Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/60/1 - September - October 1916 - Part 6

11     56
Cemetery was the place, they
sd. I told them that centre
way lead to it - & they went
off along it. I fancy the top
wd have bn used by people
used to / place. Our men
went over the top (I didnt)
even when we were here.
We struck a Division
going The guns seemed to
have got up close behind
Mouquet. We had a glimpse
of it; & altho we struck
a division going in & a
Division coming out on
the Road thro Albert we
were only 4 mins. late
at the last house - where
Fisher & Butler were.
Butler wanted to
see the 1st Irish Guards - to
about find particulars of
the death of his brother.

11     57
He had come back from
Penang & had joined the Irish
Guards as a 2nd Lieutenant;
he was killed in the first
advance of the Guards from
Ginchy & poor old Butler
was feeling it very much.
We found the guards,
about dusk, in a valley
south of Fricourt. You could
tell the men the moment
you saw them; all neatly
dressed, big fellows, of even
height; with their trousers
folded over their puttees
in the ugly way which British
regiments have
Diagram - see original document
- our trowser is far
more shapely & shows
the outline of the calf

Diagram - see original document
However - they were
very neat, clean, well
set up. They sat about quietly talking 

11     58
with the sort of restrained subdued
air of men who know they
have probably got to die - at
least so it seemed to me - & who
accept the fate. It is dangerous
to go by appearances, but that
was the appearance. The
outward discipline of the regiments
was perfect, & if one could judge
by the way in which they sprang
to attention & saluted Butler
wherever he went & whenever he
spoke to them, & the keenness in
their expression, I shd say tt
their relations w their officers
were excellent - there seemed to
be real friendship in their attitude.
We found the xxx camp about
dusk. They had had two hard turns in 
the line - the first at Ginchy,
which was deadly; the 1st Irish
Guards were told they had to
take a certain objective 700 yds
away. They were not told tt there 

11      59
were 3 rows of trenches in
between (so the colonel told me).
They set out & marched to their
objective & dug in there, as
ordered; & lost 13 officers
out of 18 & 500 men out of
700 in doing so.
The second time it was
against Les Boeufs. They had
very little oppositn, & lost
very few. The German communique
talked of their tremendous
losses, of the bloody nature of
the advance. This was simply
fiction, the Colonel told me.
So, for some reason, the German
communiques are lying now.
The Guards were in for about
30 hours the first time & for a
short spell period the second time. And
now they were resting. I suppose 

11     60
they will have a third time 
shortly. The bands of the Irish 
Guards & the Grenadier
Guards clubbed, drums & fifes,
were marching up and down
the bottom of the gully, playing
& a line of men looking on
from each side. The onlookers
were largely New Zealanders!
Opposite, with a tall officer &
another, was standing a little
boyish figure in a mackintosh with
a cane. It was the Prince of Wales.
I believe he is a Staff Captain
or something on the 14^th Corps
to wh the Guards Divn & N.Z 
Divn & 3 other Divns at present 
belong.
Butter ws recognised at
once, as he came up, by several
officers sitting outside their small
open mess tent- I dont think

11     61
they knew him but they guessed
who he was. I stood outside
talking to a young officer, by
name Smith, while Butler,
apart, in front, talked to the
the Colonel. I saw the Colonel send
for an orderly, evidently some
man who had bn with Butlers
brother when he died, or
perhaps his servant.
Meanwhile the boy I was
talking to interested me a 
little. He had been Butlers
great friend, so I knew he
must have something in him. But
he was a new type to me.
He spoke like a young priest
condescending to tell you of the
ritual. The Grenadier Guards
band or the Irish Guards seemed
to be allowed to have two big 

11      62
drums together, whilst ^the other
battalions were only allowed one - or
something - to wh he seemed
to attach importance. His fair
hair was brushed back, he spoke
with an air of quiet, impressive
decision as if the points were
of vast moment & he settled
them then & there.
I asked if he had seen
anything of the New Zealanders.
"I think there are some
troops of that sort somewhere
near here," he sd- "you see
them about."
I did see plenty - all
about. I asked how they had
got on.
"I believe they are very
brave & gallant & all that,"
he said. "Of course they are
useless as soldiers."
"Oh," I said.
"Yes, they're fighters. I 

11      63
believe, but they have no
discipline at all."
"How do you mean?" I 
asked. "Dont they stick to a
place after they have captured
it? Are they apt to come back?"
"Oh no - I say they are
fine fighters. But they don't
know the first thing about
discipline."
So I suppose he meant
saluting & that sort of ceremony.
I asked
The Colonel told me tt
the Cook from the N. Z. Bde
Headquarters near by had
been in to their mess the
night before, asking for a
drink. "He ws a few sheets
in the wind," he sd. "We
had him in here for two
hours, keeping us amused -
told us all about the
Peninsula. He was an  

11     64
intelligent fellow - knew
what he was doing. 'Of
course I know I oughtnt
to be talking to you like
this' he sd - "Officers of
the dam' Guards! you know
- we know what they are'"
- I am afraid he was
rather more than half tight
by the time he went, sd
the Colonel.
So I daresay tt ws
where young Smith received
the shock from which he had
not recovered. In spite of it,
I am sure he was a boy with
fineness in him or Butler's
brother wd not have spoken
of him as he did in his letters.
It appears that Butlers
brother was in th front of his
platoon, leading the charge, 

11     65
when he was hit by a
bullet through the shoulder.
It was a "cushy" wound - just
the sort anyman is envied
for. He lay in the crater in
which he had been hit -
and the old Irish orderly
whom Butler had I had seen
talking to Butler attended to
him & tried to persuade
him to remain there. He
w "There's snoipers
about, Mr. Butler", he sd.
"crowds of 'em & you're
safe better where you are."
But Butler was a restive
sort of chap, like a high spirited
horse, & he insisted on
moving. He started to drag
himself over from crater into
crater, helping himself with
his sound arm; & as he
did a sniper shot him through