Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/38C/1 - Notebook - Part 6

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open to contributions
Accession number:
RCDIG1066741
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 11

26 Orvicts 10½ Soathern Pera armadale Saldanha Katuna Htymeltue Suffolk Anglo- Egyptian Willshire Medie ascanies Sear of Expland Geelong Porthincolo Karso Marere Clan Mac Cosqustals 12½ Euripudes ArgyUshers Shropshire Afric Benalla Rangatira Star of Witora Hrorate Ourch Miltiades Maunganus orars Ftar of Indis timerict tahiti drawa Athense Hawkes Bay Rnopetia Haimana 12.130 N767 7.635 6.153 4.59.4 4.641 6.600 7.573 7.379 10.390 12.032 10.008 9.100 7.951 7.203 6.127 6.443 5.058 14.941 10.392 11191 11,999 11,118 10.108 9.150 9.491 8.130 7.214 7.527 7.201 6.800 S.PM 7.087 9.212 12.134 6,800 7.285 10.189 Officers Yea Horses 290n diiiin Headquarters 2nd field loy Eagn. Drils. Hisquas Melb. Eght H. Ambulena, Divt Avra (ld deleilgan SydOMell. Field Artill & F.A. Delarls 5yd Chieff houes Reseive Park. Details of Everything Adelacts GRF.A. Details Di Am. Col & 3/ Pigll Voree Hobert 9340 Dravin only 6 feet. Fain, SyD. Mcl. Ad. And Ballation Sytny RistMelb. 4th L.1; 2nd Field Ambalange yelb PKEdepart of 112 ASel. 1Perk 32EABpK, Sod Keld Amb. Adel & Peet 1016 Batter 11th Battn Brisbone 2r0LH yell s Hob. 12th Inf. Brfield Coy. Adel. 304 so Ssquallers, Fiel and Eng l Melb. Detailo FA. & Own Amm (EPanp Wayins) Melb 2 Guns. Syd. 31 & 4t Ballas & 1SPfied [Ambe Syd F.A. Bryate 2ad FA. Brigadl. Drtail Dive1 Amm. Col. 1ell Syd. Field Cay- 18 Batton & Syd Train& Nell. 8th Bn & Coyof Traw Brisb Field artillery 18tLH Serday 2 Gans. Met. 64 Bo. 712 Bn. Brish 9r Br. 2LH train Iuperial Receivest 98
Tn British officer 193 (Fi i alion). i Bit. Eapia. o ende bunting intending IWill, Egyst. (R.0. Le Gex)B 662 G 8 grass P) 10966;is - 1. 7- ht5-2. d1so servent shat ho, a camed case in pint This 57) Sbelter,I goor no. Sub was sup the Cl ofice in 13at I fo a cilian goor, he went off his heads II fearful now o x300 0 Now X 1 s1s was of . H I Coll ofice (an t a hecs serving) o of -give.I getting o ?J. Nill. sconfoud o eland 106007 blue stands (but only a general lecince)f 111.I had a splendid head &he 1 im anxiou o warried He as recalled (mat he yord1 be o companion l Eland gute71is but as. Eland allow21 1.7 a court bec fine you ruples 50.1 M 61 I anxious to get rid t of my reiccar,g reotr1) .70-6c2 1263. pmpedknw7. lunati 8 x - 272 20,61 of ty went. lun - $23.1s0 B insulling. stewards, 108 I goanese 1)1 e blede 2 01713311c0. He goanes Fh27 1165 -08613364100to told in well Iy.L.61 --54 - 196410 Firsr 6 6o0. - every day v. pew here 101C, at Adm 7 Brit. India L- t adm i 74 - relishedi
8 t friend 1.4 .FC (cadin of So. moment beped actoni ls tr an Austrian sd going to tris ( 8147 . Indian Civilian 2 erou 1091 is or to my ln two paternised & t1 po n isis ring what L80po, - of o wosi HCL. LT1 lalking500 Coloniel office et. ct. I extraordin save sC. 67c7-8 of his province C, went of the rails 0 before.Ibitcurious - T they quarretted 3L PofWN l sI subaltems invieD.L.LR eveny in champag old Ind. Civil So L.10- man 96 1266 co o at Port Sad. is askore 7 of call I coand i swordotit i canel 0h 0 PEc 5s. 79-Pi taky, fae..s cable to0 Lo toughts (.)8 & other fellow) Hetw720 3rs d. 4 lat 17) other chapa to my calin oles stocabin Oh MrV, 18. wai canel 176c. . The old cvilion) 8 16. My man Cy o Jc. old civilian 1ts fright & botted fr. alleyway &s cabins co man after -c c16cia in Brit. E. Ap. 11s0 and217 op 2cct 2 to,72 siddc 1at- C7 5 S4coD SeR Siyc, R 7 1170 civition, anlock o4 - -1 Natural37110x000 lt 10 apportunitya boi is lanatic n. To cabin Pe 7, Triish. Sput any for chasigs had7 is order s other man so lanatics o ought as w2 solid days lE.L into truste - 9c0 Friesh At Fiit 177107160n 10 a diferent I CPo in Frieste t 7. I1p.6 1c 981 steps cort Att 347. J8 I there's Hope "" 5 hor 7.T We had trouble ot 6 c130es 16.mword of C6 rotters 46100.50 about to? forCx The forcige didnt b160982 yo are all mad77. 5 calois iti wl had 7oags half Europe a C Lo got thro ed 74E London fagged out & went to steep inc nowler ha y1a 87 Pl.1 I had it vey so took. hat o007 109 c 135 Ls. 147t B.E. Apsica, Nn 7176,4s, WILCnxT p. atwgoing2g ewhen I woke from C8Noc 27 6c yl old chap 100 -70
sused]? at.BC3L.v1517,1024111 pattelic enlg 1 175ir Tuf.R friend tansalC 9 7 Brit. officers in S.A. set to map out degree squares - Authorities wanted & to make a map. Sent up G. because the other squares were at prepared except abt 20 miles along the lins between the two sets of degrees. They had conveyed the real at t miles a nites day. It turned out this soLips was al mountain. That wsek it had be left Ofacer who wd do anyting for service, Even make love to Ks wife? PupposeK were an oldman who married a young wife who as trying to do her duty + keep his house happy, but had found out her mistake. O. makes love to her, not in carrest. She thinks him in earrest, at legth breaks doon, smaches up happy home, & then finds he doesn't care two pus. gives away her country could this possibly be right: (story of fhy from Austratian bush carried out to soa. Story of microbl war on human race. of the mos WH. I opinion: 3 officers in the any Naig, Son. Dowin, & Carty Hutton- C. Hulton never waited an instant to make Aphies went. De Licle used to read service to his troops in S.A. Now, men, what hyme wd you tike ? Dopular to Anshalians
