Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/56/1 - August 1916 - Part 2

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Awaiting approval
Accession number:
RCDIG1066820
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

black bigh explosive shropnet (or taken grey - like the gree of a Persion (kitten) some 420 gst percussion shell all uxed some field fun shell about 15 shell a minute dare say but it seemed lite part of 30 out theK trench along have which we sho in te minutes to pass. went along dodgi pam crater tocret until the cratens were gothing very small & some of the shells were bursting behind us Dick got a bit ahead but a picked him ip aroun bead of trench waiting 1/ Beano What dlo 7ou he sawd. I think its 2 to0 about chaorin on How ryo waitin but of de cant
12 into a r0d Angle toe got to ballow but some of bursts were falling well behind as I vote we get back entre way goud Isel I think we'd miss it there pumped 50 we $ 7an aboyt truch like rebbits in wont of crater wth sas one shell, gomig a I took a dive for crate tripper head long into 9 it fell thee new Cnstant some one crashed on top in it dain of we was Dick ilar dive. Within ase ienate were in better we well away positi I noticed an artitle from it. Some pconeers fficer
beading down i Sap te h had told as the waiting was alright but trinc they didat come noticed wt themselves it n We abeater of took t0 bent then the to to treway C tre eh In tramwa dressing statlion 6to 12 to we Bn two tots to it 501 Clambeen were men to you bank uponthe ohers two groups sta there in sta were at the against of the Sk bea Stretch I Ette out i a 9h 1
co ny t stretchers stowt through along a pat (which would almost certainly leat at t that Carrage! through Stragght Soue I hear the trench o where 50 Pto blood Sa the 4 murder i a was well m in lesson do do that bear 56 Eche our we t be k ba the deloue The wa entre al 0 0 on 1 still e Llecned rentie Itaught N for he doubt begin if
15 tis about right thi to DCK Isd and it 20 The tronch But it dit. ofi blown open was very pioncers but the & tumbled in were improving it. ed past I Church to that close the Iovery 20 yards barrog povr it awar in some parts. so consisty 1 german is But altho tat 50 accurate within up shells burst othe right of us 20 yds none trench tion of X dires burst overhead. Oy we in past under shoulder came to barrage as if it had b a solid thing. About 70 man were filing along our brenet othere were Foncers work
it. some of them has on deepen stopper work in certain parts were keeping low - I suppose fraguents had be flying; but I saw no m an touched, a I cat my nose w my ppince -neg in ducking outs a telephone wire from a near burst. That was the only blood I saw spilt. I always feet suprised when I get alive out of Pozieres I don't pretend to be brave. want very much to white the histony of this war every time one pets into those hot corners I wondey I am not really doing the D wrong thing.However had resolved to understand I country out on that Cop back tis nornn in Going ock past the as can
wes ruins of he Coccille I ses. I will go to Bozieres once more with the official the pholographer, to get pictures the Hustialion record seem to need. And that will finish the job. on in that doe reaching the camp in the wood Bazley totd we that Tack was at Warloy - a fwomily aage my from Coulan with a kinp Leart Sank to the front again not back had been casualiies there amongst medicos - had the liv to a battalion. posted he wanted the 3d Bn know owhen turned out he was tit special cases hospital at the
18 (for abdominal & chest waunds rely again. Ibicatd gof the a7t Field Amb. (now inthe thalean) to let we pout seat of one sit on the t of their ambulances we went to warton with poor dlamaged a load of soone, at least - shaps had seen all the war then A Bench porter wanted a rive part of ay beged blue was in be wle gey hmfoom like all their 6r made a & hers wor wwick a for some purpose to Contal. fom Hibert da asson people are er fur
29 tired - very tired of the war he sd. The soldiers want quite Frankly it to end. (He abbeouse was speaking his own feelings too) The germans are be said [a harder. second to mean tougher word that 2 too). They are more brute than we. It wo carious tister to a Fenchman admitting this without the least difidence - The Jermans say the same of the French The presoners telt me they find the Boitish "Zicher tougher Stayed the night at Warton with old I. Bla aame
20 Wednesday August 23rd at wrote my clear Tocks all the mormin dunched with while for who sent his car oC sawill & later me him 6 to M.D.H. 6o He ws anxicus out the make find the of the land on ridge behind Sheepval were we on the crest yet? which was be commanding feature In this wandf trenches is beyond to now tho it sletters & holes in is a little sarth - it arealive the difficult where land. lie of the

8    11
black high explosive shrapnel
(or rather grey - like the grey
of a Persian kitten) some 4.2 or
5.9 shell percussion shell &
some field gun shell - all mixed,
about 15 shell a minute I
dare say but it seemed like
30 - out the ^part o / K trench along
which we shd have in 3 
minutes to pass. We went
along dodging from crater
to crater until the craters
were getting very small
& some of the shells were
bursting behind us -
Dick got a bit ahead but I
picked him up around a
bend o / trench waiting.
"What do you think Beano?"
he said.
"I think its too hot to go
on.  How about choosing a
decent bit of trench & waiting?" 

