Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/56/1 - August 1916 - Part 4

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

Page 1 / 10

33 Idistant hillso crowin bathing the yellow the Sunly coonfields & ther acroplance wheeling above ti aeroowng rabove the hosizon with sex move blar as leas close frinds standin a passing Fruch sraveI by 1 aabourer leaving on farmers tmer Bench woman a say the his a ten can over her with eyes with dabbing ber arm Couldts 5 hand kerchief her whether wondering help whether it wort was it 2in gai anythe 13 there Sach justifes that 0 this not would 420 sacripces lo it not doubte. have
34 t ald he sue igment nestion it. But I dont fec. sure of it. only one thim I believe th the besta to get the I have done arth over quick another es chance of thy to with agn presson with it stregt all possible Roum any a ford 15 en. Executor who was no Ketch Birdwood br of T4 Aug 19. on sined 15 Wheter 56 question (as the wants attacks Custia to or Bulgaria. Bulgaria rat ma th N That Hastiia before the Cruch
35 winter iolation ✓ o o X 3 o the break well- the of Tarken o I have have all asket for at pity for Jermany not o least that matter - they & Custina an all they fit. asked for have ol ruchi the foor It now as Austria rkinto can. fast asto will pet Constantig Russia like the idea once? one disht over it is almost it but thinking hap popertation intolerably for warm water (ce-pr One have t5 porred at will by people aloke port Tarks the like ti a it Tock loto bad T. L0 ire to Hages in the 1801a that angies bo
8 36 Field Coy near Bethune. I had two teleganis returnet etaeandelivered. fre 1/2/14 Bn went up the this Th at were night the le Battle Beaval entian of the Lon to Doullens for to morrow Poperinghe where returned the Enstrations the 44 in the Canadions the Sabeut at once as tretieve anad gan 15 a here. The Sabient rest to for a hlplace s but I fav Pozieres after avid queter them ct 13 was. The ans are so to 0 boott have to 7 men Sout fens 1211 Bu The were in
37 Beauval pest from fight and holding about the drink as then as much reaionable could with Indeed tere orderliness but no disorder W8 men a big perculage of the were very full. I don't I sho have them blame felt inchi to get drank The people to myself French are the blame not who will authorities estemevets close the reas in Spite owr a in repeated requests Ady Rap 50 doctor Toont others I tearnt Col Ettiote
See look at 6a I think I meant& sve me a chance to come with him. this diary Cew. B. was of coues 1927 written in a hurry 38 d t Slon of Se Butters death which pill & sent. wide out in to his people. (Copy attaches here)) Slept ight the toe at 2 Iide t Buther told a he would make a trig to te times toda come with him. of Iwd hate Pozueres, but of course I said & I was to I would be shat d got te in the end. We to drive upto th e & walked from there. Chalk Fit It was avery quiet day had asked him white idea is haw the an give her his were getting tr Comm
✓ on 1(2) How gound la te about Konquet of which ws I best place tp for nixt. 2810 Bn HO We weak tto where had been, under the Bell). D I thought we good vie porm ought toget a the hill stope near there -+ the recommended us a place didn't thank you co see Monguel from there but you c see Conrcetete. My sent a youpte wetus a first claisboy. as gave as ait yoct bight as daylige anythen o as Butler he was a jockey He told plucky well. bee o t benden No l him his abe tell him l as to passed his Read keep
n M 2 22 3 HJ 60 point He took a We part pappe over a lift truck before fettin thing t t was there ryht abed green courtr Ochund counte of us - 1 green lines 1 german trees distant greet grass the few trech lives. 30 in observate post - a wick we tooked straight trend nearer stope of over 7 shoight at Courcelette hill be able we might thought Cookin left see ond clear as were. over they there the of ganpits day Sin on the redge which marked the right (NE) augle of our nortin front. I cd recogness of one oun the whitest top
recollector of pet from gan acroplai 1a I made phots of it Cleary rough sketch (in the last near the end) to show while ranguet Farm was not to mark be seem of the only could notice in its whereabo was what looked like a sigh beam of wood. An dd. Ambularny the doned on wagon stood abo made ant which road. good land wark. 2 where were spells fieldgin polater ours shells - spitting about 18 pr or two jus fninaly ever beyond our tried (a forward dy 5080 line was being yards down the stope fleage The Germans were
43 shells a valvo of four back every few minates the t burst about soyards our right strarger in to the face vy &made one of the trench We were booking careful the interior on straigh down (their front time lives of the ferma is that warked Fanwa ou were completel wen 2 their iew this aria to prman on okged as ourswdbe the Chalk Pit valley. Butler asee germans walking about there + I didnt fee them my took was to hurried & I we tryen tidentify our line on the Manguet Kidge. I saw our by shell bursting in their hinderland just as theirs bursts in owns - tickley wa

