Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/157/1 - May 1917 - Part 1

AWM38
Official History,
1914-18 War: Records of C E W Bean,
Official Historian.
Diaries and Notebooks
Item number: 3DRL606/157/1
Title: Notebook, May 1917
includes references to the 54th Battalion and
Bullecourt. 
AWM38-3DRL606/157/1

1
157 orig
54 Bn
May 15
Original            Diary No. 157
AWM38         3 DRL.606  ITEM 157 [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 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

37
1
157 orig
54 Bn
May 15

37
May 15.
2
54 Bn.  Holding
whole of both Hindenburg lines.
Trench from 60 to 66 is
not used. Bombing
post & block at either
End of H. trench
Front line from 23
C 8.½ to 23d. 60
British (1st 2. 3. 4^th London Regt)
Fryberg's lot are there.
Line was held in
series of strong posts
with 14 L.Gs & 3 v.m.gs
of 14^th Coy, & 2 Stokes mortars
of 14 L. T. M.
Support from 77 to 37 

3
37
is not held.
D Coy.
Diagram - see original document
Germs. were shelling all
day with minnies & pineapples
starting abt 9 am.
Towards evg. they began 

4
37
to straf with guns.
D Coy have a big dugout
& got a good many men
down it. A Coy have a
dugout also. C Coy
on right suffered heavily
having no dugout, hanging
to the side o / trench.
Abt 3.15 am May 15 German shelled
front line, Sunken Rd
supports (from wh he blew
us out - the D^r leaving
& going to front line
(& most of men going
to Rly - fortunately
most were away on
ration party).
Also, Noreuil (where
ration pty had 4
killed & were kept till

5
Maj. C.S. Lecky - O.C. firing
line.  time 4.15 [[shorthand]]
[[Shorthand]] Dawn (DCoy)
[[Shorthand]]
This message arrd
abt 6.45  the runner
having been shellshocked &
being in a very broken state

6
37
7 a.m.)  All telephone
commn ws cut - had to
rely on runners.
The men were ready
in dugouts with SOS
up the dugout steps.
3 men had each
5 S.O.S. Red single flares
in Very pistols - They
shot off whole 15. They
were all D Coy.
Germans shifted
barrage off the front line.
He ws quick after his barrage
& got into trench. He had
prepared a bomb store,
dressing stn etc in a big 

7
Capt  H. H. Young.
was on

8
37
between the two bomb
blocks in a big dugout
betw 60. & the Road.
Waterproof capes, bombs,
a.m.c stuff.
He got in from his end
a little past 60. He
did not take get past block
in O.G.I.
Capt A. G. Morris
organised a c- attack
with remnants of C.
Coy along front trench.
2nd Lt F Morley
organised a c. attack
up the right sap - This
ws the turning point.
The Germans were 

37
9
driven back on the
bomb block & those
who got out got into
our barrage. 
When our SOS went
up our shelling came
very heavy & very
promptly.
The Germans who
got out, when they got 
out could not face our
barrage & wanted to
Surrender. But it ws
impossible to take prisoners
& they were wiped
out with L.G.
He was driven off out & 
before reaching other 

37
10
parts of line. (He
made a frontal
attack from the Sunken
Road to the star.)
A fli A youngster
named Pratt (Pte) ws
taken prisoner & ws being
escorted back w two 
German soldiers as
guard. His guard ws
killed - Pratt got 
right back to C. Coy
Commander _^ for runner - carried
out duty all day. 
He ws rendering first
aid to a wd German
Officer.