Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/118/1 - Photostats - Part 1

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open for review
Accession number:
RCDIG1066757
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

AWM3S Official History, 1974-18 War: Records of CE W Bean, Official Historian. Diaries and Notebooks Hem number: 3DR1606171817 Title: Photostats, Photostats Comprise copies of enclosures to earlier diaries and includes copies of correspondence, tped diary entries for August-November 1918, maps, reports from The Times Weekly Edition and 1918 notes by F M Cuttack. AWMISS-SDRLCOGHISH
CONFIDENTIAL. Cts WTD WAR DIARY CAor BrAAS 1250 anene nene FFor 2 N D VOL. WSII JAAMY-O 157SEI JnAAC Bary No. 118 302L606 A 118 AM3S DIARLES AND NOTES OF C. E. W. BEAN CONCERNING THE WAR OF 1914. 1918 [HE use of these diaries and notes is subject to conditions laid down in the terms ?of gift to the Anstralian War Memorial. But, apart from those 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 discevered this, or remembered to cerrect 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 consuiting, 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. 7 MMCt AUSTRAL1) C. E W. BEAN. 16 Sept. 1946. ACCLES STATUS AMTMMMIMCCCMMMMLL OLN oles to caries
1on. te MaN 192 802 POnd 156 knoc 228 43 1 10. 20 25H.p. 24 o buer P N12 moneh to6 Thin. En hours en in mc bier 10 40 2903086 MTONAN 8810 A a o 1 A oun acteoment of the bin s in the Forthem ona mon our hen Core poine ornuary wo bed veer one nor ter toie tnat otea pie to everyons by standing out nexd and chouiders ov 210 t praae our porners, uoins me Lens onnhire a noe. mms anution and F 8 n 8
13) o M M O tona ars. He m woter ieno oump renianor, of tho are pbtarion ays eening us by siibeor E in tour at tast, 2 a toid, ne trey ponve, ien ie ans of the oiners pers win out. me prpere of the vittalion yere preotiepry ii2 viiet or younce SD i wttm maeibrin in the mest, e teins onn tat ine renlorend out. I as tora no 12894 enices of MsO oreety, an and aom and Bren soneind the to Aemoy and oseing ip t tney aa 26 wt set veen 4a 28 aied va ig aou in cnume, and ther n inteon ie ues a o te 8 140 2242. R.1. 20 in ino Ciret Ment &s Ecer & ECIves Ex the 7.E of the ovjcotivs, He OrOAnS a A e a214 22 253 02 n p ME OOS t nave v ts ms Just & of t peage i the oan stof our Frst nights rine Lan orea in Tery ancortsin. tafe pot o Mt EMer of the 2no Ba. Rs Lacts. 13. OANOI
205 Reinforeements. August 15. anderson called in by General Woodmard at the War offies A. Writes to Brdwood to say that the War Office is setting anxious about the reinforcements for the Austr- allan divisions and has decided to (I) break up the 3rd Australian division or (3) take a draft from the 3rd Australlan divn (between 3000and 6000 men probably) to make up. Anderson says he has wired- to Australia that the latter course has been decided unon, retaining the 3rd Australian division in the meantine anyway. Birdwood wres to Australia that he regress that ander- August 16 son sent his wire the day before without reference to him -he thinks that he can find an arrangement by which the 3rd division need not be intergered with. Brawood thinks that if the Australian Govt. can send a August. special draft in November of 20, 000 men, ad 16,500 or 25 per cent (for. the Ixfanexx5 divisions) during the nat next three months after that, the 3rd division can'still be retained and the Larax divisions all of then kept up to strength. Branooas sussestion to bring the lith and 12th Regiments of Light Horse over from Egypt, or the whole of the Light Horse, if possible, is taken up by Woodward. But the G.H.Q. of the Eastern Exped. Force says that in view of the state of affairs on the Canal it does not want to spare any of the Light Horse - so this has to be rejected August 31st. Hughes accepts the request of the war office. me reinforcements previously promised were 140 officers and 11,650 menper month., The war office requests, owing to the heavy casualtiesy-(I. think it is rvery heavy cas.&)- suffered by the Australlan divisions; the special’ draft of 20,000 for November and 16,500 a month for, three Months after. ROTCMON eth. Australan coverments request for extra transwrts 1s cancelled from Australla. Novenber ith. sir munro Ferguson mres a message from Hugnes sayis that he regress that Australia cannot keep her promise to send the special draft of 20,000 in November! If not too late, and if the 3rd pivision can be kept in England with -out altering plans too sexiously, it is thought that reinforcements for 4 ai vigions can be kept up on the 15 per cent scale. Cen. nonash had been previousry informed by the War office that the drafts from nis division must be prompt, and tha the 3rd division would not be allowed to go abroad in any case until the drafts for the other divisions were & Lully made up. MOTeppOr 18th. Bonar Lar intoms hustralian Cort, that the 3ra Dvil ion must so abroad on November 21 as arranged as the 45
