Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/175/1 - October 1917 - Part 1

AWM38
Official History,
1914-18 War: Records of C E W Bean,
Official Historian.
Diaries and Notebooks
Item number: 3DRL606/175/1
Title: Notebook, October 1917
Includes references to the 41st and 44th
Battalions, Broodseinde and Passchendaele.
AWM38-3DRL606/175/1 

41 Bn
4 Oct/17
44 Bn 4 Oct
held by 9 Bde
[* x75
R.55 *]

Original   DIARY.  NO.  175
AWM38       3DRL 606 ITEM 175 [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

41
44
42
43

10      1
41 Bn
4 Oct/17
44 Bn 4 Oct
Line had bn held by 9 Bde.
41 Bn assembly positn
just in front of Zonnebeke,
rt flank on rly.

German barrage ws on
the Bremen Redoubt
ridge and only
Diagram - see original 
the
tail
of this
caught
the 41 Bn.

It ws very crowded
on the damp ground 

10            2
in front ^(E) of the Zonnebeke.

The Germans started
to straf the Rly cutting
about 4 a.m. The Bn.
ws then S. of Rly on
/ approach march.

When the Bn ws
halted for / second time
(this ws / shorter halt) -
The tape ws on / Bremen
Redoubt wh ws subj.
to v. heavy shelling. The
bn altered the assembly
positn at / last
moment in order to
get across / Zonnebeke
The I.0 ws sent on to 

10           3
see if there were any
space betw the 44 Bn &
the Zonnebeke. There ws
abt 100 yds - very damp -
but safe; & Bn went on to
this taking its ^water & ration mules for [[shorthand]] (3
out of 4 left) w it.

[One o / mules eventually got
up]. Of the 3 bridges across
the Zonnebeke 2 were
blown up by whizz bangs
earlier. Parts o / Bn
waded over on / right
but it ws very difficult
indeed.

The 5.30 Barrage ws
heavy on / Bde but heavier
just over. This ws prac. 

10         4
all whizzbang.

After the push off the
German shelling stopped for
a while & then came down
in area shoots.

[The dispositions practised
beforehand in Assinghem
& Poperinghe, & practised
at least 4 times, were
carried out betw 3 & 4
objve. The objve etc. was
also taped on small scale depth,
but on same front, at
Poperinghe & practised
3 or 4 times & studied.
The NCOs & offrs reconnoitred
up to - J. off point -
difficult posn thro enemy holding Hill 40. 

5
11 Bdes
formatn of Bns.
Diagram - see original 

10     6
One NCO ws wd at Bremen
in reconnaissance, by shell]
The skirmishing pln
tends to develop into a
lot of little groups, NCO with
or energetic man with
3 to 6 men w him.].

Coy formatn. (one wave deep)
Diagram - see original 

10       7
On objve on each Coy front
they had to be (1) protected by
snipers, L.Gs in shellholes
in front.

Then reorganised on
line (behind protection) &
dig 2 or 3 pln posts
acc. as reorganised
into 2 or 3 plns.
Diagram - see original 
Reserve Coy has to be used
either to complete scheme as
or to dig suppt line.

10         8
At the start there were
some German [[shorthand]] just in
front of Hill 40 w flank
refused on left, behind
Docby Fm.

These [[shorthand]] were rushed -
43 Bn had some diffy at
Hill 40. By the time the
41 got up there were a
good number of Germs killed.

As attack went on the
11 Bde crossed Rly line
gradually. They were in
touch on both flanks thro'out
& on left flank there were
certainly consultations of
officers - on rt they were
speaking to some of 26 Bn. 

10        9
43 Consolidated in rear 
of Alma - 
After a short halt they
reached the Army Halt of
1 hour on the lower slope
of the hill leading up
to Seine. This ws 42 Bn onjve
& ws where they began to be able to dig in.

The valley before this
ws no serious obstacle
tho near the rly line it
ws boggy.

During this halt Germans
found the line. The
Germans had maps
on them with our objective
positns roughly marked
on them. These were
forwarded on to Bde -