Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/100/1 - February 1918 - Part 6

101        60

conservatism in this
crisis.
The Govt is suing Col.
Repington, / military
correspondent o / Times
who lately resigned because
/ Times wd not agree to his
ideas abt man-power;
& who has since been
treating / world to his
own personal ideas in /
"Morning Post."  He
wrote & / "M.P." published
an article divulging a
number o / secret decisions
of Versailles wh / allied
^ Council had, I believe, specially

101      61

asked to be retained
secret. He is suffering
from / swollen head
wh attacks so many
men when they once get
/ comfortable reputation
of being / best critics! 

62     101

[*A & N. C. S. Ln.
STATIONERY DEPT.
105, Victoria St. S.W.*]
Billet
16 Rue Bouchardon:
Coordinatn Department
1^st Bureau A & Q.
at GHQ divides
into 2.
Mostly Engrs
at present
Needs open air people - office folk
It will be all Reg. officers.
3 divisions in line. 2 Nat^l.
3 Armies.  1   Reg. 1 and 2.    2.4
2 Natl Gd.
3. Natl army.
[*"canned"*]
Not yet ready, but cd manage.
1^st division 6 months in line.
these divisions coming to us. Arriving 50,000 a month
? these all French
Very frightened to do anything to offend French.
[*Same inf as we but much more arty

6in how in place of 4.5.*]

101       63

C     B

Sandwiches
16 Feb Dates 2 fr.
"         Cab     2.50
1  Div^l Staff Org. of Natl Guard.
3.  Museums department.

Organisation Park - 37 types
to pack cars & drivers.
of 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 w Reg II commdr.

4 coys Ammn.   470 cars per Divn.
4 coys Ambce.

Started in war agst Vila.

3500 a month from businesses
Air:  1500 pilots
Liberty Engine. 3 sorts. cdnt deliver

64      101
20 Feb  Visit line.  Men I spoke to.
Serious. in Nomansland.
Robertson LGs expln.  The bombed Australian
4/5 casualties per day

We went straight on out to Gallipoli 
Modest.
Russian retreated
Blue lights.
French put in khaki drabs before Yanks
French still [shorthand]
[shorthand] of French.  French villages.
21/- Lieut Fraser wrote letter attacking Robertson.
Germans L 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 & Birdie
- The Impl. war museum
Doubt abt German offensive at correspondents HQ

101      65
Concentrated Schools.

Gibbon.

Maj H.R. Williams American military attache at
Paris - In Feb after the bombardment the military 
attaches at Constantinople called a meeting [shorthand] [shorthand]
to discuss where the British ought to land when they did so. 
They all had their say and then asked Wms what he 
thought. Whether he thought it should be at Settil Bahr. 
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 after one
which he did send to the "Commander of the Dardanelles" 
(the Turkish officer in command) The Turks knew they
had us held after the 28 (after the night of 27 
they began to be [shorthand] at Helles)

After the Armistice Turkish 
officers told me that they had very friendly relations with our

66   101

On the first morning the Turgut Reis 
& Barbarossa were both 
firing simply by the map.  A Turkish
German lieutenant had an observation post
Mal Tepe (directly behind Maidos)
over them. They reported these direct hits apparently 
My eyes - Lobo & Foote. Can Corps HQrs.
idea of inviting American correspondents to Aust Corps. Raid. 
Our Flying Corps (Photos etc) 15000 rounds fired. Allowed to 
continue firing. One other point.
23/-  Germans Behind Mons & Cambrai. My Canadian [shorthand] 
plan - to get over to our guns
Depth charges from submarines
24. Cox. Lytton not Haig.

Smart & the Fund.
A. Books & American press & Lytton
Ring up Lord Lytton.

Send back passes. 

Cable - (1) Eng sacrifices.

(2) American determinations.

Write xx to White abt American Press

[*Father's birthday*]
 

101     67

men. Essad Pasha Chief of Staff 
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 
after smashing up the few troops they had 
there. They put in 2 British regiments hastily 
and these were shot to pieces (this may be an
exaggeration) but we did not go on. The Australians 
and New Zealanders got over mountain top and 
were shot at by our own guns 
(probably from Wagstaff) and if we 
had stayed there he didn't know what could have been done -
the Turks could not have moved.

W then sat on the ridge on the far side 
of the plateau [shorthand] (?Worcester ridge) 

68    101

(How many Australians?  500,000.                                     )
(Garn - I met more than that in the Strand 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 Cutlack
Feb. 27.
Feb. 26. Eyes.
Feb. 25.
Feb. 24 Crossed
March. 8 Air raid last night.
March 6 French Japanese.  The Naval dock
March 9 Bulgarian Post.
Diagram - see original document
two or three day. The Baku Mission
Got S/B photo
 

101    69

which the Turks had tunnelled from and watched our

men through a periscope (he saw captured
periscope rifles afterwards) and there were never 
3 minutes when a bomb of some sort isn't thrown

there. He was never tired of it. The road to 
bridge 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.  xxx
There was one post that they could not get to
by daylight because it was too marshy
through trenches and our snipers were too
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 crew up in there but they

70   101

The Lichnovsky disclosures

Mar 16 The Herald & Peace.

Opera censorship
Faust
{Disarmament

{League of Nations

Things seen behind lines (Cutlack called)

19. Herb to Opera. & Saine Samp to the Deli

Germs to attack when ground-swell eases.

Alsace. Armentieres 
4 or 5 divisions [shorthand].

White Gully Etc. 
 

101    71

we are simply shut out. It isn't repaid. 
(as far as he knew).

After the beginning of joust the Turks 
had 50,000 men in hospital.

Weber was all for massed 
attacks and Lu Sanders was against 
him. After this Lu S went to 
Enver and said if this is continued
you will have to do without me.  I ask to be relieved. 
So they sent Weber over to the Turkish Asiatic 
side (Kuru Kale) and things 
settled down quietly.

Lu S. told Williams 
that he can drive our men out but it would cost 
very heavy - it would need about 500000 
men and he would lose about ½ probably. 
But he could hold there with the force he had there without

101    72

any great loss. That was what he proposed 
to do, until the S. & SW gales started
that we should be in dust.

The evacuation took them by complete surprise 
at Anafarta. The Helles one they 
knew of but when they tried to come out against
us they were badly hit.

W on one occasion at Helles
was in the front trench (expect a forward spot)
on the road near Krithia. They had 
to wait xxx for 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 they heard was 
an AE2 in the Dardanelles. These guns started.

101    73

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 would pass over and
explode far behind. But they had a great
many losses amongst the troops trolling within a
mile of the trenches. Lu S insisted on the Turks 
trolling within a mile on the trenches. When W. 
asked him why on earth he did so he said 
"Oh, it makes them glad to get into the 
firing line".

Stokoe 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 pinch him. They 
were xx told then that they could have the same

101      74

liberty as before if they would give their words not
to escape. They met (the 3 naval officers) 
and conferred and told Enver that they were British officers 
and they could not give their word not to escape as they 
thought it was their duty to escape if they could do so. 
They were therefore kept in close 
confinement. When W. left Stokoe was 
allowed to come over for an afternoon to see
me and he cried as he said goodbye
to Ws little girl.

75    101

(On situation 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.
 

101       76

Composition o / force when it left Austlia.

(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.
?