Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/37/1 - January - February 1916 - Part 6

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Awaiting approval
Accession number:
RCDIG1066738
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

49 Good god - how do of English expect to win a war if the conduct it on this sort of spirit ito enoughto make you weep hackily Us only a section, I suppose, that really taken it that way. In this fole county they we as much right to their pivolity as anyove has to any other cherished right We are moving out very fast. I don't know what the course is again but I shd say it ws not an ordinary one. The weather is rough wh should be difficult for submarnes.
X 5 O0t fa 10 209 I saw it Pine as Lore First stage) Jepels scettng blhand it First lives banche s khilled ave 0 olooking for places ww Aashit w to pash in. I & contseewhat as ofy crowd ws busy 1 808 ppone 0 r etf 2 5 1522 1 5 s 3 A - x 5 29 t Our wire with jam tins etc in it. Th Piclure and be much wides thang this Othewill its right
sload 28 oc Either the signolliny shown on tower page or a conciding galled down 300 & shrap. busti on t particuler pet - wh quite shut out! trech from us. Elsewhere you co barely see, hazy forms n tro the dust & seft curly smoke drift - yellow in evening light - sun behind us! Threpael bustin (not more than 2 shells at a rime) & dust kicled up by pellets in little colomns. Miee irde 3333 3 7 This was constantly happening. s Lols E m a ou he 20 minutes latert t sketch
2 145 234 vouied 50 8y 86 s pre Owins Gulle 4 Tohnson's Fally during hove Pive attact. biee 2nd Brigade (waving his reriscope) now ✓ & M Cay at Helles; well, Bean the time when I have to do the damned heroie Pow Act- Now ten Austiclians which of you are Anstalions. Come on Australians And they all got up from amoo the hanc. to farrison Fasiliers who had thrench, shouting po $00 come on Bustratians 1 p0 on Austalian 11 Ache Bat away rising to briting Ma 00 6702 £0 27 23 3 Parapy 3 34 A 6 6. A Head thencaster In pont of orange pounded man sill Falitier in Sch (ooom parapet 500 yds of Arel cap Kroat dry long grasst fus smell I a
Cosves or hor of wnith t Co. M. Wichol X ter trees 574 10 v ts Dulla 1 duet Dan from bullets Fese Frach sho be more crowded - Bryad HA pan were all in 1 trench beside turtie. wounded signatler May 8th 8 In the charge of the End Bde at Helles - In the Tomonies truck a red eark trench with parapit of red eart (nd sand bags & parados of some red earth behind wh many men rested instead of getting into trench as most did. When they go up for I charge I men seemed to stand just for one paction of a moment. half crouching & glaring into the evemy's fire, wh was very heavy, before they sterted. There ahd be more of them, but it loked very like this picture all same. Each live as alld abt 3 minutes in I bench, wh was half way to where we reached (& bassince by called the Hustralian French 8 then it got up like this & went on. when t t or good line ws due, to leave Col Mn Nichol asked Col. MCay who was in t truch. Well, do you want us to so on. M Cay sol yeo. 2
burile gun hills doa 1000 yes abad Achi Baba A3Fo 5 e /23 41 Dry grass i occasional buillet spits) H.R. of M Cays Brigade in Krittie chargo one youngite ( forgit is he ws one o eynatter Pace a very fast walte carrying preet ws holding up to monies truck ws some way ahiad a Grade to protect his head) miles W Beach att e pact wact afer matine 1 12 286e some of lines behind us advancing thro' Tirapnet as we looked back at him from position in above picture
21 feef 1f it Apnt Bat K. e rubbey Hill Hitl 60. First siene. men swarning ap scrubly Hill on my sice of Kaiagik vallers disappearing down into 1vally. (Tws in trenches of 1312 Bn) warks 00 1 5 but this tre taken &held of w the aed Gol Stil falling in this t tenentmnon any kiasit valuy. wese shells brough the later times of A 24 Hampshure B back to here have exaperated the Liz of Hill bo Shellsbe Hill 60 6. burct in this in order to on thest (Our mgs from Monast trunches give room. truches were sprinkly ground over hire on unseen side of hill. parks often afterwos infileded, all these o mannel & were bange the East. truckes from at monashes truches too.
at 40c O figne probably a turk M. 60 one e e te H W.z. verms Biilishhere Corbey here Tarks in here Ap 26 m ar4 2 y Lostw, Blanney Charge of 92 & 1aken ns walling fipt. pap along what was then called Razor back" in reveie (E.N. of whitevaller) about 3 to 4 pm. Monday Ap. 26. This was just abt time when order to cease fire came along line
05 00 4 X 14 9 4 3 is po e 57
58 Sat. Feb. 5. Arrive at Portsan wihout being submarined& took teain to Cairo to find out where H.C. were. Bdd ws full of British troops:- It as not till tmailia th we Frann into 1Austalians. They have given them post of honour on Canal - whole of partish ws seriouly attacked last year. fet t Devi P. Teraseum 1 s o wess on Hgis at - 8: 1 Ferry0 mils of ling to depend to 1 et. o . Bille wh mites estend 6o Dun take 613 6 00 oe C 2n0 81 Febe. Reber, also old Howitzer in Exgypt. The heavy howatzo OD.S Taunton in England yet. They have 4 9.20 & 4 oter gans are to be given them, prolabl 5.9 of ou pattern Theeny Corps H.C. is at smailia & the ganeagl H.O. is

49
Good God - how do / English
expect to win a war if they
conduct it in this sort of spirit.
It's enough to make you weep.
Luckily its only a section, I suppose,
that really taken it that way.
In this free country they've as
much right to their frivolity
as everyone has to any other
cherished right.
xxxx We are moving out
- very fast. I dont know
what the course is again,
but I shd say it ws not
an ordinary one. The weather
is rough wh should be difficult
for submarines. 