AU5 13 pians would omherwise be too seriousry intersered min. It is noved that even if the special draft of 20,000 cannot be keptup for Nov ember, either the whole or part of it, yet every effort would be made to keep the five aitisions up to strength by reinforcements. on Novenber in the austranan Government, asxed that, as it was understood; that training could better be carried out in Engian than in Australla, the War office would concur in the eiving to recruits of a very short beriod of training in Australla. me war office concurred, but added on November 17 tnat it hored that the six first weeks training could be given in Australia as cuntained in a previous communication, and that that if men; had to be kept in Australia more than 6 weeks waiting for shiment, the training for further weeks (as per that commn should be sone on with. Monasn’s objection to prearing up his division, written to Biranood after a letter from B. of abt Nov.16th, was that his div- Ision contained no great proportich of men at any advanced state of training. Except for a few old anzac hands - men and officers mon he relied on, as a nucleus, the others, were all being trained together. What he had done was to send a prowortion of his men and officers to Lewis Gun; and other shhools, and he was employing the these; to train the rest. It was goviously very andesirable to take away these. me quota suppiied by him pas cinany mittied com vy. ar. ransenent to a littie under 3000. mite marked the papers of Nov. 11. - 16, when sent over anderson for the infomation of a.T. P. Headquarters here: nseen Very: sad:n. origeiins tinks that if the are in for no actual scrapps curing the winter, he chan bunid up enough to haxe spod the 5 divisions.
PRESS R.T.P. MMIMIFI SISSIRL WERSES EIGRTEEN THIS FITHE OF aro henw TEC CEE T a MET T C Fe 50 TT 13 EEE O S 370. WEL MAEW S 40 A CMNSTU F R VO MSSTISED.SIREF 1 o C O TO SLEET THEN SEEADT RAT SOF TOTAAT LEE DRIPPIN ERNOUSY AL THIS SONF BITHE T DC COVENS DAELEERO S TELNE STOP SLEEERLLE BSroT CO Ee1 TOMN KKEEANEN WKEREEE LEEREAEKLNRERR EEARTERED AS FO OTHER BATTLE MMYDRENLEEE MOF MANORS AE 40 CORE TAN ND VILSHEY MTONINN 1 F0 UT LOlA TAEEEDA WINTE
AUS 13 nights ston EnovON AE TMTS SOES ON PERTODICAL ATEACE COUYEERAPTHE HTTH INCESSATT SSLLI HOR OF LESS KEAVY KLEERELELAR HIAHT AnD DAY STOF IT ITLE PRETEND YTH ARE NOT UNUERGOING VERY SEVERE RARESAT SRO MS SE T PASSED AUSTRLLAN BATTALTON COME OFT OF LIHE STOF TT FIRST TLLE I EYTR SEE AUSTRALLAN TROOPS PASS MEIOUT SIILE SILLE ONTANY NAYS TACE SIOF LXEXLKLAKEALLLRLIARETT VERY PALE HAY ATTE YAH PACSED EETYOTE VTRY GRM VERY TTRY TIRED STOT T0 Pars LATM SAE TROOPS ERS OLD CRER SVES SO REST IS FRST AND LAST NEED OF MESE NE ERRTAAD OMLT TAY LKOy OF BY MIOH AUSIRALLINS CAY LELP THM IS DY COMING HERE JTO GIVE TRES REST STOP WTHTER HAS OMLY NUST EEGT AND THESE, MINGS HAVE BE FAOMD Tunoban FovR OR TTVEHOnS of ENDESS BrTTIR WIOHrs Gro Ir DrV- TSrOuSA KE Of D CROTE V CA OSF. ASE 183 157 EM TAE TRERS AR BEAEADLE SIOF HT I DIUICIONSP De SES A e to o me o STOP TF VOY PUT NAY HOFVIR SHLEILID TO OFESN KAXLLET INEEAR. ASLE STRAIN VOU WILL BREAK HT. AYD RAT IS RISK MICH LALLEED RE WAMIFTOE AUSTRAEA OVISS ARE MREAEEEE W ro AUSTRALLAN CONTORTY TUNDCA D JUCH BOT REAL IRED CAN ONLY BE i AOTUAL HMP OF ERTHE SHOF SEEL TY HILS EEES FIOATIG AMAS RWAMA ENC GRICH AUSTRALLAYS NON F70 DAYS W. OS S LARK INNEIVING NR JOUNG/AUSTRLLAY OFTIOER LED 20 MrvexOR 272. MOMO ARDI BOD NOM ASOVOCADEA 1 320 Oormm S
4 12 i Telepton H em nyn rcs Beau ile to betuve en ine ct in2 Lotson has a t pope with trugh it 2s a Borts chance o encce as tors fout mateown and af a wnaten i ever at the de eet nemeon Serveiral neatment to inplance the hearh is excularen to the murderers given ansfficially bt time the ber io quarter ap the attack enquin unoficial order being comesour crred i a brisnde commander tuter has not enorgh int to keep quist and & truth out It is true because not one & A1t aales to diny it least of all tires for the tence int tho distets his behind the un and wo is rennve at rcrd fot Tellen Baches let us hill all At whote either do orcupion such thing seac do you believe in the hyeteria ym do. there or no
end Hea e Gcatile in mannan 16 about of the mith ns te 1 a drent 53 culan ltt the Dter But me on to mite myself unless I knew sus dent it sav ready t hastene of menor tame since it t mitten mon that remari yem shines. latte th nenteil conditin 4. 2. wn, yor new ale crrtine an i hot endence and ally dont mat to rearon my you I much pifed to t an ondune the clarges against us of enery to discipling no there thing are of as much importance as all Be You know will that I am cillecting dalie setes add a cootilaling, and cortinating the tot int o krot mich I shall call Bean and mhat ought to have bean te tublith bing that I dream I would have done had been beae in i amore merce a then for ever tuan

