Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/279/1 - 1938-1939 - Part 1

AWM38
Official History,
1914-18 War: Records of C E W Bean,
Official Historian.
Diaries and Notebooks
Item number: 3DRL606/279/1
Title: Folder, 1938-1939
Covers various naval subjects and includes
correspondence between Bean and Count von
Luckner and statistics regarding Australian
Naval College cadets.
AWM38-3DRL606/279/1

HIST. NOTES - NAVAL. No. 279.
R.A.N. & Von Luckner.
1^st 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 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 the 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.
There 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.
AUSTRALIAN WAR MUSEUM
ACCESS STATUS
OPEN
16 Sept., 1946.    C. E. W. BEAN.
AWM38 3DRL 606 ITEM 279 [1]

[*File with H N *]
IN REPLY
QUOTE
NO. 507/201/1709
COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA.
TELEPHONE:
CENTRAL 7185.
TELEGRAPHIC ADDRESS:
"NAVY, MELBOURNE."
NAVY OFFICE,
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE,
MELBOURNE
S.C. 1.
5874
24.MAR.1939
Dear Dr. Bean,
Following on my letter of 20th
January, 1939, I have pleasure in sending you
some statements of the achievements of Royal
Australian Naval College Cadets in their
examinations in England etc.
Yours sincerely,
GL Macandie
(G. L. MACANDIE).
Encl:
Dr. C.E.W. Bean, M.A., D.C.L.,
Victoria Barracks,
PADDINGTON, N.S.W.

507/201/1709
Sub-Lieutenants, R.A.N., who obtained 1st Class Certificates in
all subjects of examinations for Lieutenant.

507/201/1709

Sub-Lieutenants, R.A.N., specially successful in any subject
of examinations for Lieutenant.

 - 2 -

507/201/1709

R.A.N. Officers awarded special prizes for subjects in examinations
for Lieutenant and for Specialist examinations.

507/201/1709.

GOLD MEDAL AWARDED BY H.M. THE KING TO THE CADET MIDSHIPMAN WHO, DURING
HIS PERIOD OF TRAINING AT THE ROYAL AUSTRALIAN NAVAL COLLEGE, EXHIBITED
THE MOST GENTLEMANLIKE BEARING AND GOOD INFLUENCE AMONG THE CADET MIDSHIPMEN.

[*File with HN.*]
IN REPLY
QUOTE
NO.
COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA.
TELEPHONE:
CENTRAL 7185.
TELEGRAPHIC ADDRESS:
"NAVY, MELBOURNE."
NAVY OFFICE,
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENCE,
MELBOURNE,
S.C. 1.
1216
20th January, 1939.
Dear Dr. Bean,
With reference to your letter of 28th
December, 1938, I have had the matter enquired into and am
advised that as regards Year I of the Royal Australian
Naval College lads the record of their achievements at the
Naval Schools in England was as follows :-
1920.
Gunnery.
W.L. Reilly 1st
John A. Collins 2nd
J.C.D. Esdaile 3rd - Class of 75.
Torpedo.
F.E. Getting 1st
John A. Collins 2nd - Class of 46.
I am sorry that I have been unable to obtain
any further information on this point but if I can ascertain
anything further I will let you know.
Yours sincerely
GL Macandie
Dr. C.E.W. Bean, M.A.,D.C.L.,
Victoria Barracks,
PADDINGTON,
N.S.W.
[*Acknowledged*]
[*548
260
£288*]

Corrections Vol IX
Count von Luckner, 18 June 1938.
I asked him to check Jose's a/c in Vol IX.
Bayley & I went aboard the "Seeteufel" in Neutral Bay.
The following are the corrections to be made in Vol IX:
Seeadler has no torpedo tubes.
Caught in all 18 vessels.
A Danish ship the Viking, found to be a training
ship, he let go.
He knew tt copra was needed - no Brit. captain was responsible 
for the information
At 1 am he left £2 to pay for the stores.
Hills threatened "ordered" its crew to surr., threatening it with empty
revolver etc. Lf etc. Actually Von Luckner ^who was & his men were in civilian
clothes was well aware of the bluff; but he was in
civilian clothes
£1000 was captured with him ^(or rather £998). He heard
later that £500 was said to have been handed
over, but he was not so definite about this - he
was certain as to the £998 — £ 2 had been left at
Lau.
The account in the British Naval History is correct.
He had that history on board.
Journey round world in aux schooner Seeteufel, 1938.
As to his present journey - 1938 - "I always
said 'my greatest pleasure - that will be to
see the world in a house of my own - I take
my own ship, I see what I want, I stay at
each place as long as I please, & of I when I have finished I
go when I please & where I please. I take my

house with me, like a snail. I hav
[*Jx227t*]
"The first thing, it was to get a ship. I
said I will get a ship from the men who know
ships, who live in them — the fishermen. You
know each ship has a soul. I said ' I want
a ship with a soul.' So I went to Iceland &