Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/285/1 - 1914 - Part 5

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
  • Shorthand
Status:
Awaiting approval
Accession number:
RCDIG1066727
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

awfrom Horses wbe seen from El giar clearly - 2 gualeams but ships in L. Tiniah cont get sange. Hadat got tel. communiaati. men on caual bank day 6in- must have be at least 1000. Indians opposite i heads over trenches. On to bk. rifle wd appear, then head. Bangfrom all over place. Indiars had head lover - the turks wereapt sky. So all day 300. Advance fro 4th. It we not known any troops were there; but 3 then were sent to clear up & they took over 200 &0 in brokin sand hills above canal. People from Tonssoum on moon of 3rd found 160 Turks shelling in a brench of their own, not 56 yds from their pat. They kille abt 50 & took rest p0. Had seen nothing till thei. th Capt. Cochrone 8. mayhave be 27 No tiacks for wiles buc Merosinstins w water. Also for rafts. n97 is i highest. Cairo 4 to 6 6003& average 1y 90/0240 on desert ofen I. in Cairost Desert onL Wover 100. 2nd longest ) wortd. 403 "White Nilo Floods - I sobat Heas Khartum Blug Nill? S. of Aswan abt 500yds W- ap to 1000 Tune- Septs cause Blue N. & Albara to bittlet now. 1641 av rise at Cavio. Beqins. at Cairo in Tubyl (1xv) Tan White Nill coming. San - Tume White Will Then Blue agn. Blue Will floods are Sobat Cropsnz sown after Foods (Nov april-way. Exs c 1 24
Kantara Turps t expected from VE. actoally cand from 5E. They sa down across road- co see sintrees of big camp Just S. of road to syrea & you both sides of Rd 406 7 702. Finally went off St but werent notice owing to watchay Sr of Swiftsure 2 from tel al Amms Amo as. (Were in 5 6R00 yds of cmetin reboub 6 Hill 40 & Hill 60 t outpists Tile an be wire entain 162020-t in entary. Mohammed Ats began new brrigater. in 1835. (in DeMa Asnan keeps IC for may Suns July. 1402 Asint suppliet Canal (Stzch. Esnch 1909 Now 73- in a good blood JCN. 35.4 0ft av. ½ Sudan of the ro drea - £12000 C 400,000000 640 miler S Sedan). 5960 74,52039m 3000,000 (Joint Brit 1E. Es.11,287,359. ol (97.381 bedomins Ex. 147,220 Ewropeans And 20, 633 2 Ear 940 per 2. will M 2 ay 69. N.Y. f. 191 Cairo & Alex. 218 2
Bednens. N. Abysvenia Bega. S. to 7. &poor ()) I. Deb & X5p 1. g are not dear still 90A the G man. sle (in. armaurers (9.81 Town. disnss Praying Barristers etc of late some? amalits. Wabrans wont or Egyetus really r. sincere Go Sheekh 1 head of each clas. 80, DB. 2 Islam. Newve. Blam. Mencats slaves Tarks. tevantious Sqr. eto. ½2 Ars. Sews Galekhti) 23 Span. Rowm gus small iz arist dale fu Swan all 2 co artecare t wheat & Barley 6y eailiet to (lame prm asia) Ircense then used (from Arabia Exysters t Eyetashis. still blackined Pale 3 to brouze ^ House is &id Fellahs but. Naize or Dorghumbrrad. Beans. Whent Sour foats, sheeps &X Eggation retin at thitae by ant 500 aD. Con see Mye. OKephren in D at Kasr et Nit way foo with of Ex cambe seen in p o c0 Copts- Sgypt. Speak Eggstin of 3ndo 1581 52 5 504 tay /200
