Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/56/1 - August 1916 - Part 5

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

Page 1 / 10

23 the rest areas or the batteries Te green county comes closer lines because we are to thei back on it all the time pushing them one fell as if he could walk out &his down an those there over the trees stopes under Green the Seen Enjon A8.59 the We wenton to 24t Br to get the landwarks the manquel ridge denlified the on Nicholas acting Colonl. certain for a clamped coug was it said were being sent that our mea It straight from here to the salient seems to me a silly way to takk have to to there as good hoop the Canadians out. they are taken but The men deserve a rest about whats the good of taking time. The German deserto in war
45 word leave off fighting because time we deserve a peaceful This rubbict about rights 15 Hall all very weell in a nade debate, but what is the ase when to rest of the right Calkin the enemy won't let you reat. but 5oo12 Hes a gallent officer in t wa hi officers talk belore men. t 2 te on the On on way back H.D. dugont undn t 23rd on my W. I found, of all men friend Herbert thop now doctor of the 23r0 Herbert is t gatlant litle dap but he parke th place ws too much for sdto He could not stepp for him. on coming on nights two on Den back ftt
46 had no sol heard to angus 8 my wesseg cittn of H I must were decide to Tater & mother the news of Leo sleathotry &see anyu myself later I had a were from him saying to hews too late for peveral but asking me to write partimby I borrowed a and Diva note car to contay o white lend me his car there to go & See Angus & do what I like with wentinto amiens, & saw the Colonel & Sibbs & Russell - & askent for Brooks to come out oget sme photos for record Russel sd I ws looking tere Tave we a whisky wt sent my heard wherlin told me that in circles. Jibbs
47 he thought it as for t war cnes poudents t clear apt idea to they bad objected to my articles from &5 any sort of motive he would write to Loyd george himself I told Resoed I was dead sick about it but was taking no steps at + Then the Roiver all our denvers hed for doove work tooking Angus. We got to Bethund at about I am. I had heard the 180th Field by to 86 as atached to the Dion whose H.O. ws at Chalean deaes Sent of we creptents Beauvry
48 Beaurry 8 there a traffic contral o man a hi laster all crossoads who made as put out our head lights, told as JH.O. of the 180a coy ws in a backlove quitl close by We stole along - runiing an emmment rest of being sma into by moter ambulances 2or s owh dash past in 1 dark without lights There were lights cnad collag window + I frequently knocked made them open bey were always French cevelians who apparent keep their bedrom candle night burning all thro the
Act The divid cee to w t osed came to door alway their spirts &bare legs 50 is evidently how sleep Th kne of some enylish soldier living near by We t soldiers at last - but found were atabour battation or some peeceful unit & knew nothing Engieers Then we went back & backed control past- having drept, down dark car roads & side lanly for half an hour or more. & 1 control p001 5d he disht know if it were be 10 Fiel by - be houghe there some enqineers about tere some days back. We straygst on towards the divn. went Headparters &innexvita pas a lamp t1 letters CRE
Coffeer commanday Rogal Enguining o shaving through it? I pumped of borrowed I dowers watches house. Som an t Explored bed upstans (3 officer in his suessed he was a junior officer his head) I by t pictures above gof a steepy direction back to Branory near the Church. We pushed back sentry wita a w fixed bayoued guardi 25 Corries some found we there were The servants at the meas know wight was The kindly Ang where came alon this bayonit senter called ap I Kitchin w we answered stairs A seepy voice wan found a wentap or rgati of bury comple steepin
sandles. Dd be know Lieut He Batle Id Lieut. Butler ws sleeping there pointen to a door opposite him. I borrowed landle tKnockn came to the door. Augas old Anges Co hir 200 telegram an can of y back meres that morning at the from it mad heve enocked 1101 him quite outte gounger brother to hes aways been; devotit to Les & cnlensel poond of him Kiy were I only two, snge the of the twe Les an foun wo cliverer Augas being a mnen the bier Led bad to leave houe o Engineer work first in Manchuria find his near the Amar tate in Wst ines have to where the tina Asrica
52 get Tasmanian maners as the method ased there are only sleewhere employed in Taswama. has fought i 1 Cameroons He first & had jast come over to Bance & was loping to meet Les a England on his next leave if they ad array it - be bedon 4e yes away from home. know, of course, to bewd Augus 5d, I made be hit mend to that, but I up my set always hoped be wd just be ot tis The wounded his eyes out boy had been crying old Dad. that The I could dee Si soth be Io thinking 7 affect him will apair of how it it hears when he While knew hi all told
takeing were we could hear every now of then the bang of a by gun the singing of a shell for a part of its journey overhead; then a litle later a heary Thaking report. It must have been a veryby shell either 12 or 15 wct the fermans are krowing wh a Bethune, market place or perhaps at the station. I derion thy have asticd troops entraing to come down South there believe they dropper my 46 a few days ago from an acroplanc warning ne inhabitants to an fou shool to on our 30 at De lep did not ths Sam back

44
the rest areas or the batteries.
The green county comes closer
to their lines because we are
pushing them back on it all the time.
One felt as if he could walk out
over there & lie down on those
green slopes under the trees & 
enjoy the sun …….
We went on to the H.Q.s of 
the 24th Bn. to get the landmarks 
on the Mouquet ridge identified
for certain - Nicholas, acting Colonel,
said it was a “damned crime”
that our men were being sent
straight from here to the Salient. It 
seems to me a silly way to talk.
Good troops have to go there as
they are taking the Canadians out.
The men deserve a rest but 
what’s the good of talking about
deserts in war time. The German
 

