Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/41/1 - March - April 1916 - Part 8

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open to contributions
Accession number:
RCDIG1066745
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

84 The men here in Marscille are trying their level best Every officer says that wherever hewet sunctitiously saluted (and salutes are carried to an ddiotic extreme in France be British). I only saw one man in I least worse for liquor and he got home to I ship quite safely. They have taken to heart what we told them in an extraordinary way. The place swarms with women - very fascinating ones too. Ap 5. Lef Marseelles tonight. Saw one of our officers, in
85 uniform, talking to a prostitute outsede ones 1 cafes ofour & two men standing within five yards of him. How do officers expect the men to carry out Birdwoods appeal when they behv flout it like that ? Lieut. Williams Aet his ight horsemenit own last night. They came back all Tober 1 & told him to none of them had be w a woman & I be lieve them. But if men are trying, like this, to do their job & play I game what ought to besdto An officer like to one.
86 Saw Barton of the 15t Asuall Clearing (going to Rouen) at notre Davie de la Jarde. He sd they were within 3 hours of Steamer wh ws toipedoed - the Leonidas abelieve. It ws at about 4.20 pM. Afterwds ti heard to a warship had of the boats but t I were still messing. he we not a troopship ts th going Crsy was The allies have bombarder Linyina possibly to make the Germans think tht is where all these troops are fiy. I notice that the inspictions Austialians by 1PSWele
87 have also bu published probably to give (idea to they are still in desert. Bet tha sort of ruse May mystify. But before we Rennedy left Hlex little the army lorps staf with an Army Corps badge on his arm went into a Cookshop (Schuler's) to me to buy amap of France. There werea tood maps lying on I counter I various French His tricts + while he wI saying t he wanted one of Hrcens (to me) an unwholesome looking Greek or half oriental in a sti aw hat ws standing idly
88 tooking at I maps close by him. The oxcental did not buy, a map & did not want one I could at help wondering what he did want; & wwhat all those maps were there for. The oscental bought nothing buts nor did his unhealthy companion who alsd tooked at maps. and they left shop before us Here is a story little Leonard Womersby told us on tiro 1 which I want to put down before I forget it. He t Dron anded 59
89 15 Essex) in Gallipoti on Aujust 10. They were marched to a little dip behind a hitt stopt just SE of Keretch Tepe, not far from I beach – & staged there for some days. After & days they were ordered (they had foguest notion where they were) to advance after night towards I trenches. They did o wx So. no good at direction; at any rate not in dark. They marched halters, marched, like a theatre quene for 4 hours & finally found themselves abt a well from where they started. That is all Lroward knows abt it. the turt found them out in their hollow ths fine & made it too hot for them If few days wlll they were beach apain3 & finally Sent to 90 were ordered to Co into truches ona more. The order ws simple Te oor will move in an Dm Easterly direction at 4t untill it comes to trenches. So they started. It ws I nearest thing to a battle they were ever in They had to go across open & Tarks of course opened on to him to Shrapnel. A machine gan havd bo put on a knoll to their left to cover their advance wo orders to sweep 1 trees to keep down supers. The M.g. accordingly began to fire straight into Fback of troops in trenches wh 5th Essex were joing to occupy. The men in I treches thought it we th 5th firng on them & looked like starting to fire back, when two officers very plickily can out waving their arms & showed gun what it ws doing. It then began to fire instead wito advancing 5th Thisadvance back Of cast wuite a number of troops.
i tet te mant o ffie of te tako wes repatle 31 with a staff like this nowonder the Savla business went wrong. and no wonder they didnt like to trust these troops to night attacks. But I notice tt 1 Germans at Kerdun are realis value of night 0 0918 for attack. 7 7 and tt 50 Gen. Gorrings in fighting before knt- it. Amara has been making 047 his pash 91 at night. O 8 £ 8157 6 841 po p4 27 929 11 for 1 loss. Clw. B.18.5.25 Mr 4d t i 25 8
25966 26876 1890 3 625 26 26500 4t Books 26877 6 26966 less 269. 28964 2625 26436 26501 8859 26589 2681 62 16563 26567 2659S 2659 7 8 266f. a 26628 26/6r 20830 21831 9 88 9 14 345. 4 1 26957 612
55 ps Blfor 389 5 Bm 8. 5th Bn 14 to1 18 Bn 4 7 Bn /12 8Bn. 51 a 9th B7 i 18ABn 8 4i 12 19 12 23 i Dw Baselauy 4 565 58.2. 1.4. 2.2. 0 2.14. 0 1.13.0 1.16.0 -8 13.0 4 C 0 X 0 0 0 150 34. 10. 0
21183 56 2 1DC IDHO. Anzacto OSt Dw Inotilss 5 FieldAutie N3 1start Bell. 2 21 How. Bdx 4 L.H.R. 1Br. 2 Pore n Bn G4 Bn 2BdeHR. 10 8216 379-5279 D31. (10) 5. 0. 141 21 3.0 56 8 8.0 0 9 0 30 84. 10. 0 6.0 1 1.0 0 4 0 12 15 4 28 20. 3 6 47 2 6 11 2 81 rd 58 0 0