AUSTRALLAN WAR MEMORIAL The British Officer Young soldier who was Covernor of a province in British East When Africa, after his term ended he decided to go off hunting with a friend intending finally to go down the Nile to Egypt. (R.O. de Gex was killed by a lion a few days after they had killed 5 lions there bering he made a great fight and tried to gouge out its eves, after fighting. He had set fire to the bush where it was supposed to be and stood close to the side of the grass. The lion was much closer to him than he knew and came out at him. He fired one shot and didn’t Kill. She got hold of him and he hit her across the head with his rifle and broke the rifle across her head and then tried to gouge out her eves. His servant shot her. He was taken to a settlement and seemed to be getting well, but died of shock. A case in point. This soldier K was succeeded by a Subaltern who became Governor of the province. The Sub was a bit wild. And when he was superseded by the Col. Office (under whom he was serving) for a civilian Covernor., he went off his head. There was 2 fearful row. K was recalled by the new Covernor. Now X at this ane we moment was shooting was hoping that between the.... office and onial the Colf Office (under each of whom he was serving) might lose sight of him and give him the chance of getting his trip down one day homsey wartie the Nile. He had found means.confronted by a big blue Eland. He did not have a licence for shooting blue elands (but only a general licence) and he was not sure if it was rot. 55iterce But he shot it. Ithad a splendid head and he was very anxious to Keep it. He was recalled (when 4 messenger arrived he ignored him but 12
2. when one arrived the next day he and his companion thought it wise to obey). He went in to the capital and being an honest man he reported to the new Government about the Eland. He said 1m quite prepared to pay a fine or do anything else if you want but as the Eland is dead now I hope you will allow me to Keep the head. The Government said of course it is a very serious matter and there is a court to be held soon and if you come up before me I shall have to fine you 1000 rupees or So. but I shan't be holding the court for a few days because I am very anxious to get rid of my predecessor. He is going by a boat leaving the day after tomorrow and if you care to Go with him and look after him and are not here when the court is held I shall not find it necessary to fine you in your absence. It would be doing us a good turn because we are very anxious to get somebody to go over with him and look after him. X jumped at it and went by the boat. Somehow they knew that he had some sense of hold over the lunatic because the lunatic had been telling them. lets wait till X comes back from up country and see what he will do. Well off they went. The lunatic gave little trouble for the first few weeks beyond insulting the stewards, but as the stewards were goanese it did not matter so much. He would order a boiled egg for breakfast and when it was brought he would open it and call up the unofficial Goanese steward and ask him if ths he thought it was good. smell this! he would say and then rub it in his face. Told in first person from here: bcar Well I managed to ?..... the steward by giviging him 5 rupees - he would have willingly had his face rubbed with an egg every day at that price. We had to change at Aden into 2 Brit. India ship going homeward. It meant 4 or 5 days in Aden
3. waiting for her and Irelished less and less the prospect of having my friend at a club in a little place like that (You know what Aded is) so the moment our ship arrived I hopped ashore and went to the agents and managed to get our tickets changed for an Austnian boat going to Trieste at once. (I heard there was an Austrian boat in port just leaving 1 just had time). Well we got on board and there, as luck would have it, 1 found there was, amongst the passengers, e little Indian civilian going home after a nervous breakdown. In fact he was very much in the same condition as my lunatic and the two fraternised. They marched up and down all day long telling ane another their grievances - each one telling his own and not hearing what the other chap said as long as he could fire off his own woes. You would see the mwalking He.. Hesk. 9ll. day talking of when they were going to report had congratulated mysel, o to the Colonial Office etc. etc. and I was ........ et having practically ..,got my lunatic off my hands. He was extraordinarily Sane on most topics and it was only when you got him on the subject of his province that he went off the rails - you might travel with him for three weeks before you began to realise that he was a bit curious and wonder if anything were wrong with him. But unfortunately the curtain came. They guarrdled. It was all over a dinner on the P. of Wcs birthday. (no, the King's birthday, November 9). My lunatic, who like most Pritish at all cont Subalterns was not ...Y. to spending his money proposed that they should invite all the other passengers to drink thatevening in the Kings health with..champagne. The old Indian civilian shied off the proposition at once. My man called 14
