1 st Battn
men A.I. F, where one of that coy. my
eldest son, Pte. James Harold Berman,
was the one & only man who on that
occasion would not & did not, join in
with the rest in mutiny, & his pay
was not stopped as the others were; and
he was for that unique act brought
before his commanding officer, shaken
hand with by him, & thanked for
his loyalty to army discipline, & told
that his act would be placed on record.
Now, when I read the account of the
matter, published I believe for the first
time in Australian Press in July
last, I felt that I would be doing what
any Father of such a soldier as my lad
shewed himself to be; would consider
it his duty to see such action, received
the same publicity as did that of
the mutineers of his Coy. I put the
matter befor the minister for

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Defence on 10th July, & followed it again
later with two more letters, & finally
was told nothing could now be
done as no "Australian" record of it
could be traced. That to me was a
shocking disappointment, because
if the 149 of the other mens pay was
withheld till 1927, there is proof of
some record of that being paid
them after application for such
being made by this Mr Stagg- what
say you to that? My Son is not
aware I made any application for
a recognition of that brave deed of
his, - I expected a medal of distinction
would be granted him for it, &
delayed my application from 1919 to
1927, because I did liked bringing
such a disgrace on st Batt. reputation
making known through the Press of the
mutiny that had occurred.
As justice has been denied my son
in regard to an allotment of medal
of distinction I write this to you
to ask can you not obtain the
 

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full version of the occurrence and
see that it is published in the history
you are compiling. I was told ^of the
affair by another of my Son's a
Lieut- in 34 Battn, & he said then (in
Nov. 1918) something was almost sure
to follow as it was a freely discussed
matter by the A. I F. men stationed
near by & that Pte JH Berman would
likely get a big recognition, but none
came. Another of my son’s Pte Stuart
R Berman, was ^also of the 1st Bat; but
at that time badly gassed & in hospital
in London.
The papers I received from Defence
Dept on this subject is numbered
{A.C. 1(b) pc.
{No. 11708 of 19 Aug 1927.
will you please try hunt up an
English record of the occurrence I
mention as the Australian Version
is apparently forgotten officially but
not so by me.
Yours faithfully
James Berman