Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/61/1 - October 1916 - Part 9

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open to contributions
Accession number:
RCDIG1066826
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 9

89 to Novr tett me Bd most puzzing instibutin t a understand al present. when tey want it to o anyther they were for it to when it is not done be done. nothing the were heeppens again. he Davy 150 says. The I want this prett were bas or May wdng were t ice So if does what a steed it 15 Darley walsh (in commander) crace- all think the same way. that the onl thing to be doneo give men liberty to re-enpaye for one year & soon from year to year Ikey will do this
90 once we have got him as pety oficers & shilled ratings they will be all right - bey expect then to stay on them the Aushation vavy is then have its own stlke nating who are the backbone of ship. It is casy to provide the rest of crew unless tis difficulty is got over the Austalian Bavy can never flourist it will never get on until we can hade our own crews in our own ships; for the austration & the present pweration of Exglishmen cannot be treated. In the same manner for the good of either at anyrate of thee Austialian. Darley & Walsh & Crace are very been abt the subject. The Darley sdtt 1 present Captain, Radcliff as rather tired of
91 being sumbbers & had given up attempting to get things attend. You wanted an unconventional man who didn't men a smit o who waas a bit mad in his methods, Rggie Henderson, te son of Admiral Henderson, who ws a rather wild gening of to sort had applied for the auct abion vavy s but then sent him to rearganise Greek vavy instead The Austratia ad very much ap against the New Jeslan Darby Sd. The Austaliaswd quen willingly fight the N. Zealamd anyday, he thought. The N.3 was a very efficient ship at present - her commander. North was an excellent
92 man (as I know) & the ship tot in a very good state. The Anstalia, onut other land, had tost mosto I plundet crewte took her out to Austratia from England. They were 4 years men, & they had service left soon after Ishep got to Anshatia &nd had not reculisted. The later drafts from the Tingira were aot as good asthe ought to be. They were unking & had to be worked for monts before tey realy came upto scratch. The ole oficers of tingira had bn 60 withdrawn &sp were not as keenly & well handler & moulded as they used to be. There is certaint
75 much (written akee in in this diary train Elylway a 94 somethin very wrong in this. Young Austialians ought to come from the Tingisa bursting a enthusiasm - no boys of any nation in world are keener & easier to inpse a a spirit for such work I suggisted to a small commission of, say, two might usefully be appointed to visit 1 Austialia & try to get at a solution o this pobline - because it sarely only needs thought Darty & wath ageed it wdl be good - they are ry enthuscastic for the And. Ichan vavy I will t write to Pears Hugles
95 Te Fi came in wrather discredited afer I think it ws the May battle - or perhaps an earteer one. Anyhow, The as raker the outcast o1 fleet at ttig. The Australia, feeting eather ap agst the rest. chuming ap a the Tifer & the two have been chaming ships. If the austaties see a tpers boat racing a New Zealand boat the with always cdeer for the tegers & hoot the N. Gealands The Feen had a very tough some real rarsallions caw it proper cuttoats the in begars Frenny our old anshalians I went wit Darly over anstralia. Agreatdial the to here since ha bu done 13 havin extra The war
96 armous pub on I decks & around the enagazines water gets & weeping pipes to drench cordity ash may the amuunition in calch fire chamber the piatingon inagaiine door (at wide a1 chamber) has been of the covered w a plate cordite is now parser t a socto butter door wh is closed between each only one cartroy 8hot to a lowed in (chamber as Te whot onc time place is being made flash light In the shell room betow are certain Lyddety shelts to be fired off first. inat of restis common shell Tydte s esto enemys s explades inside bot
Chanpom. to DM. BSF. wartory Sommne 2 4/10/0 Mrs Besant Seot. Chlors Scases rach TClo. Elter to NinsElus Lond Stu. 5.0.0. 19/10/10 Chloro. 16/10/14. sec. Case Hosp. S Sandlaw Horp. F.E.V. Fance. Reciept. Ether: Reg. No F41/227 Concipee H.Q. 19.C. MFO. BE F Bance. Folio 9990. Fro. No. B3910. SS. Nwmelter
Ph atccs Kos Pottin Dayls daash Boot r0 Es. Books Irists. Re nex Fo Chlor form. 150 Aalmisa Luck ind Lypew 20 Christic Cassells new bost Naval Tipewr Ts Chloro. Isell new Bt Expence a rew Mnd Christie teate to Feters Hhotopapher th to toof10 See Wagton. Concras to Ros White 12 Commonwiate Bl 22 Kn. Kniven 2 Developet NE. Parson Camene Date of Cmonows J. we do whole anw Commw 11t write to evans (PM. Kinble Nay 6 re 1500 ptates). Papero. Si H. Welson 11. 30 Typews Iam (What time Haworth Booth Chrestie alons Excs Wery toro wm office re pholos Arm bands for Ross get them made ose accoss

 

12  89
they tell me tt / Navy Bd
is a most puzzling institutn
to understand, at present.
When they want to do
anything they wire for it to
be done. When it is not done
nothing happens, they wire
again. The Navy Bd says;
"They must want this pretty
badly or they wdnt wire
twice." So it does what
it is asked.
Darby, Walsh (line 
commander) & Crace - all
think the same way ; that the
only thing to be done is to
give / men liberty to re-engage
for one year & so on from year
to year. They will do this; &
 

 

 

