Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/60/1 - September - October 1916 - Part 1

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open to contributions
Accession number:
RCDIG1066825
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

AWM3S Official History, 1974-18 War: Records of C E W Bean, Official Historian. Diaries and Notebooks Hem number: 3DR1606160// Title: Diary, September - October 1916 Comments on Lord Birdwood, war fatigue, the visit of Andrew Fisher, Sir Keith Murdoch and E A Box to the Somme front, Canadian soldiers and tanks. AWMISS-SDRLCOC1COl
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2 been fighting Englands batthes for her; & we don't see why we more of shd ask our people to come over her I fight a for themHe asked me Have you heard any gramblin aget kirdwood lately? it is carious to sever at people have as knd me the ram question. There is a wild ston flegly round that some man in the 4th Din - renforcuats hooked him & called him Butche of course this is a version of the story (wh I have given before as it ws told by one who was tere) - + is a lie; but it is an indication of a certain feeling at the moment t The men have had as mach undoubledt fighting as they want for the present
3 They are sick of the punishment they have had from the ferman & very few bombardment English Hldres know how beavy Our men it has been. y have had two turns each - it was a trial on their willingness to have that second turn but they endered it because threy knew to at the end they wa come out - probably for a rest possibly for a very tory complete rest. That is of course what bey longed ere for. They beat im eg or when they came out of the fight- subdued a lifeless - they wanted only to be left guite quite alone to be & read & write a few home letters. He very best then in I world for mum wd have been a months complete absolute change - at the French sea side for example. that cannot But o courst
191 4 be arranged in the war. The Russions, the Eumanians &o the drench are fighting up to their necks & we cannot go paddling around the Edge. There was as prospect of this crps being allowed a rest it 15 looked on as a crack Corps of the Britech pay as the cmpliment of Excatiny us as by do other crack corps That is to say they use us up to the hilt the same as they do the best Brilish devinions Fenchwen have said that they consider the Auzacs the best troops in the British Army Tenchman tole Murdock that the put us first, & the Canadiams next; another French officer to to John Bachan that down they put the Aushahans + the Scottich as the best soldiers
1 "after themseloes of course Si this front. Bordwoad, Strayht honest little man that he is will not tell t men that they are going to have a prolonged rest nto if he knows to thy are not It is unpopular to bell them that tey have to go into it again, & he knows that they don't like it. But be never hides the fact from them His attitude all through is to assume to they want to get at fermans again & to cheer them on to do it. "Well, boys. Laving a good rest, ch Yessex. you deserve Thats right it - get allth rest you can & then you'l be able to come back soon & kill some more forman
1 6 Thei facs drop at this but he never lett him se to he notices it & he never varies his attitude. Occasional he s I wish Ied tell you to you were going to have complety rest a now but weve got Jermans on I run now &we cant afard to let them stop ruann. We bable to bit them & hil them & het them again he sayd in his quick wa well- it not papular The face has been ths togieres & no honest man in it pretends to be ever wants to fight again. If they had a monotonious wenter an rest to trenches or a
behind them, they ad be quite anxious to come at it again in the sving. But they have not got over Porieres yet This new foce of ours is just realisng - each man in tor infantry indlividuall first time in most cases- tt there is only one way out othis was for an infantryuan +th is on his back either sick wounded, or dead. There is ao going back to theiring crowds - no marching thro the London streets & ovations in I Austialian ports. They 1 will be put at it & fight & fight again- 7 2ot cn this battle then in Inext each man alto his Cullet. Ther
15 no way out- they are looking down (long road straight to tend - they am see it plan eno now know to there t they t0 turning It t a beg shock to a dan when he realies that. There is no ceason why he shd not realiss it in Austalia (altho under a voluntery Septem o reciuiting the Cnsor god never letlyou say it in the news papersfor fear to it (aod stop recoenting . I never realien these things but they are so a every nation - at anyral were Western nation wh goes to war. saw ca same thing with our man in Tallioli about the time of Loae Five for first time they began-sach man thinking it out for himself

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