Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/181/1 - September 1917 - Part 1

AWM38
Official History,
1914-18 War: Records of C E W Bean,
Official Historian.
Diaries and Notebooks
Item number: 3DRL606/181/1

Title: Notebook, September 1917
Includes references to the 59th Battalion and
Ypres.
AWM38-3DRL606/181/1 

181 59 Bn Ypres
6 Sept
Original
DIARY NO. 181.
AWM38
3DRL 606 ITEM 181[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
 

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181
59 Bn Ypres
59 Bn 26 Sept.
59 Bn ws to have been
left Bn for 2nd objve. 57^th
on rt.
Roughly the Bde J.O. line was
from J9 D 2½ 8 to 9 D 2½ O
The Red line ws from 10 A 7.2
to 10 C 7.6 (59) to J 10 B 2.0.
The Blue Line From Rd E&W
into Jetty Wood at J 10 B 25
to J 16 B 2.9.
58^t Bn went in on Monday 24 Sept
(took over from 56 Bn). Monday
night 57, 59, & 60 moved
up from Chateau Segard area -
59 to bank of Zillebeke Lake; 60^th
 

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to Menin Rd Tunnel, Clapham
Jn.
57 Bn to Yeomanry Post
& Zouave Wood - shelling ws
heavy & many casualties.
59 ws under bank & had
few casualties.
The attack had bn practic^d
at Sercus on a 3 Coy
frontage - (each coy 100 yds - distrib^d
in depth). The principle ws tt
of Reserve in every unit
from Coy to Bn.
C.Os. went to confce at
Bde H.Q. at Hooge crater
on night 24/25 at wh they
were told tt operatn orders
had not arrived till then. xxx
Later, Corp xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx they
were informed from Divn tt
 

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Corps had ordered / attack
as folls:
1st Objve: (60) Bn with 2 coy
frontage.
2nd objve: 57 & 59 with
1 Coy frontage.
Morning of Sept 25. CO (Col. Mason)
went to Hooge Crater wh
ws being terrifically strafed
with shells & bombs, dump
blown up, motor lorries blazing.
- [The CO. met on / way
at hellfire Corner the runner
with the operatn orders who
sd he had bn held up by
barrage since 12.30 a.m.]
They saw Gen Elliott - G.O.C.
Divn cdnt get thro - & learnt
of the attack on troops on
right.
 

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Gen. Elliott decided then to send
[*?58 Bn*] up 1 Coy to reinf. 28 Bn.
It ws then decided to layout
tapes in front o / line &
not dig J.O. trenches.
60 Bn ws to lay tapes.
In / meantime more
serious news came - & 3 Coys
of 60 Bn were sent up.
When Confce broke up it ws
understood tt Col Marshall
ws going forwd to Bl. Watch
Corner.
C.O. went back to Zillebeke
& presently got orders (abt midday)
to go to Yeomanry Post &
take over from Col. Stuart.
Shelling ws still heavy.
Stuart & 57 Bn went
on to Clapham Jn; 59 took
 

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his place. No casualties.
C.O. called his offrs (Coy
commdrs) together & went
thro operatn orders.
Maj. Bullen RMO (59) (since killed) went
up to see if he cd find an
R.A.P. He came back &
sd it ws impossible to
get thro Glencorse Wood.
C.O. then got a message
abt 8 p.m. tt things were bad
with British on rt; 59
to go up to Clapham Jn
& be ready to receive imd.
c.attack orders. Stuart
& 57 Bn had gone on.
59 worked up to
Clapham Jn, got into
shellholes, not / tunnel. The
 

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shelling missed them - onto Zouave Wood
& gas shelling. (Probly for guns).
Orders came to C.O. to
go to Bde. He found Gen
Elliott at Hooge: Attack
to be carried out as ordered
& 59 Bn to take 1st objve
instead of 2nd. He asked
if CO knew what to do?
Yes
Well then go & do it.
C.O. went back to Cl. Jn.
The coy commdrs had
already bn given a hint
thro' staff captain; & on
return C.O. found them
with NCOs in Hooge
cr Menin Rd tunnel
 

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& necessary orders for attack
on 1st objve already given.
Capt Stockfed B Coy   } the leading
Lt Turnour C Coy  } coys who were sufficient to inform
{A Coy Capt Bursey (M C for this)}
{D Coy on working party}
Hand drawn diagram – see original document
The 59^th picked up shovels, corkscrews
wire etc at / dump & pushed off.
The men were very quiet and
determined abt it. They already
had 72 hrs rations, ammn
(200 rds) - & not a murmur from
anyone. This had to be done bec.
 

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dumps cd not be organised
before. They were just filed by
& picked these things up.
A little after midnight
they started. It ws a beautiful
night - low clouds but plenty
of light. Dark eno' to hide
movement & light eno' to
show you where you put
your feet.
They had a splendid journey
up, in single file, no barrage.
One Bn of 8^th Bde (2 Bns
were to take final objve) got
ahead of 59 Bn.
It ws quite a quiet night
except for a certain amt of
shelling going over & to the right.
Tapes had bn laid by
58 Bn & cd be followed to
Blackwatch Corner & there