AWM38
Official History,
1914-18 War: Records of C E W Bean,
Official Historian.
Diaries and Notebooks
Item number: 3DRL606/118/1
Title: Photostats, Photostats
Comprise copies of enclosures to earlier diaries
and includes copies of correspondence, typed
diary entries for August-November 1918, maps
reports from "The Times Weekly Edition" and
1918 notes by F M Cutlack.
 AWM38-3DRL606/118/1

  

Notes to diaries
CONFIDENTIAL.
AUSTRALIAN COMMONWEALTH
MILITARY FORCES

WAR DIARY
of
CAPT. BEAN'S
From DIARIES
To N.D. 191.......
VOL. No. ............
10,000—9/17—6728.

1st SET.
Diary No. 118.
AWM38
3DRL 606 ITEM 118
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 those 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 Sept., 1946.
C. E. W. BEAN.
AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL
ACCESS STATUS
OPEN

 

69     
1
Dear General Walker,
you asked me to mention to you the names of
any men that I might hear spoken of as having been prominent in
this fighting. I am afraid my notes are very casual but the following
are some of them.
Liet.Capt. Metcalfe 11th Bn was responsible for the supervision
of the digging of the 11th Bn trenches beyond the Bapaume
Rd  during the heavy shelling. He was hit several times but I was
told that he carried on excellently.
Capt. Little 5th Bn after xxxxxxx most of the other
officers of his battalion in the firing line were knocked out was
practically in charge of the 5th Bn in the firing line(or at any
rate ^a good part of it  ) during the fight of the morning of July 25 xx
which by all accounts was one of the hardest yet fought.
Pte. Angel of 5th Bn , a signaller attached to 2nd Bde HQ
was sent with a message to the Battalion from Bde H.Q. It was an
urgent message. On the way he ran into the enemys barrage and
going through it was hit. As he lay with his legs paralysed he
saw an officer standing I am told 200 yards away from him. He
dragged himself by his hands until he was near enough to get the
officers attention and delivered his message to him. Two hours
later he was found lying there with a piece of shell in his back-bone.
The first question he asked was: xxxxx  Did that message get
through". I am told it is doubtful whether he will recover the
use of his legs.
During the fighting of the same morning Pte Skillbeck of
the Lewis gun detachment of the 6th Bn was in the Northern portion
of trench O.G.1. when our men were being gradually bombed back for
the second time. xxxxxx More than one man tells me that Skillbeck
was noticeable to everyone by standing out head and shoulders over
the parapet beside our bombers , using his Lewis gun like a rifle.
He ran through all his ammunition and waved for more. As he was

