Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/278/1 - Folder - Part 1

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Awaiting approval
Accession number:
RCDIG1066718
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

AWM3S Official History, 1974-18 War: Records of C E W Bean, Official Historian. Diaries and Notebooks Hem number: 3DR1606/27817 Title: Folder, Folder Comprises notes by Bean and A W Barley on the Australian artillery in the August 1978 Offensives. AWMSS-3DRI606/2781
HISL NPIESYRELMNERY.No. 278 Ag. 8-10, 1918. PSET DARIES 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 Callipgh, campaign, notwithstanding that those who passed on such stories usually themselfes Betaded AenS AACO4 second- hand evidence herein should be read with this in MACESS STATUS MM3E 16 Sept. 1946. E.G. W. BEAN. 01 3006 606 172r 278 L. acunu EEEEEEELL AEMEN
itthig
D.C.R. No 17! WIOTORIA Aug 8 Artite I 198 SEC ela il in I 7 over storial se
Artilery Dwvdity report. CCPA 4te Aust Div. attack. 8 Aug 1918 Oeaseve Knyates Arty detailed to assist t Der abach 166 Carmylde, RHA LCol. T.M. Archdale 10A Fale T.T.C. Williams mof od ia boneci rl o i auae CH Spurge 8 Otfenive Heavy Sty b 28N M 128t Beaoydly May JR. Fane e 1 wk I GE Defensive Byade 4466 3rd. Alst Carh I Stevenson 74. A Fadde Lwe AtMn King 1 80 a fadde Tolol W. G. Allsop of bemers L a i euard 10W IM MEF 16 Anlse RHA allotted to 12th A.1. Bde m ndy 34 10 a fadd 4t i at2 TAN 11 agadde allotted to BtHHe but also responibe for closely tollg abarting enpyhae coveringther advance ane the movement of 16AdeRHA & 10 Haldes 3,78RFAldes after termination of creeping banage & prolective banage on Greenfine, advanced at 8.20 am and while in readiness to recforce any portion of the aittack, were to move as quichly asposs into fid posas prew, allotted te covering advance beyond bed here and pustecter of blue £
2 ftle attach Independent sctions of juns - & in one instance e and complete bly I went forward with individual battalions. Spstem coorked well & still retained effective whun blys under the FABle commentery M esand trg 12t InfHle attack ties 16t Anny ble kttH did not detach sectuons to the battations, but followed very closely & effectively, 11 Fadde moved fivd. supporting the advance. Thes was against pedecision of the & assisted inpy, tanks, &10 Fadde against the severe Corps conference thal h arty e tane enplade, i/s Fartyfire to whes they were subjected ae o elt e of thetanne should from the high pound near Ralard & Les Celestens reat the bolesdecisive words & from (tipelley Spur. fivre to own sike The action of the bty ed Jnver was deserving at commendation On reaching thenr final positions the arty was organised into three defensive toups Right Group - 16t Army DleRHH and Tt A Tabde Left Troup - 10a Tabde and SA Fable Sapermpesed Group -11 AFadde & 3 Ary Ae Ard IRIE
Very little diffeculty experienced in crossing treaches, were, other obstacles. Rhe plation of Poneers attaiked to each of the forward offenswearty bdes did excellendwork in preceding the blips + preparing crossings La MI b18 515 M Ard 258 A38 Lat 2en aI itntra HOME NN B toi a do e Hstnsany Crt his ss o e JEN SATA tatsis 1n 5i7 O baidens Fe Dii e I mir o hrbe ain an bst Beg M D b n rks n 1 illng nas Meg W E nns dt 1sits aldsderg 2li ast o b o m MIII 2 d S A H HI 4
w details of the Atable given Ammuenition Expended from 4.30 am. Auy 8 to Aug 10t by the aforementioned oth De. Art report brigades is given in Comments first as barrage Groups arty gnouked then as Arty & InfAde Gusups then for reaching fie offective) as Defensive Frogh
2Aug 1918 Genlergess (4 Dw Arty) in his report says that the successive suobesweens provided by the flywe laps diving the rufy advance i b ntoite sund i & the consolidation were well placed Ber MIAE s mog of boigys gne e autin gma imei on had erio b gs as olas a o WTAE SE S SSI hadrnerg rd betron so grw rdrent mo es eos lrba b Aw oa to c wrtig if toinge n dal a beregr ai beig to silo o Hag Sg on brgig cr andiig Iib oraass o a s hrods b ge i b b o o E t ge itd s r b o to bns a beggs o of tir n tiew i oge i b lar bte Her leniia w beaisn we oi a c of bai on Es d a dow isi wh i o hei m o ne tas basd e t t ene te o wa o
8 Au 1916 a Der. MtM tys Crew &mortars of one of the 6 Newton Sty- were at 4th Army TM School. d (31 had 4 mortersmaction by 6 am. The other by the remaining 2 norter by 10 am with 150 rounds. All sixmalors were imared registered Aug. 8-10a dired 400 round

