Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/32/1 - 1915 - Part 1

AWM38 Official History,
1914-18 War: Records of C E W Bean,
Official Historian. 
Diaries and Notebooks 
Item number: 3DRL606/32/1 
Title: Notebook, 1915
Includes references to various Australian Light
Horse Regiments, and Indian and New Zealand
units at Gallipoli.
AWM38-3DRL606/32/1

N.Z. Aug 6/10
& Hill 60

lnf.
Original  DIARY NO. 32.
AWM 38  3DRL 606 ITEM 32 [1] 
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 these 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.
16 Sep., 1946.       C.E.W. BEAN
AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL
ACCESS STATUS
OPEN

Lt Oliver 8 L H. Observing Aug 7.
Capt. Thorn 21. MB.
Corpl. Rickard.
___
{ Carruthers L. C
{ Moore
{ Cavanagh
Owen's hit.
Duns in Eng.
Lambert sick,
Dr Fitzpatrick of Sydney.
Young chap.
Wolsey
Malone ) bad arm
 

NZ. Aug 6/10
& Hill 60
Lt Nesbit.  Otago Inf.
for Duncan.

Sergt Finlay
C Coy 17 Bn
Turks at [[shorthand]]

(32) 

Abt 8 found. All but 25 accounted for.
2 Wilts 1 w boots off in little
humpy; I Gurkha.
Turks were in gully
[Antill tells me of the following men who have
been doing fine
xx patrol work:-
(Rickards Corpl 10^th - xx - Ex-signaller
Sergt  Linacre of 9^th
Corpl. Friday of 9^th
all gt scouts.
also of an
Old chap of 60 ^white hair & 2 sons killed

whom he found in his Bde.
Chap who was crying.
Rick. ^stayed 30 hrs with days rations ^in the Dere.
Brought in 3 rifles one night) xxxxx 
Antill tells me that
Sergt Wilson of 9^th L.H. at Bottom
of Sazli Dere [[shorthand]]
left remaining 3 of patrol hel behind & went on
to observe. Suddenly ran into a patrol of 4 Turks,
one leading, 3 behind As 1^st T  shot him
at 8 yds. He fired & k him,
bayoneted 2^nd (rifle up to hilt in 

blood) Bombed 2 remaing killing one he thought
[*& got back w / rifle of one of these Turks as well as
his own covered with blood.  Mates carried him in 150 d.
Hop out of trench & go down. Whole brigade now has to go out
every night -
one each night*]

Throssel's V.C.
Hill 60. Night of Aug 28. Callery,
Jaffray, & Fry K. Throssell 2Lt.
from ranks (newly promoted) w Capt. Kidd
of 10 L.H. Trench lost by Connaughts. 5 Connaught Rs.
No room in trench bec. so full
of dead Ts. ^Throssel ws running up & down
behind trench encouraging men
& bomb throwing. Bomb
dropped onto him opened up
back muscles & shoulder blade
& hit in 3 other places. Went on
for 2 hours when nearly fainted.
They sent him back; Dr fixed
him up & he wanted to come
back but they wouldn't allow

Hill 60. Aug. 28/9^th
Assault by
9 L.H. at 3.30. am 28 Aug.
1 am. 29 Aug. by 10 L.H.
(Loss of these two 170.)
10 L.H.
K. Fry, Leake, & MacBean.
" Total (k & w) 85

The next night
A wounded 9^th L.H. man, ws
recovered from under 2 dead
Turks & ws dragged out but
died on way to F.A.
 

3 ofr. k. & 68 o.rs k. w. or m.
Total 71.

1

9 L.H.                                                    
?27^th Attack by 9^th. on { Aug 28 night
                                            { Aug. 29. morng.        
Warned 7 P.m.
9.30 went out Lt Phillis & 50 men
went out to reinforce Russell who put in amongst own.
11.30 Capt Parsons, Capt Jaffray
Lt Macdonald w 100
12. Capt Callery & 25 men.
Maj Parsons w 52 men
bombed way along fire trench
abt 100 yds but had to retire
abt 20 yds & barricade.
Attack.
12.30 Col. Rinell, Capts Callery
& Jaffrey & Lt M'Donald
w 75 men attempted to
cross over & join N.Z.
& then wheel to left &
fight back to mates at
barricade. They seemed to
lose directn in scrub &
arrived at trench held by
Parsons; set out again
for where Ts were & came
under withering fire - mg.