Every atonn No. 455.4 C. Colden Parkes B1 oy 10t 1 Bn 10t Lof BoE 4. 1. &. CC Gunyahs MeckS264 Thats Cheye attenk Swenin 100 s in camp Troops 7.5 asamg for 17 Squadron. CC Regimental Franny. 1062 then Divisional OL had to I schene up mig-mias cx. r TYCL Ray for neve (see ordw) sie of Dacnbyw 4/ Cabs to Cairs 25 ca 2 tay
Fellows settin on buoys in Alexedvia. Cembery wto shep br auchor chai aoppoy over wall sentries 2000. Reinforcuments 2000 LofCunits. Hoss. 6000 06.9 6th Inf. Brig. 2nd Co. H. Bry with their own 181 Cn b N. men tidier but owdeer. Disciptive I tightenang up in our camp. But I dont know whyy we don't have a picket. We do-30- The rows in town ealh night can't be beped - but one wishes they cd. If officers f Yox they co. The Austila nees god officers Cauro is al. of Parisian life. Hotels ( upw Austolis - not av. good they Perfect o iscy on Officer be alld to do his po uninterfered w by super A Saperior has to cutterfire thea pinios ought to be sacked. Ex 0 2
38 Ex. 20 2 2
D articles tarts. 2103000 Amongst men 3 Soldiencftatel. table kept. &C millionaires Disananged Yoncll. tent & Cocal Sheekh. Turks. Cairo Season. Scene in Hotel. Shops. What i per proprietor x tan SSS. Tpperary from Cafe ) down ? Bigthorns-& vioti what maits. Egyptian paper on ourtroo Scene in Hotel Lime of cabs. at night 227 7. 138 instiations incapes surrouadcow corceons Albamans until tete. Taken it All for gisate. Cables O Berdwoo &C. When arrive 6 Parade t I weather. N.E.S. of 15t Pyr. 265 C 38. N3s Sunday Ointerpriters Esbekith &I Cate 6. How men spend inr all s Far yo88 Sal D. Satisfied Es. y AAlisb. S Early rs uor Pya 8 mait 9 S. Egypt. 10. Park Cairo Season 1 p 120 55 it D e g Exs ca D 2 2 y
withcrows Native way - not I way-of managuy it is to last into for all they are worth hocolate- Sol1 Siitzto E. Frade a Surtzerld. is up 2ds. De 191/ 178,585 W/270,695 Dec 1914 Trade on Cairs in brass cartredges drapked by use f MT.2 Badge. SRops in camp. story of 6000 Ihad 420 0 Itt Jasked Gen.H. L1C y7 or 8c.] & 039 7e600001 C.6 + 5794 LP.m r 0. 601 61.26 of Tthe caone ontre a cruistr. 182 outo 2 NS3 G.U.S. Limnos 24 25 .Tthon) 5 ca acleas 662 t 24 137 C 7 J. Inflex. 5c I 4
93-7.S1. IoC&.Cs to or. 4 C15GCP 22 DPJSof, 6) C 0a of .. (75 74 Lennos (F] e5.1 175 2 from 5o to came in S.S. Povence (landed sund. 19/130) Not on acm before in fo 23 days in Bizerta. then 12 days in Lemnos where they saw our 3rd.X Exs E9 N.
30 17H6. 2 FShip. 14.115 f2. DH3. No 64 9about ahied. 19 t Of 0 &1 " C oe tent? 5/ parse 10/- tax Deb. 2/- cab H.D cable re authority (Dec. K.) £1.4 and cable re authy (Dec. 18) 2/. Cab. f1.0. take to anp (Dec. c0) 85 taxs. fom camp. L5. 18. 12/- tax 29 4 101- 23 Dec 30 Cab. 8/ Dec 31 -Bacd. 14 10 + 10 Jon L. Lonasliah Cab. 8 Sagle fare Horse castara Return Cairo 16 Baedeker 18 Jane. cat. cat 5 Tang 4 11. 48 0 0 5 2 3

