Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/153/1 - April - May 1917 - Part 1

AWM38
Official History,
1914-18 War: Records of C E W Bean,
Official Historian.
Diaries and Notebooks
Item number: 3DRL606/153/1
Title: Notebook, April - May 1917
Includes references to the 2nd, 3rd and 4th
Battalions, Bullecourt and Lagnicourt.
AWM38-3DRL606/153/1

1
Bullecourt
May 3rd 1917
4Bn
153
3 Bn.
2 Bn
(see also other end)
Original.   DIARY NO. 153
AWM 38      3DRL 606 ITEM 153 [1]
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 Sep., 1946.               C. E. W. BEAN
AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL
ACCESS STATUS
OPEN 

33
1
Bullecourt
May 3rd 1917
4 Bn.
153
3 Bn.
2 Bn
(see also other end)

2
33
4 Bn.
From 29 April 4 Bn
ws holding second line
in front of Vaulx.
On night 3 May they
were ordered to move
to Noreuil reporting to
G.O.C. 5^th Bde. He ordered
them to report to Col. Pye,
19 Bn. whose HQrs ws in
the rly cutting. There _^ acc. to orders
were recd, by Maj. Sass (a/C.O.)
took over.
The next day 4 & 2 Bns 

3
33
were to bomb from Road
in 29 A & C up O.G.1 & 2
to right.
Sketch - see original document
The 2nd ws to go in first
& bomb to right; 4^th
to follow & take over
about ½ of old 5^th Bde
objve.
The attack ws to have 

4
33
no Germans within sight
of s.bs who were out.
They went in at abt 2.30.
At abt 300 yds they got
strong oppositn; so
barrage ws arranged
(as planned). They withdrew
a bit; & at abt 4.
went ahead barrage
lifting by sections.
The 4^th Bn was at this
time in Sunken Rd
in 29 a & c. There ws
a bit of barrage but it
came from right & the
bank somewhat protected 

5
33
them.
Sketch - see original document
The crossing of Road &
O.G.1 & 2 seemed to be
the main target.
While sitting there it ws
seen tt O.G. 2 to left of
road (in 23 C) came under
a regular bombt from
our own arty - sixteen
pdr guns, (shrap. & H.E.).
This was quite a bombardment
- really heavy.
4^th Bn's first pln ws
supporting 2 Bn in O.G. 2
by 3 p.m. Main part of 

6
33
Bn ws in trenches by
5.30 or 6.
By this time 2 Bn had
gone ahead & were
rather week. Maj.
Lloyd _^ "C" Coy sent up a pln
in O.G. 1 to support them
(B. Coy had sent up 4 Plns
earlier into O.G. 2).
They helped to carry
stop further by abt 200
yds. By 7 p.m. he ws
decided tt they had
gone far eno', &
gave instrns for a
block to be made
before dark. at abt 29A9.6 

7
33
This is not over the
top of the hill.
Nothing happened till
midnight when 11^th &
12^th Bns relieved 4 & 2
Bns.
The advance had bn
made with rifle grenades,
stokes mortars & mills bombs.
The oppositn ws stick bombs
& egg bombs in the trench
with occasional light
T.M. shells. He ws also
sniping fairly accurately.
At one time earlier in the
fight our men cd be seen
standing up shooting at /
Germans. 

8
33
After the block ws formed,
after dark, they were
heavily shelled for an
hour by everything up
to 5.9. & probly 8 in. The
men dug into the parapet
as best they cd, & tried
to make shelter from
backblasts. In O.G. 2 they
got to abt 29 B_^7.9  9.7.
4 Bn bombed up
commn trench along 29 B.8.8
& formed a barricade
there. This ws a bit
hurriedly constructed.
At 9.30 our barrage
opened (not called for by