Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/285/1 - 1914 - Part 3

pokers some very badly damaged on the whole.
Two days later got a summary request
to be present.
Did you see anything of this.
No sir (of course he didnt. Nothing happened whilst he cd see
bec. the door ws shut).
Extraord. can you suggest anything.
Well Sir, Major signed the

inventory Sir.
So he did. Yes. That will do.
Official Explanatn ws tt some

thieving had occurred between
the time barrack room ws
left & time it was taken over!!

Sham court martial. A gunner in RAA had
bn running up big debts. Cdn't 
pay. Men knew officers would be away certain
day. Rigged up sham court martial.

Ws going on when creditor

Debtor rigged himself up in
brass hat, gold lace.
Court drawn up. Sir,

[*What can I do for you?

Pay can be stopped to extent 4d

per wk  personally collected - make

order. Govt debt must come first.  After
that
debt of
Mr Levi,
4d a week
Mr
Levi
will collect
it himself!*]
Charges drawn up. Creditor

outside inquiring for Capt.

Tell him he will have to wait.

Presently Col. So & So announced.

Capt comes out. Speaks pleasantly

as if to friends fr. N.Z. "I'm sorry I am engaged

you won't mind waiting for a wh

minute or two." Discharges 1/ or 2 

cases. Then creditor called in.

What can I do for you. Tells complaint.

Owes £3. Dear me this is v. serious. Looks up

man's record. Owes Govt £4.10.6. Have

him brought in. Shivering wretch brought in. Makes
order after looking in Kings Regulatns.

White flag incident at Toussoum.
Censored. sev. accounts.

Brit. officer gives enemy his

due - quite heated discussions as to whether

it was fair play or not.  Maj. Howard

called for reports & didnt

want any unjust story to be

told.

Havildar says 1st trench of 

50. held up hands

Turkish officer walked forward.

Cochrane met & shook 

hands. This officer clapped

hands, fell flat, &

Major Francis Maitland Wyborn
Parker. D.S.O. started his soldiery with 37^th battery W.A.
18975. W.A. artillery volunteers S.A. w first contingent
under Maj. Moore who was killed at
Palmietfontein. Parker assumed command
(went as infantry converted to MI) Had under 12 months received
his D.S.O. at Paris  British forces had the Boers in a bend in the
river  British were all round them and he was sent by Col. de
Lisle across the “Paris [shorthand]" on to the hills behind to ascertain
if they had forced a crossing behind their position.  He found that the Boers
were in valley [shorthand].  At that moment he found a strong
Boer patrol out and made off for the [shorthand] but retired fighting by
the river and crossed to some [shorthand] and managed to get his
patrol across the river with the loss of a few horses and one
man with a broken arm.  Got back to camp.
He returned to WA with the first contingent and again returned to S.A. and was employed
in charge of the embarkation of all colonels at C.T.
Eventually returned to W.A. and practised as solicitor for a few
years and was appointed Crown Prosecutor which he held when he left.
He had dropped out of military life for a few years as not living
in Perth but commanded for a short period the 18^th ALH 

but owing to it interfering with his official duties had to give it up.
He later joined the battery under Major Browne as captain.
When war was declared and volunteers were called for he and
all officers NCOs and men of the battery volunteered for service.
Cut at last joined men. And others came.
A W battery put up a record 1 V.C. 3 D.S.O.s
3. DCMs out of 30 officers & NCOS
sent to S.A.
(781 brought up by WA [shorthand] boys and a few who had
previous [shorthand].)

1 of the 2 batteries from W.A.
37^th met the 38^th
Col. Hobbs originally commanded it.

He is responsible for bringing it up to the [shorthand].
Notes [shorthand] the [shorthand] of officer [shorthand].
Antill, Major Bennett D.S.O.
Col. M'Glynn and men who had just heard it

and come across
All sections of W.A. represent the LH AMC

engineers infantry. 100 battery formed half

firing barrage.  Battalions from 3rd brigade.
 

