Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/285/1 - 1914 - Part 1
AWM38
Official History,
1914-18 War: Records of C E W Bean,
Official Historian.
Diaries and Notebooks
Item number: 3DRL606/285/1
Title: Notebook, 1914
AWM38-3DRL606/285/1
Arthur Wallis - Union club
Alexandria
[*fires*]
Date of sailing
Do we know where Germans are?
order of sailing
3590
3591
Hammock
Diagram - see original document
Abukir
←shot found here
Truck 12085
[[tons]] end.
Hammock.
How / average
soldier spends
his time on
board.
Hqrs.
Cairo
Central
3590
Said [[Enani?]]
Legislative Assembly
Konig^gratz -
1866
Pr. Fred Charles
had to hold the Austrn.
Army on the Bistritz
to allow development of
an attack by
Kronprinz on its flank and rear
F Char wanted to know the [shorthand] of the
Austrians but could not discover it
at 10 a.m. a telegram arrived from
London announcing tt tt
morning an official intimation appeared
in a Vienna newspaper
stating that the Austrian force
ws surrendering under
Marshal Benedek
on the Bistritz
F.C. attacked
all along but
result Aust lost
[[?]] to Prussia
and Prussian war.
Col. Clayton
Inl department
Capt. Holdwich
G.S.O.
(Abassir.)
Stationery
Brass polish
Stamps
Cigarettes
hooks
Edward German Dances then Nell Gwyn
2nd (Pastoral.) (A)
Tognette Russell
Diagram - see original document
Phillips by Weekes & Co.
leaves [shorthand]
Songe D' Automne by Archibald Joyce.
Similar expedns have seldom set out
c.f. Key West & Tampa on to Cuba
(How many?)
Horses: Horses - never before such a journey
Only 2 precedents - S.A.
Wastage increases a voyage
continues. Alld. for v-large.
Men. Transport's necessarily
crowded. Men exercises
6.30. French classes, wo
of every sort.
Pneumonia genly the con
See later: when get to Eng.
Cutting of Portholes. Some ^ ships a trifle crowded
Cant be helped.
Mails posted in Melb up to & including
12th will reach us En route
Same address.
Territorial organisatn
splendid. NSW transport
vying w Victorian.
[*It increased in [shorthand] it is 225 [shorthand] landed at Suez Canal go to P.S.
Frans Ismael
van Esveld*]]
25 July 1894
before war declared
Chi-Yuen & Kuang-Yi
left Asan to escort
Kowshing w 1260 Chinese
troops. Yoshiro, Naniwa,
& Akitsushima defeat
escort & sink troop ship
(Kowsling British ship)
[*Kowsling*]
1898 Sp. Am war
Cervera left St. Vincent
C Verde
29 Ap.
Sampson left Havana Cruising
5 May.
Cervera communicated w
Martinique 11 May.
13 May Curacoa to
meet [[colliers?]]
15 Heard of bombt of
San Juan - left
Cur.
15 Sampson heard
of Cerv. at Cur.
19 May Cerv. reached
Santiago short of
coal.
Af. coaling Sampson at ^ Put to sea from Key West
21 Schley ordered to Sant.
wdnt go.
27 Schley ordered to Sant.
29 Schley finds
Cerv at Sant.
30 Samp.
left Key West
reinforced by
Oregon
Shafters
16000
ordered to
Embarked
(16,000) at
Port Tampa
June 1. Sampson
& Schley off Santi.
June 8. 10000 of
Shafters ready but
stopped by rumours
some guns still on
shore.
14 June. Shafter
sails. 6 knots
21 June. Shafter
begins [[landing?]]
Prac finished 25 June.
3rd lot B1 Chilka
B1. Mashobra
Hessen Waggons [shorthand]
Clan MacGilvray
Came together to Colombo
Then in bits
1100 reinf.
Also 3rd L.H.B.
Anglo Egn.
etc came anyhow
1894-5 Japanese torpedoed a helpless
transport.
Russia did this 3 times in 1904
Sp. American War 1898 - excited
population.
