Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/100/1 - February 1918 - Part 6
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conservatism in this
crisis.
The Govt is suing Col.
Repington, the military
corespondent of the Times
who lately resigned because
the Times wd not agree to his
ideas abt man-power;
& who has since been
treating the world to his
own personal ideas in the
"Morning Post." He
wrote & the " M.P." published
an article divulging a
number of the secret decisions
of Versailles wh the allied
∧ Council had, I believe, specially
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asked to be retained
secret. He is suffering
from the swollen head
wh attacks so many
men when they once get
the comfortable reputation
of being the best critics!
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A & N. C. S. Ln.
STATIONERY DEPT.
105, Victoria St. S.W.
Billet
16 Rue Bouchardon:
Coordination Department
1st Bureau A & Q.
at GHQ divides
into 2.
must [[?]]
at the present
Needs open air people - office folk
which will put all Reg officers.
3 division in line. 2 Nat.
3 Armies. 1 Reg. 1 to 2. 2.4
2 Natl gd
3 Natl army
"canned"
Not yet ready, but cd manage.
1st division 6 months in line.
these divisions coming to us. Arriving 50,000 a month
? these all trained
Very trained to do nothing to offend [[?]]
[*Same inf as we but much more arty
still [[?]] in place of 4.5.*]
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3
Sandwiches
1824 Dates 2p.
" Cal 2.50
1 Div ^staff org. of Natl guard.
2 Museums department
______________
M Sanisation Park - 37 types
to pack cars & drivers.
of the Lorries. diffies at St Nazaire.
Adv. of being away from base.
Never know where a ship is
coming in. Packhards, Peerless
6 coys Supply Divn 47 light arms per Divn
4 coys Ammn. to Reg II [[?commutn.]]
4 coys Ambu. 470 cars per Divn
____________________
started in this as agst Villa.
____________________
3500 a month from businesses
Air: 1500 pilots
Liberty Engine. 3 sorts cdnt deliver
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20 Feb Visit line to men I spoke to.
Serious. in no mans land
Robertson would expln the bombed Australian
4/5 casualties per day
We went straight out to Gallipoli
Modest.
Russian [[?]]
Blue lights.
Obtained if in our khaki troops before Yanks
[shorthand]
[shorthand]
21/- [[?Lieut]]] Fraser wrote letter attacking Robertson.
Germans take guns in Russia.
Northcliffe propaganda in enemy countries
Kipling " " our country
Donald propaganda in neutral countries
22/- 1300 guns. Why Germs
broke their word abt Armistice
Heavy Bty - Rowly, White & [[?Bernie]]
- The Impl, war museum
Doubt abt German defensive at correspondence HQ
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Concentrated Schools.
Gibbon.
Maj H.R. Williams American military attache
at Paris - on Feb for a bombardment the military
attaches at Constantinople called a meeting with McKreig [[?]]
to discuss where the British ought to leave when they did so.
They all had their say and then asked Wms what he
thought. Whether he thought it should be at Settil Bahs.
He said the only place was between Ari Burnu
and Anafarta.
The Turks did not expect a landing at Anzac
but set on the tower at Chanak.
The Germans gave him notice to quit that when
he had sign of the "entry to the Dardanelles"
(the Turkish officer no comment) The Turks knew that
day was held for the 28 (with the night of 27 they
began to be steered at Helles)
After the Armistice Turkish
officers told me that they had come forward with our
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On the first morning the Turgut Reis
& Barbarossa were both
fighting simply to be the [[?]]
German [[?]] had an observation post
Mal Tepe (directly behind Maidos)
over them. They reported this direct battery
_____________________________
My eyes - check obs as Foote. Can Corps trans
idea of inviting Morgan correspond to Aust Corps. Raid.
Our Flying Corps (photos etc) 15000 rounds fired. Lead to
continue firing. One other point.
23/- German behind Mons & Combrai. My Canadian who
are planning to get over to our guns
Attack charges over submarines
24 Cox. Lytton & Haig.
______________________________
Smart & the Fund.
A. Books & Morgan Bros & Lytton
Ring up Lord Lytton.
_______________________________
Send back passes.
Cable - (1) Eng sacrifices.
(2) American determinations.
Write to White abt American Press
[*Father's birthday*]
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men. Essad Pasha C. of S.
showed him a collar badge that he had from one
of our men as a souvenir - he gave
one in return.