cavalry cd be seen from Horses cd be
seen from El Gisr clearly - 2 gun teams
but ships in L. Tunisah cdnt get range.
Hadn't got tel. communicatn.
Men on canal bank dug themselves in - must
have bn at least 1000. Indians opposite w
heads over trenches. On E bk. rifle wd
appear, then head. Bang from all over place.
Indians had head cover - the Turks
were agst sky. So all day 3rd. Advance from Serap. this day.
4th. It ws not known any
troops were there; but
men were sent to clear up
& they took over 200 prisoners
in broken sand hills
above canal.
People from Toussoum on morning
of 3rd found 160 Turks sheltering
in a trench of their own, not
50 yds from their post.  They
killed abt 50 & took rest prisoners.
Had seen nothing till then.
Diagram - see original document
Capt. Cochrane explained: may have bn
2 trenches. No tracks for miles back.
Kerosine tins w water. Also for rafts. 

 

Cairo summer about 97 is our highest.
Rain 4 to 6 days in the year.
Average 1 inch.
In some years there as much as 2 inches is recorded
on desert often freezes  in Cairo seldom
Desert wind often brings temperatures over 100.
2nd longest river in the world. 4037M.
"White Nile" floods - down Sobat River
Altan Khartum "Blue Nile".
S. of Aswan abt 500yds from
N ------ up to 1000
June to Sept rains cause Blue N.
& Atbara to rise
Little mud deposit now.
16ft av. rise at Cairo.
Beqins to rise at Cairo in July (?) (1xv)
Jan White Nile coming.
Jan - June White Nile
Then Blue agn.
Blue Nile floods are Sobat river
Crops beyond would be sown after Flood & reaped (Nov)
April-May.

 

Kantara.
Diagram - see original document
Turkishs were expected from NE.
Actually came from SE.
They sat down across road - cd
see sentries of big camp just
S. of road to Syria & trenches on
both sides of Rd.
4 o'c & 7 o'c.
Finally went off SE but werent
noticed owing to watching firing
of Swiftsure worked from Tel el Aminar
Amarnar. They were in scrub within 1200
yds of cemetery redoubt
Diagram - see original document
Hill 40 & Hill 60
Attacked outposts
in wire entang.
16 Prisoners 20 killed in Entang:
 

Mohammed Ali began new irrigatn.
in 1835. (in Delta)
Assuan keeps reserve supply for May June July.
1902 Assiut supplies gt Canal (Sizch. 
1902 Esneh 1909
Now water was great in a good flood that drains have to be provided
35 to 40ft av.  depth.

"Sudan" = of the blacks
Area except desert 12,000 square miles 400,000 square miles desert with deserts
Sudan at. 640 miles long
596 broad
984,520 sq m.
3,000,000 population
(Joint Brit & Eg.)
Eg. population 11,287,359. population increasing
(97,381 bedouins
147,220 Europeans
incl. 20,653 British)
940 per sq. mile
Egypt proper Eng 619.
N.Y. State 191
Cairo & Alex.
2 large towns

 

Beduins. N.
Bega. S. to Red Sea and Abyssinia
v. poor ((())) desert.

Bed don't pray 5 times a day & are not clean.
Still however worships the Prophet Mah.
See them in the armourers  in the 
Barristers etc of late
some European mothers
Nubians wear amulets.
wont marry Egyptns
not really v. sincere but more so this is Eg.
Go back to country
Sheikh at head of each clas:

Islam.
Negroes. Islam. Menials, Egyptian slaves
Turks.
Levantines Sqr. etc. ½ European
Assn. Jews (Salekhti) bad German Span & Roum.
Gks smallArist. of Alex.
traditionally in Sudan.  big factories. many 
All higher class artisans French.
 

gwheat & Barley found in the earliest times
(came from Asia)
Incense then used (from Arabia)
Egyptians then grew Eyelashes.
Still blackened 
Diagram - see original document
Pale brown to bronze

        N                  S
Fellahs hut: House is hardly necessary.
Maize or Sorghum bread.
Beans. Wheat = rich
Sour goats, sheeps & xxx milk.
Egyptian relign at Philae temple of Isis
until 500 A.D.
Can see Myc. & Chephren in
museum at Kasr el Nil
Way studios were made with artists marks
on them can be seen in Egyp. museum
Copts = "Egypt." Speak Egyptn
of 3rd century but don't understand it.
50 x 4
12/200\17

 

Every atom grown
by 
No. 455. L/C Cobden Parkes
"B" Coy
1st Bn
1st Inf Bde
A.I.F.
 

Get photographs.
Gunyahs: 1 Inch of rain in 2 days.
That's a silly question to ask
Charge.
Swimming bath at Mena H.
100 rounds per man in camp.
Troops over to pyramids
Training areas near camp for training
1 month Squadron.
10 days Regimental Training.
10 days brigade
Then Divisional
O.C.s had to draw scheme up
Diagram - see original document
mia-mias  Nearly all in camp
training began
1 inch nearly fallen
Pay per diem - (see order)
Size of our xx men by territorials.
Cabs to Cairo. 4/-
[*MEN*]

 

Fellows sitting on buoys
in Alexandria.
Climbing into ship by
anchor chain
Dropping over wall
in spite of sentries
2000 Reinforcements
2000 L of C units. Hosp.
bigger better army service
6000 new fighting troops.
4th Inf. Brig.
2nd L. H. Brig.
with their own 1st reinforcements
 

N.Z men tidier but
rowdier.
Discipline greatly tightening up in
our camp. But I dont
know why we dont have
a picket. We do - 30 men
The rows in town each night
cant be helped - but one
wishes they cd. If officers
set a better example they cd. The
Austrln needs good officers
Cairo is a city of Parisian
life. Hotels filling up w
Austrlns - not a v.
good thing.
Perfect system is that in which 
Officer shd can be alld to do his
job uninterfered w by superior.
If superior has to interfere
then junior ought to be sacked.

