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

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open for review
Accession number:
RCDIG1066820
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

8 21 the crest Low it falls. Trenches are much like city you are stut street walls you want in 6y tink little you to be of what behind the walts is I Kanght him we told the ridge were over ourcelette, but towards the crest yet on not t 1crest orthwards aong ridge . of Monjuet was there ws ae flai alto 6x little to choose. y that Biedwood think I must have andertiken for Jn. Goop, get te command
ER of the theipral rit from the rear before it isto be seriously attack again from the pont. I doubt if they realise what anr commts are that is all. I told White how only commn to we have practivally, is round actual firig hi a the North (O.S.+ is atterty swaded ap wort of the 4w by the bell or at least of t Bn H.O The runners, I heard later bott stayd across simple over craters, twnllen the open swerving, sweating, straight 68 from the Tunken road down spiawhing come ofen deout the Boutt of the trs 6 but panting perspiran
23 bardg heard 18 The rifle in this battle except durin an actual attack. I been a marning in have ogceres witout hearing a single rifle shot. Bis guns ab time going M. 9. K4 meracle Some unwe Ded aten gong sizaight My through the barrages. have rad bands on their arms it 1s a wo easky special service. They are given a tot of run & sent to sit Presentl another mesng down. has t 18 a runner 0 out called. He knows what be has To out ats - but up 6o X comes. Straight without his messege - a word takes sauelees 75 He know the asked. Do you o to an way to oy Melcalf? Had be sas but the to say. no a answer is geverall yes. simple We have only on decet
25 truck to fand at precent t Part O.8.2. of it soes down a will opposite to Jerman 4 traight into tooks i He blewit to It he this like pieces we sho have ur there AA. trend believe White has sence ordered other commn 68 forthwith made 4 got cat oe up The
26 Ld Mougaett 1 12 1tX 4 1 ger 27 in relieve Bde the 3 yesty t because afternoon were seen the Tay not wd by have sean had decent trinches bn have to go over 1opin t believe from Yous Cut has tomorron Tock To he is com me to See little of the Battlefield. at Barpages an at present. Pozierey
28 Thurs Tack Aug 24. came this day. It was 11or 11.30 before he arrived He brought the shocking news that L20 was dead. H 15 T00 had & dreadful for words He was hit the day on, which tS. Saw the night the very night they him ferman were to come out. Heroplanes seen to have been over Cate deroplains A afternoon been have 5/ both ordes te 20 in catel Swart at 5a 1 mort air the chay 5a time s Leo Cotd a move on their Tack turned on artillery by a Le as bit
28 shell be his left cut of below tiknee o the right foot injured. I believe be had to compress the artirces as best he coul for a while He lost so weck blood when the poor old that chap came into the hospital where his lifelon friend - the mate of ever so many cricket seasons + Dumneer camps down my Bailey Sandy Bay did ws in charge 4 not recognise him. He happened to look at the on a patient who ticket found it Came in that is how was dco
50 Tn him he didcovered 34 took the operated o at the hip & amputated comple of toes of te right leg. Deo secuned well afterwards. [o) ver resttess (he sd aself) H.5 voice ws quite strong at ight but by dies 10 ther been 2phours after at hit. So hed- the finest specimen of manhoad in the big geneal Hobort kindly chap who used to come I weet alway us at the boat when she to see as off when arrived who was always we sailed
1p in oned mind man of the a open an the tenaw court, field Led p sent the cricket quite suctes to He as never the family office ptleryera man to find the bes a hard splended profession for the he was. penerous Chap as a But he found it He solder no question aden leader was born a once at him pumped at Cold me as 27or Raffer M. He the words emphasiam bisject men of the was one Ae perfets A. 1. F an the Arthur Maraell. he biggest smart sharp the not He was lype Dcoldier, rattling hough he was. T4e imposing
62 spoke queet ana even Seth with the gentleness of tone and when it all great Kings hum came to fifhtin 4 formidable surounding found that he spoke just in the same quiet even way He did not shout at there He his men at any time was a guitlemen, a very perfect gentleman, to badpe ourly head to from the crown of his eat boots the soles of his y when we saw his office one of the byest I ever saw that of a hage man tair goun lost the in a French wheatfield miles bekint. battle to do wt griet trees

8                                              21

the crest is, & how it

falls. Ridges Trenches

are much like city

streets - you are shut

in by walls (& you want

to be) & you think little

of what is behind the walls.

I told him I thought we

were over the ridge

towards Courcelette, but

not yet on the crest

Northwards - th I crest

was beyon ^along I ridge N. of Mouquet

altho there ws a flat rop

& little to choose.

