Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/62/1 - October 1916 - Part 2

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
  • Shorthand
Status:
Open to contributions
Accession number:
RCDIG1066827
Difficulty:
5

Page 1 / 10

11 but witout thei Si away. But hese (I had not here of them before are not bee made here, but in some ti yout - tte don't think they will be made again Many camnerce o oider fits and i beteve she will have wese hage heas of enormons n fter her The Li is at priend are starting clarly avew submaring campaint Hie a lob of our ships were recently sunk of Amenccan coast- proty as 6 ay answer
12 d. 5 2 83 8 . 8 48 13 to n ontery a part OIferman people for wruklessness Aidenbi is od to bave asked thim not to press this demand for thles (ain to shakey I suppose his a citeng to deceive us or else to conciliati awerica. I wish very much to our papers ad case an perpetual howl for america to intervene. If the yanks do not think their interests sufficiente damaged (by the loss of ewerican ctizins to intervene - why said we be continued insisting that tey are? I hate all this fighting with your month. The Dad Mail & the times have inst been publishing a series oartides by a mean naned Curtin whom they claim to be a spy oftheirs returned from fermany. He has wretten seven or eight bayspern out articles on what he sow in ferman. They are in the regales to be continue in our next style. Te first one ended There I saw a spectach which if only the arman pople had seer it, wd have shekrn
11 Ihave goncacrous (as his, rqus by pais, lnds i ard is muti opt he woops upon Couscrifiion, an if t camnot send tome fou call rewlg on the Anstiation people to sendmore men. If the is in favou. resolute ttenan will consciipto it i ard tanstratio agat if Highe telepaph te pertan witl not public if but sand the recult of all shall ot none as three Highes pers all to beare sen Denver sa 4 to Austiatea agents 4 2 a I. W. w are a the wo with believe througth he Murcock undeabled helper He old fine lan a Hai chag me 40 4 4188 4
1 10 of Sall ott there wene t 4 certain divisions on wh tey looked as divisions which if they save them a bny todo, would do it. all the Austalian divisions were in that catejry, Riggety said. He did not say to autlien Droisions were better tan English divisions & I deresay thiy are not but he classed tim with the best (whether Murdock inferred this o from the above statemnt of Kigpell explicity said it I am not clear. saw old win tonight Her husband has jast come our 5 he's third turn in the Somne badle with the Royal Camadian Regt of therd. Their second ams of asking was much to worst. They had one innings, then 48hrs out then terribly heavy battle one this 3 wie
17 company came and ofCwin says 5 Strong o the Regiment 85. Cause put it to her. The casnittis are nor the cort of the we may generally oon mention; but you may take it th the Repient came out of action the strength of the full brass band Wan heard also from another source -85 or 81 That is fightful fighting everybody here cxcued about the Reperendum Birdwoods cercular to be troops did little sood rather the reverse. Col. Anderson thinks. Haghes is setting as nervous as can bo about it. Anythuy favourable, from here will be etegapted out to five austratio a lead. Anytin confavourable will be suppressed Sir Newton Moore did not weae Haher memorandim to his troops at all Anderson, who is his nent enem ans that this was because
18 thoose ad ble tosa Hapes & Laboar out of office as a result of the loss of Referendum in order to he (moore) might get some job of positon from the Liberal Govt Awd follow. But this is absurd Anderson & a clever man but a jealous & ambitious one. He has saved a lot of money for Hastalia - but sometimes his motives are not purly sublis spirited. Andepson telts me t Lord Fisher's examinate by the Dardwelles Ctee ws exceedingly funny- He ws as ked what he thought of senne proceeding ot - sheer bloody lunacy he ad reply - then turning to the reporter. Dont put down that bloody - leave that out What did be think of Winden Churchit Of- the man's damned chi
te 65 tells ts ple 25 ti Dro bims 20 damned clever - but of curn he's a bloody tittle bounder you need at pat that down I don't know how far this i lterally accurate - its what anderson says Mr Fishy told him & thr thos Mackingie (who were both present)
£20 2)
22
23 24 training ship necessarily not

1          11

but without their 8in armour

- But these (I had not heard

of them before) are not

being made here, but in

some other yard - & they

dont think they will be

made again. If any

commerce raider gets

out I believe she will

have these huge ships,

of enormous speed, an

top of her ,we after

her.

The Germans at present

are starting - clearly - a new

submarine campaign; but

Hinde a lot of our ships

were recently sunk off /

American coast - probly as

a concession to an answer

 

12

Curtin

[*Let America stand out if she wants to.
It is also quite a question whether it wd benefit 

us for America to come in. So long as she is neutral
there is some sort of public opinion for Germany
to play up to; once she is in - then all the world
is in - & knowing Germany, we know quite well there
is no frightfulness to which she would not resort. Her

scruples wd go to winds instantly. 
*the German Empire to its foundations. But What that
sight was I will describe in my next article a

- the sight merely turned out to be the return of

German Guard Reservemen, wounded, from the war.
He said tt what he saw ws the relic of the Guard Reserve
- [we who fought agst them a month later when they
retook Mouquet Farm] know how true tt is.]⇢
If only our Press wd not print this Balderdash
- any one cd have written / same sort 
of stuff any day on what he saw 
in London. Thes*]

1       13

to / German outcry o part
o / German people for
"ruthlessness" but. Hindenberg
is sd to have asked them not
to press this demand for
ruthlessness (train too shakey).
I suppose this is either to deceive us
or else to conciliate America.
I wish very much tt our papers 
wd cease this perpetual howl for
America to intervene. If the Yanks do
not think their interests sufficiently
damaged (by the loss of American citizens)
to intervene - why shd we be continually
per insisting that they are? I hate all
this fighting with your mouth.
The Daily Mail & The Times have
just been publishing a series of articles
by a man named Curtin - whom
they claim to be a "spy" of theirs
returned from Germany. He has 
written seven or eight long spun out
articles on what he saw in Germany.
They are in the regular "to be continued 
in our next" style. The first one 
ended " There I saw a spectacle
which, if only the German people
had seen it, wd have shaken ⇡*