 

69     
2
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shouldering his gun to fetch it, he was hit by shrapnel and the xx
gun pitched away. He was wounded.
Another Lewis gunner , Pennicuik of the same battalion,
was always standing up by Skillbeck; for an hour at least, I am
told, he threw bombs, when the arms of the others were worn out.
The bombers of the battalion were practically all killed or wounded.
Sergt. Blair, A Coy 5th Bn , when the battalion was deploying in
the night, was making sure that the men spread out. I am told he
was quite careless of his own safety, going up and down and xxxxxx
forcing them to deploy and seeing that they did it.
I heard that Serg.Heaton of the 9th Bn, who did
great work, was killed, He was famous in Gallipoli, and they all
say he did well this night. There is another old n.c.o. of the 9th
whose name I have forgotten who did great work and was killed. I
will try to get his name again.
2/Lieut R.M.White of the 2nd Bn on the first night was
apparently the only officer amongst groups of men from every
battalion who lost themselves xx towards the N.E. of the objective, He
took charge and organised them and xxxx the digging of a line in
that part of the village on the first night seems to have been
largely due to him. He was just xxxxx E.N.E of the hedge with the guns x
in it, about the right of our first nights line - an area in
which events were very uncertain.
I have not seen Angel himself, or anyone who xxx
actually saw him. But xxxxxx the signal officer of the 2nd Bde
knows of the facts.
Yours sincerely,

 

71     
71/28
3
Reinforcements:
August 15.  Anderson called in by General Woodward at the War office
A. writes to Birdwood to say that the War Office is
getting anxious about the reinforcements for the Australian
divisions and has decided to (1) break up the 3rd
Australian division or (2) take a draft from the 3rd
Australian divn (between 3000and 6000 men probably) to
make up. Anderson says he has wired to Australian that
the latter course has been decided upon , retaining the
3rd Australian division in the meantime anyway.

August 16. Birdwood wires to Australia that he regrets that Anderson
sent his wire the day before without reference to him
- he thinks that he can find an arrangement by which the
3rd division need not be interfered with.

August. Birdwood thinks that if the Australian Govt. can send a
special draft in November of 20,000 men, and 16,500 or
25 per cent (for the infantry 5 divisions) during the xxx
next three months after that, the 3rd division can still
be retained and the xxxx divisions all of them kept up
to strength.

Birdwoods suggestion to bring the 11th and 12th Regiments
of Light Horse over from Egypt, or the whole of the
Light Horse, if possible, is taken up by Woodward. But
the G.H.Q. of the Eastern Exped.Force says that in view
of the state of affairs on the Canal it does not want to
spare any of the light Horse - so this has to be rejected.

August 31st. Hughes accepts the request of the War office. The
reinforcements previously promised were 140 officers and
11,650 men per month. The war office requests, owing to
"the heavy casualties"- (I think it is "very heavy cas.")-
suffered by the Australian divisions , the special draft
of 20,000 for November and 16,500 a month for three
months after.

November 9th. Australian Governments requests for extra transports
is cancelled from Australia.

November 11th. Sir Munro Ferguson wires a message from Hughes saying
that he regrets that Australia cannot keep her promise to
send the special draft of 20,000 in November. If not too
late, and if the 3rd Division can be kept in England without
altering plans too seriously, it is thought that
reinforcements for 4 divisions can be kept up on the 15
per cent scale.

Gen. Monash had been previously informed by the War Office
that the drafts from his division must be prompt, and that
the 3rd division would not be allowed to go abroad in
any case until the drafts for the other divisions were x
fully made up.

November 16th. Honar Law informs Australian Govt. that the 3rd Division
must go abroad on November 21 as arranged as the xxx 

 

71
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plans would otherwise be too seriously interfered with. It is hoped
that even if the special draft of 20,000 cannot be kept up for November,
either the whole or part of it, yet every effort would be
made to keep the five divisions up to strength by reinforcements.

On November 11 the Australian Government asked that, as it
was understood that training would better be carried out in England
than in Australia, the War Office would concur in the giving to
recruits of a very short period of training in Australia.

xxxxxxx The War Office concurred, but added on November 17
that it was hoped that the six first weeks training could be given in
Australia as contained in a previous communication, and that
that if men had to be kept in Australia more than 6 weeks waiting xx
should be gone on with.

