Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/57/1 - August - September 1916 - Part 3

13
20
get them short of Abbeville
got a car & took Tangye,
intelligence officer (in Coutre-
Espionage work) there to
clear up a pigeon
message discovered under
a tree at Warloy. It
was in a little
bright Aluminium 
carrier - clearly
very new -quite untarnished.
Sketch- see original scan.
Kein Meldung vor handen
Kastner
7.45”
“(No information to hand.”)
One of the men attached
to the graves registration
 

13
 21
unit had brought it in-
sd he had noticed it under
a tree while shaking the
tree for Apples. There was
an old wagpie which
hung about there often.
It might have picked
the message up at a German 
prisoners cage about
200 yards away.
We went right to the
final authority in
such matters at G.H.Q.
The final authority didnt
seem to have a man in
the office room who
could speak German &
had to ask Tangye what
 

13

22
the wessage meant.
However - a staff officer
in red tabs - cever looking
enough - gave it as his
openion tt it must be
a front live wessage. "No
agent id think it work
his while sending a negative
message like that he sd
wh does seem conclusive.
There ai another
curious uncedent other
day. Theref ws found
on a dead german a
scrap of paper addressed
to the Maison de Brigue
asking the people there to
 

23
show to te bearer the
road by which the
Australians went yesterday
The Maison de Bngue was
searched for + was found
to be anestaminct
at a corner on the road
from Hmens to Contay
The people there are
Belgians or strangers,
newly came since the war
& they have the reputation,
amongst the farmers &
people about, of being
pro-German. They
 

24
are disliked by populaty
It is hand to fit an
explanation to this. But
most probable one seems
to bett some dush alian straplers
in Awiens had got left
behind awoupt I women
or I wineshops when their
units went to 1 pont.
that the women a
wivelops knew that the
Maison de Brique was on
the way (or in (direction)
wh I Aushalian troops had
 

3
 

taken; & t they had
written this out for
so as
men to enable them to
get a direction at these
Froads. The soldier
carry to vessoge
may aprids have been
kithe or captured o
the paper taken as a
sonvener or for senden
(o (German Staff)
in. How else it came
into 1 hands of a
Jerman Soldier in
firing line 15 almost
impossible to say.
officer
The G.H.O.
 

with the red tabs, I 3.
noticed, when langyes
pigeon message was
handed to him sd. What
1
is it a submarine thing
So evidently Submarmes
planding
have been drapping men
or messages on the Coast.
I fancy thyy have done so
in England & Ireland too
Heroptanes sometimes
land ven - + arrage to
pick them up one or two
months later. The French
some time last year, I believe
 

put down 14 different
men. All except ore
returned to their particular
readegoons all right daly
wrany weeks afterwor o
were picked up, & brought in
had one man who broke his
Ee
Ag poor chep, in being
set down, I don't know what happen
to him but I am to to tt they are supplied
with a uneform
or back with langye
from this beautiful drive
at ab 2 am. We had
to go right to Moutrenil
 

I they brought him
from Appeville.
Sept 15t. (Friday
Back to Becourt agn.
Saw the two maxwell
boys in the 52nd Bo.
Arthur, who as Intell. officer
ofhis Bn 1s not allowed
by Col. Beever to go out
+ reconnoitre the tine.
Not one of the company
officers of the 52nd will
have reconnoctred the live
either - or the place where
they are to go over the
dext night (at P.20 - as soon
as it is possible bee)
 

That is Beevor's fau to
 

except the toy holdin the time &
Arthur tells me th P30
Bn holding 1 line at present
67t) has been there 12hr
longer than too a tended
They take in to them 2
days rations, & water, &
have to live on to tell the
come out - so difficult o
it to victual the troops there
you approach I trenches
there straiht down a billl
tfermans looking into you)
The ration parties of
the Feod, going up, last time.
and tget men buried ty
shed - ased to get too
sometemes when the