Defective staff work
Band pretty waltzes.
Gen Div. staff at work behind glass
doors
cricket on Orvieto's upper deck
A perfect night - light breeze.
Hot air.
out on those waters there may
be _____ ?
Horses
Composition of force: how many fought before etc.
How many new scheme
[[Maun?]]
Eur. 2 guns, Hororata 2 guns.
1st Bn. Syd. & Syd ASC & Field Eng. A1. Hymettus
A19 April 48,1372,8 A2. Geelong 47.
Melb. 6th & 7th Inf.
A20 Hororata 66, 1986, 118. A3 Orvieto 94,
Details FA, & Divn Ammunitn. Transpt
A21 Marere (4,80 waggons A4 Pera 5,
(443. Melb.
F.A. A22 Rangatira 15,430,450 A5 Omrah 43,
(Brisb)
2nd Bn. Syd A23 Suffolk 32,979,8 A6 Clan M'Corqud
8th & Coy of ASC. Mel.
A24 Benalla 66,1986,118 49,1185,10 A7 Medic.
Queensl. & Vic.
A25 Anglo Eg 6,105.492 A8 Argyllshire
A26 Armadale (Reserve Park) A9 Shropshire
Syd & Melb L.H. Amb & details Divn Ammun. col.
A27 Southern 5,136,281 A10 Karoo 13,
A. 28. Imp. Reservists A11 Ascanias
N.Z 8 ships. A12 Saldana
A13 Katuna
A14 Euripides
A15 St. of Eng.
A16 St of Vict.
A17 Port Lincoln
A18 Wiltshire
Albany.
1st sign 5.15 steamer on starbd [shorthand].
in mist.
5.45 Geelong far to port ahead
Geelong going in ahead.
5,106
686 Syd. Melb. Ad. A.S.C.
1295. 12th Inf. 3rd Field Coy Melb & Hobart
A17, A21 A10
Port Lincoln, Warree, Karoo
1345, 21. 5th Infantry 2nd Field Coy Engrs & details Melb.
90,391 FA & FA details (Syd)
Saldana
1104,15 9th Batt L.H. Train (Brisb)
ab 6,113, 524 A24 Benalla
28,977,270 ASC. 3rd FA Bris, 3rd F Amb (Adelaide)
8th FA (Fremantle) past 11th Batt
A18 Wiltshire
32,800, 373 F.A. Brig (Syd).
42,794,433 2nd FA Brigade Melb. Details Amm Div Col.
388,398 Melb. Signallers, Field Amb. Details of Eng. Infantry
65,728,10 horses 10th Bat, 11th Bat (Ad. & Fremantle)
4,52,274 Details of everything (Adelaide)
5.94.506. 9th F. Battery, Details Div. Am. Col. & 3rd L.H. (Hobart)
drawing 6 feet.
79.2202,15 horses. 3rd & 4th Bns & 1st Field Amb. (Syd)
25,487,457 2nd LH. (Brisb)
26,486,461. 1st LH. Syd.
19,351,338 3rd L.H. Adelaide
35,724,497. 4th LH 2nd Field amb. Melb
Cervera: 4 1st Cl Armoured cruiser
only 1 of any sigl.
3 T. B. Ds.
Sampson: 4 1st Cl. B'ships.
& Schley. 2 " " cruisers armoured.
1 2nd cl. Battleship.
2 1st cl. Prot. cruisers
2 armoured monitors
1 2nd cl. cruiser
4 Torp. boats.
715 Breakfast
20 yds.
28 yds long.
Zembla (14)
True Star of Ascanius
lost overboard on Shrop but kept on deck all night
We got [shorthand] not before known
''Raid' in xxxxxxx Yarmouth is known here
[shorthand] volunteer army etc
Troops all along the canal. 2/3
N.Z. Transports. 3 warships
10 trspts.
2 warships
Precaution: Instructed to
sink all tins
But horse manure
remains.
