Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/161/1 - 1916 - 1917 - Part 1

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

Diaries and Notebooks 

Item number: 3DRL606/161/1 

Title: Notebook, 1916 -1917
Includes references to the 33rd and 52nd
Battalions and Messines.
 

AWM38-3DRL606/161/1 

Original
DIARY NO. 161.
AWM38
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
3DRL 606 ITEM 161 [1]
AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL
ACCESS STATUS
OPEN 

41

161

1
52 Bn Messines:- 1916
A. Maxwells Report 52 Bn.
"52 Bn ws in positn in J. O. tape
at time laid down.  Patrols were
sent out to get in touch w / 6th Lincs.
as soon as we arrd at O 27 Central
but this Bn cdnt be found.
At abt   O 27 B 08 some
English troops were forming up in a
NE directn but they knew nothing of the Lincs
& sd they were going direct for their objve.
10 mins before zero, as the Lincs.
were still about, I moved my
rear platoon to occupy 200 yds
extra to near our left flank & at Zero,
when we moved forwd, swung D Coy.
to its left & entered enemy trench
from  O 28 a 99 to O 22 c 83 - 

2
Clyde Pearce 52. killed last night (10/11)
Capt Anderson d of w.

*planes were over before we had
worked to our left up Odour trench.
Finding a small pln of floaters
under an officer who had wandered up
behind our front line I asked them to
go out to Van Hove Fm & occupy it &
arranged for a tank to cooperate -
This they did & so protected our
flank

41
3
& thence on to / final objve.
The 2 farms on / road at O 22 d 31
& O 22 d 33 were occupied & posts
placed along the rear of the road to
O 22 b 06 where the posts bent back
to / road trench crossing at O 22 c 56
Then posts & patrol in Odour trench
to 22 c 30.
Our protective barrage had died down before this
had bn completed & our attack contact 
*Shorthand as translated on Page 2 of original 

4
*The tanks did excellent
work all thro' & were absolutely
prompt to do anything tt ws asked
of them.  Later 2 went down at my
request to abt O 22 C 9.3 & did
splendid work there until we were
reld.  in spite of fact tt one ws
broken down & / other bogged.
Another dismounted it L.Gs
& supported our left flank from
our trench. Their efforts were
untiring & their help most
opportune.  But on my way
round the posts I came upon 2
Coys of the Borders ^under their adjt.
These were placed in support,
at Ox28. a 66 & at O 28 a 6.2.
At abt 5 pm a heavy bty on
left flank & the

41
5
*Shorthand as translated on Page 4 of original 

6
*18 pdrs on / rt commenced
firing very short.  Messages
back failed to rectify this error &
our posts on / left
xx were forced to fall back into Odour
Tr. to / rly & further to the right to shell
holes behind / wire round Odious trench.
I went back to Bn HQ to
try to get / arty lengthened & on
my way found the Lincs HQ.
and a few men.  Their Coys were
astray.  Further back I came on
the Border HQ. & they promised
anor Coy as soon as they came up
if our need ws urgent.  Near Bn HQ
I found 2 Coys of the Lincs & told them
where their HQ were, & on my way
back found they had started one Coy to
take a line of posts from O22 c84

41
7
*Shorthand as translated on Page 6 of original 

*to O 28 B17.  B Coy & half C Coy
were on their left in ODOUR trench & A
Coy & C Coy w / remainder of D Coy
on their right.
During / night / Huns
c/attacked but never reached our trenches.
We got in touch w an Engl Bn
on our left & rear & got them to
form a defve flank from our left
to their right as they could not
move up on to our line.
Next mg about 8-9 am
an Engl. Bn came up on our left
& we joined with them.
Abt 10 am some enemy were
seen in / front of our trench. A party

41
8
*Shorthand as translated on facing page of original

8
*of 20 bombers under 2 Lt Boase
were pushed out to bomb them out.
The Hun waited for a few minutes &
tried to bomb us back but cd not
& so he turned & ran.  Our LGs
cut him down imdy.  Our men
continued to bomb & smashed them
completely.
During / aftn we collected 40
wd prisrs and his dead were
estimated at from 60 - 80.  Our
prisoner stated th one whole Coy had
been killed or taken prisr.  We
believe 3 men got back to their lines.
Abt 4 pm some Notts & Derbys
came up in & twds dusk the
remainder o / Coy came in
& took over our position of
Odour trench

41
9
*Shorthand as translated on Page 8 of original 

*leaving the Lincs still in the
positn from the rly to O c 28 B17
Durg / day outposts were
pushed ford where they originally
were placed. 

It ws noticed during the stunt
tt our barrage was as nearly perfect
as if cd be exc. for one gun wh
fired short & into our second
wave from the start to the finish.
The protective barrage ws not
sustained long enough in view of the
front being gapped.  If it had all gone
as per schedule it wd have bn long eno'
but it did not allow of any
imperfections.
No signal ws supplied for
our artillery firing short.

41
10
*Shorthand as translated on facing page of original 

*The Bosch wd not face
our rifle grenades.
In one case a supply
line sent up both xxx green
flares when a contact
plane called, & also when an
enemy barrage came down
they put up an S.O.S.
The power ^?buzzer did not prove
satisfy & a phone wd have bn
v. useful.

41
11
*Shorthand as translated on facing page of original