They all had a great idea of the Anzacs
In Aug the Turks thought that we cd
drive them off at Suvla -
and never understood why we did not advance thro
that smashing up the few troops they had
there. They put in 2 British regiments hastily
and then were without two bases (this may be an
exaggeration) but we did not commit. The Australian
and nevertheless got over [?] troop and
were shot have to be our own guns
(probably from Wagstaff) and they were
each stayed over but did not know what could be done -
the Turks could not have moved.
W have been set on the ridge on the far side
of the [?] (?Worcester ridge)
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(How many Australians? 500,000. )
( Sarn - I made more than that with knowledge today!)
March 2/18: Talk with Dyson
abt wearing down Germans -
killing, wounding, making misery
only way to end war now.
Rumania xxxxx threatened.
(March 1. Aust Govt & Fisher -
I see Ffoulkes-)
Feb 28 - Talk of Japan coming in.
Dined w attack
Feb. 27.
Feb. 26. Eyes.
Fb. 25.
Feb. 24 Crossed
March. 8 Air raid last night.
March 6 attack Japanese. The Naval dock
March 9 Bulgarian Post.
all other day. The Bahu Mission
Got S/B photo
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which the Turks had developed the throw and watch our
men from a [? scope] (but they captured periscope rifles afterwards) and there were never
3 minutes when the bomb of some sort
was thrown there. But was never tired of it. The road to
beach was very dangerous. They had to go a
certain way in a car, leave the
car and go as fast as they could by horse
until they were close up
under the hill and then climb the hill.
There was one post that they could not get to.
The delay was because it was too marshy
over trenches and our snipers were deadly.
But if they got there by night
they could see our men in the trenches.
(dead mans ridge) they had a German machine
gun and another crowd in there but they
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The Lichnovsley disclosures
Mar 16 The Herald & Peace.
Opera Faust (Disarmament
(League of Nations
Things seem behind lines (Cutlacks)
19. Herb to Opera. & Saine Samp to the Deli
Germs to attack when ground-swell eases
Alsace Armnestie
4 or 5 division was one
White Gully Etc.
______________
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we are simply shut out. It was reported.
(as far as he knew).
[?] when the beginning of joust the Turks
had 50,000 men in hospital.
Weber was all for massed
attacks and Lu Sauders was against
him. If this justified S went to
Enver and said they themselves denied you
will have to do that without me. I asked to be relieved.
so they sent Weber over to the Asiatic
side (Kan Kale) and things
settled down quietly.
Lu S. told Williams
that he can drive which most did but it would cost
their heavy - which would need about 500.000
men and he would lose about ½ probably.
But he could hold us with the force he had there with
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no great loss. That was what he proposed to
do until the S & SW started that we should be in days.
The [?] attack was to be complete surprise
at Anafarta. The helles when they
knew all, when they tried
to come out against us they were [?].
W on one occasion at Helles was in the
trench (accept a forward spot) on the
ridge near Krithia. They had
to watch over our artillery going in
and when they got in they were
pinned there for 1½ hours
by our trench mortars. There were no
dugouts so they simply had to wait up against
the side of the trench.
The first thing on Ap 25 that was heard was
AE2 in the Dardanelles. These guns started.
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Our guns at Anzac were always
at a disadvantage because the ships had a very
low platform. The Turkish guns were just
screened by the top of the hills and our
ships shells with bays from and
accepted fire behind. But they had a great many losses amongst the troops trolling within a mile of the trenches. Due to S insisted on the Turks
trolling within a mile of the trenches. When W
asked me why on earth he did say he said
"Oh, it makes them glad to get into the
firing line".
A Slokoe of AE2 was
captured (the submarine sank) and escaped
with Prior and another and was captured
again at the port just as a boat was
coming in to punish him. They
were told then when they can have the same
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liberty as before if they would give their
words not to escape. They met (the 3 naval officers)
and told Enver that they were British officers
and they could not give their word not to escape as they
said it was their duty to escape for they could advantage us.
They we therefore kept in close
confinement. When W. left Slokoe was
allowed to come over from a [?] but he was
named and he cried as he said could be
to Ws little cruel.
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(at [?] at Etaples)
The wise old owl lived in an oak
The more he saw the less he spoke
The less he spoke the more he heard
Soldiers should imitate that old bird.
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Composition of the force when it left Australia.
(or what provision had bn made for it)
What callings Offrs & men came from
If there had been any permanent
militia trained) men or Offrs.
What proportion completely untrained.
How they took to it - which proved most
valuable etc.
Early training & disciplinary problems.
& how they were got over.
Problems of first transhipment - How they
were overcome.?
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