 

 

8  45
wont leave off fighting because
we deserve a peaceful time.
This rubbish about “rights” is 
all very well in a Trades Hall
debate, but what is the use of 
talking of the right to rest when
the enemy won't let you rest?
He’s a gallant officer but foolish to
talk in tt way before his officers & 
then.
I heard on getting tt Angus had not
rece On our way back in the 
23rd Bn H.Q. dugout under the
bell I found, of all men, my 
friend Herbert Alsop, now
doctor of the 23rd. Herbert is a
gallant little chap but he frankly
sd tt this place ws too much for
him. He could not sleep for 
two nights on coming in.
On getting back to Divn. I
 

 

 

8  46
heard tt Angus had not got 
either of my messages, & so
decided tt I must wire to

father & mother the news of Leo's 

death, & try & see Angus

myself. Later I had a wire

from him saying tt he ws

too late for / funeral but

asking me to write particulars.

I borrowed a 2nd Divn

motor car to Contay & White

lent me his car there to

go & see Angus & do what I

liked with. Went into

Amiens & saw the Colonel

& Gibbs & Russell - & asked

for Brooks to come out & get

some photos for record.

Russell sd I ws looking tired

& gave me a whiskey wh

sent my heard whirling

in circles. Gibbs told me that
 

 

 

8  47

he thought it ws for the

war correspondents to clear

up / idea tt they had objected

to my articles from xxx

any sort of motive, & sd

he wd write to Lloyd

George himself - I told Russell

I was dead sick about it

but was taking no steps at

all. Then the driver &

I had our dinners

& drove North looking for

Angus. We got to Bethune

at about 1 a.m. I had heard

tt the 180th Field Coy

ws attached to the 8th

Divn whose H.Q. ws at

Chateau des Res South of

Beauvry. We crept into
 

 

 

8  48

Beauvry & there a traffic

control post to man w his

lantern at / crossroads,

who made us put out our 

headlights, told us / H.Q.

of the 180th Coy ws in a 

back lane quite close by.

We stole along - running an

imminent risk of being smashed

into by motor ambulances

2 or 3 of wh dashed paxxxxxx

past in / dark without

lights. There were lights 

in many cottage windows

& I frequently knocked &

made them open - they

were always French

civilians who apparently

keep their bedroom candle

burning all thro the night.
 

 

 

8  49

They didn't seem to mind being

roused - they came to / door

always in the shirts & bare 

legs - so tt is evidently how they

sleep. They know of some English

soldiers living nearby. We

found / soldiers at last - but

they were a labour battalion

or some peaceful unit & knew

nothing o / Engineers.

Then we went back to /

control post - having crept ^& backed w /

car down / dark roads & side

lanes for half as hour or more -

& / control post sd he didn't know

if it were the 180th Field Coy - he "thought

there ws some engineers about

there some days back!" We

went straight on towards the Divnl.

Headquarters & in / next village

passed a camp w / letters C.R.E.
 

 

 

8  50

(officer Commanding Royal Engineers)

shining through it. I jumped off,

borrowed / drivers matches

& explored / house. From am

officer in his bed upstairs (I

guessed he was a junior officer

by / pictures above his head) I

got a sleepy direction back to 

Beauvry near the church. We

pushed back. A sentry with a

fixed bayonet stopped me & ws

guarding some lorries- & I 

found we were there. The servants

of the mess might know

where Angus was. The kindly 

sentry & his bayonet came along

w me & called up / kitchen

stairs - a sleepy voice answered.

I went up & found a man 

sleeping ^or reading by a couple of burning
 

 

 

8  51

candles. Did he know Lieut. 

Butler? He sd Lieut. Butler

ws sleeping righ there, pointing

to a door opposite him. I borrowed

a candle & knocked & 

Angus came to the door.

Poor old Angus - he had

got my telegram on coming back

from the mines that morning at

11 o'c. & it  must have knocked

him quite out - the younger

brother, he has always been; devoted

to Leo & intensely proud of him. 

They were / only two, Angus the

cleverer of the two, Leo in some ways

the bigger. Angus being a mining 

engineer had had to leave home &

find his work first in Manchuria

near the Amur; later in West

Africa where the tin mines have to
 

 

 

8  52

get Tasmanian miners as the

methods used there are only

elsewhere employed in Tasmania.

He had fought in / Cameroons

first & had just come over to

France & was hoping to meet Leo 

in England on his next leave if

they cd arrange it. - he had bn

4½ yrs away from home.

"I knew , of course, tt he wd

be hit," Angus sd, "I made 

up my mind to that; but I

did always hoped he wd just be

wounded- not this." The

boy had been crying his eyes out - 

I could see that. "The old Dad,

I'm thinking of," he said. "I'm

afraid of how it will affect him

when he hears it."

I told him all I knew. While
 

 

 

8  53

we were talking we could

hear every now & then the

bang of a big gun, the singing of

a shell for a part of it's journey

overhead; then a little later a 

heavy shaking report. It 

must have been a very big 

shell - either 12 or 15 inch -

wh the Germans are throwing

at Bethune market place or 

perhaps at the station. I daresay

they have noticed troops entering

there to come down South . I 

believe they dropped a message

a few days ago from an 

aeroplane warning /

inhabitants tt they were going

to shoot.

We left at 3.30 on our

way back - the sun did not
 

 

 

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