Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/190/1 - 1915, 1918 - Part 1

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
  • Shorthand
Status:
Awaiting approval
Accession number:
RCDIG1066807
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

AWM3S Official History, 1974-18 War: Records of C E W Bean, Official Historian. Diaries and Notebooks Hem number: 3DR1606/79017 Title: Notebook, 1915, 1978 includes references to the 13th, 15th and 16th Battalions, Hamel, Quinn's Post, Pte HDalziels VC and contains sketches and shorthand notes. AWMISS-SDRLCOGHSOH
DIARYNP.19O. Driginal. 300 606 1BN 195 ALMES 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 se —but it does not follow that he always discovered this, or remembered to correct the mistakes when discevered. 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 aathor, 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. TRELEN WER MEMORIAL C. E. W. BEAN. 16 Sept, 1946. ACCLCT SLL mmu OPEP
D08 Nwelle Hais 19 7oberca V.Annoy An. in a S for .
Austoal ee ate Hanel. aget I hope you will believ eno to excue my faulty English. I find it i csful – this Eng Io at this manent bee it rable mes tellyou what all Fried nation 6- E thenk of you X or 0.5 1cx 1 210-9. 10£ 00 16 b15cs 1 0 7 n. ir Hanel 3P.5
OS7 En. The anxiet 5 was Hans walk wh we a switch. But tanks went round woat & alon Hans walk. The tenks messed Fear trend. Te Smoke we a dificulty - in dry weater 1sniote ws scarcely vecy Te smake preveated Bas seemg to flanks & must have botered tanks. Infantin & tanks difen as to Zero. 15 Ba put of 245 as gero - 3 at Calest. Te morney ws fortunately very dert. He infauth being i 1 tenks prevents
UST anti-tank gan from having I a simple target. The new taaks are much faste than cnfantry – & therefore they can stert a little leter & came up. The mineowerfor off captared at Dear French (2 lrge mannies in Pear Y had be preaiously exactly lcald by a Kbearing from from) said he heard our men moving in wheat but tought we were wering. Then as it continued they thought it as t be a raid & so had all 1 garrisn standy to The living up this time
105 was very quiet- the mew moved into position like shadows; very different from the Flygon show where mer were rattling down over wire shelholes. Re 18 Bu forsed up partl in crof, part in cleared ground. X B cay comendr. Coy Coundrs. Heamericans sd they must have their plus togeter but we had to put them insection of theirs with one section of ours
1 It ws 7 minates before 18 mans opened their barrage + then nothig forward of our otd system. The Stanks of the 15B didn't appear. with Bn until the final objee. At Leas when our bor fell It seemed to be sooyds cear - bee it ws unregistened The Bn at once began to get to its feet to calch up Barage 10seis tater some gans from Welcome ood direct staited to shoot in amongst infantry 4.5 & 18ps 12 men wereand e before they moved. This
habelly disorganised the attack to clear tese points selly our barrage showed in front of the Pear I tn beyond it – be Pear us only abt. 70 yos across + [fermans were ready. He coys moveng to right Pear trench were able to have faster than those in hort of it, & then struck M.9. fire pombi Pear first. There ws jast wwo were to increase the obstacle. CCoy struck this (Capt Glasgow) D Dwyer F.C. wS. w lasgon
te he ed a but for lasgow there wd have bu mady more casnathes, when ferman junse the L.G5 which were frm from I hip covered 1Lg wh got down & were able to do accurate Footig. The L.gs. on gound were able to Silunce us on front when one further to our lef had silent ope up & Exfilad 21 mea do over I silent Ple Dalziel from Atterton (on the table lam N Cacensland) & ac

AWM38
Official History,
1914-18 War: Records of C E W Bean,
Official Historian.
 Diaries and Notebooks
 Item number: 3DRL606/190/1
Title: Notebook, 1915, 1918
Includes references to the 13th, 15th and 16th
Battalions, Hamel, Quinn's Post, Pte H Dalziel's
VC and contains sketches and shorthand notes.
 AWM38-3DRL606.190/1 

 

Original
DIARY NO.190.
AWM 38
3DRL 606 ITEM 190 [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
 

 


No. 3.
McSharry's sketch of QUINNS.
15th Bn
Hamel
16th Bn
Hamel
13th Bn
Hamel
Other end of book.
Haig - Nivelle
70 xxx cont.
V. annoyed
(17735) Wt. 2205 -SK550. 100000 I/18 Sir J. C. & S.
 

 

110
Clemenceau's speech to Australia
after Hamel.
Yet I hope you will be kind eno to excuse
my faulty English. I find it w. useful - this Eng.
at this moment bec it enables
me to tell you what all / French
nation
think of
you.
[[shorthand]]

 

 

110
15 Bn. The anxiety
was Huns Walk wh
ws a switch.
But tanks went round
/ wood & along Huns
Walk. The tanks missed
Pear trench. The smoke
ws a difficulty - in
dry weather smoke
ws scarcely necy.
The smoke prevented Bns
seeing to flanks & must
have bothered / tanks.
Infantry & tanks differed
as to Zero. 15 Bn put up
2.45 as Zero - 3 at latest.
The morning ws fortunately
very dark. The infantry
being w / tanks prevents
2 

 

110
anti-tank guns from having
a simple target. The new
tanks are much faster
than infantry - & therefore
they can start a little later
& come up.
The minenwerfer offr
captured at Pear Trench
(2 large minnies in Pear trench
had bn previously exactly
located by a X bearing from
front trench) said he heard our
men moving in / wheat
but thought we were wiring.
Then as it continued they
thought it ws to be a
raid & so had all / garrison
standing to.
The lining up this time
3 

 

110
was very quiet -
the men moved into
position xxx like shadows;
very different from the Polygon
show where men were
rattling down over wire
& in / shellholes.
The 15 Bn formed up
partly in crop, partly
in cleared ground.
Hand drawn diagram – see original document
The Americans sd they
must have their plns together
but we had to put them
in one section of theirs with
one section of ours -
4 

 

110
It ws 7 mins before
/ Germans opened their
barrage & then nothing forward
of our old system.
The 3 tanks of the 15 Bn
didnt appear with Bn until
the final objve.
At Pear When our barrage
fell it seemed to be 300 yds
clear - bec. it ws unregistered.
The Bn at once for began to
get to its feet to catch
up / barrage. 10 secs later
some guns from Welcome
Wood direction started to
shoot in amongst / infantry
4.5 & 18 pdrs. 12 men
were k & 40 men wd
before they moved. This
5 

 

110
naturally disorganised
the attack to clear these
points.
The shellholes of Our barrage showed
in front of the Pear &
then beyond it - the
Pear ws only abt 70
yds across & / Germans
were ready. The Coys
moving to / right o / 
Pear trench were able to
move faster than those
in front of it, & they
struck m.g. fire from the
Pear first. There ws just
eno wire to increase this
obstacle. C Coy struck
this (Capt Glasgow.)
Lt Dwyer V.C. ws w Glasgow
6 

 

110
& he sd tt but for
Glasgow there wd have
bn many more casualties.
When / German guns opened
the L.Gs which were firing
from / hip covered / L.Gs
wh got down & were
able to do accurate
shooting. The L.Gs. on /
ground were able to silence
/ guns on / front when
one further to our left
wh had bn silent opened
up & enfiladed / men
advancing over / silent
guns.
Pte Dalziel from
Atherton (on the Table land
of N Queensland & the
7

 

 

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