 

14
1     15
Murdoch tells me tt Young (S.A.) O.C. Beale & another
have gone across (at his request, by Haig's leave) to address meeting
upon Conscription, amongst the troops
& see if they cannot send some
note in itself resolution calling on the Australian
people to send more men. If the
resolutn is in favour of
conscriptn, it will be telegraphed
to Australia; if agst, it will 
perhaps be telegraphed to Hughes,
but he will not publish it.
I shall send the result of all
three resolutions or none at 
all, to my papers. Hughes
says the Sinn Feiners have sent
agents to Australia & tt / Irish
& I.W.W are agst him. I 

believe the women will carry
him through.
Murdoch undoubtedly is
a fine strong helper. He told
me tt Kiggell & Has Haigs Chief

 

1        16
of Staff told him tt there were
certain divisions on wh
they looked as divisions
which if they gave them a thing
to do, would do it. All the 
Australian divisions were in 
that category, Kiggell said. He
did not say tt / Australian
Divisions were better than English
divisions - & I daresday they
are not - but he classed them 
with the best (whether Murdoch
inferred this or Kiggell from the 
above statement or Kiggell
explicitly said it I am not 
clear.)
I saw old Win tonight. Her
husband has just come out of
his third term in the Somme battle
with the Royal Canadian Regt.
Their second ^or third time of asking was
much the worst. They had
one innings, then 48 hrs out, then
this terribly heavy battle. One

 

1      17
company came out of it (Win says)
5 strong; & the Regiment 85. Claude
put it to her: "The casualties are not
the sort of thing we may generally 
mention; but you you may take it
tt the Regiment came out of action
about the strength of the full

brass band."  Win heard also
from another source - 85 or 81.
That is frightful fighting.
Everybody here excited
about the Referendum. Birdwoods
circular to the troops did little 
good - rather the reverse, Col.

Anderson thinks. Hughes is
getting as nervous as can be
about it. Anything favourable
from here will be telegraphed out
to give Australia a lead.  Anything
unfavourable will be suppressed.
Sir Newton Moore did not issue
Hughes memorandum to his troops
at all. Anderson, who is his
enemy, says hints that this was because

 

1        18

Moore wd like to see Hughes
& Labour out of office as a result
of the loss o / Referendum, in
order tt he (Moore) might get
some job or positn from the
Liberal Govt tt wd follow.  But
this is absurd.
Anderson is a clever man
but a jealous & ambitious one. He
has saved a bit of money for 
Australia - but sometimes his
motives are not purely public
spirited.

I believe Anderson tells me tt Lord Fisher's
examinatn by the Dardenelles Ctee
ws exceedingly funny - He ws
asked what he thought of some
proceeding.

"Oh - sheer blood lunacy!" he
wd reply - then turning to the
reporter "Dont put down that
bloody - leave that out."

What did he think of Winston
Churchill.
"Oh - the man's damned clever

 

19
Noel Ross tells us of their
Big Battle [[shorthand]] & Hydroplanes
& 1000 [[shorthand]]

1       20

- damned clever - but of course 
he's a bloodly little bounder
- you neednt put that down."

I dont know how far this is 
literally accurate - it's what 
Anderson says Sir Mr Fisher
told him, & Sir Thos. Mackenzie
(who were both present).

 

1      21

Temporary altern [[shorthand]]

Carbon [[shorthand]]

Mandriel particularly impt.

[[shorthand]]

27 on Mantel. Heated

xxxx  Pressed & drawn out

Then cat outside men
Men [[shorthand]]
Forging past, squeezing 

them out little pretty

Men to Hell but old & unfit

( Outer tube (tunnel_

( Inner tube (Linen then)
( wire (round counter)
( Hoops

Gear [[?]]

B tube [[?]] just

 

1   22

Elswick 8in Hows (outpost not yet at [[?]]

60 pds 5 [[shorthand]]

3rd Day

---

Order for machine gun
Apr. next year

18 pdrs Oct 1918

60 pds nearly reached outpost

now

[[shorthand]]

[[shorthand]] Saltman [[shorthand]]

to our [[?]] xxxxx guns coming up 

no one from C[[?]] & B[[?]]

[[shorthand]] Back in 3 trenches

18 pd ammn - no shortage
Outer [[shorthand]] treated

2 mines at [[?]] by

10 trenches to remove & fill

 

23

30 degrees of elevatn on April
15th at beginning of war. No use
agst aircraft   Aft to fire guns 
against aircraft.

[[shorthand]] probly wounded at

[[?]] left to [[?]] at mostly
delicate work. Women will [[?]]
& fight agst husband & brothers

now at war.

German [[?]] will be bouyed by
[[?]] Admitted ??

{?Conscri]]
[[shorthand]]

1 in [[?]] lining board 6in 4 castors

Counter [[?]]

24

Havent  the [[?]] Dont think
La Mere training ship for RNVR

9.2 hows not necessarily dismantling

8in 4

9.2 no trawler

[[?]] Hows in Rly Monday

Guns a bit difficult to get

Mounting slower

Manager of [[shorthand]] never had a day

5 Sundays since [[shorthand]]

Sunday ws 4 now [[shorthand]]

----

Many new 18 pdrs- to replace losses

Shrinking - have to cool lower

end first bec, ^gaps [[?]] shoe [[?later] of gun

must be level - how to get a 

grip first. Cdnt w [[?]]
keep tight.

 

 

 

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