Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/281/1 - 1918 - 1933 - Part 1

AWM38
Official History,
1914-18 War: Records of C E W Bean,
Official Historian.
Diaries and Notebooks
Item number: 3DRL606/281/1
Title: Folder, 1918 - 1933
Covers engineer and pioneer units, 1918 and
contains notes by A W Bazley and extracts from
official records.
AWM38-3DRL606/281/1 

ENGINEERS & PIONEERS No. 281
Mont St. Quentin to End of War.
DIARIES AND NOTES OF C. E. W. BEAN
CONCERNING THE WAR OF 1914 - 1918

1^st SET.
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.
PTD JM 38
16 Sept., 1946.
C. E. W. BEAN.
3 DRL 606 ITEM 281 [1] 

Engrs. 

CLIVE S. STEELE
M. INST. C.E.
M. INST. E. AUST.
B.C.E.
CONSULTING ENGINEER
CENT. 11555
CHANCERY HOUSE
440 LITTLE COLLINS ST.
MELBOURNE, C.1

3rd November, 1933.
C.E.W. Bean Esq.,
SYDNEY.
Dear Sir,
The late General Sir John Monash in his book "The
Australian Victories in France" refers (page 203) to the crossing
of the Somme by two Brigades at Buscourt. Full details of
Bridging operations carried out by the 5th Field Coy. are given
in a report by me to the C.R.E. 2nd Division dated 5th September,
1918, and filed (Page 12, 13, 14, 15), as an appendix in the
3rd volume of the Coy’s War Diary. It is of interest that the
footbridge at Buscourt which became a most vital link in the
Mont St. Quentin operations, was constructed purely on the
initiative of Sergeant Grundell and the Sappers with him.
Another matter of interest is that on the night of
the 29-30 2/Corporal Rand, 5th Field Coy. and an Infantry Patrol
went through the German lines at Omniecourt, and working their
way along the causeway between Omniecourt and Clery cut the
demolition wires to two bridges, thereby saving the Company
considerable casualties, as the remaining bridges had to be
rebuilt under direct observation on the next day, during which
unfortunately Rand was killed.
I served with the 5th Field Coy. from its formation
till 14th October, 1918, and I think that the Company from
August 29th to September 3rd, 1918 did more to justify its
existence than at any other period.
Trusting this information may be of interest to
you.
I am,
Yours faithfully,
CS Steele
[*Nov 1939
Steele is now
CRE of 6 Div (Second AIF)
AWM*] 

1st Div. Engrs.
Handing over Report 14/8/40 18
The Bdes in line had their coys working close up behind. Two
sections doing reconnaissance of wells, roads, & rlys, one section any
urgent work reqd in tempy repairs to roads, the other "held in hand".
The Reserve Coy constructing horse watering points, & repairs to wells.
The large quantity of water reqd in the area has put great
demand on the well system. Nearly all the wells have
hand pumps only. Small petrol driven pumps reqd at
X25b63 & X21d04.
Three 1500 gallon water bogies at X21d90 filled
with water, giving 4500 gallons. This water will be used by 6 pm
Aug 14 & arrgts will have to be made with the 6th Foreway Coy RE
who have now taken over the Decauville tracks. These tanks
can be filled at X26b & pushed forward for the
fighting troops.
1s Div Engrs instructions xx(20/8/18) for forthcoming attack.
Field Coys will assist in taping out the forming up line
and subsequently in consolidating and wiring also for forming
splinter proof HQ
Pioneers will assist in consolidation work.
Instructions 21/4/18
Two sections will be allotted from each F Coy to work in connection with 
their respective bdes for consolidn etc. One sector from each coy for
reconnaissance work (deep dugouts, shelters, water, roads, etc) in their
bde sector. One section to be held in reserve by O'_sC'. F Coys for work as reqd.
C.O. Pioneer Bn will detail one coy to each assaulting
bde for xxxxx consolidatn and erection of splinter proof cover for
forward HQ for bns & Bdes. One coy to be detailed for road 

1st Div Engrs     2
maintenance in Div area. All roads to be patrolled and
repaired where reqd in both bde areas, and cleaned up
through Proyart as opern progresses. One platoon to be held in 
reserve for any work that may be reqd by Arty. Remaining 3
platoons to be held in reserve.
Three supply tanks will be allotted to each attacking
bde to carry RE stores forward to consolidatn line.
The posn at which these tanks will dump their stores has been fixed
by bdes, and  F Coy O.'C's will obtain necy informn & arrange for
collecting same.
Memo to all three F. Coys. 20/8/18
Each Inf Bde, actg on orders from Divn, are
sending all avail empty biscuit tins to respective F Coys
for cutting into tin discs.
A thousand discs 6" in diameter are reqd by
each bde by tomorrow.
Please . . . . .  treat as urgent. 

1st. F. Coy.
diary
Aug 15. American troops going up in support to 4 & 5
Divns. Our men supply them with drinking wa
drinking water as they pass.
2nd F Coy
Aug 13 (W23b80.)
Coy. still employed on water supply - main
duties being improving sources, erecting windlasses,
troughing, water bottle & water cart filling points.
Aug 15. moved back to Cerisy, and later (18th) to Hamelet.
3rd F Coy.
Aug 13th. Gasproofing 3 Bde HQ. Two sectns completed 400 yds double apron wire
on new support line. Remainder of coy constructing shelters. 