 

50
Hand drawn diagram - see original
Vol II.
Sk. No 209)
Lone Pine as I saw it
(First stage)

Hand drawn diagram - see original 

 

51
Either the signalling shown on lower page or

a coincidence called down 3 or 4 shrap. bursts

on tt particular point - wh quite shut out /

trench from us. Elsewhere you cd barely

see hazy forms running thro' the dust &

soft curly smoke drift - yellow in evening

light - sun behind us.
Hand drawn diagram - see original document
This was constantly happening.
Hand drawn diagram - see original document 

(20 minutes later than

1st sketch)

 

52

Hand drawn diagram - see original document
Johnson's Jolly during Lone Pine attack -
 

Hand drawn diagram - see original document
2nd Brigade
& McCay at Helles


 

 

53
Hand drawn diagram - see original document

There shd be

Trench shd be more

crowded - Brigade H.Q.

were in / trench beside

/ wounded signaller

 

May 8th

In the charge of the 2nd Bde at Helles - In the "Tommies"

trench - a red earth trench with parapet of red earth (no

sandbags & parados of some red earth behind wh

many men rested instead of getting into trench as

most did. When they got up for / charge / men

seemed to stand just for one fraction of a moment,

half crouching & glaring into the enemy's fire, wh

was very heavy, before they started. There shd be more

of them, but it looked very like this picture all / 

same. Before Each line ws alld abt 3 minutes

in / trench, wh was halfway to where we

reached (& has since bn called the "Australian Trench") &

then it got up like this & went on. When the 1st or 2nd line

ws due to leave Col McNichol asked Col, McCay who was

in / trench. Well, do you want us to go on. McCay sd yes.


[*So McN - jumped up on / parados by the

tree & immediately spun round & sank down.

McC. sd. Are you hit? Two men were tearing at

McN's collar. "Only slightly I think," he sd - wh ws / case

blowing his whistle & waving / men on w his right hand.*]
 

 

54
Hand drawn diagram - see original document

H.Q. of McCays Brigade in Krithia charge.

Pace - a very fast walk.

Tommies trench ws some way ahead.


Hand drawn diagram - see original document


Some of lines behind us advancing thro' shrapnel

as we looked back at them from position in

above picture

 

55.
Hill 60. Aug. 21.
Hand drawn diagram - see original document

Men swarming up scrubby Hill on my side of

Kaiajik Valley, disappearing down into / valley. (I ws

in trenches of 13th Bn )
Hand drawn diagram - see original document

Hill 60

(our m.gs from Monash's

trenches were sprinkling ground over here

on unseen side of hill.)

Turks often afterwds enfiladed all these

trenches from the East. ←w shrapnel & were banging

at Monashes trenches too.

 

56

Hill 60 abt 4 o'c Aug 21
Hand drawn diagram - see original document

Ap 26th
Hand drawn diagram - see original document

This was just abt time when order to

"cease fire" came along line.

 

 

57 

Lone Pine: On Aug. 8. young Ross' gun when the

7th Battery was shelling the rear slopes of Lone Pine

had 600 shells fired at it (in the morning?) The Turks

knew this battery was shelling their concentration -

as soon as bayonets appeared on the rear slopes

No. 4 gun would get onto them. This was the

reason why they get onto this gun (No 4) wh they

could see. Row after row of sandbags was

knocked down from the epaulement but was

always built up. Fortunately Scrubby Knoll 

could not get at them over the top of the Pine.

The men always built / sandbags up again -

Ross's observer ws killed beside him but /

gun's crew stuck to it & fought / gun right thro'.

[* from the 6 in guns

in Asmak Dere- all

sizes.*]

 

Olive grove Guns.

A prisoner gave away / positn of an

observatn station of the Olive grove guns - in a

tree behind the groves. If you shell tt tree, he

sd. / guns will stop. The next time / gun

fired they shelled / bush - the gun did stop, at once
Hand drawn diagram - see original document
 

 

58

Sat. Feb. 5. Arrived at Port Said

without being submarined &

took train to Cairo to find out where

H.Q. were. Port Said ws full of British

troops - It ws not till Ismailia tt

we l ran into / Australians. They

have given them / post of honour on /

Canal - / whole o / part wh ws

seriously attacked last year.

1st Div Hqtrs at Serapaim. 2nd Divn

Hqtrs at Ferry 1st Divn 8 miles out
with 12 miles of line to defend to / rt o / Bitter
Lake. 2 Divn w 8 miles to defend to / N
of them 1st & 2nd [[shorthand]] Tel-el-Kebir;
also old Howitzer [[shorthand]]
in Egypt. The heavy howitzer

[[shorthand]] Taunton in England yet.

They have 4 9.2s & 4 other

guns are to be given them,

probably 5.9 of new pattern.

The Army Corps H.Q. is at

Ismailia & the General H.Q. is

 

 

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