 

Diagram - see original document

 

Articles.
Amongst men - 2 tarts 30 men waiting.
3 Soldiers cd xxfltatel.
table kept.
People here think we are millionaires
Disarranged supply.
Y.M.C.A. tent & local
Sheikh.
Turks. Cairo Season.
Scene in Hotel.
Shops. What newspaper
proprietor told me.
[*See "Men".*]
1am it's a long way to Tipperary
from Cafe ] down street
Big chorus - & violins
What mails arrive.
Egyptian paper on our troops
Scene in Hotel
Line of cabs. at night
3rd to the 7th. line on the streets
Australians standing in cafes
surrounded w gorgeous Albanians
under trees in the shade Elz. Taking it all for granted.
 

Cables
(1) Birdwood & staff. when arrive.
(2) Parade etc.
(3) Weather.
(4) N.E. corner of 1st Pyr.  There is points
(5) Interpreters 3 [: NZs on Sunday
Ezbekich  Cafe
(6.) How men spend time in camp  All down to earth
Far better hospital plan
7: Satisfied Eg. better Salisb. plan accounts of Sal plan
8: Early morning mist on Pyramids
Diagram - see original document
9: Mails received
10: Turk forces in Egypt.
Cairo Season
c
Donkey races in streets
Our little interview
The ceremony
The flag, national anthem,
What the [say
(including Mokattam)
[*CAB*]  

 

with crowds circles
Native way - not English way - of
managing it is to lash into
crowd for all they are worth.
Chocolate - Sold it  cannot get
any more from Switzld.
E. Trade w Switzerld. is up by as folls:
Dec 1913 £178,585 to £270,695  
Dec 1914
Trade in Cairo in brass cartridges
dropped by us in desert already got to the
? Badges.
Shops in camp.
Story of 6000 Turkish
Last few weeks
everyone has bought them.
 

I.H.
I asked Gen. H what he thought of the Australian troops
The officers seem to understand that an order is an order and not a suggestion.
Of course they are trained troops now.
I have seen this from men notwithstanding and I know that they are.
I think the men have grown bigger
I saw many of these men notwithstanding and I am sure they have grown
I never said Australians were incapable of discipline - the
conventions of it are a little odd that is all. Which was a very fine
sight.
I.H. came out in a cruiser.
Out came Inflexible: We have been mined 18 March
They have to bring her to Lemnos and make a coffer
dam round her.
I was allowed to go up in the Phaethon. ^They said a certain area was clear. We saw
these great ships moving (apparently tied in from each) and 
it is up xx we had been there about an hour 
when we got a message from the Inflex., not a wireless
because her wireless had been shot but a vessel signal

 

message to say she had been mined and telling us to stand by.
She came along presently, the men all standing along her
decks and some of the destroyers and mine sweepers moving
along by her close alongside of their engines.
She was a little down by the head, that was all, but
they didn't know whether she would need help under the sea
any xxx moment. However they get her to
Lemnos. They will build a coffer dam around
her and send her to Malta.
175th Fr. ^ Inf from S of Fr. came in
S.S. Provence (landed Sund. March 28 1915)
Not in actn before in this war.
23 days in Bizerta.
Then 12 days in Lemnos where
they saw our 3rd brigade.

 

30. 56. Shep.

14.1.15

Grey gelding. X6. £25. DHQ. No 64

bought from Abdul

Ahmed.

19.

8

179

8

11.19.11

+1  0  1

13.11.0.
 
11/-     Tent furniture
5/-      papers
10/-     taxi
[[?]] 2/- cab
£1.10    Cable re authority (Dec. 12.)
£1.4     2nd cable re authy (Dec. 18.)
2/.     cab
£1.10.      taxi to camp (Dec. 20)
8s    taxi from camp.
£5.18.
29  12/- taxi
12            
14   10/-   ) Dec 30
Cab. 2/     )
 8/-     Dec 31
7.10     Band                     14    0
                                      7.  10
Jan. 1. Ismailiah cab      10    0
          Single fare              8    0
          Horse                       9    0
          Castara                    3    8
           Return Cairo         16    0
           Baedeker               14    0
Jan 8. cab.                         4    0
            cab                          5     0
Jan 9 4/-                       11   13    8
[*Exs*]

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