Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/46/1 - June 1916 - Part 1

AWM38
Official History,
1914-18 War: Records of C E W Bean,
Official Historian.

Diaries and Notebooks
 

Item number 3DRL606/46/1

Title: Diary, June 1916
Includes notes on the torpedoing in September
1915 of the transport, SOUTHLAND, the fighting
of 18-19 June 1916 and the 25^th and 27^th
Battalions.

AWM38-3DRL606/46/1

AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL
RCDIG 1066750
 

Original   DIARY No. 46.
3DRL606 ITEM 46 [1]
AWM 38
_________________________________________
DIARIES AND NOTES OF C.E.W. BEAN
CONCERNING THE WAR OF 1914 - 1918

The use of these diaries and notes is subject to conditions laid down in the terms
of gift to the Australian War memorial. But apart from these terms, I wish the
following circumstances and considerations to be brought to the notice of every
reader and writer who may use them.

These writings represent only what at the moment of making them I believed to be
true. The diaries were jotted down almost daily with the object of recording what
was then in the writer's mind. Often he wrote them when very tired and half-asleep;
also, not infrequently what he believed to be true was not so - but it does not
follow that he always discovered this, or remembered to correct the mistakes when
discovered. Indeed, he could not always remember that he had written them.

These records should therefore, be used with great caution, as relating only what
their author, at the time of writing believed. Further, he cannot, of course vouch
for the accuracy of statements made to him by others and here recorded. But he
did try to ensure such accuracy by consulting, as far as possible, those who had
seen or otherwise taken part in the events. The constant falsity of second-hand
evidence (on which a large proportion of war stories are founded) was impressed
upon him by the second or third day of the Gallipoli campaign, notwithstanding that
those who passed on such stories usually themselves believed them to be true. All
second-hand evidence herein should be read with this in mind.
16 Sep., 1946.                   C.E.W. BEAN
Notebook
X     ※
AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL
ACCESS STATUS
OPEN

26 6 7
16 B. 153
7 B 147
(46)   Notebook X  ※
Mrs White
Kings Arms Hotel
High St
Grays
Essex.

Will arrive Sunday
night instead of 
Saturday.
George White
3.40
Gibbs
 

Honey 1.75
Tongue 1 fr.
Ross 11 fr
Cointreau 4 Ross
Salad oil 1 Ross
Eggs 27.60 self.
Bolwers 4.80 Ross
Watch 17.0 Ross
23/-

14    ※
1 Div Sig Co.
1st Bd. N Z & A Capt Plimmer
3nd Div Train Lt.Cook.
2 DHQ Leaky
Red 
71
41
20
39
77
^____
248
7 Books unsigned for in No 3 section.
White
No 2 Section 4
No 3 - 10
No 1 - 16
" & HQ - 12
No 4    6
 

14
2
Capt Norman 6 2 5[[?]] 12/6
L^t Rentoul
2 Div Sig 1. 2. 6
                    12 .6
18 Bn B Coy
141    ???
423/- .  / 21 .3 0.
£3 For Delivery (24 books) -
Zimmermans
German for [[?]]
[[?]]
 

14
3     ※
limits of [[?]] I. 21 c 5½ 2¼
6.1½, 7.2., 8¾ x 3¼, 8.4
1st N.Z. Div Art, & 1st Aust Div

a
5 4 [[?]] & 59 men all 28^th Coles
Still to -
Capt. Foss. Lt Phillips (covering [[?]]
Capt Caless (20 Bn)
²/Lt A Brown.  ²/Lt R H Gill

2 [[?]] [[?]]
[[?]]

231st Regt

14
4    ※
Point in line . 1[[?]] C 52 to [[?]] 4
Same party 1st night to get
in without bombs. stopped by
little listening post w [[?]]
[[?]]. 11.15 pm Party went
out at 9.40 pm.
11.15 [[?]] mortars.
Arty carries out diversions
schemes near wez Macquart
Rue de Bois & Cape Blanco.
Entered At 11.25 they turned
on to position to be entered
& after 10 mins at 11.35
lifted & found a barrage.
Party who were in no
mans land [[?]] went forwd.
Entered 10 yds S. of rly.
 

[[?]]
14
5     ※
No resistance - 12 killed 1 badly w.
Scouts cmd Lt Gill [[?]]
Assault 5 [[?]]  Firing [[?]]
26^th & 28^th
Brown 1. [[?]]
2. [[?]]
3. lined [[?]]
Caless 4
5 Same as 1 & 2 on left.
Get [[?]]
Foss got on [[?]]
rt & left [[?]]
[[?]]
[[?]]
A few [[?]]
Covering [[?]]
½ [[?]] ½ [[?]]
Protect [[?]]
 

14
6     ※50^th Res. Divn
231 R I R

230  231  229
[[?]]
Rest Billets in Loos.
Listening [[?]] 2/3. each
Coy each around w rifles.
One sentry in each bay.
Freiherr von der Soltz (Commdt
o / Divn)
Graf v. Moltke Bde Comdr
Regtl Commdr Col. August Fritsch.
They have 4^th "Posen" Fortress
m. g. detachment w them.
 

14
7   ※
50^th F. Arty Regt. is w them.
Trommel feuer posten (Bombardment
Pozzies) steel bars 1½ inches
thick - steel plates on top,
sandbags on earth over tt
to level of parapet. 2 metres
wide, 1 deep, 4 men
in each  [[?]] all men
exc. sentries.
of 8 men in each group,
4 on guard at night
[[?]] in dugouts.
Listening posts w listener,
sentry at back [[?]]
[[?]]