Two merchant ships - one B.I. -
turned up during our stay at
Albany (besides the Katoomba or
Karoola) One was stopped by a gun from
the Melbourne (?) during the night. Questn
whether they shd be alld to come in & use coal &
occupy harbour.
People in Perth did not know we
were here - not most of them,
at any rate - or they wd have
flooded the place.
[*Wire entang. diary [[?]]*]
800 yds between ships.
1 mile between lines
300 coming [shorthand]
Ships in Aden Athenia, Ranfurly [shorthand],
Northbrook, Mougira,
35 at morning 57 at night a French tub from [[?]]
looking like the white city (from behind the scenes) [[sham?]]
& dirt & torn canvas.
Regts. fighting - Cd hear 90 miles
away and the men sent to find out.
[*[[Ferriers?]] the lost papers
Russians said to be beaten*]
Australia political
Syd & Melb.
afterwards to [shorthand]
8.2.(8)
(6). 5.9 (20.) 3.4
4 torpedo tubes 22½kn
M. 9 Nov. 237? kn. battle
T. 10th Nov. 8° 11' S
93° 39' E
249 kn.
W. 11th Nov. 5.25 S
9.43 E
240 kn.
Th. 12 Nov. 260 Kn.
Frid.
Sat. 3.35 N.
82 . 16E
234 kn
Sund. Nov 15
6° 45 N.
79° 47 E
244 kn.
N. & Leip.
G [[?]] Sch. Leip. Sunk by Sturdee abt. Dec. 8th.
6 am exactly SMinotaur & Sydney
were moving out & we up anchored
Southern stoking heavily (did remarkably well)
We moved out first followed by our
division. Then Wiltshire folld by
hers. Then Euripedes - Last N.Z.
Wiltshire ws abreast of us by
9 a.m.
To 12 2nd. Just W by N of Cape Naturaliste.
To 12 3rd Nov. 30. 21 S. }
111. 49 E } 218. knots.
(some 100 miles to W of regular route.)
To. 12 4th Nov. 27°. 20' S. }
109°. 29' E } 219 knots
5th Nov. 24. 4. S.
106. 50 E.
242 knots.
6th Nov. 26. 38 S
104. 11 E
243 kn.
Cocos I heard German sending to
Collier.
Cocos signal What code what
code what code.
First we heard of it.
Turkish ship outside harbour:
Cocos: Then Jap sent message S.O.S. (Osaki)
Melb. started. But when she had got a little way signalling with shielded searchlight
Sydney sent off 7 o'c.
Later Syd. sent
"Enemy escaping North."
Melb. & Ibuki changed course. Took station on other side of convoy.
9.55 Syd sent I am engaging the enemy
i.e. steamed 70 miles in 3 hours
& began engagement.
11.15 message enemy ran ashore
to save sinking.
Later: Emden beached & done for
11.45. Syd. Melb & Ibuki to our S.W.
altered course. & steam parallel
Jap again asked permission to go & see & seamed off.
afterwds recalled.
Syd 2 killed 13 wounded.
Minotaur somewhere about
[*11.30 Uncertain which name was - Emden or Koenigsberg. Reported one collier
when attempting
to escape. Syd.
chasing her.
No message from Japanese
since SOS.
About 12 o'c. Syd. reported
2 killed 13 counded.
1 p.m. Melb &
Ibuki returned to station.
Transports close by at night
and ordered that they were to steam [shorthand].*]
Changed course at 5.30.
Wireless all night -
7.10 Sydney detached.
10. Melbourne moved to
flank
10.30 Japanese passed across bows
increasing speed. Decks cleared
Hammocks around Bridge &
upper works.
First message from a Japan. cruiser
"Sighted ships in harbour". Somebody
was trying to drown themselves by sending what code
Then J. sent S.O.S.
Later: Sydney reported she was in
action.
(Rumoured there could be 4 of them)
Jap took up positn opposite
us & then headed off S.W.
Melb. signalling with searchlight.
First thing I noticed this morning was the Morse searchlight.
11.20 "Enemy beached herself to
save sinking."
