Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/183/1 - 1917 - Part 1

AWM38

Official History,

1914-18 War: Records of C E W Bean,

Official Historian.
 

Diaries and Notebooks
 

Item number: 3DRL606/183/1
 

Title: Notebook, 1917

Includes references to the 2nd, 9th, 15th, 20th,

46th and 48th Battalions, diary entries for April

1917 and Pte T J B Kenny's VC.
 

AWM38-3DRL606/183/1

Original
DIARY NO. 183

AWM38
3 DRL 606 ITEM 183 [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 those 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 Sept., 1946. 

C.E.W. BEAN.
 

183

Ap. 15

Diary 1

LAGNIGT.
 

Diagram - see original

 

1

3

1

5 guns. put out of actn

-also 2 of 2nd Bty destroyed

by shell blowing up ammn

 

6
1

101 How Bty. putting

short Barrage over Germans

as 18 pdrs were damaged

or out of action.

Capt. Selmes

O.C.

[Lt.G. Raymond 45 Bty.]

155

6th Bty - only one

gunwhale
[*These 10 pdrs.
were firing
direct*]

1st & Bty saw ws

a bomb on road to

left abt 160 yds.

Flares were then thrown

onto hillcrest by

road.

One bombardier is

up & challenged him.

Reply ws a bomb.

6
2

they knew then who he

ws.

Man had gone up ^ as if to

light aiming posts. He

ws going to challenge. 
Capt. Lieut Dingwell

should not to light them

but put them out

Had fired all night 600 rds

Last series at 3.30 am.

abt.4.30  3 regts attd this

front. Outposts are

place round the guns.

They challenged & were

bombed. We had one rifle

between 60.

Sunken Rd in

C29 Ac & D was as

far as they got - 20 Bn on

left 9Bn on right went

there & drove them back

6
3

thro Lagnicourt closely

pressed by both bns - many

dead being seen on hill behind

Lagnicourt.

3 mgs were taken -

Arty went back to Vaux.

A man ran up & sd

Wake up Theyre on us -

Next thing flares were

coming right over -
_________________

23,000 yds.
_______________

20 German Prisoners

seem to have got back

the other night.
________________

The guns have bn having

a heavy time in these valleys.

The 4 bty lost 3 complete gun

detachments. The wd Bde fires

lost x 54 & 50 wd in 5 days 

6
4

Germans reached the 1st

Bde Guns (on sunken

road). Germans got in

to the Sunken Road, but

c.attack ws on them and

they did not damage

the guns.

Germans were ratting

some of the dugouts when

they were taken.
 

When c.attack started

they started to blow up

the 4 Bty guns. Then

102. They were working

round x the Bty guns

when they were heavily

c.attacked - our men 

firing at them. The 4.5

6
5

hows put up a fine

barrage in front of

Queant - (5th Div. guns)

& Germans seemed to

lose abt 200 men.

The Germans who were

Captd here had long

double edged daggers.
__________

Our c.attack started

abt 7.30 or 8 a.m.
 

31 guns in rally still

were in action on hour

after Germans had left.
________

6
6

[Hand drawn diagram - see original]

 

6
7

3rd Gd Div. {Guard Fus-Regt

{Sahr Inf. Regt

{9 Grenadiers (Kolbergers)

C11, 12, 17, 18 [[shorthand]]

7.30    300 enemy returning

just [[shorthand]] of Lagnicourt

8.5   200 retiring D 13d

towards Queant.

8.10   in C 12 A.