AWM38
Official History,
1914-18 War: Records of C E W Bean,
Official Historian.
Diaries and Notebooks
Item number: 3DRL606/278/1
Title: Folder, Folder
Comprises notes by Bean and A W Bazley on
the Australian artillery in the August 1918
offensives.
AWM38-3DRL606/278/1

 

HIST. NOTES, Artillery    No. 278.
Aug. 8-10, 1918.
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, or 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.      C. E. W. BEAN.
AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL
ACCESS STATUS
OPEN

AWM38
3DRL 606 ITEM 278 [ 1 ]

Artillery 

Artillery
8 Aug - 12 Aug, 1918.
18f

 

RECORD FILE
D. O. R.
NO 17025
VICTORIA.
Artillery Aug 8 - 10
1918
CHAPTER XIA. 
THE GENERAL SURGERY OF WOUNDS IN THE GREAT WAR.
File in special
Cover of
Historical
Notes.

 

Artillery
4th Div Arty report. (CRA)
4th Aust Div. Attack.  8 Aug 1918
Offensive Brigades
Arty. detailed to assist 4 Div Attack -
16th (Army) Bde, RHA.   Lt Col. T.M. Archdale
10th A FA Bde                        "      T.I.C. Williams
11th   "    "     "                            "      C. H. Spurge
"Offensive Heavy Bty"
128th Heavy Bty                Maj. O.R. Fane
Defensive Brigades
3rd Aust (Army) Bde        Lt Col G I Stevenson
7th A FA Bde                      Lt Col G H M King
8th A FA Bde                      Lt Col W.G. Allsop
16th Army Bde RHA  Allotted to 12th A.I. Bde
10 A FA Bde                         "              4th  . .  .  . .
11 A FA Bde allotted to 1st AI Bde but also
responsible for closely follg. attacking infy Bdes
covering their advance and the movement of
16 Bde RHA & 10 R.F.A Bdes
3, 7, 8 A FA Bdes after termination of creeping barrage
& protective barrage on Green Line, advanced at 8.20 am
[undcolute?] in readiness to reinforce any portion of the attack, were
to move as quickly as poss. into fwd posns prev. allotted for
covering advance beyond Red Line and protection of Blue Line

 

2
4th Inf Bde Attack
10 FA Bde  Independent sections of guns - & one instance
and complete bty - went forward with individual
battalions.  System worked well & still
retained effective 4-gun btys under the FA Bde commander.
12th Inf Bde Attack
16th Army Bde RHA did not detach "sections"
to the battalions, but followed very closely & effectively.
11 FA Bde moved fwd. supporting the advance.
& assisted infy, tanks, & 10 FA Bde against the severe
enfilade, m/g & arty fire, to which they were subjected
from the high ground near Malard & Les Celestins
Woods & from Chipilly Spur.  The ^bold & decisive action of the bty cdrs
was deserving of commendation.
[*This was against
the decision of the
Corps conference:
that the arty supporting
divs. on each side
of the Somme should
restrict their xxxx
fire to own side
of river*]
On reaching their final positions the arty was organised
into three defensive groups -
Right Group - 16th Army Bde RHA and 7th A. FA. Bde
Left Group - 10 A FA Bde and 8 A FA Bde
Superimposed Group - 11 A FA Bde & 3 Army Bde A FA

 

3.
Very little difficulty experienced in crossing
trenches, wire, and other obstacles.  The platoon of Pioneers
attached to each of the forward offensive arty bdes
did excellent work in preceding the objs &
preparing crossings

 

A table giving details of the
Ammunition Expended from 4.20am. Aug 8 to
Aug 10th by the aforementioned
brigades is given in 4th Div. Arty report.
Comments
Arty grouped first as Barrage Groups
then as Arty & Inf Bde Groups
then (on reaching final objective) as Defensive Groups

 

8 Aug 1918
Gen Burgess (4 Div. Arty) in his
report says that from the successive
smoke screens provided by the
flying corps during the infy advance
& the consolidation were well placed
& effective.

 

4th Div. M.T. M Btys  8 Aug 1918.
Crew & mortars of one of the 6" Newton Btys
were at 4th Army TM School.
The other bty ^(3 MTM Bty) had 4 mortars in action by 6 a.m.
the remaining 2 mortars by 10 a.m. with 150 rounds.
All six mortars were immed. registered.
Fired 400 rounds Aug 8-10th

 

 

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