Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/168/1 - 1915 - 1917 - Part 1

AWM38
Official History,
1914-18 War: Records of C E W Bean,
Official Historian.
Diaries and Notebooks
Item number: 3DRL606/168/1
Title: Notebook, 1915 - 1917
Includes references to the 2nd, 21st, 22nd, 23rd
and 24th Battalions, Lone Pine and Ypres.
AWM38-3DRL606/168/1

168
21 BN YPRES
2 BN LONE PINE
23 BN YPRES
22 BN YPRES
24 BN YPRES
R 48
Hand drawn diagram - see original document

AWM38
3DRL 606 ITEM 168 [1]
168
DIARIES AND NOTES OF C.E.W. BEAN
CONCERNING THE WAR OF 1914 - 1918
span>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
Blue for sigs.
Purple M.Gs.
Green - Scouts.
Red Runners.
Red & black Rifle Bombers.
Black Hand Bombers.
Yellow Riflemen.
White Armband Moppers Up
Yellow    "     Carrying pties.

48
2
21 Bn. Sept 20^th.
The 22nd Bn ws holding
line in Westhoek w part of
23.
On 20^th the 21 Bn ws in
Ypres & moved at Zero + 2 hrs
to China Wall. Stayed there
took over line on night of
21^st at Anzac (Bn HQrs)
There were supposed to
be 2 c-attacks - Germans
were in Zonnebeke, De
Knoet Fm, Retaliation Fm,
2 pillboxes at Gasometer etc.
& Tokio
& Docile trench - but
21 Bn never noticed these
c/attacks - & put up no S.O.S. 

48
3
The German ws not
strong on the Tokio
Ridge.
21 Bn ^ws reld 23/24
& came back to Dominion
Camp (Scottish lines - a
very big march).
Stood by in Corps
Reserve as Reserve Bde
to 4 & 5 Divns on 26^th Sept.
27/&28 they stood by.
29 heard abt attack.
30^th moved up into
the infy barracks Ypres.
1^st Inf Barracks.
2nd moved out to shelters
E of Menin Gate.
Night 100 men of
 

48
4
2 Bn had bn detached
to the Engrs at / beginning
of operations & they
worked thro to 12 October
laying the big duckboard
Zonnebeke track &
Bin X Rd to St Josephs)
from Westhoek past Anzac
to Zonnebeke Creek.
Lt Lee ws in charge.
Their casualties were abt
30 all told - they were
camped behind Ypres.
Night of 3/4 moved up
to Assembly position
betw Tokio & Brick Kiln.
The tape ws just behind the
trench. The 22 Bn ws on the 

48
5
trench - (22 went to
final objve).
The road did not exist.
Ditch ws right (with
hedge) & island on N.
edge of lake ws left.
They had to hop off
on rt - i.e. on front of 120
yds (30 per coy) & on
passing lake extended
to 250 yds - left
boundary being just
short of Zonnebeke Rd.
On the J.O. tape
they were severely shelled
from 5.25 to Zero. Golden 

48
6
showers ^(from German front system just beyond / lake) started abt
5.20 - all along / line.
(21 thought they had bn
spotted.) This barrage
chiefly fell on rear
coys. The barrage
started slowly - not
all together. It looked
like an area barrage.
In the assembly positn
at abt 4 a.m. there ws
quite a considerable
shelling by 4.2 & 5.9
for abt 10 mins. A
few men were hit. (of
course it looked as if they
had bn picked up - to them)

6a
Hand drawn diagram - see original document
48
7
When our barrage
started the German stopped
like a clock. Probly
anything up to 30 xxxx men
were hit there - all signalling
gear exc. one phone - &
one T.M. ws hit &
completely destroyed.
The formation ws
a light screen in front
& then shell hole groups -
4 Coys in line on / pln
front. (as opposite)
22nd were to take
Docile trench as 1st objve (& 100 yds past)
(cdnt find it); Then 24 Bn on rt
21 on left took Blue line 

48
8
nearly 400 yds beyond
crest.
When barrage opened
they hopped out - 21 Bn
pushed forwd onto 1st
objve - Germans were
found imd the creek
ws crossed. The creek
ws one of these shell hole
marshes with a ^slightly flowing
water thro it - water
& mud almost waist
deep. The Germs
were thinly over shell
holes - 212 R.I.R.
They were crouching in
shell holes & were mostly