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

                 

 

                        AWM38

                    Official History,

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

                    Official Historian.

 

             Diaries and Notebooks

 

              Item number: 3DRL606/274A/1

     

             Title: Folder, 1918 - 1941

          Covers the breaking of the Hindenburg Line and

          includes notes, sketches, cuttings, material on

          the "corpse factory" and letters by Maj Gen E

          Tivey and others.

 HIST. NOTES - Sept-Oct. 1915              No 274(A)

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, 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 Sept., 1946.  AWM38 3DRL 606 ITEM 274A [1]                       C. E. W. BEAN.

                                  Hindenburg Line

                                    29 Sept 1918

                          (Monashs plan - Conference

                       with Americans before action)

 

  Newspaper cutting

                       AMERICANS WERE

                           AMAZED

                                               Sun. 8/10/31

                       GEN. MACKAY TELLS

            Brigadier-General I.G. Mackay

       calls that the Americans were amazed

       at the tremendous grip which Sir

       John Monash had of the situation in

      September, 1918, when he was planning

      the attack on the Hindenburg line.

        

     "My own most vivid recollection

      of him," said General Mackay this

      afternoon, "is at a conference of 

      Australian and American divisional

      commanders just before that attack.

      For upwards of two hours he addressed

       the conference expounding

       his plans for the breaking of the

       German line and the subsequent push 

       through.

 

        "He went into details of the action

         he expected from the artillery,

         cavalry, infantry, engineers, pioneers,

         road-makers, tanks, air force and

         every other participant. His whole

         plan of campaign was most precise

         and logical and was set out without

         reference to a single note.

 

         "General Lewis, commander of the

          30th American Division and a graduate

          of West Point, told me afterwards

          that this address was the finest 

          thing he had ever listened to in

          his life".

                        X File

  29 Sept 1943

Hindbg Line

Anti Tank mines

_________________

Jy 3 Aust Corps ms to S Aust D.

On 27 June a demonstn in use of 2" TM. Bomb as on

Anti-T. mines ws carrd out at Divn.

Ts were moved over grd sown w these mines (5' apart

in 3 lines) An ordy T. expld 3 fuses in trying to X

A whippet explod one

An old tank dropped by anor ws put out of

actn by 1st mine struck.

Fuses were 107 pattern.

The Bombs are placed in grd flush w surface, only

fuse protruding, covered w rubber. Fuse then

covered w grass & rubbish.

Rept says: "I am of opinion th a sectn o I front th is mined

in this way shd have no fear of hostile Ts reaching

their front line."

_______________________________

2 Div asked its bdes if they wanted any

mines.

Jt 10. Answer for whole Corps:

None required as Ts can move anywhere on prest front.