2
& rifle, bombs. Lt M'Don. Sergt
Maj. Shaw & 3 men got back.
20 wounded called in. 1 Sergt
& 15 men on rt were detached
but reached in end trench from
wh started. M'D after getting
back returned 4 times & brought
in 4 wd. men.
Maj. Parson's party ws
bombed back further but fought
back somewhat & feld held.
At 10 a.m. on 29^th Lt M'D.
w covering party fought way w
bombs along trench & connected
w 10 L.H. who had some time
previously rushed trenches &
taken them. Rinell & Jaffrays
bodies found - not Callerays
A wounded 9^th L.H. man was
recovered next night under 2 dead Turks and
ws dragged out, but died on way to Field
Ambulance. (xxxxxxx)
3 offrs k. 68 men o.r k. w. or m.
Total 71.
(10^th A.L.H. - see below)

3
Bomb fight ws kept up till
Sept 7 (partly training K's army
who were sandwiched with us)
Kidd gave orders agst picking up
bombs as they were shortening fuses,
on finding
every bomb
thrown back.
Diagram - see original document

After this
put in
little sandbag
steps or traverses
to catch bombs
so tt men cd w as to localise effect of explosion.
Also threw sandbags.
On Aug 29.
The HQ. Cook of 10 L.H.
cooked for whole regt,
supplied a 3 course
meal for whole regt.,
(abt 2 pm.) & carre w 
batmen carted water 1½
miles.
That night Aug 28/29 we were
supposed to have thrown 3200 bombs 
[*4

from abt 20 yds of trench every one lit w a match.
Tpr Ferrier ws suppd to have thrown 500 till he had his*]

[*5 arm blown off throwing out a Turk bomb & walked
down trench to dressing stn. Died since (well known
family W.A.). A Sqn. provided all own horses etc. whole lot
wiped out at Russells top.*] 

4
10 L.H. 28/29 Aug
L^t Howard, Burgess & 50 men
detailed at 2 a.m. on 29 Aug.
under Gen Russell to proceed to
reserve trenches w bombs.

At 6.10 p.m. message from
Gen Russell asking for 50
more. 

At 3 p.m. officers 8.30 p.m. Operatn Order
instructing 10^th L.H. to recapture
recaptured trenches on N W slope
of hill 60.
At 7.8 Assault went forward under
m.g. rifle & bombs & seized
T. trenches. Heavy bombing
thro night & heavy c-attack
at daylight wh repulsed
w much loss. During
day fighting cont^d but
trenches deepened & bodies
thrown out. 2 m gs xx

20 Aug
2   5
emplaced. Report ^C.O.s report ran:- "Altho

exhausted still in Positn."
Casualties  3 offrs k. 3 w.
                      79 others.
                      85
Lt Macdonald & Capt Kidd did
splendid work; & Throssell,
(Continued at (3) on last page but one)
Mtn Bty, Hill 60
On Aug 20 Ferguson of
21 Batty ws told he wd be
required to bring one gun into
/ firing line o / Australian Bde
in order to atta cover /
attack next day. He went along
& chose a place on N end of
Djamelik. He was asked to
See Gen. Cox & the Genl. when he

21 Aug

6
told him where his gun ws
sd: "Oh, tt will never do. I want
it here" putting his finger on / map.
It ws then 7 p.m. So F asked for
Cox sent a staff officer to show him
where. F., on reaching / place (it ws
dark) sd: "now if I guarantee to
have my gun w its muzzle over /
parapet will you guarantee tt I
can see / lowest T. trench," Yes.
Gun Pit ws dug in & gun put there.
In morning F looked & clearly
the gun cd not see / lowest Trench.
Searched abt for another place.
Found a low half trench of ours
in scrub on hill top thro wh cd
just see lowest T. trench. Dug
emplacement there. Cdnt move
gun till bombardment started.
Then moved gun round. After
fight fight began F turned gun on to

21 Aug

7 Aug
(meant for Aug 8
C.E.W.B. 25/5/23)

7 

parapet of T. commn trench -
Saw 3 first Ts come along it. At
first unsure whether 1st Australn.
2nd ws dark. 3rd ws clearly T.
so let fly. First of all cd only see
heads of Ts coming in. By end of
fight cd see their knees as they
scrambled over heaps of dead bodies.
If gun were only 9. f. & cd fire 20
rounds per minute inst. of 3 or 2
he thinks he cd have stopped Ts.
altogether & our men wd have had
whole of knoll.
4 Bde:
The mtn battery gun men
say tt / reason / affair on
Abdul Rahman on Aug 7
failed ws tt / troops did not
push up during / bombardment.
The Ts withdrew from / ridge
(or they may have) during / bombt.,