4. him disloyal and there was a fearful row. It was just about thn that we arrived at Port Said. My friend (2 went ashore and bought of all things in the world a swordstick and a wooden camel. (Oh. I must also tell you that he conceived the ideap very and began to get ever excited about a lady, an old flame of his, whom he said he would cable to meet him and sent a wire from for there- that rather took his thoughts off the other subject of the other fellow). Well he came back on board and we were getting near our journey’s end and I was beginning to congratulate myself that the chance of trouble was disappearing when coming down the Gangway one night to dress for dinner I heard the voice of my lunatic at the bottom of the stairs talking to the other chap. He was standing outside his cabin. Oh Mr Y. he said, come to my cabin to see a wooden camel which I have got. It is a wonderful piece of work. The old civilian was mad scared of him by this time and he refused. My man exploded and the next thing I knew was that the old civilian had taken fright and bolted down the alleyway between the cabins with my man after him with a revolver. I Knew if he had this revolver when we went about in Brit. E. Africa and I had taken all his cartridges the second day out. When he bought the Swordstick I took that away from him too but I had forgotten about this revolver. The old civilian managed to reach a cabin and locked himself in and refused to come out. There was my lunatic standing outside with his revolver in his hand Folling with laughter. (he was a bit of a sport and he was rotter; by God I the .... of the situation). Silly old. frightened the life out of the old bugger, he said. We had to get the Captain and a number of ship's officers down there before we could persuade the civilian to unlock his door and come out.
5. Naturally the skipper was anxious to get rid of us at the first possible moment. He was going to lock up my lunatic and put him ashore at the first opportunity but I managed to bring him round in the end to leaving us alone by undertaking to Keep him in his cabin until we got to Trieste. I put it to him there that the captain was very angry with him for chasing the other man and had asked us to remain in our cabin for the rest of the voyage in order to avoid meeting the other man - 1 said: The other man is a lunatic - you ought to have seen that - he really has no responsibility for what he may do. I managed to Keep him there by playing bridge with him for 2 solid days - you may imagine that I have refused bridge ever since. We played bridge morning, noon and night until the ship got into Trieste. You may guess I was glad when Trieste appeared on the horizon. At Trieste we had to get into a train. You know that train. It takes about a day and a half and in that time you have to 90 through about six different countries. Of course to begin with 1 lost him in Trieste. Ten minutes before the train was due to Start I had to find him. I was standing on the step of the Carriage with his luggage and .. inside watching the platform for him, but I could not find a sign of him. About 3 minutes before the train started I saw him. He came rushing up the platform with a paper in his hand wildly waving it and rushed up to me shouting There's Hope. It was a telegram from the lady. We had trouble at every one of those border towns that we passed. He decided not to open his luggage for anyone. What Tight do they have to doubt the word of a British officer? What Fight have these rotters to look at our luggage, he asked. 16
6. He said he was damned if he were going to open his box for official any of them. The foreign officers didn’t turtt to t they thought that he was just an ordinary Englishman and the English are all mad. I had to do the best I could to explain things away. We got to Calais in the end - we had left bits of custem his luggage scattered round half Europe at various ..... houses, but we ourselves got through. We got into the train to London. I was fagged out and went to sleep in the corner of the carriage. In the rack was a helmet case of mine and in it beside my helmet was a Dowler hat. I had bought it in London just before setting out. I had started unexpectedly and I took the hat with me in case I wanted it. When 1 Got half way there I realised that it was useless and 1 once or twice meant to leave it behind. But I kept it until I Got to B.E. Africa, and having got it so far, I determined to Cowler hat bring it back with me. So I carried that peliey out all round the world for 18 months without being able to wear it. But now we were approaching London it was going to be of use for the Lirst time. When I woke from that sleep in the corner of the train 1 found that my lunatic was looking very ill. I have been feeling very bad old chap he said and very Vour absence about us I thought you would'nt mind if I used your hat! His father met us at the station. Poor old chap he couldn’t understand it at all. He couldn’'t see why it should have happened. That was a rather pathetic ending to it all. He ran through a lot of money in London (his lady friend turned up to meet him. I heard of him afterwards in the Transvaal. He was farming (7) and for all I know he may be there now.
S D 12329 209 110

