Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/117A/1 - October 1918 - Part 4

Billy was not at Versailles
apparently for the momentous
meeting when Foch asked
for a free band to attack
the Germans. Haig I believe

was against it because it
involved weakening him in
Flanders - according to
Box Haig had to promise
some divisions. Haig xx  
(I fancy I was told) or someone 
else of them also wanted
the attack, if made at 
all, to be made on the
on the front & not on the flank.
It was Fochs decision
to make it on the flank.
The leave was given to Foch

to do as he wished.
at this time, Box

publications. Old Dodds
is a very broad minded
& farseeing in these matters.
The money for the models
will come out of a
military training vote
(which is the only way
we shall get it - we
can get it now but after
the war we never should)
& it will make all the
difference to our Museum-
both Dyson & I ^& Anderson & Gullett & many others
agree that this is xxxx what we found
most interesting in the
museums connected with
war which we have

the Army flown; but /
Town Mayor had good
lodgings for them.
The cars took them, as
French cars do, at a 
tremendous pace. Hughes
will never drive slowly.
On the way back he had to
follow in the wake of Ll. George
- who would not go more
than 20 miles an hour.
Ll. George stopped at Beauvais
to see the Cathedral & they
managed to give him the
slip there - Billy signed to
the chauffeur & the chauffeurs
slipped round another
way, jammed down the
accelerator, & disappeared 
in dust - 
but that is by the way.

visited especially as
youngsters - Jock & I
had xxx ourselves photographed
together for him to
take out to Mother & 
Father. One doesnt like
being at the posed - but
the little old English
photographer opposite
Charing X Station was
so pathetically earnest
that we could not refuse
to do as he told us.

When we turned up at
the train at Charing X by 
which I was to return to
France Box Murdoch &
Gilmour were there but xxx

Billy went up to Crecy
& got there after midnight
(Abbeville was being bombed
& they met two British
officers in 2 staff cars with
immense head lights,
each officer with a
W.A.A.C. in his car - 
they asked these officers
/ way to Crecy (the WAACs
spending this time trying
to hide their faces, so
Box said). Billy was
in immense spirits
all / time tremendoussly
cheerful - probably he
cdnt hear / bombs.
They got to Crecy & found

Murdoch told me they Hughes
was not coming to the
front today but starting
on Saturday instead &
going straight to Paris.
A sudden War Cabinet
had been called - so the
party was to go without Hughes.
Murdoch & Gilmour also
were staying behind. Billy
told me that he wanted
another account written 
of what the Australians had
done - as a matter of 
fact I have one ready.
Waved goodbye to old

Jock - & had lunch with
the others in the train.
 

conjectures it happened -
something o / sort occurred.
certainly; because Billy
suddenly informed / party
tt they were going to
5th Army Hqrs.
Where were 5th Army
Hqrs? No one knew
except the R.T.O. at
Dieppe who sd Crecy.
There ws only one car but
the Dieppe officials or else
someone from / Embassy
solved / question problem by
putting Billy's party in
/ fast French cars
provided for the typists &
clerks of Ll. George's party.

Box, Newton Moore,
& three Scottish & English
journalists are crossing
(Wills of the Graphic, Wilson
of some Scottish papers & one
other ^(a Scotsman) whose name I forget).
We stayed the night at
Boulogne though it seemed
a great waste of time.
Oct 11. Friday. Started
early with the three cars
(mine & two from G.H.Q.) in
order to reach the front
if possible near Bohain
where the American divisions
who replaced us, & the
British, are getting into
 

'What are you going to do?"
he probly sd: "are you
coming to Versailles with
us straight away. You will
have to go straight there

in order to be in time
for / meeting."
Billy read from Ll. George's
tone like a flash the
inference tt he was not
wanted - & out came
the strange casual
independence wh / little
man often shows at odd
moments. "Oh No" - he
sd - "I'm going to Birdwood.
I dont want to go to Versailles".
That is how Box

country inhabited by
French civilians. Moore
was anxious to get to Le
Cateau (which has been
passed) but this is off our
old Australian front. The
two G.H.Q. cars had constant
breakdowns & Boddy & 
I came to the conclusion
that their two drivers were
not playing the game - 
that they made the most
of a breakdown in order
to avoid work.
Breakfast at Tete de
Boeuf, Abbeville - 
apparently just newly
reopened - the German
 

