Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/41/1 - March - April 1916 - Part 2

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handled & developed on
different principles because
Australia is a different
nation; & altho' / British
do not realise tt we have
different ideals & to some
extent a different character
yet we know tt we have.
& tt Australian British principles
cannot be applied in the
crude to Australians; That
may seem abstract but
/ moment you get
inexperienced British
commanding officers
administering Australian
troops you find / difference.
The system of promotion of

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officers - possibly / most
important matter of all -
is entirely different.
British C.Os havent to
scrutinise their ranks
carefully all / time to
pick out / best men for
officers. Australian C.Os
have to - it is a great
part of their duty. A
British C.O. of may be asked to
recommend candidates
for commissions once in
a while - but, if he does,
the candidate goes away
to an officers school in

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England, into a big pool
as it were, from whence
he issues as an officer
for any regts. For we
we gain half if He is if
a set policy separated
from his own regt. With
us we lose half / value
of a grand set of young
officers if we separate
them from / regt in wh
they were privates, or
at any rate form / brigade.
You want them w / C.O.
who knew them & _^often w /
men they knew; that is

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one concrete instance
wh / British don't realise.
Col. Tivey's 8^th Bde ws
for a time in Egypt in
a sort of way "nobodys
child." The result was
tt he lived from hand to
mouth, with temporary
promotions as best he
could - tt is probably an
example of an Australian
unit under the well
meaning control of a
British staff wh
really doesnt worry
very much abt them.

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Well - for these reasons
we cant pool our army
w / British army. What
other steps can be taken.
(1) The war office, could
take us under its
wing as a separate
army
(1) If the whole force
were goin to be together
in the field then probably
we cd go on as we
have done in Gallipoli.
Birdwood could be
the administrative
head and the c commander
in the field; & / work,
altho' heavy, cd be
done. It was done in

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Mena by Bridges &
White - & tho' it interfered
w / proper work of
training to some extent
yet they both got out
into / field a good deal,
& by his quick decision
White ws able to get
thro' a large amt of
administrative work
as well as training
& preparatn for war.
It worked in Gallipoli
- the fighting didnt
suffer because there
were big pauses in
between. At / evacuatn
& such times /
administrative work

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simply had to stand
over for 2 or 3 wks.
It has worked here during
/ creation of this new
Army corps bec. fortunately
there has bn no fighting
to do. The difficulty, tt
White is / only man
on Birdwoods staff w /
creative brain capable
of tackling this subject,
has forced / work onto
him & Birdwood.
It cd still be done
tt way - w one delegated
authority at / base to
settle small matters if /

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force were all together.
But w a senior General
like Godley & a whole
army corps left behind
this work can hardly
be done by a
junior general at /
base - & Australia
wdn't stand its being
given to Godley - She hasnt
/ confidence in him tt
She has in Birdwood.
You cannot for
tt same reason have
Birdwood & Godley
both given temporarily
coequal powers -
you must have one policy
in / force - & of / two tt
must be Birdwoods.

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Tell them - two authorities
(2) It wd be possible
for Birdwood to leave /
command o / troops
in / field & establish
an administratn
under himself in London,
to administer / whole
force. That wd undermine
/ confidence of Australians
in him at once - for
his prestige rests on his
work in / field & he
is looked on as / father
o / force & tt reputatn
is very valuable. One
has only to think of someone
else being suggested for his
job - say Godley - to
realise how hopeless it

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is to think of it.
(3) As an alternative
the War Office wd
establish a department
to administer both
corps from England. That
wd be all right if
the organisatn were an
old & established one w
men there who
understood / job. But
Someday / dominions
may have their
own staff there - but
not an improvised one.
(4) Or Murray has,
I believe, offered tt he