1     84
The men here in Marseille
are trying their level best.
Every officer says that wherever
he went he ws
punctiliously saluted (and
salutes are carried to an
idiotic extreme in France by
/ British). I only saw one
man in / least / worse
for liquor and he got home
to / ship quite safely. They
have taken to heart what ws
told them in an extraordinary
way. The place swarms with
women - very fascinating
ones too.
Ap 5. Left Marseilles tonight.
Saw one of our officers, in

 

1       85
uniform, talking to a prostitute
outside one o / cafes
& two ∧ of our men standing within
five yards of him. How do
/ officers expect the men to
carry out Birdwoods
appeal when they behave
flout it like that?
Lieut. Williams let his
light horsemen go into /
town last night. They
came back all sober &
told him tt none of them
had bn w a woman &
I believe them. But if /
men are trying, like this, to
do their job & play / game
what ought to be sd to
an officer like tt one?

 

1         86
Saw Barton of the 1st Casualty
Clearing (going to Rouen) at
Notre Dame de la Garde.
He sd they were within
3 hours o / steamer wh
ws torpedoed - the Leonidas
I believe. It ws at about
4.20 p.m. Afterwds they
heard tt a warship had
7 of the boats but tt
3 were still missing. She
ws not a troopship & ws
going / wrong other way.
The allies have
bombarded Smyrna-
possibly to make the Germans
think tt tt is where all
these troops are going.
I notice that the inspections
of Australians by / P. of Wales

 

1       87
have also bn published
- probably to give / idea
tt they are still in / desert.
But That sort of ruse may
mystify. But before we
left Alex little Kennedy of
the Army Corps staff with
an Army Corps badge on
his arm went into a
bookshop (Schuler's) w me
to buy a map of France.
There were a lot of
maps lying on / counter
of various French
districts & while he ws
saying tt he wanted one of
Amiens (to me) an
unwholesome looking Greek
or half oriental in a
straw hat ws standing idly

 

1       88
looking at / maps close
by him. The oriental
did not buy a map
& did not want one.
I couldnt help
wondering what he did
want; & what all those
maps were there for.
The oriental bought nothing
- but-s nor did his
unhealthy companion,
who also looked at
maps. and they left /
shop before us.
There is a story little
Leonard Womersley
told us in Cairo which
I want to put down
before I forget it. He
landed w / 54thDivn,

 

