Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/44/1 - May - June 1916 - Part 3

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Awaiting approval
Accession number:
RCDIG1066748
Difficulty:
5

Page 1 / 10

20 64 hole at ypres in order to get a smap of next shell. The beagrapt chap is joug up in a plane & wanted tog over german times. I thought in my heart of hearts the Canadions bod wen the tree felling. The do more of it than wee or are suffosed But theis first team seied to cet well & but took about cooll mins tfell e4 3 45- brees (w service oxes thickness of trees just conde 2f). The 2od austialiens were next, & cut theirs in five stiple in 31 maus-Fur more vegour & fire than I canadiens.
21 began to have hopes then. The N.3.3 - all three Maoris (one of them / Caste came next; & they got teir 3 trees down in 22mens The 1st Aust. Divn de not a bad start but slowed own to getting a tree cut on the dead centre - & was 46 mins or more. The Other two Canadian Divns were I same or louger. So we ore easily - I mean the Maor, thet Cuzacs. The Maoris sd before. "We dont care wheter we win orlose so buy as we beat (Canatians. The aust aleans won lof chapping &I canadion Crosscut Saway.
64 22 The French wordmen +old men Yousters gave an exhibition on some ting little trees w then antiguated axes. + I could do as wel with a knife & fork sd an dustalian Cobin on. But to my mand it we five to see them - poor feeble chape to the were. For they are 1at. that is left May 22. Monday we smashed up Radenshem & Marsnel church speres, + villages & ruined te Natean all yest D Hespel
64 23 feman observate Stas or batter artiler positis wh have be oft alone so far. They ins turn at once (90m.) shelled Eiguighen & Hearbaix a shell Church expladion in Erguinghem het Jelebrant in 1 foot & smashed a tendon ydo away. He wi hit on the tendon Dehilles in Tallipoti; & also thio chest - He will the be away 2 waks, I believe Hewants and take his leave in this way & get back. This morning an pds gan on that 10t Battery insister on yoin on firing (agst advice
64 24 the brigads Commander, tho not agt his orders). It ws in a clllar. A sausage balloon ws up & naturall saw it - for 1 fermans this afternoon began to shell o house. Iour sugl shells - until they hit it, thn salve after 5.9s - bath salvo of tant. Then but the cun Smashe I times & up. How can our poor amateus gunvery compars w tt sort of them Our Anzac Corps is not well serve as far as 16 gannery. Staff goe - & neever was. (unliffe Own, the Brig. general commandan the artillery, was in the retrest
25 from mons & the balth of the Clisne - & his nerve was now or leas brke by the constant exposure to howeth es fire witout any potection. This made him not reall suitable for Ansac- but he widnt do badl if oule he had the organising capacity o evergy work the artiller of the Corps. He atterly lacks it. and he has chosen 1 for his staf offices the ood humoured sleepy & lany old says; the wot artille headquarters here is abtast un like that of a good corps staf as the gordening of a business man home after the day at the Stock exchange resumble the work of a nursery gardener They don't Logest the wind & aeroplanc reports & & send the resetts out to their batteries; the
He may have had good brains Ceet 1925 26 do next to no intelligence work plar The dwvis conse ar keen enaugh; but old har triers, they are anateers, & insteed of haven a been livel staff to help them, they have t stack wert limp ineffectives. The engineers are in the same position. The Comander of the Rogel Engineers in an Corps has it really in his peroer here, wherethe pecialic everythi, t make or annake a Corps defences We have as our C.R.S. the tallative, rain, elderly washer - Joby de Lolbiniere a quite in eficient commander. He has goined no ones respect Hy talks a lot & effects ver little. Newcome of the end Dron is worth 6ofhem. Hes
His gentleness & considerateness were, however, of some value in dealing with Austiclians. Cewh. 1925 64 27 stat major - Beanvais- a man who confesses he is quite ignorantof work in Frana. It is a pazzle to ane who Birdwood keeps these people. Dear dd Carruters, the D.A. & G.W.9 is as bad in point oineffeciency - but he is such a dear old dadde that I think his able staff taylor & Libbo - in auage to rub along pretty well. Nifetts of course, is a precious possession- all the Army Coys papers & A..D. orders are in flawless form, thro' his work & little Calemans; & while is the brains of the General Steff & is making the Arm also Buther is a delightful man & a been intelligence officer & has a
64 28 been helper to a good bain in Herbertson. Sarythe who helps white, is a litle oan in ever way, but fairly strongso Keanedy, very much of an amatehe (an English territorial with a spiret like a perby little sparrow, is ot least keen & dutiful. Ansac G.S.i good especially at the top; A. & Cp. are metacre butget along thanks to ability lowes down R.E. & R.Q. are- worthless The pn, by their sheer hard work & ingenaily will probably make a natue for Lolbiniere's engineering I he'll leave the tine better & than he found it, But their R.A. will let them down, some day, fightfully
64 29 May 23d. Went rou arranging for deliven Books at of any ac the two divisional H.Q. etc. To night there was a trencedous bombardment down soath of as where and have taken 1500 ds of British treches on the Vrng Ridge, &S trench morthes May 24th The german commaniyue says t it our men who were att acking last ought. They they came to know of attack & stopped it is their curtain of fire. 1800 copis of Anal Book delivered to uits

64                                               

20

hole at Ypres in order 

to get a snap o / next 
shell The  beograph chap

wanted to  is going up

in a plane & wanted to go
over / German lines.)