morning of going over 
tt Box & Smart, who were
arranging things, ever knew
of the special train for Ll. George
from Victoria. Billy suddenly
announced tt he was going
by it - & all the arrangements
had to be completely upset
in / middle o / morning.
Griffiths & Brain were
wild & so was Corps Hqrs.
(I came over by / staff 

train alone as Boddy was
at Boulogne).
On / way over, at some
point, so Box tells me - 
probably on / boat to Dieppe -
Ll. George must have spoken
to Billy, xxxxx   "Well now,
 

air-bombs have badly knocked
about that corner of Abbeville
where the houses are very
old. One car had broken down
& so the 5 of us came on in
my car to Amiens (where the
people are getting back
in numbers) & to Peronne
by lunchtime. We made
a late start after lunch,
as Moore arrived late, &
visited the Hindenburg line
& Canal tunnel. We went
to the Chamber of Horrors
 - still smelling sickly though
the bodies have been removed
10 days; & I brought back
from there a food container
 

wanted to be at this important
meeting. But Lloyd
George didn't want him to
be there - probably none of
the great representatives
did - they wanted to talk
this over amongst themselves
alone - the Dominion
Prime Ministers cd be
called in to a later sitting
when business ws not so
critical. Hughes knew
tt Lloyd George ws going over
by a special train. But
in order not to lose a chance
Hughes xx himself arranged to go
over by / staff train. It
ws only actually on / xxxx
 
- one of about a dozen -

showing that the place was a 

kitchen; also it had been

pierced by a fragment of

the shell which killed the

Germans. My previous

description of the place is

correct except that there

were three coppers & the

table which I had thought

to be standing there was

part of the cemented slab

in which the coppers were set.

 

(Hand drawn diagram - see original)

under / Versailles

Council. Any

really important military

action has to be sanctioned

by them. A big offensive wd

certainly not be undertaken

without their permission, 

Box says. The Council

at Versailles in July ws

called very suddenly. 

It was called at / request

of Foch who sd tt he cd

not sit still any longer &

simply let / Germans attack.

He must be given leave to

attack or something ws

going to break.

Hughes very much
 

Returned & had dinner

with the visitors. After dinner

back to our home in the

ruins of Barleux - where

Bill Dyson for a month or

more has had his studio

in an old repaired hut, &

we our camp in the old

wooden ^German dressing station.

Not a bad home except for

the flies (the result of German

horse-standings nearby) &

the fleas from Wilkins German

dog - a German messenger

carrier dog which he

adopted & which is devotedly

attached to him.
 

he sd, when Paris ws 

at / depths of its

depression.

He told me something

of / conference. Whereas 

w / Germans, the great

general staff finally

instituted a political

section & ran the country

from G.H.Q. (the Kaiser

being C. in. C. had this

political section at his

Hqrs in / fields right under

/ influence of Ludendorff 

- I dont know whether

it ws actually under Ludendorff

or under (Kaiser only) - 

the allies keep their

general stuff very firmly
 

Sat. Oct 12^th
came down in the my car

with Box & Sir Newton Moore

to Paris; the lorry had

arrived to take our camp

belongings to Eu or

wherever the Corps is

going to find room for us.

The camp is to move on

in charge of Crawford &

Scott; & Dyson is staying a

day or two with Wilkins

till Wilkins completes his

photos of the Hindenburg

line & the artillery etc.

I asked him to get the

artillery at all costs. It

may not be in for long,

Billy likes to get these

speeches as a basis 

for his own - to give him

ideas. That is all he

uses them for. He cut this one

to bits. I have key got

Murdoch to let me have

/ original for the War Museum.

The speech was

ready abt 7.30pm

when we went out to

dinner. 

The Versailles trip

in / afternoon ws a most

glorious one. Box stayed

at Versailles during the

July conference - black

black days they were,

& it may never fire

another shot after it comes

out.

At Amiens Cadge

told us that the opinion at

G.H.Q was that the war

would not last more

than three weeks longer.

They seemed confident, he

sd of peace within 3 weeks.

Haig today has published

an exhortation to the troops

to disregard this talk of 

peace as dangerous. The

present is the moment,

he says, for the most

intensive & unceasing

effort. One is inclined to be