Two brothers and 4 uncles in L.H. & artillery.

Nov. 11. morning early: Melb left us. 
Hampshire ahead (unseen)

Ibuki seen. Emp. Asia passes
Emp. Russia afterwards. Come look Australians going to [shorthand]
going to Sydney

We prepared 135 beds for the Sydney but we don’t know if she
got our message.  It was at first suggested we should go back to the
coast.  We very nearly did

2 particular ship [shorthand] - Prom deck & 2 [shorthand].
[*Following I have received xx last night
It is officially announced that
Ts.T. has surrendered after
a central [shorthand] was captured
by 2 companies of infantry,
took 100 prisoners*]
Ibuki -
Japanese Commanders
Thanks
I beg to express our grateful thanks for the most sincere
[shorthand] of congratulation expressed by the Australian convoy.
We all hope that new occasions may
now arise and enable our allied forces
to undertake more effective operations with the object
of striking a [shorthand] blow at Germany.
Australian convoy congratulate Japan on her magnificent success
at Tsing Tau
Japan offered to turn Yap
over to us to garrison
 

Syd.
When first see their smoke?
Was island in sight?
Had they seen us then?
What were they doing.
Where was collier then?

Who fired first shot. Broadside or End on?
Was it very rapid?
What pace did Sydney make comp.
with Emden?
Did Emd. fire a torpedo? 
Casualties. How did they happen?
How often was Sydney hit.
What was German shooting like?
On fire in any places?
Germans.
When first saw our smoke?
Did they know who we were?
What did they think we were?
Did they exp. interruption after S0S
What did islands look like
Did E'.s capt or crew say anything?
What is E's. Capt like.
[*EMDEN*]

1 officer spent time sitting on the despatch box
we didn't get [shorthand] to splinter
Engines in engine room
KATIVBATTAV

6.24→ 
6.29→
? What is this code?
Minotaur What is this code
Minotaur Turkish warship
SOS Turkish warship
Germs knew we 
had sailed.

No of wounded
Has ayesha got off
Men in water.
damage.
Emdens  {Stern
{Foc'sle
Anchored &

abt to

coal.
Flag wired.
German prisoners come on board
Hoh. behaves like a [shorthand] 
Emdens steering

Emdens claims
claims to have sunk
a British cruiser.
Claim.

Euripedes men
sleep at their
stations with life belts
Germ officers say they didn't know we
were here when we were going to Aden.
Knew the exact position of our forces. Torpedo
flat never wrecked. Therefore never came within range.
(our torp. went straight in them.) Capture ship with 500000 cigarettes
motor car, 100 type rifles to every officer a cheap rifle in his cabin 

Officer on coming [shorthand]
Who saw other U?
Torpedoes.  Awful [shorthand] of E
Men in Sea.
Cheers in battle. too busy
an occasional call
Germans after fight.
No one saw shells hit
Ship engines to ram.
Gun layers  Ring of steam pipe
Hohenzollern
No of rounds
Mondays practice.
No of shots in Syd.
Deck patched
Coleman
getting german off
Best doctor [shorthand]
Wounded on Syd's deck
[*Cd all speak Engl. Had been looking for the Askold.*]

2000 yds in 3 secs.
i.e. 10,000 '' in 15 secs.

10 salvoes a minute = 1 in 6 secs.

therefore 1 second after a salvo has left the

gun there will be 
another salvo

7 minutes on its way
Another 13 minutes

to hit in 2 secs.

& another

just 4 seconds

after hitting
Fore part.

Dazed.