 

8    12
We got into a good angle -
tho' shallow - but some o /
bursts were falling well behind
us.  "I vote we get back & go
round Centre way" - I sd.
"I think we'd miss it there."
So we jumped up & ran
along tt trench like rabbits
in & out of craters.  When
one shell ^was coming XXXXXXXXX
XXXX I took a dive for a
xxxxxxxxx crater - tripped
& fell headlong into it &
next instant there some
one crashed in on top 
of me - it was Dick doing
a similar dive.  Within
a minute we were in a better
cover positn well away
from it.  I noticed an artillery
officer & some pioneers

 

8    13
crouching bending down in a sap
waiting - they had told us
K trench was alright but
I noticed they didnt come
out into it themselves.
We took a breather &
then went round by /
tramway trench to the
Centreway.
In Tramway trench
was a dressing station -
12th Bn.  The As we
got to it two lots of
men were clambering
up on the bank to join
some of two other groups
who were standing there in
the open up against the
sky.
They were stretcher bearers.
They were just setting out 

 

8    14
to carry their stretchers slowly
through the sta along a
path which would almost
certainly lead in about
straight through that barrage!
X I heard someone
somewhere - in the trench
I think - say "It's bloody
murder!"
Well - it was a 
days lesson to me in
stretcher bearing, that day,
We went our
long detour & then back
along Centre Way.  The
barrage was still on &
Centre Way seemed to
head straight for it.
"I begin to doubt if I

 

8    15
was right about ^this getting
round it,"  I sd to Dick.
But it did.  The trench
was very open - blown open
& tumbled in - but the pioneers
were improving it.  It led past
the ^Church & very close to that
barrage - 20 yards
away from it in some parts. 
But / German is so consistent
& so accurate that altho'
shells burst up to within
20 yds to the right of us - in
/ direction of K trench - none
burst overhead.  I may We
came in past under / shoulder
of tt barrage as if it had
bn a solid thing.  About
20 men were filing along our
trench & there were Pioneers working. 

 

8    16
on deepening it.  Some of them had
stopped work in certain parts &
were keeping low - I suppose
fragments had bn flying;  but I
saw no man touched.  although
I cut my nose w my XX pince-nez 
in ducking onto a telephone
wire from a near burst.  That
was the only blood I saw spilt.
I always feel surprised
when I get alive out of Pozieres -
I dont pretend to be brave. I
want very much to write the
history of this war & its seems
to me that every time one gets
into those hot corners I wonder
if I am not really doing the
wrong thing. However, I
had resolved to understand
/ country out on that left.
Going back this morning in
/ car w Dick past the 

 

8    17
ruins of La Boiselle I resolved
-I will go to Pozieres once
more, with the official
photographer, to get the
pictures the Australian records
seem to need.  And that will
finish the job.
That day - on my
reaching the camp in the wood -
Bazley told me that Jack
was at Warloy - a few miles
from Contay.  I thought my
heart sank with a thump -
not back to the front again
-there had been casualities
amongst medicos - had they
posted him to a battalion? (I
know he wanted the 3rd Bn)
But When it turned out he was
at the special cases hospital

 

8     18
(for abdominal & chest wounds)
I breathed ^freely again.  I
got the X 7th Field Amb. (now
in the Chateau) to let me
sit on the front seat of one
of their ambulances &
we went to Warloy with
a load of poor damaged
chaps - some, at least, had
seen all the war they
wanted to.  A French porter
begged a ride part of the
way - he was in blue
grey uniform like all their
workers & made a trip
for some purpose twice a
day from Albert to Contalmaison.
"Our people are very

 

8    19
tired - very tired of the war",
he sd. "The soldiers want
it to end."  (He obviously quite frankly
was speaking his own feelings
too) "The Germans are
harder", he said (a
word that meant seemed to mean "tougher"
too).  "They are more 'brute'
than we."  It ws curious
to listen to a Frenchman
admitting this without the
least diffidence - The Germans
say the same of the French.
The prisoners tell me they
find the British "Zieher" -
tougher.
Stayed the night at
Warloy with old J. Bla
arranged the next. 

 

8    20
Wednesday August 23rd.
Wrote my diary at
Jock's all the morning.
Lunched with White
who sent his car for
me;  & later rode drove with
him to 2nd D.H.Q.
He ws anxious to
find out the "make"
of the land on the 
ridge behind Thiepval.
Were we on the crest
yet?  Which was the
commanding feature?
In this war of trenches
(tho it is beyond tt now)
-of shelters & holes in /
Earth - it is a little
difficult to realise the
lie of the land - where

 

 

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