Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/59/1 - September 1916 - Part 12

117K
 

Tickets for  (x
Wire France
Ring up MacFarlanes

Get J's M.S.S.
Look up J's [[shorthand]] men

See Mrs Burne

Capt Salva

[[shorthand]]

Wire Eileen

Post MSJ see smart

Cooks re [[shorthand]]

 

117L

 

Sept 14

Bayley

Eileen

Photo of Birdwood

Ailke

Forward J's letter

London wall 3198

Mr Birnie
Macarthur

6.45 Devonshire [[shorthand]]

117M

 

Train time

117N

 

Birdwoods Article

Smart re ness

Ask Smart re Cassells

& my cable

(1) book plates

(2) order to Cassells

Ross'  Cameras

Saturday

Cassells Return for [?] of accounts

Fawthorn pk

M17A war office

11am

East Ind. Un. Ser. Club.
 

118

Parts of Australian Film
NZ. [Entrancing?]

(rly)

NZ [?]

(Durhams)

(12in Guns)

(Horse Batt?) 

 

Aust 18 Pds

(Aeropl.

Part of 1st Aust Div.

(Devons) 

NZ Resting

1 Aust.  Divn

Aust 9.2.

Poziers & Contalon

Suicide comes

Pioneers

2nd Divn

Distant shelling

Poziers Bombt

Bombt of Poziers ( 8 in hows)

Aust in Coulolmen

(Capt guns)

Chalk pit at Poziers

w T.M.
Becourt. x G [[shorthand]]

 

 

10   119
 

Aust & Brit. Amb. at Becourt.

Prisoners. at Anz. Corps 

[?]

Aust Bde. coming out from Poziers

(HIgh w territorials)

NZ watching highlands

Aust. resting at top of

Sausage gully

( [shorthand] working )

( German guns)

(Brit. infantry)

                                          

120
Corp HQ.

13LH

Aug Cycle Bn

1st Div Supply  2000

Corps Troops Supply

1 Sub Park.

                      

3 tunnelling coys

 

 394

1581

         

1975

 

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When Lord K visited Anzac

the fact ws of course kept a

close secret. He would have to  be actually

within sight o / enemy as he 

came from the cruiser in a 

warship steamboat. He wd be

within / range of  There ws actually one

machine gun wh cd fire on

her direct at moderate range

as she came in. & any number

o field guns The batteries wh usually fired on / beach cd

have followed shelled her in wh made

for a mile out. Once in Anzac

any part of the narrow hillside

onto which we hung coukld be

reached by different guns.

I do not think am fairly certain there was any no

way in which the news could

have reached the Turks direct, 

but it across the lines- but

in the eas any any news which

leaked out  in the East of the Peninsula

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wd probably travel fast &

far. 

But somehow When the

small naval steamboat

sidled up to the ^ Williams pier & the

I do not think there were

many in the place who knew

of the visit. 

[?] Somehow

when that the tall figure

was seen stalking up the landing

stage, with a number small group of staff

officers behind following, the 

news seemed to spread like

fire some quicker than fire

in dry grass. Out of every

dugout on the hillside came

Australians & New Zealanders

bolting down like straight across the

scrub like - the crowd

on the beach & above it

gradually growing & they

It was quite spontaneous

gave him a reception such as 

123

 & Bn

Bennett HQs

Gzz

65

snap 20

 

10   124

decent reception. The men had
Australians & New Zealanders

do not give without a deep

sincere admiration for Lord Kitchener
Australians & New Zealanders
are very frank in their likes
& dislikes; & this demonstration
I think pleased Lord Kitchener
more than he ^ wd have cared to show
He ws generally a man who
dislike crowds. But he
moved amongst those
men tt day more at home
than I have ever known 

him.

The Turks, if they did

hear of Lord K's visit, couldn't

have guessed. 
LOrd K. climbed straight

up the steep path to Walkers

Ridge to the heart of the

Anzac Position. It was
 

 

*a man needed to be

in good training

in hardier condition

than most.

 

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only 600 yds from / beach

but climbing all / way up

It ws as though you   A

narrow weather.scarred ridge.

To walk up it*   The climb wd have tested the

powers of   without stopping ws

as much as most of us could 

manage  & have any breath

left at the end. But Lord

Kitchener reached went straight to the top

without stopping & spoke to the

Brigadiers when he got there

without any sign of strain.

Walkers Russells Top in places

our trenches were within

a few yards of those of the Turks

It ws , I think, Lord Kitcheners

tall figure, with the bright red

cap band, marching down

there was only too likely 

to be noticed. I think all 

speculation & the Turkish

snipers were ^usually uncomfortably

quick. Lord Kitchener took

 

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insisted on visiting two
or three of these awkward
Corners; & I think all
spectators were glad relieved
when the tall figure strode
down into the comparative
safety of Rest Gully.

Lord Kitchener took a ws only  [100  hours?]

^ at any. He took in the essentials of the 

position with a few glances.

He made no secret of the fact 

the 2 him It ws  Both the position

itself was a surprise to him; & still more so the

& the extraordinary  elaborate

fortifications- a labyrinth of trenches tunnels

both shallow & deep  & deep & shallow

tunnels, roads & paths, drains 

& dugouts. It ws only by seeing

what they had actually done tt he

realised how / force had worked.

Wherever he went Lord 

K. received an ovation from

the men, such as made one

anxious lest the Turks show

127

 

From all the The force knew pretty well, from

discussions reported in

/ newspapers, the reason of L.K's visit; &

 

10   128
notice it & guess at the

cause. He  xxxx serious

The men were in the garb

dressed just as they worked-

Not one Aus  L.K. has a dislike of crowds - but  moving

amongst these  toilers L.K. he 

seemed more unusually at home than

he usually he stop The picture 

of him standing amongst those

crowds tall, sunburnt.  xxxxx

throng talking to them as men,

the strong interested faces of the one 

gazing on the earnest intent,

brown weather tanned countenances

of the others, is one wh few

of those who saw it will forget. 

When he left Anzac departed

I think he left a new

confidence behind him. Whether 

we stay or whether we go- they

thought- at any rate we

shall not be forgotten.