89

(1/5 Essex) in Gallipoli on
August 10. They were
marched to a little
dip behind a hill slope
just SE of Kiretch Tepe, not
far from / beach – & stayed
there for some days. After 4
days they were ordered (they
had / foggiest notion where they
were) to advance after night
towards / trenches. They did
so. Their guide ws They were no good at
direction; Hxxx at any rate
not in / dark. They marched
halted, marched, like a theatre
queue for 4 hours & finally
found themselves abt a mile
from where they started - That is
all Leonard knows abt it. The Turks
found them out in their hollow this time & made it too
hot for them. A few days later they were
sent to / beach again; & finally
1        90
were ordered to go into / trenches.
once more. The order ws simply
"The bn will move in an
Easterly direction at 4.15o'c. - p.m. until
it comes to / trenches". So
they started. It ws / nearest
thing to a battle they were ever in.
They had to go across / open & /
Turks of course opened on to them
w shrapnel. A machine gun had
bn put on a knoll to their left
to cover their advance w orders to
sweep / trees to keep down
snipers. The m.g. accordingly
began to fire straight into / back
o / troops in / trenches wh /
5th Essex were going to occupy.
The men in / trenches thought it ws
the 5th firing on them & looked like
starting to fire back, when two
officers very pluckily ran out
waving their arms & showed /
gun what it ws doing. It then
began to fire instead into /
back o / advancing 5th This "advance"
cost quite a number of troops.

 

91 

(I think he meant tt / fire of the Turks was responsible [* for / loss C.W.B 18.5.25*]
With a staff like this no wonder
the Suvla business went wrong!
And no wonder they didnt like
to trust these troops to night attacks.
But I notice tt / Germans
at Verdun are realising
/ value of night
for attack;
and tt
Gen. Gorringe in fighting before Kut-el-

Amara has
been making
his push
at night.

[*611
565

-----

47

47 at 31   14 P

                                £7.1.0

Gen Lotbiniere       1.5.0

                                  ------

                                   8.6.0

8.6.0

3.16.0

£4.10,0

47 @ 3/-   7.1.0

       less    3.16.0

                 -------

                  3.5.0

                  1.5.0*]

 

614

555

----

59 @ 3

174

£8.7.0

   1.5.0

-----

19.12.0

3.16.0

------

6.6.0

------

Paid in 6.16.0

i.e. 13/- too much

Possibly 1 bpn out

[*84.10.0

10.12.0

----

95.2

----*]

 

26966
26876
----
090
26436
26257
-----
179
26859
26500
-----
359
H 346
----
26636

26257
179
----

[*88

346

179

----

614*]
Books
26877 to 26966  90
less 26957              2
        26967          _____
                                88.
26258 - 26436    179.
26501 - 26859     359
26560                     14
26561                   _____
26562                  345 .
26563
26567
26595                     89
26597                    179
26599                    345
26618                    ____
26624                    611
26628                    ____
26662
26830
26831
Add 1
xxx(26957) : 612

565 

565  555  Bps

565

3

----

555

5

--- 

13th Bn    389     58.   2. 0
5 Bn.            8.       1.   4. 0
6th Bn        14        2.   2. 0   
 "      "           18        2. 14. 0 
7 Bn             11         1.  13. 0
7 Bn             12        1.  16. 0
7   "                 1              3. 0
8 Bn.            31        4. 13. 0
 "   "                 9        1.   7. 0
 "   "                 1               3 0
9th                  5             15 0
  "                     1               3 0
  "                     3              9 0
10th Bn           8        1.  4. 0
11      "               5            15  0
12      "             19        2. 17. 0
12      "             23        3.  9. 0
12      "               3             9. 0
/ Dw Base Camp  4     12. 0
                    _________   ______
                     565          84. 10. 0.
                    _________  _________                   

 

379

3

---

20 1137    5

56.17

1.5

-----

58.2.0

1 DHQ.

(10) 

1.5.0
1 DHQ.

141

21.3.0
Anzac HQ
(1st Div)

56

8 8 0
2nd Divl [[?]]

3

9 0
5 Field Ambce

1

3 0
N.Z.

30

4.10.0
Ist Art Bde

2

6.0
2  _________

7

1.1.0
3  _________

3

9.0
21 How. Bde

1

3.0
4 L.H.R.

4

12.0
"     "

5

15.0
1 Bn.

9

1.7.0
2 Bn

28

4.4.0
"  " 

20

3.0.0
"  "

3

9.0
3 Bn

41

6.3.0
"   "

2

6.0
4th Bn

17

2.11.0
2 Bde H.Q.

66

 18

389 = ( 10 @ 2/6

           (379 @ 3/-

 389 58.2.0

 

 

 

 

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Helen MartinHelen Martin
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