Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/51/1 - July 1916 - Part 1

AWM38
Official History,
1914-18 War: Records of C E W Bean,
Official Historian.
Diaries and Notebooks
Item number: 3DRL606/51/1
Title: Diary, July 1916
Describes the fighting of 15-16 July, quotes from
German records and mentions the 16th
Bavarian Regiment and Sir Neville Howse VC.
AWM38-3DRL606/51/1
 

July 15
Original

DIARY NO. 51.

3DRL 606 ITEM 51 [1]

AWM38

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 the 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.

16th Sept., 1946.                                                                                                            C.E.W.BEAN.

AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL

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51

July 15
 

61 
July 15

1
Cablegrams
from France
from April 11. 1916
 

2      61

No.1.  Apl 11. Impression in France.
No 2 Apl. 25  Anzac Day
      .3. May 8. Enemy Raid

 

2a
 

2a 2h

At the advanced Dressing
Station near ? Butler & I made
some inquiries about the numbers
of the casualties in these attacks
on the Somme. We had heard of
tremendous losses: The No. of wd passing
Through this dressing
station we found as follows:-
(I think these are all the wd of
the 13^th Corps - from all its
divns in line.) The losses were
heavy but less than we had feared:
____________________________________

18-------30
18^th held then put on rt to hold it.
Then pushed to Trones Wood →
30^th & 9^th & 3^rd advanced on Baz-Longwood
Only had abt 2400 casualties
yesterday.
 

61

3
July 1   2      3. 
2615, 985, 639, Attack & c.attacks.
4        5     6     7
256. 106. 146. 86.
8        9     10      11
515. 580. 502. 451. Trones Wd. 
12
279. Trone wd Evacuated.
13        14
1452.  2715

3rd Divn put in on 8^th.
Advd.  Dressing Stn is in front
of barrage & if barrage
cars cant get up.
Ambce gets to Bernafay
Wood. But as they have
more guns now men have
to be hand carried after.
 

2 4 Composition of Armies & Corps at this time.

?5th (Res. army) X. 12.     25.      32.     49. VIII. 4.        29.        48.        38. ________________ G.H.Q. Res.  1st Anz. 1.2.4

Ist Army. I. 8.15.16.40. IV. 2.47.RND  XI. 31.39.61. ________________ ?2nd Army. V. 50 IX. 24 XIV. Inds. 6  20 Canadn. 123 2nd Anz. 5      & NZ 41 2 Cav

VI 5.11. 14.55. VII. 37 46.56. XVII. 51.60. Ist Ind. Cav. ?3rd army

                                                               ↑ Aust

XV. 7. 17. 21. 33.                       {1st Cav.

High Wood Peter Baz         {3rd "

                                                  {2nd Ind Cav.           ?4th Army. 

XIII. 3. 9. 18. 30. 35

III. 3. 1. 19. 23. 34

II. 

 

This time. 

61

5

Longueval attack.

 .                                           July 14

.  .  July 14. Walking wd:   21            13

                                            1092       1444

                           Lying wd:  25            90

                                              360         1301

Somme - ?4^th Army. 

12^th Corps            15^th Corps

18  30 with

            drawn         7  21      17 33

                                                  withdrawn

9  3                          33 composite - very good.

35

9^thDiv                   17. 30. 29. 4  out.

S A Bde is with the 9^th Divn. 

10^th 8^th / 3^rd 15^th 13^th 20^th French

36.4.29.

^(Ulster) 49?

2 col

61

6

Events of 15th + 16th July.

July 15. 8am. 

Whole of Delville Wood captured. 

w Prisoners in it. 

Enemy counter attacked from 

N + N.E. at 2.45 but repulsed.

Another counterattack prob.

Aircraft report we occupy

Waterlot Farm - on strong pt in 

Longueval ours, other believed 

to be ours. Enemy have Northern

apex of High Wood where there 

is a v. strong mg. position. 

This was bombarded heavily abt

5 p.m. Result not yet known. 

Attack on switch line in front

of Martinpuich succeeded in 

places, but occupants were 

badly enfiladed & had to retire

61
7

to line of road in S.3.C.& D.

Enemy c.attacked Baz. le Petit

Wood but driven out. 

We att'd Pozieres  & got to

edge of village but driven 

out by m.g. troops dug

in X10 B88 X10 a 47

X 4 C22. Attacked again
at 6 but didn't succeed. 

 

Later 5/--8 in hours (?)

3--5.9 hows

3 -- other hows. 

4 -- 6 in siege

4 - 77 mm. fields. 

__________________________________

6 German aeroplanes destroyed

Cavalry rounded up some

8   61

The signal jargon - 

secret names for    

divisions:                   

 

(i.R.v close to

S.W. corner of

Pozieres)

 

61       9

Germans near High Wood.

& k. 16 & capt^d 45.

July 16. Trones Wood shelled 

last night. Reports from Daisy & Eliza not

yet received.  [shorthand]

Trumper reports situation unchanged 

Some shelling in High Wd & 

Mametz Wood.

Abt 10,000 prisoners now

taken. Line from X 4 C 3 1 to 

X 10 B 1.7. consolidated

From X.10.B.1.7. towds
Contalmaison Villa held in 

series of posts. 
The 4^th ^? German  Corps has come down

& is in Pozieres-Sinchy