8
33
crowning / distant hills &
the sunlight bathing the yellow
cornfields & three aeroplanes
wheeling above their aerodrome 
in the far blue above the
blue horizon- with six more
or less close friends standing
by / grave & a passing French 
farmers labourer leaning on 
his scythe & a French ^farmer woman
with a tin can over her 
arm dabbing her eyes with
her handkerchief- I couldn’t 
help wondering whether 
it was worth it; whether 
there is anything gained in 
this war that justifies such 
sacrifices. LED would not 
have doubted it…. not for
 

 

34
one moment would he 
question it. But I dont feel

sure of it …..


Only one thing I believe-

the best way to get the thing

over quick & have done with 

the chance of another is to

press on with it now with

all possible strength.

 

Roumania is in - Lord

Kitchener's xx executor, who was 

over to see Birdwood, says

she signed on Aug 19. The 

only question is whether she

attacks Austria (as she wants

to) or Bulgaria. Bulgaria

may "rat".

 

That may mean the

crushing of Austria before the

 

8                           35

winter & isolation of

Germany; & the breaking

of Turkey. Well -they

have all asked for it - I have

not I least pity for Germany

& Austria in this matter - they

have asked for all they get.

They are rushing the poor old 

Turks into Austria now as

fast as they can.

 

Russia will get Constantinople

-one didn't like the idea once;

but thinking it over it is almost

intolerable for a huge population

to have its one warm water ice-free

post choked barred at will by people

like the Turks.

 

Jock & I tried to get a 

wire to Angus - Leo had told J.

xxx that Angus ws in the 180th

 

8                        36

Field Coy near Bethune.

I had two telegrams returned

from Bethune undelivered.

I went up to the 12th Bn

this night. They were at

Beaval - leaving the Battle

of the Somme - to entrain 

tomorrow at Doullens for

Poperinghe - where they will

the Australians are to relieve

the Canadians in the Ypres

salient at once - the 

Canadians to relieve us

here. [The Salient is a 

hotplace to go for a rest

after Pozieres - but I fancy

it is a bit quieter than it

was. The Germans are sd to 

have brought ^both guns & men South.]

 

The 12th Bn were in

 

8                        37

Beauval - fresh from

the fight - and holding about

as much drink as they

could with reasonable 

orderliness. Indeed there

ws no disorder but

a big percentage of the men

were very full. I dont

blame them - I shd have

felt inclined to get drunk

myself. The people to

blame are the French

authorities who will not

close the Estaminets

in our areas in spite

of repeated requests.

 

From Maj. Rafferty &

others - Johnson the doctor,

the Col. Elliott, - I learnt

 

8                                 38

learned the story of 

Leo Butlers death which

I wrote out in full & sent 

to his people. (Copy attached

here). (See book 55 at back)

Slept the night at Contay.

 

Aug 24th Friday.

Butler told me he would

make a trip to the lines today

if I wd come with him.

[Postscript: "I think I meant" &

gave me a chance to come 

with him." 

This diary was of course 

written in a hurry. C.E.W.B. 1917]

I hate Pozieres, but of course I said

I would be glad - & I was too

in the end. We drove got the

car to drive up to the

Chalk Pit & walked from there.

It was a very quiet day.

White had asked him to

give him an idea (1) how the 

Commn trenches were getting

 

8                           39

on & (2) How the ground lay

about Mouquet - which ws

I best place to go for next.

We went to 23rd Bn HQ

(where 1st Bn had been, under

the Bell). There I thought we

ought to get a good view from

the hill slope near there - &

they recommended us a place

-didn't think you cd see

Mouquet from there but you cd

see Courcelette. They sent a

youngster with us - a first class boy,

artillery jockey as game as

anything & as bright as daylight.

He told Butler he was a jockey

-well, he was a plucky

one, no mistake. No bending

or ducking about him - his

friends had to tell him to

keep his head down as he passed

 

40

 

Sketch diagram

 

8                                  41

He took us to point 60 -

We popped over a high part o I

trench before getting there 

& there was I German lines

green country right ahead

of us - I green country behind

I German lines - trees-

distant green grass - a 

few trench lines. From the

observation post - a nick in I

trench - we looked straight

over I nearer slope of I

hill - straight at Courcelette.

I thought we might be able

to see our left - & looking

over there they were, clear as

day, the line of gunpits

on the ridge which marked

the right (NE) angle of our

northern front. I cd recognise

the whitish top of one gun

 

8                          42

pit from ^recollection of an aeroplane

photo of it. I made a

rough sketch (in the last diary,

near the end) to show White.

 

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