CRE
2nd Div. Engrs. (Lt Col Corlette)

14/8/18 Examination of enemy's advanced works reveals, ^very little systematic trench
digging or wiring done. Chiefly short lengths of trench, very narrow and
irregular and numbers of potholes. Scarcely any proper deep dugouts have been
constructed, tho there are immense quantities of timber, as well as mining sets
in the captured dumps which would indicate that a large programme was prob. intended.
The poorness of advanced works may be ascribed partly to the enemy's
confidence that no serious attack would be made on them and also to lack of labour,
all avail. troops being concentrated into reserves held for immed. action,
& garrisons though reduced as much as poss.
The engineer work during and immed. follg operns has been comparatively
simple and not very heavy. Communications, which are, and always will be,  probably,
the chief concern of engrs in mobile and semi mobile warfare, have been quite
easy to arrange owing to the dry condition of the ground.
Next in importance to communications prob. comes water supply, and no
great diffy was experienced in this respect as far as supplying troops was concerned, owing
to there being plenty of wells in the captd villages. These wells needed only
the provision of windlasses and buckets to make them available. The
provision for horses, however, involved rather more labour, as troughs had to be
erected and arrgts made for filling them by pumps from village ponds.
Roads are dusty but standing well. By filling in trenches and s/holes
traffic of all kinds could move readily and freely across country. Pioneers
are still employed chiefly on improvemt of cross country tracks; they also
have a detachment clearing up a very extensive old French dugout
system, S. of Harbonnieres at W.18c66 which it was thought would be occupied
by D.H.Q.
Report on Cappy bridge.
Original  bridge - the whole of the steel work has been completely demolished and very 
little remains. Brick abut abbutments in good order. Last bridge in use there
has been a tempy structure of lifting type of which only the shore standards remain in a
very strained and damaged state. These cd be repaired but really need
rebuilding. The shore bay on E side is badly burst up by s/fire
but cd be repaired without much diffy.
Beside above bridge is old Military lifting bridge of wooden
construction. All badly strained owing to explosion of demolition charge.
"Piled" Abbutments cd be easily repaired to take a new centre span.
Shore bays of 14'  span on each side require repair which will not be difficult.
Extract from handing over notes from CRE 2 Aust Div to CRE 32 Div. 18/8/18
No. Div. dump has been estab owing to the large amt of captd material in enemy dumps. 

CRE 2 Div.
Memo to CE Aust Corps. re charges withdrawn from all road
mines and bridges under charge of 2nd Pioneer Bn.
List of mines & bridges unloaded -
Villers 1      036c43
    "       2     034b93
    "       3     028d34
    "       4     025c74
    "       D    035a51
Mine   XF  027c03
   "        XG  034d37
Bridges 
Blangy 1    N17c63
     "        2   N16c63
     "        5   N15d1035
     "        6   N15c7045
     "        7   N15c54
     "        8   N15c04
Glisy      1    N14c92
   "           2   N14c83
   "           3   opp. Lamotte
   "           4   N.14d03
Mine      B.  N19d86
   "           T    N24a85
   "           T    N24a72 

7 F Coy

8/8/18.
On evening of 7th Aug Lts. Mott & Veale with their parties, and in coopern with infy
reps, moved out on to task of marking out well before dusk, & commenced running
out tapes by 9.30 p.m. The work proceeded without incident except on the extreme
left, where presence of enemy patrol prevented the whole of the 100 yds of guide tape
being put out at once, tho this was subsequently completed. Veale completed his
marking out by 12 midnight, Mott by 1 am. Some 4000 yds were
laid by Veale's party, & abt. 4800 yds by Mott's.
Lt^. Lawrie & 16 sprs assembled in trenches near Hun dump a few minutes after
Zero and  by 4.50 a.m. were on job making track passable from P20c50 to
P21c49. As fog was exceedingly heavy & many infy & tanks had lost way
direction, Lt Lawrie stationed a number of sappers at places along the J.O.
line to direct lost people. The remainder of the party had the track in order
by 5.30 a.m. and at this hour the company of Pioneers detached to improve the
road from P2Ic49 to Warfusee arrived and both sappers and pioneers
worked on this road where traffic had become blocked by several mine
craters or large s/holes. The road was quickly made passable and later
improved well up to Warfusee.
At 6 am the reconnaissance party comprising Capt Noedl
and Lts. Kernaghan & Veitch (2 Tun Coy) & 7 ORs moved fwd.
Until about 9 am their work was exceedingly hampered by fog and by
constantly running into detached portions of the fight. The party did
not return till 3 p.m. & the first substantial report was recd at
2 pm. The report was exceedingly comprehensive but was so long delayed
that much of its usefulness had already been discounted.. The value of
report on salient features leaving detail to be supplied by subordinates
was not realised.
During the 8th water supply in V/Bret was further improved, one tank
with from 25000 to 30000 gallons of good drinking water being
opened.
10/8/18
During afternoon reconnaissance of Bayonvillers, Harbonnieres and Vauvillers
for water & a general reconn. of the 1st Div. front carried out by parties
under Lts Veale & Mott respectively. Water was plentiful & good, & true
wells were found to exist in plenty with water at depth of from 50 to 70 ft.
At 6pm requests recd from 5 & 7 Bdes for assistance in laying J.O. tapes.
Lt Veale with 2 ORs proceeded to mark out for 5th Bde and Lt Mott for 7 Bde.
Veale laid 600 yds tape from R33c80 to X3b20 and while doing this Cpl
Dunn had his leg badly smashed by shell fire. Mott laid 1550 yds from
X10a9500 to X1Oc9500 for 26 Bn. and to X10c9550 for 25 Bn.
Both these officers remained forward until after the attack on the morning