Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/162/1 - October 1917 - Part 1

AWM38
Official History,
1914-18 War: Records of C E W Bean,
Official Historian.
Diaries and Notebooks
Item number: 3DRL606/162/1
Title: Notebook, October 1917
Includes references to the 1st Battalion at Menin
Road and Broodseinde.
AWM38-3DRL606/162/1 

Original
DIARY NO. 162
AWM38
3DRL 606 ITEM 162 [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 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
AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL
ACCESS STATUS
OPEN
 

1
On the tapes the 1st Bn
ws pressed close up
onto 3 Bn.
42
162
2
1st BN A.I.F.
1st Bn ws holding the line
for the Menin Rd fight.
Sept 16 at 4 p.m. 1st Bn reld
7 London Regt in line.
H Qrs ws in Clapham Jn
in the German Tunnel under /
Menin Road.
The tunnel had bn
broken in at several places
& ws not continuous. It
ws widened at various
parts for bunks & offices -
ran from Hooge to goodness
knows where.
Lt Col. Stacey DSO ws in comd. 

42
3
The trenches were dry but
not very complete.
Left ws almost in Glencorse
Wood - Right on Divl
boundary north of Menin Rd,
Front line ws little
shelled but Tunnel much more.
Carriers were at Half Way
House - & had a rough time
on / road.
1st Bn had C - Post
wh the Londoners had taken
night before wthey went in.
1st Bn ws reld on 18/19
by 6 Bn & 11 Bn who were
attacking, but still left
parties behind to hold
the advd posts in nomansland. 

4
[The English took this post on
Sept 18. 15^th On evng. of Sept 19 they [[?]]
were just going to c.attack when our
practise Barrage caught them.
/ Bn came in tt afternoon.    →→→
2/Lt Ward ws here. He
ws k. when they took over
on 22nd Sept.
42
5
On Sept Oct 20, just before
the attack started, the Germs
saw some of the left of /
British assembling in
nomansland & hampered them
very much with m.g.
fire (this ws abt ½ hr
before the fight). Our 
post fired on them. The
Germans attacked our
rt post w a flammenwerfer
less than 1/ hr
a few minutes before the
barrage started. ←←← We captd
the flammenwerfer. This
alld the English to form
up properly. The men 

6
[This post ws in an old
Farm w a ditch round a
hedge - we were in the
ditch with a low sandbag
barricade across it & a
small post of 5 (there
were several posts near)
The men there while the 8 Bn
ws forming up saw someone
moving. Pte Brul
sd where are / bombs &
the sentry challenged. There
ws talk  -not in English.]
42
7
were withdrawn immed.
before the attack began.
The Bn withdrew
on relief to Chateau Segard.
On ng of attack, after Zero
+ 1 the Bn moved to
Halfway H. & remained
there tt day & next.
German aeroplanes
came over here & dropped
bombs abt Halfway House.
Lt Bruton   } were hit there
2/Lt Clow    } by bombs
an both badly wd. and abt 
20 o.r.
On 21 Sept at 8.30 p.m.
1st Bn moved up to 

8
2 corps in Red  }

2 corps in Blue } Line
42
9
relieve 11 Bn in support to
2 Bn. on left of new positn.
Reld by 5 Divn on night
of 22/23 by 55^th Bn.
Col. Scott came in up there.
No c-attacks.
Back to Dickebusch
& Steenvoorde, Chat. Segurd.
Oct 2. At 9.20 p.m.
left for Westhoek.
Stayed there Oct 3.
in shell holes.
Oct 4: 2.15 am left for
assembly positn wh
ws astride our front line
1st Bde disposed:
2 Bn in old front line.
3rd Bn on whole
front agt 1st objve. 

42
10
4th Bn on rt}
1st   "     "  left}2nd objve
Our 3rd Bn ws in nomansland
Part of 1st ws in nomansland, part
across trench.
The approaches were
bad before the assembly
positn ws reached - the
valley in front of Anzac
ws v. boggy. Slight shelling
on Anzac Ridge -
Lt ^V C McKell ws killed
(of Bondi) in this shelling.
Bt 4.30  they were on
their tapes in shell holes.
At 5.40 the Germs
laid down a heavy barrage
on this positn. It ws

42
11
here tt Maj. Price D.S.O. M.C. ws
last seen, abt / beginning
of this shelling; also 2Lt
Farry, one of Price's offrs
- who were seen together.
D Coy (Prices) suffered more
than any other in this
shelling. Col. Stacey ws in
positn in front o / Bn
& they were getting it heavily.
At 6 a.m. our barrage
opened & enemys fire xxxxx
xxxx almost imd. slackened.
Much to everyones surprise
the troops quickly reorganised
- most offrs thought / attack
ws finished by / barrage -
 

42
12
& started stealing forward.
The 3rd Bn got quickly
ahead & a lot of Germans
were left in dugouts.
Hand drawn diagram - see original document
The Bn
moved
steadily
forwd &
presently / Germs were
seen moving forwd in
cart loads with their
hands up, running back
without escort. Col. Stacey
had just before gone up to one
of these pill boxes &
they threw an egg bomb
at him. This wd him
slightly in / shoulder. The
adjt found him & had /