Monash's objection to breaking up his division, written to
Birdwood after a letter from B. of abt Nov.16th, was that his division
contained no great proportion of men at any advanced state of
training. Except for a few old Anzac hands - men and officers -
whom he relied on as a nucleus, the others were all being trained
together. What he had done was to send a proportion of his men and
officers to Lewis Gun, and other schools, and he was employing xxx
these to train the rest. It was obviously very undesirable to take
away these.

The quota supplied by him was finally whittled down by arrangement
to a little under 2000.

White marked the papers of Nov.11 - 16 , when sent over by
Anderson for the information of A.I.F.Headquarters here : "Seen -
very sad ".

Griffiths thinks that if we are in for no actual scrapping
during the winter , we shall build up enough to make good the 5
divisions.

 

72     
72/85
5

PRESS R.T.P.

COMMONWEALTH GAZETTE MELBOURNE

BRITISH HEADQUARTERS  FRANCE NOVEMBER EIGHTEEN. THIS BATTLE OF
SOMME IS CONTINUING UNDER CONDITIONS XX IN WHICH WORLD HAD
PREVIOUSLY TAKEN IT FOR GRANTED IT IMPOSSIBLE TO FIGHT STOP
XXXXXXXXXXX IF THIS IS PART OF GREAT EFFORT TO ASSIST ROUMANIA IT IS
WELL THAT WORLD SHOULD KNOW HOW DETERMINED THAT EFFORT IS STOP
CONSTANT XXXXXX AUTUMN RAIN UNENDING MUD OF LAST FEW WEEKS CHANGED
SOME DAYS SINCE TO BITTERLY COLD CLEAR DAYS STOP  YESTERDAY
EVEN AT MIDDAY ROADS POOLS WERE FROZEN FACT STOP THIS MORNING
FOUND WHOLE COUNTRY UNDER WHITE COVERING SNOW STOP DURING DAY THIS
TURNED TO SLEET THEN STEADY RAIN STOP TONIGHT XXX DRIPPING WINTERS
FOG COVERS BATTLEFIELD  STOP  THROUGH ALL THIS SOMME BATTLE
CONTINUES STOP NO COMFORTABLE TRENCHES THERE STOP XXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
BATTLE GROUND XXXXXXXXXXX HAS BEEN SHATTERED AS NO OTHER BATTLE
GROUND EXCEPT VERDUN EVER EVEN STOP TRENCHES ARE NO MORE THAN MUD
SHALLOW DITCHES IN WHICH MEN HAVE TO FACE OUT LONG FREEZING WINTE

 

72     
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6
(2)

nights stop THROUGH ALL THIS GOES ON PERIODICAL ATTACK COUNTERATTACK
WITH INCESSANT SHELLING MORE OR LESS HEAVY XXXXXXXXXX NIGHT AND
DAY STOP IT IDLE PRETEND MEN ARE NOT UNDERGOING VERY SEVERE
HARDSHIP STOP FEW DAYS SINCE I PASSED AUSTRALIAN BATTALION COMING
OUT OF LINE STOP IT FIRST TIME I EVER SEEN AUSTRALIAN TROOPS PASS
WITHOUT SINGLE SMILE ON ANY MANS FACE STOP XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
MAN AFTER MAN PASSED EVERYONE VERY GRIM ^VERY PALE VERY VERY TIRED STOP TWO
DAYS LATER SAME TROOPS WERE OLD CHEERFUL SELVES STOP REST IS FIRST
AND LAST NEED OF THESE MEN XXXX AND ONLY WAY I KNOW OF BY WHICH
AUSTRALIANS CAN HELP THEM IS BY COMING HERE THEMSELVES TO GIVE THEM
REST STOP WINTER HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN AND THESE THINGS HAVE BE FACED
THROUGH FOUR OR FIVE MONTHS OF ENDLESS BITTER NIGHTS STOP IF DIVISIONS
ARE KEPT UP TO STRENGTH MEN CAN GET REST AND WITH REST
THESE XXX TRIALS ARE BEARABLE STOP BUT IF DIVISIONS /ALLOWED FALL BELOW
STRENGTH THIS IS SIMPLY ASKING MEN HERE TO SLAVE UNTIL THEY DROP
STOP IF YOU PUT MAN HOWEVER SPLENDID TOO OFTEN XXXXXX UNDER UNBEARABLE
STRAIN YOU WILL BREAK HIM AND THAT IS RISK WHICH XXXXXXXX
THESE MAGNIFICENT AUSTRALIAN DIVISIONS ARE THREATENED WITH STOP
AUSTRALIAN COMFORTS FUNDCAN DO MUCH BUT REAL NEED CAN ONLY BE XX
MET BY ACTUAL HELP OF XXX MEN STOP XXXX IN THIS WEEKS FIGHTING
GERMANS REGAINED XXXXXX TRENCH WHICH AUSTRALIANS WON TWO DAYS
BEFORE STOP GERMANS ATTACKED FROM FRONT AND FLANK INDRIVING XXXXX
FEW BRITISH TROOPS ON FLANK STOP YOUNG/WESTERN AUSTRALIAN OFFICER LED
HIS MEN STRAIGHT OUT IN OPEN AGAINST ADVANCING GERMANS AND THIS
BOLD MOVE WAS SUCCEEDING WHEN OFFICER HIT STOP MEN WITHOUT LEADER
WERE OUTDRIVEN BEAN