 

I think ^That that Birdwood

must have undertaken, for

Gen. Gough, to get the command

 

8                            22

 of the Thripval ridge from

the rear before it was is to

be seriously attack again

from the front. I doubt if

they realise what our commns

are - that is all. I told

White - how I only xxx commn

th we have practically, is

round I actual firing line in

the North (O.S.r is utterly smashed

up North of the HQrs by the

bell or at least of 10th Bn H.Q.)

[The runners, I heard later, 

simply bolt straight across

the open over craters, tunnelling

swerving, sweating, straight to trench

from the sunken road - & 

come often sprawling down

the mouth of the H.Qrs dugout

panting, perspiring - but by

 

23

The rifle is hardly heard

 in this battle except during

an actual attack. I

have been a morning in

Poziers without hearing

a single rifle shot. Big guns

& m.g. going all I time.

 

8                             24

some miracle, unwounded

after going straight

through the barrages. They

have red bands on their arms

-& it is a most risky special

service. They are given a 

tot of rum & sent to sit 

down. Presently another message

has to go out & a runner

is called. He knows what he

has to go out into - but up

he comes straight without

a word - takes his message

& is off. He is sometimes

asked: "Do you know the

way to D Coy?" or " to Gen

Metcalf?" It wd be easy

to say "no" - but the

answer is generally a

single xxxxxxxx "Yes".

 

We have only one decent

 

8                                        25

trench to I front at present

-& th is O.G.2. Part

of it goes down a hill

opposite the German

 

Sketch

 

He looks straight into it,

like this. If he blew it to

pieces there we shd have no

trench at all.

 

I believe White 

has since ordered other Commn

trenches to be made forthwith.

The 24th got cut up going

 

26

 

Sketch map

 

8                         27

in to relieve the 3rd Bde

this ^yesty afternoon because

they were seen. They

wd not have bn seen

had I trenches bn decent.

They have to go over I open,

I believe from Torns Cut!

 

Jock has Tomorrow

off, so he is coming

up to me to see 

 little of the 

Battlefield.

 

Germn Barrages at Pozieres

at present.

 

8                              28

Thurs Aug 24. Jock came this

day. It was 11 or 11.30 before

he arrived.

 

He brought the shocking

new that Leo was dead.

 

It is too sad & dreadful

for words. He was hit

the xxx night ^of the day on which I saw

him - the very night they

were to come out. ^German Aeroplanes

seen to have been over late 

th afternoon - aeroplanes 

of both sides have been

swarming lately - 20 in the

air, or more, at I same

time. They saw there ws

a move on - Leo told

Jack - & turned on their

artillery. Leo ws hit by a

 

8                       29

shell - his left leg cut

off below the knee & the right

foot injured. I believe he

had to compress the arteries

as best he could for a while.

He lost so much blood

that when the poor old

chap came into the

hospital where his lifelong

friend - the mate of ever

so many cricket seasons

& summer camps down

Sandy Bay, Guy Bailey -

ws in charge, Guy did

not recognise him. He 

happened to look at the

ticket on a patient who

came in & found it

was Leo - that is how

 

8                      30

he discovered him. They

operated - took the ^left leg off

at the hip & amputated

a couple of toes of the 

right leg. Leo seemed

well afterwards, tho' very

restless (he sd himself). His 

voice ws quite strong at

10 that night; but he died 

at 11 - 26 hours after being

hit.

 

So Leo - the finest

specimen of manhood

in Hobart - the big genial

kindly chap who used

always to come & meet

us at the boat when she

arrived, & to see us off when

we sailed - who was always

 

8                            31

in one mind a man of the

open air - the tennis court,

the cricket field - Leo is gone.

He ws never quite suited to

xxxxxxx the family office

-a hard man to find the best

profession for, splendid

generous chap tho' he was.

 

But he found it as a 

soldier, no question. He

was a born leader - men jumped at him -"at once"

as Major Rafferty told me,

emphasising the words. he

was one of the biggest men

in the A.I.F - perhaps the

biggest - he, or Arthur Maxwell.

He was not the smart sharp

rattling type of soldier, 

imposing though he was. He

 

8                        32

spoke in a gentle, even quiet

tone - with the gentleness of

all great things - And when it

came to fighting & hurry &

formidable surroundings they

found that he spoke in just

the same quiet way

there- He did not shout at

his men at any time - He

was a gentleman, a very

perfect gentleman, to his fingertips

from the crown of his curly head to

the soles of his great boots.

 

When we saw his coffin

-one of the biggest I ever saw,

that of a huge man, laid

in the ground in a French

wheatfield miles behind I

battle today, w I great trees

 

 

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