Has Ay got off

Didn't know it was Sydney
till after the fight.
Was trying to get to torpedo

range all the time
Was on bridge all time - nerve broke

down when he saw his men

Sank 16 kept 3 passenger ships. 1 Gk collier
her coal ws no good.
1 other 6000 pounds
ws not ready & had no time to prepare
 

Did they see the effect of their shots?
When did they realise that
things were up?
How was the flag hauled down?
Was it more than their usual range?
Did the Sydney's shell all burst?
What was the effect of Lyddite?
Did they prepare to fire a torp?
Was the torpedo flat wrecked?
What range did you open at?
Did they meet an English cruiser?
Says he heard wireless and expected to find a cruiser greeting the [shorthand].
Says he would have gone for the Ibuki first.
On a dark night torpedoed her and sank about ½ the transports.
18 minutes on the station
Asked if we saw damage on the Sydney.
It's a big undertaking (this expedition) P.T.O.

Never nearer than 5000. Saw Syds torpedo.

Ask Parker re a/c.
Self & Le Bucy. preparations.
Heard ship which wanted coal.
Mostly supply English.
Stories of offer to [shorthand] all wrong. Penang lst fighting
Prince: We got very good coal from your adm.ty
Penang Oct.28. 1st fight. 5 a.m.
Sank Mousquet. False officially
never under any flag but their
own.
"This is not a [shorthand]."
Damage done by the shell which laid out the Emdens steering room
didnt know where their men were.

Parker. abt signing articles.
Casey.
Plan 2 articles.
Shipping.
Golf.

Cdn't see hits in Syd. Kept in salvoes all
time. Sydney fired too high at first. Eng. room never hit
Boat - Live ashore.
Funnel. Unshipped
Syd getting certain things ready therefore didnt go full speed.
German captain sd she came up so 
quickly he was unprepar
many skilled ratings ashore
Tingira boys. One I saw at Colombo
Hoh.'s place in the fight.

Never within Torp range. Knew Sydney's torpedoes were better
Capt says he tried to get there.
Opened at 10,000 extreme range of her guns
Sydney's invoking the [shorthand].
Paymaster on deck
Emden salvo in 5 seconds till guns got hot
E's shell didn't burst. Wd have wiped out fire control bays & officers
S's shell burst very well. 
Wounded could not be got down to stations
Sight in ford. fire control
German ensign
20 landed on island Why were they landed
Had ordered collier to coal.  Marcomanna
Syd's speed very great.
Eng room shell. 

Captain. Doctor. Prince.
nerve.
What Emd. had done. Penang.
men. Als. Lorraine. I want to see the Australians all dead.
Funnel made of grey.  I want to go on and fight for my country.
Not hit. hoisted another flag
(tho' alld to)
Not true offered Calcutta.
Not true Saw any English warship. Wd like to know
how their warships followed me.
Didnt you see wireless S.O.S.
Heard of Australian convoy. Knew our numbers.
Sd to have known we had left but didn't 
know where we were.
Anxious to know how his men
are doing.
Shell in Eng Room.
Ships they captured
500,000 cigarettes.
Know other navies just as British officers do
The 4^th funnel - forward.
Started from Tsing Tau.
Capt didn't feel the strain.

Expenses: might be done by letter.
Cables might be arranged by letter
Licence Can this be arranged by letter?
Enemy's country.
[Shorthand] Health. Whole fleet has
not lost more lives than are
sometimes lost in one ship.
All Horses
Ascanius ^ almost only contretemps.

 C.f. men (later) )
Fisher's Yarn. Officers Twice shifted in Hotel. Thats a bloody
silly yarn question (W. Maxwell.)
Egyptns think our men millionaires
All sorts of rumours. 2nd force disbanded
On Wed
Thurs. Dec 14 (2 nights before Saturday of Accession)
Leave was stopped from Thurs to Sat.
That night I was in town & there were
soldiers everywhere; some in doubtful
cafe, others in street. Perh. I saw
20 in all & many several
taxis. All late for camp.
All are noisy.
Ask White.
In one case 3 terrier officers playing
about with a girl in front of our men;
several men with an officer
in same cafe at same table.
Our force very mixed: They often sd: "You
can't do tt w Australians."
- As a matter of fact you could.
A great deal depended on officers.
90% of men were thoroughly
good. 10% (Esp. old
African soldiers) rather
lose. The young solder ws
in many ways the best type.
[*our
mess*]