Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/63/1 - October - November 1916 - Part 4

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Awaiting approval
Accession number:
RCDIG1066828
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

30 a t think of Convoy moter lorned lives there seem to be mone these monsters u & out of ken placss all day long like vast black beetles e tard the mad! The mass room ts in the by red tiled scullery or servants hath of a five house- the house itself is used for offices & officers billets, but these officers belong to ansten mess somewhere in the village Our wess kit arrived & I wend thoo it ever since we were at Contan it had been in charge of old Dillon -the shearers cook, who used to dish ap our acate for us there until somcone noticed his Lands. Here we took over for 150fr a stove for which the 15t Corps (No 3 (yess) paid 8 morts ago 300f. We shall get someting fr it (when leave
31 t Ded Ditton had a fine time with our weas kit while we were at abeate. tame i not one ap subaquent Equerging lef of have brought to ligh two d caps he says they we broken in tranget our sancepans atsotd days he says bctorged to him he state them from some other mess in one of our journaying To cut it short Dillon's 60ps 50 I tad do not belie him Annens to take the at into a half & spend an hour tenio forks buying crocking from the flirting shop pirts there fast as I could choose as the taf
32 Oct St. Tueada last Our wew started Th Mess, Anzac H9rs. British offeers who preceded is mn had two permaneaty unfit scrubbing out & doing small odd Jobs om abther batmew & their wess man waiting They left there old fellows behind they have went when the 150 wer on this village left r two altogeten. We found to sitting in an outhide room like old watch dos of the house when an Onc of them we came mediately 478 he saw there to do prospect of his having work The here lett & followed his Corps other is a Scoteman & like mst Scotumen, a good worker, taken over mith Old of willia inatead 5
33 Willi take t ratie Fercousl atte 45 not a good man. Stang He was always deploring anstration discipting & saying t JO.C. did not back him up but ave rediculous pwishments Both Smik & Whih have told thought it ws toe 4 the Willians who was blacken Anatiation reputation i Army & G.H.D. Spitaen whotI I thought son to hed very tke put white up 6 to they were + this view been to excuse both rather Anchal Stackness Si Whit sd. disciplive apaid to fellow williams ti abt o county bu so sageo Lobnobbin with o them M3 other t. an
34 order Fnon a what fine fellow be is rather maguiefying bis job. X making out that a differcul then it is to hand ty Austirate. a for enample we hada sharp complaint from DHS. other day abt our mambers absentee solw had beea to Ther had 200 or 300 70 en a sigh day &c more tat t other cort I could no t outwhere thiy gob then fynes from I tutgo withon te. bu cending them. He fety pom hir police the number men th they apprehend Bon a charge of absence not th nmber convictted being absentees but Imumber charged be te absent
35 These stelisties may bear no relation whatever to the real ncembers – but they sathes magnify withams job + show what admit of a fellow he w. well the other day Siith Herbertion took Mysely thi in sh Dad AF. on there had asket themn to tome in before taking over see him Smith ws bracing hunsed fight for I c0 a see. Our men had devied b Hright wt Awiens, when as we the were Somns Rater cn inan to them got there fuss at first of the place had bu pat out of boun St Anstralian Sogned a pason Except 7a Brigaty General. Im not ouy to have them stopo w unti they ve
36 47 shown need if Smith al sever a times expect it ill be short sharp te d. He clarb expected one of those Bulish officers who ad bay. Id shool doyen of the Bugzers. half a His cout as in fair we wint up to th A.P.M. a slight tall chap w rather gentle expression, Old Smith tookwap a him. He wanten morar support, Iedsee t. the tm at behind a bencen as t ndofroom &old Smit he this appeared behin 2 bechoud 5o4 told the He Attm. we were herd 6 thi AP.M had bast us in we sat down on two chans in line w all our guns trained on the In 50 t speak
37 read t open fire soon as as aneing disglosed he batteries at tast to it how it accoed to o Sp a a feeble heter Ito w on si b orccasions wanted t Lee 4o before you 6ook over 5dti a P.M. (Capt Bruce), because wanted to avoid tat Laving Awiens put out bounds to your people at least it seemed te 4 personally rather a mistake 2 responsibly for it wasn't last time & I think 500 it be better not 6o tha do is in 65 1 at all Old smith was sunctured had stuck a 70 pin into footbal a & ad der
38 It was your own A84 Witha who wanted it done you know SllAt Mn was rather against it but he asked for it To we did i8 Personal I think it ws tave bu much better nobt have stopped him co (th Te would come in course Anylow to have a woman you cd C 56o them fust made criminals them rou them ap ser tim alway found te perfectly deceie respectable fellows quite wict & amenable asked Wilians for a picket one 6 clear
33 the town when we tad rater a tof the asked him 55 in soldiers not police but he ansiste onC here doena with welliems police cam Lown all blood & marder you know headdet You don't know tere fellows he sd. X me you cant deal to them as w yours chaps Handcuff them to i couples + blog tem out or thats town the oct deal to 6 with them ho 3d deresan te AF.M. 10 exel tin little on his side but reminded me to an extra- A o die degree of the Sicture

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think. A big Convoy of big
motor lorries lives there; &
these monsters seem to be moving
in & out of out of their [[ploess?]] all day
long like vast black beetles crawling
thro' the mud. The mess room
is up in the big red tiled scullery
or servants hall of a fine
house - the house itself is
used for offices & officers billets -
but these officers belong to another
mess somewhere in the village.
Our mess kit arrived
& I went thro' it. Ever since
we were at Contay it has
been in charge of old Dillon - the
shearer's cook, who used to
dish up our meals for us there
until someone noticed his hands.
Here we took over for 150 fr
a stove for which the previous
15th Corps (No 3 Mess) paid 6 months
ago 300 fr. We shall get something
for it when we leave.
 

