Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/60/1 - September - October 1916 - Part 7

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the head. He was carried
afterwards to the back of th
lines for burial. And while 
he lay there a shell him & seems to have shattered
him to pieces.
Butler heard the last of
the boy- a very very gallant
boy - they all said. We left
& had dinner at the 8th 
Corps H. Qtr at Hennen Court

Xxx. We asked them about th

“Tanks”.They sd they thought

they had bn used to soon, like

a new toy, used because 

they were there. Lot broke down.

“Were they a failure then?”

we asked.

“Oh no! I wouldn’t

say that” they said.

Apparently for about

2 tanks to get there,10 had to

 

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start out. But in one or

two places they solved a 

difficulty by smashing taking a

Stn. Routing the enemy out

of aa strong point such as 

those wh so often held on

up on flank -; point 81,

point 54 - point 21 &

half a dozen others tt I 

can remember might

have bn settled by a 

“Tank”. (They were labeled

tanks in the books of the

Department wh manufactured

them - for the purpose of

secrecy).

There are now to 

Be Tanks with each army,

& a Brig. Gen. commanding

those tanks (xxx) hear talk of 6 being up here,

 

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& of 6 being turned out

Every day - probably untrue

this; better & more perfect

tanks they promised us. Apparently

they have come back to stay.

The system by whom

our xxxxxxxxxxx.

we cannot get reinfts

altho’ they are in England & at

[[?Naples]] seems at first, rather

Inexplicable. But to reason is 

tt the War Council will not

allow anyone to come over to

Fiancé until he has reached & start out

of 14 was training. The reinfts 

wh come from Australia are 

inspected when they arrive & are

genly put into the 3 weeks class, 

I believe. They go tho various 

stages & at/ end of 14 weeks

( 11 weeks in their case} are examined

to see if they are fit up to standard.

If not they are put back for training’

So that they come across to the

 

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Base camp at [[?]]. Ther

they have to be passed again-

a sort of “topping off “ place, as

Col.Griffiths put it to me —- before

They can be sent to the units

wh want them. But we never 

have not more than 10 percent 

reinfts, for any unit in 

France - those reinfts above that

ratio wd be kept in England.

The reinfts actually

immediately ready are sent on

to a reinforcement camp (at 

present under Bob Ramsay)

up near the Corps H.Q. Ours 

was at Val de Maison ^ when they were down

South on the Somme. Here it is

near  Abeele. They can be

marched straight in to their units from there. The so called

“Entrenching battalions” are

really reinforcement camps

except tt they decide to make

use of men during this

time for fatigue & digging. We

 

70

Our siege Bde is the

36th (Aust) Siege Bde

 

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Are getting to establish an

entrenching battalion shortly

Instead of the reinforcement

camp.

The way in which units

can actually be mislaid & 

forgotten is shown by what 

happened in the last few days

With a detachment of men

connected with a Reinforcement 

Camp. They were detached

on some business connected

w / camp to form a small

camp of their own

Val de Maison - away ^20 miles behind

the lines of the Somme. After

days ago an inquiry arrives

from them asking what they

were to do. They had

actually been left there & forgotten.

I dare say there are forgotten

units in other places too -

one hear exaggerations abt

Whole battalion being forgotten

 

 

50
 

36
 

Our siege Bde is the
i(aust.) Siege Bde
 

aregti to establish
ga
entrencbiy battation
shortl
insteed of the venforcenet
camp.
The way in which write
can actually be wis aid &
forgotten is shown by what
happened in the last few days
with a detachment of men
connected with the Keiforceuerd
camp. They were detached
on some business convected
camp to form a sad
camp of their own near
20 mles
Val de nawon - away behind
the limes of the Somme. A few
days ago an inquire arrived
from thim as kig what the
were to do. They had
actually been lep there & forftt
I doresay there are forgotten
anits a ot places too
one hears exaperations abt
whote battalions being forgotten
 

72
In some out of way  corner

In an English county - &

if they had come out of a

battle like the Somme I daresay

some of them wd not object

to being lost sight of for a little

while.

The Army & G.H.Q.

are much extracised at the

number of our men about

without leave. A camp of

5 of them s found in the

wood at Warley Vadencourt.

They sd they walked in to

Americans & bought their food

but I expect they were given

it. They would be out all day

& back to camp again at night;&

I suppose everyone who

Saw them thought they were on 

duty.

English soldiers wd be

shot for this, but I think they


 

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have written sear
anythen about yores altho
the
Coope had been holding the
sa bnd for a month
But
recally the
yous satient is
not what it was we
have never had puch a
quiet time Ypres itself
is like the ruins of Pompio
informmon a summers day clear
Sky no disturbance of
any sort, sightsecers
rambling about quietly
where ty will without
interference. The Somne
at present.
our interest
Alas - it is held up at
the
oment (0054) by Leary
rain. It is simply souring
outside my window as I
write
Dee thance of breaty
troor forcing 1 germans bick
 

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75
this year, wh seemed
really possible 7
f
bringing a quick and t
war, is all inpeted
by this rain. Juns can't
register ne targets. Tanks
can't move men cant
attack
AS.
Birdword was talking
to we last night of Brulard
& bord Kitchwers ois it to
the French position at Helles
Braland Kess Birdword
in pont of the whole of Berdies.
staff
Birdie ws telling me th
he got on well to Bralard
he thought because he want
over to see him himself.
Hamilton generally did't get
 

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an very well wf. Fench
charmig man tho he was
to be generall sent of over
Braikwaitz or Aspinal or
Dawnay, who got on even worse
& always insuaged to rub ti
Fench up the wrong way
There as practicall
4g
nothing t do sd. Berdie
to I ased to go over tere
constantly myself ever
few days. I could speak
hardly any Beach, but
used always to took in on the
old man, the us alway
delighted to see you & gave
you a fally good lnch, & we
ot on splandith. Iam I
cod have be over to dine
with me in return. I coulas
sreak an
French; but perhap