Melbourne altered course
11.30 message Uncertain of enemy's
name. Two ships and one collier?
[*Men given half holiday - men
drilling all time outer action.*]
[*N.Z. who broke neck
75 B1 trooper*]
[*Red Duster*]
Pretty little ship as she came
out.
We fired 650 rounds
They fired 1500.
30 rounds [shorthand] at each gun.
Fired at tremendous rate.
Surprise at [shorthand] that they fired first shot.
All gunlayers except one killed.
Pr. Hohenzollern. Nephew
uninj.
Mond. Prac.
9.30.
Officer helps men in counting
[shorthand].
Who saw other first.
11.30 Ibuki turned S & heading
away
Whilst on [shorthand] with the convoy at 6.30 on Monday 9 November
a wireless message from Cocos Island was heard
strange warship at entrance.
I then worked up to 20 kn & at 9.15
am sighted land ahead and almost
immediately the smoke of the ship had proved to be
H&SMS Emden.
16 or 17 miles was her smoke.
She wanted to close us We closed to
our range and [shorthand] a par. course
10,000 yds.
1st shot she fired at 9.40
We had given the order practically simultaneously ours went off
immediately after.
She ws at [shorthand] when she saw us.
I kept my distance as much as possible near [shorthand]
Noone noticed shells hit
What did we know of Germans' whereabouts
at any time thro' voyage?
Big cruisers? Knew they had been off S.Am coast We didn't know G&S.
might not turn up at Teneriffe
any other cruisers?
What did we hear of them or of allies?
Ibuki ws calling to Japanese.
All our code books for RAN were coming out by P&O which sighted Goeben five hours before
What were our sailing orders? Who gave them.
See Convoy orders. Pioneer could not [shorthand].
Why didn't we go to S.A or Aden? Best system
would be a large number of
small ships
& a
few big
ones
What were sailing orders as to lights etc.
Did we hear Japanese at Sunda.
What was mortality of horses?
& number of men short through
refusal to be vaccinated etc?
Certainly ought to have been done
at camp and was done with most
of the Sydney men.
1st Nov.
Orv. 3rd Div via Maur. & Melb to Mauritius
Min. 1st Aust & New Z. & Eurip - direct to Cape
Syd & Md Divn to Rendezvous
w Medic & Asc. & thence
Mauritius
Ibuki to return from R.V.
Then all the longer range guns Her fire was
very accurate and rapid to begin with It has to
be silenced very quickly
All casualties in this [shorthand] occurring almost immediately
[*War was declared*]
After 1st ¼ hr. anyway practically
no hit at all.
1st just over.
our first well over 400 yards
next ragged
3rd hit fortunately hit.
A xxx range The range [shorthand] in the
main control position was dismantled
quite early in the proceedings and the after
control position put out at about 3rd
salvo. 5 guns.
1st her foremost funnel went
next other mast
and she was seen to be badly on fire aft.
out of deck
Washed out at 3 o'c. Sat. 31st.
Capt Kiddle. -
Sealed orders opened by [shorthand]
outside.
Cape wrote about 5 days before
we left after all arrangements had been made.
Pioneer reported engine room
same evening
Rendezv. abt every
100 miles.
One [shorthand] sent in 100 rockets up
there
G & S not known. [Shorthand]
10. 7 [shorthand]
133.
4 {Albany to
{Colombo to
1 at Alb. disappeared
1 betw. Aden & Suez
measles & pneum
2½ [shorthand] will cover horses.
Then 2nd funnel. Lastly 3rd &
remaining funnel and I saw that
she was making for the beach on N.
Kelling where she grounded
at 11.20 I gave
her 2 more broadsides and left
her to pursue the merchant ship
which had come up during the action.
Although I had guns on this merchant ship at odd
times during the action I did not consider
it necessary to fire but as she was
now making fast off
I pursued and overtook her at
12.10 p.m. firing a gun
across her bows and [shorthand] good signal
to stop. She stopped
I sent an armed boat and passed her
[*H.S.H. Prinz Franz Josef Hohenzollern.*]
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