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 - tt / crest
was beyon ^along / ridge N. of Mouquet
altho there ws a flat top
& little to choose. 
I think That that Birdwood
must have undertaken, for
Gen. Gough, to get the command
 

 

 

8  22
of the Thiepval 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 / only xxx commn
th we have practically, is
round / actual firing line in
the North (O.G. 1 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, tumbling
swerving, sweating, straight to &
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 / 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 / front at present
- & tt is O.G. 2. Part
of it goes down a hill
opposite the German
 
[hand drawn sketch see original document]
 
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

[hand drawn map - see original document]
 

8  27
in to relieve the 3rd Bde
this yesty afternoon because
they were seen. They
wd not have bn seen
had / trenches bn decent.
They have to go over / open,
I believe from Toms Cut!
Jock has Tomorrow
off, so he is coming
up to me to see 
a little of the 
Battle field.

[continuation of hand drawn map - see original document]
 

 

 

8  28
Thurs Aug 24. Jack came this
day. It was 11 or 11.30 before
he arrived.
He brought the shocking
news that Leo was dead.
It is too sad & dreadful
for words. He was hit
the same 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 
tt afternoon - aeroplanes 
of both sides have been
swarming lately - 20 in the
air, or more, at / 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
his xxxx 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 even 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 /
battle today, w / great trees
 

 

 

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