 

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7                                              
Headquarters                                                      
Australian Imperial Force

12th Infantry Brigade

Western Front, France  DEC 12

Telephone address                              Cable address          Telephone (several)

  as above                                                      as above              Vicinity 1218

In reply  please quote

My dear Bean

The above seems to me a waste of time  but if you why not me?

What I dont understand is this:  a man what has once Bean a

Judges Associate (I expect at a Bar) must be able to believe evidence -

no evidence, no belief.  Your evidence like mine rests on 2 cases

we believe to be well & truly reported. The man Jobson has a Brigade

pill again a man that has worked for a paper known that

what a reader wishes to believe - that is the truth:  though it be

a bloody lie, a gross exageration or a joke.

At present the situation is this - I speak as a Boche -

Monash, an apostate, desires to increase his chance of success

promotion reward by any means how foul whatsoever and applies

to a sergeant named Bean whose venal pen is ever at the disposal

of a unscrupulous Government & its minions - sewer rat         

writes rot about prisoners treatment to inflame the hearts

of the attackers; this Rot is circulated to the murderers

units and the worst is given unofficially but none the less

quite definitely - no quarter.  After the attack enquiry

is made as to the unofficial orders being carried out

and compliance proved  by a British Commander. Latter

Gott be praised has not enough wit to keep quiet and

blurts the whole truth out. It is true because not one

officer or man of the AIF dares to deny it least of all

the Arch murderer or the sewer rat who distils his

person in safety behind the line and who is remarkedly 

a soft second job. Fellow Boches, let us kill all AIF

who as a whole either do or approve such things.

My dear Bean do you believe in the "hysteria

of the man who was there" or not? If you do why not

 

 

79                                                                        

19/87A
8

very kindly and delicately prick their bladders

since you can do so by reference  to what case to

fairly believe of the Boche and of us ie. about 2½ %

some few men can get as near as 60% of the Truth as  they

believe it much in turn may be somewhere about 50% of the

real matter and as  time goes on the percentage falls I do

not believe that the average man can tell the same yarn

twice the same. I dont believe he can tell the plain

"unvarnished"  if he really  met under the circs that

Jobson met to.

Send him home to Tassy a la Jobson — Better all

a bit locally on the sore spot — put me on to write

a yarn — and I wouldn't trust myself unless I knew

of a whole pod full of Beans ready to say "Isnt it sad

he thinks these haps happened."

Official action by censors is of minor value since it

is temporary in effect it is the written word that remains.

I do not for one moment request you should tattle the

line but merely an essay on mental condition of all.

Soldiers know certain emotions.  Now your views are evidence

later on they will be made in order to  refute evidence and of

the value whatever.  And I really dont want to resign my

commission and compete with you — I much prefer to try and

lead you to the light tendering the charges against us of 

               Murder — Venery  — Indiscipline

Believe me these things are of as much importance as all

the cursed records. You know well that I am collecting data

and propaganda,  "cooperating " and 'coordinating" the lot into a

Book which I shall call "Bean and what might have Bean"

the subtitle being " What I dream I would have done had I been Bean"

This is of course merely a threat

 Yours ever

 J Gellibrand

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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joan tornquistjoan tornquist
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