                                            Officers  Men  Horses

3       Orvieto       15   12.130                     Headquarters. 2nd Field Coy Engrs                     Details                                                                                    Divisional Headquarters                                      Melbourne

27    Southern    10 1/2     4.769            Light H. Ambulance, Div Amm Col details      Syd & Melb

4.     Pera             11             7.635            Field artill. & F.A. Details - (Chiefly artillery horses)  Syd.

26    Armadale   11             6.153            Reserve Park       

12    Saldanha     11            4.594           Details of Everything                                              Adelaide    

13    Katuna         11            4.641            Gil F.A., Details Divl Am. Col. & 3rd Light Horse  Hobart & Syd.                                                                        Drawing only 6 feet.

1   Hymettus       11 1/2      4.606           Train,                                                                           Syd. Melb. Ad. 

23   Suffolk          12           7.573            2nd Battalion                                                            Sydney

25  Anglo-Egyptian  12   7.379                                                                                                  Bris & Melb.
 

18  Wiltshire      14           0,390           4th L.H., 2nd Field Ambulance                             Melb

7    Medic           13      12,032      3rd F.A. Brigade, 3rd Field Amb. 8th F.A & part of 11th  Adel & Perth

11   Ascanius      13      10,048              10th Battn   11th Battn                                              Adel & Perth

15  Star of England   13 1/2   9.150     2nd L.H.                                                                       Brisbane
2   Geelong       12      7.951                  12th Inf.  3rd Field Coy.                                              Melb & Hob.

17  Port Lincoln 12     7.243                 3rd L.H.                                                                       Adel. 

10  Karoo             12     6.127                 Signallers. Details of Field Amb.     .......& Inf       Melb

21  Marere      12 1/2    6.443                Details F.A. & Divn Ammn .........(Trans..............)     Melb

6   Clan Mac Corquodale  12 1/2  5.058   

14  Euripides  15        14.947                2 guns  3rd & Fth Battns. & 1st Field Amb.        Syd    2 Guns

8.  Argyllshire  14      10.392                F.A. Brigade                                                               Syd       

9   Shropshire  14      11,911                  2nd F.A. Brigade. Details Div 1 Amm. Col.          Melb 

19  Afric              13     11,999                 1st Battn & Syd Train & Field Coy.                         Syd.

24 Benalla        14     11,118                   8th Bn. & Coy of Train                                             Melb

22 Rangatira    14    10, 118                  Field Artillery                                                            Brisb.

16  Star of Victoria  13 1/2   9.152        1st  LH.  Sydney                                                        Syd.

.....  Hororata    14      9,491                  6th Bn.  7th Bn                                                        Melb.  2 guns 

5   Omrah        15      8,130                   9th Bn. & L.H. train                                                 Brisb

28 Miltiades    13      7.814                   Imperial Reservists  

3   Maunganui  16   7.527    

6   Orari            13      7.207     

8  Star of India 11    6,800    

7  Limerick      13     6,827    

4  Tahiti            17     7.585    

10 Arawa          12     9.372    

11  Athenic       12     12.234

9  Hawkes Bay 12   6,800

5  Ruapetia     13     7.885                                                                           

12 Waimana   14    10,389                                                                        

convoy                                                                                                  
aviators.
[[?]]