12  90
once we have got them as
petty officers and skilled ratings
they will be all right-they
expect them to stay on then.
The Australian Navy wd
then have its own skilled ratings
who are the backbone o / ship.
It is easy to provide the
other rest o / crew.
Unless this difficulty is
got over the Australian Navy
can never flourish - it will
never get on until we can
have our own crew in our own
ships; for the Australian & the
present generation of Englishmen 
cannot be treated in the same
manner for the good of either -
at any rate of the Australian.
Darby & Walsh & Crace are
very keen abt the subject. Tho
Darby sd tt / present Captain,
Radcliffe, ws rather tired of
 

 

 

12  91
being snubbed; & had given
up attempting to get things
altered. You wanted an
unconventional man who
didnt mind a snub, & who
was a bit mad in his methods.
Reggie Henderson, the son
of Admiral Henderson, who
who ws a rather wild genius
of tt sort, had applied for the 
Australian Navy; but they
sent him to reorganise / Greek
Navy instead.
The Australia was very
much up against the New Zealand,
Darby sd. The Australians wd
quite willingly fight the N.Zealand 
any day, he thought. The N.Z.
was a very efficient ship
at present - her commander,
North, was an excellent
 

 

 

12  92
man (as I know) & the ship
was in a very good state. The
Australia,  on / other hand, had
lost most of / splendid crew tt
took her out to Australia
from England - They were
4 years men, and they had
left ^/ service soon after / ship got to
Australia & had not reenlisted.
The later drafts from The Tingira
were not as good as they
ought to be. They were unkempt
& had to be worked for
months before they really
came up to scratch. The old
officers o / Tingira had bn
not as keenly & well handled
& moulded as they used
to be. [There is certainly
 

 


93
(written, like much
in this diary, in
a railway train)
 

12  94
something very wrong in
this. Young Australians
ought to come from the Tingira
bursting w enthusiasm - no
boys of any nation in / world
are keener & easier to infuse
w a spirit for such work].
I supported tt a small
commission of, say, two
might usefully be appointed
to visit / Australia & try
to get at a solution of
this problem - because it
surely only needs thought.
Darby & Walsh agreed
it wd be good- they are
very enthusiastic for the Australian
Navy.
I will, xxxxxxxxxxxx
write to Pearce and Hughes.
 

 

 

12  95
The Tiger came in rather
discredited after (I think it ws)
the May battle - or perhaps an
earlier one. Anyhow, she
ws rather the outcast o / fleet
at / time. The Australia, feeling
rather up agst the rest, chummied
up w the Tiger & the two have
been chummy ships. If the
Australia s see a Tigers boat
racing a New Zealand boat they
will always cheer for the
Tigers & hoot the N. Zealands.
The Tiger had a very tough
crew - some real rapscallions
in it, proper cutthroats, they
say. Funny beggars, our
old Australians.
I went with Darby over
the Australia. A great deal
has been done to her since / 
war. She is having extra
 

 

 

12 96
armour put on / decks
& around the magazines -
water jets & weeping pipes
to drench cordite wh may
catch fire in the ammunition
chamber. The grating on 
/ magazine door (at / side 
o / chamber) has been
covered w a plate, & the
cordite is now close passed
thro a sort of butlery door
wh is closed between each 
shot - only one cartridge 
is allowed in / chamber at
one time. The whole
place is being made flash tight.
In the shell room below
are certain Lyddite shells
- to be fired off first; most o /
rest is common shell. The Lyddite
goes into / enemys ship
& explodes inside - but
 

 

 

Chloroform. to SSM. BEF. }

waiting [[som]] } 4/10/0

___________________

Mrs Besant Scott. Chloro

3 cases each 8 Ihs. Ether     To Nine [[?]]

5.0.0.                                          Land Stn.

19/10/10

__________________

Chloro  16/10/14

Spec. Cases Hosp

S S Midland Hosp.

B.E.F. France

___________________

Receipt

Ether  Reg.No F41/227

Correspce to

M.F.O.  H.Q. IG.C

B E F France.
 

Folio 9990

Pro. No. B 3910

S.S. N W Miller.

____________________
 

 

 

14 [shorthand]
K1
 

  White Car
    Bluff.
    Photo [shorthand]
Cassells Smart: xxxxxxx
    xxxxxxx
    xxxxxxx
Polling Ross xxxxxxx
    xxxxxxx
  Naylor.  
    Photographer
Boots   £10
    Eg. Books
J's Chloro.   Instr. re new
    form.
  Boots [shorthand]
Luck M.S.S.   Admiralty
  Typewr.  
Souveniers Christie.  
  Cassells (1) new book
    (2) Naval
Typewr. J's Chloro.  
Cassells re new Bk  
Exs Expense a/c  
  6.45 Mrs Ross  
Christie Theatre [shorthand]   
Bickers Photographer  
    4 pm
Win.    
See Naylor. Also £10.  
Cameras to Ross    
White.    
 

 

[shorthand]   Commonwealth
    Bk
. 2 [shorthand]   Kn. Kniven.
[shorthand]   Development
Parsons [[?]]   N Z.
Date of tomorrows J.   We do whole
    [shorthand]
Commwlth [shorthand] Diaries    
1 p.m. Write to Evans  
  re [shorthand] Kimble.
"B" Book plates). Nayloro  
  papers  

Sir H Wilson 11.30
(Typewr.)
Train (What time)
Haworth Booth
Christie
Caloro
Excs.
Nayloro [shorthand]
War Office re photos
Arm bands for Ross
(? them made & send
across)
 

 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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