I thought in my heart 

of hearts the Canadians 

wd win the tree felling. They
do more of it than we

 - or are supposed to.
But Their first team 

seemed to cut well & 
coolly 

but took about 

45-mins to fell its 3
trees ( w service axes, 

thickness of trees just under

2ft ). The 2nd Australians
were next , & cut theirs 
in fine style in 31
mins. Far more vigour

& fire than / Canadians. One

 

64            

21       
began to have hopes 
then. The N.Zs - all.
three Maoris ( one of them 1/2 caste 
came next: & they got 

their 3 trees down in
22 mins - the 1st Aust .

Divn made not a 

bad start but  slowed owing

to getting a tree cut on the 

dead centre - & was 

46 mins or more. The 

other two Canadian Divns
were / same or longer.
so we one easily - I mean 
the Maoris, then Anzacs

The Maoris sd before . "We
dont  care whether we win 

or lose so long as we
so long as we beat / Canadians.
The Australians won

 / log chapping & / Canadians

/ crosscut sawing .   

 


64            

22
The French wood men-

youngsters & old men-

gave an exhibition on some 

tiny little trees w their
antiquated axes. 

" I could do as well

with a knife & fork"  sd
an Australian looking

on , But to my mind it 

ws fine to see them-poor
feeble chaps tho the 

were. For they are all
that is left .
May 22 . Monday
we smashed up 

Radingham & Maisnel 

church spires & villages
& ruined the Chateau 

D' Hispel yesty - all

 

 64                 

23
Geman observation Stns or 

batter artillery positions

wh have bn lft alone so
far . They in turn at
once (9pm)shelled

 Erguinghem & Fleurbaix
church- & a  shell 

exploding in Erguinghem

hit Gellibrand in / foot 

& smashed a tendon
70yds away . He ws

hit on the tendon Achilles 
in Gallipoli: & also thro'
the chest - He will 

be away 2 weeks, I believe
He wants to take his 
leave in this way & get 
back.
This morning an
18pd gun on that 10th
Battery insisted on going
on firing ( agst / advice of

 

64                

24
the brigade Commander, tho'
not agt his orders) . it ws
in a cellar . A sausage

balloon ws up & naturally
saw it- for / Germans

this afternoon began to
shell / house. First

single shells- until they hit 
it: then salvo after

salvo of 5.9s - 4 at a
time. They hit the gun

3 times & smashed it 

up. 
How can our poor 

amateur gunnery compare
w tt sort of thing ?

Our Anzac Corps is

not - well served as far as 

gunnery staff goes - & never

was.  ( unlike Owen, the Brig .
General commanding the

artillery , was in the retreat 

 

   

64     

25

from Mous & the battle of the

Aisne - & his nerve was more

or less broken by the constant

exposure to howitzer fire without

any protection. This made him

not really suitable for Anzac -

but he  wdn't do badly if only

he had the organising capacity &

energy for the to work the artillery

of the Corps. He utterly lacks it.

And he has chosen for his

staff officer the good humoured sleepy

& lazy old Sargs; The won't

artillery headquarters here is

abt as unlike that of a good

corps staff as the gardening of

a business man house after the

day at the stock exchange resembles

the work of a nursery gardener.

They don't digest the wind &

aeroplane reports etc & send the

results out to their batteries: they

 

 

*He may have had good brains

CEWB

1925

 

64                   

26
do next to no intelligence work.
The divis cousl staffs are keen enough;

but, poor old hard triers , they are 
amateurs, & instead of having
a keen lively staff to help

them, they have these slack inert 

limp ineffectives .
The engineers are in the

same position . The Commander

of the Royal Engineers in any

Corps has it really in his power
here, Where they specialise
everything, & make or 
unmake a Corps defences.
We have as our C.R.E the

talkative , vain, elderly
washer - Joly de Lotbiniere
a quite inefficient commander.x
He has gained  no ones respect 
Hy talks a lot & effects very
little. Newcome of the 2nd
Divn is worth 6 of him. His 

 

*His gentleness & considerations were

however, of some value in dealing with

Australians.

C.EW.B

 

64

27

Staff Major - Beauvais - is

a man who confesses he is

quite ignorant o / work in

France.

It is a puzzle to me why

Birdwood keeps these people. 

Dear old Carruthers, the D.A.

& G  m.g. is as bad in

point of inefficiencyx - but he

is such a dear old daddy

that I think his able staff-

Taylor & GIbbs- manage 

to rub along pretty well.

Griffiths of course, is a precious

possession - all the Army Coys

papers & A.I.F orders are in 

flawless form, thro' his work

& little Colemans; & White is

the brains of the General staff & 

is making the Army also -

Butler is a delightful man & a

keen intelligence officer & has a

 

64

28

keen helper w a good brain in

Herberton. Smythe who helps 

White, is a little man in every

way, but fairly strong; &

Kennedy, very much of an

amateur (an English Territorial)

with a spirit like a perky little

sparrow, is at least keen &

dutiful. Anzac G.S is good

especially at the top ; A. & Cp

are mediocre but get along

thanks to ability lower down;

R.E & R.A are worthless-

the xxxx by their sheer hard work

and ingenuity, will probably

make a name for Lotbiniere's

engineering, he'll leave the

line better than he found it.

But their R.A will let them

down, someday, frightfully!

 

 

64

29

May 23rd. Went round

arranging for delivery

of Anzac books at

the fwd divisional H.Q.

etc.

Tonight there was a

tremendous bombardment

down south of us where /

Germans have taken 1500

yds of British trenches

on the Vimy Ridge, x 3

trench mortars.

May 24th. The German

communique says tt it

ws our men who were

attacking last night. That 

they " came to know'"  o /

attack & stopped it w

their curtain of fire.

1800 copies of Anzac 

book delivers to units

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


 

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