H 


Thr British officer
HAND DRAWN SHORTHAND  PLEASE SEE ORIGINAL
 

 

HAND DRAWN SHORTHAND  PLEASE SEE ORIGINAL

 

 

166

[[SHORT HAND]]
Brit. Officers in S.A. set to map out degree squares - Authorities
wanted 4 to make a map. Sent up G. because the other squares
were all prepared except abt 20 miles along the line between the
two sets of degrees. They had surveyed the rest at 50 miles a
day.  It turned out this 20 degrees miles was all mountain. That ws why
it had bn left.

Officer who wd do anything for service, "Even make love to X's wife".
suppose xx X were an old man who married a young wife who
ws trying to do her duty & keep his home happy, but had found out her
mistake. O. makes love to her, not in earnest. She thinks him
in earnest, at length breaks down, smashes up happy home,
gives away her country - & then finds he doesn't care two [[p?]]
could this possibly be right?
(story of fly from Australian bush carried out to sea.)
9sotry of microbe war on human race.)
Wh.'s opinion: 3 ^of the wont [[?]] officers in [[?]] [[?]] Haig, Sen. Dorreen, &
Curly Hutton. C. Hutton never waited an instant to make
up his mind.
De Lisle used to read service to his troops in S.A. "Now, men,
what hymn wd you like?" Popular w Australians.
 

 


AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL


The British Officer
Young soldier who was Governor of a province in British East
Africa after when his term ended he decided to go off hunting with a
friend intending finally to go down the Nile to Egypt.  (R.O. de Gex
was killed by a lion a few days after they had killed 5 lions there -
he made a great fight and tried to gouge out its eyes, after fighting [[?]].
He had set fire to the bush where it was supposed to be and stood
close to the side of the grass.  The lion was much closer to him
than he knew and came out at him.  He fired one shot and didn't
kill.  She got hold of him and he hit her across the head with his
rifle and broke the rifle across her head and then tried to gouge out
her eyes.  His servant shot her.  He was taken to a settlement
and seemed to be getting well, but died of shock.

A case in point.  This soldier X was succeeded by a Subaltern who
became Governor of the province. The Sub was a bit wild. And
when he was superseded by the Col. Office (under whom he was
serving) for a civilian Governor., he went off his head.  There was
a fearful row.  X was recalled by the new Governor.  Nowe X at this
moment was shooting ^and was hoping that between the War office and
the Col^onial Office )(under each of whom he was serving) might lose
sight of him and give him the change of getting his trip down
the Nile.  He had found means himself one day, confronted by a big
blue eland. He did not have a licence for shooting blue elands
(but only a general licence) and he was not sure if it was not [[?]]
but he shot it.  Ithad a splendid head and he was very anxious to keep
it.  He was recalled (when a the messenger arrived he ignored him but
.../2

 

2.

when one arrived the next day he and his companion thought
it wise to obey).  He went in to the capital and being an
honest man he reported to the new Governmentor about the Eland.
He said "I'm quite prepared to pay a fine or do anything else
if you want but as the Eland is dead now I hope you will allow
me to keep the head".  The Governmentor siad "of course it is a
very serious matter and there is a court to be held soon and
if you come up before me I shall have to fine you 1000 rupees
or so. but I shan't be holding the court for a few days because
I am very anxious to get rid of my predecessor.  He is going
by a boat leaving the day after tomorrow and if you care to
go with him and look after him and are not here when the
court is held I shall not find it necessary to fine you in 
your absence.  It would be doing us a good turn because we are
very anxious to get somebody to go over with him and look after
him.  X jumped at it and went by the boat.  Somehow they knew
that he had some sense of hold over the lunatic because the
lunatic had been telling them.  "let's wait till X comes back from
up country and see what he will do".  Well off they went.  The
lunatic gave little trouble for the first few weeks beyond
insulting the stewards, but as the stewards were goanese it did
not matter so much.  He would order a boiled egg for breakfast
and when it was brought he would open it and call up the unofficial
goanese steward and ask him if xxx he thought it was good.
"smell this!"  he would say and then rub it in his face.
Told in first person from here:
Well I managed to sweeten the steward by gividng
him 5 rupees - he would have willingly had his face rubbed
with an egg every day at that price.  We had to change at Aden into
a Brit. India ship going homeward.  It meant 4 or 5 days in Aden
.../3

 

 

3.
waiting for her and I relished less and less the prospect of
having my friend at a club in a little place like that
(You know what Aden is)

 

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