 

 

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31
Old Dillon must have
had a fine time with our
mess kit while we were at
Abeele. There is not one cup
left - subsequent squeezing of
him have brought to light two odd
cups; he says they were
"broken in transit."  things are
so short that our saucepans,
he says, belonged to him - says
he stole them from some other
mess in one of our journeyings.
To cut it short - Dillon's looks
do not belie him. So I had
to take the car into Amiens
& spend an hour & a half
buying crockery, knives, forks
from the flirting shop girls there
as fast as I could choose
the stuff.
 

 

 

68
32
Oct 31. Tuesday.
Our mess started at last -
C Mess, Anzac Hqrs. The
British officers who preceded us
had two "permanently unfit" men
scrubbing out & doing small
odd jobs. apart from all their
batmen & their mess man waiting.
They left these old fellows behind
when they went - they have
left 150 men in this village
altogether. We found them  our two
sitting in an outside room, like
old watch dogs of the house, when
we came. One of them, immediately
he saw there ws a
prospect of his having work to do
here, left & followed his Corps. The
other is a Scotsman & like most
Scotsmen, a good worker.
Old Smith has taken over
as A.P.M. instead of Williams
 

 

 

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33
I need to take Williams
rather seriously, altho' he ws
not a good man. I fancy. He
was always deploring Australian
discipline & saying tt / O.Cs.
did not back him up but
gave ridiculous punishments.
Both Smith & White have told
me tt they thought it ws
Williams who was blackening
/ Australian reputation w /
Army & G.H.Q. I put down
what th I thought Smith had
very likely put White up to
this view, & tt they were
both rather keen to excuse
Australian slackness of
discipline. White sd: "I'm
afraid tt fellow Williams has
bn going abt / country &
saying tt hobnobbing with
other A.P.Ms - & then in
 

 

 

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34
order to show what a
fine fellow he is, rather
magnifying his job &
making out what a difficult
thing it is to handle Australians.
Our For example we had a
sharp complaint from G.H.Q. the
other day abt our numbers
of absentees. Williams
had been th They sd we
had 200 or 300 - 70 in a
single day - very much
more than any other corps.
I couldndnt make out where
they got their figures from. I
turns out tt Williams has
bn sending them. He gets
from his police the number
of ab men tt they apprehend
for on a charge of absence -
not the number convicted of
being absentees but / number
charged w being absent,
 

 

68
35
These statistics may bear no
relation whatever to the real
numbers – but they rather
magnify Williams job & show
what a devil of a fellow he is!
Well - the other day
Smith took Herbertson & myself
in to Amiens w him. The
A.P.M. there had asked him
to come in before taking over, &
to see him. Smith ws bracing himself
for a fight - I cd see. Our
men had bn denied / right to
go into Amiens, when last
we were on the Somme. Rather
too many of them got there just
at first & the place had bn
put out of bounds to Australians
Except w a pass from ^ signed by a Brigadier
General. "I’m not going to
have them stopped until they've
 

 

 

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36
shown they need it -"
Smith sd several times.
"I expect it'll be short &
sharp" - he sd. He clearly
expected one of those British
officers who wd say: "I'd shoot
half a dozen of the Buggers!"
xxx xx His comb ws in / air
We went up to the A.P.M. -
a slight tall chap w rather a
gentle expression. Old Smith
took us up w him. He wanted
moral support, l cd see tt. The
A.P.M. sat behind a screen at
/ end of / room & old Smith
as he disappeared behind it,
beckoned to us. He told the
A.P.M. we were there & the
A.P.M had to ask us in.
We sat down on two chairs in a
line - w all our guns trained
on the A.P.M. - so to speak -
 

 

 

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37
ready to open fire as soon
as / enemy discharged his
batteries - at least tt it how it
seemed to Smith - I am a feeble helper, I fear.
"I wanted to see you
on such occasions.
"I wanted to see you
before you took over," sd the
A.P.M. (Capt. Bruce), "because
I wanted to avoid what was
rather having Amiens put out
of bounds to your people -
at least - it seemed to me
personally rather a mistake -
I wasn't responsible for it
last time - & I think it wd
be better not to do it in that
way at all . . . . "
Old Smith was punctured
as if you had stuck a
pin into a football bladder.
 

 

 

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38
"It was your own A.P.M.
Williams, who wanted it done
you know," sd / A.P.M. "I
was rather against it, but
he asked for it so we did it.
Personally I think it wd have
bn much better not to have
stopped them coming in. They
would come in, of course,
anyhow, to have a woman -
you cdn't stop them, & it
just made criminals of
them.
“I rounded them up
several times & always
found them perfectly decent
respectable fellows, quite
quiet & amenable. I
asked Williams for a
picket, one day, to clear
 

 

 

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the town when we had
rather a lot of them; I
asked him to send in soldiers,
not police, but he insisted
on coming down here with
police. So He ^Old Williams came down -
all blood & murder, you
know," he added. "'You
don't know these fellows'
he sd to me - 'you can't
deal w them as w you're
chaps. Handcuff them
two in couples & flog
them out o / town - that's
the only way to deal with
them!' he sd" (I daresay
the A.P.M. ws exaggerating
a little on his side - but
it reminded me to an extraordinary
degree of the picture
 

 

 

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