Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/67/1 - November - December 1916 - Part 7

71     70
5th Bde, having their spell
in the rest area the 3rd Bde
had left, couldn't get fuel
even to do all their cooking
with – It wasnt in the " supply",
and it couldnt be bought;
nor could oil;  there ws 
practically nothing in the canteen;
White told me tt he
personally got the canteen
people to send the canteen
goods up to Albert the
other day (transport ws /
difficulty); & Brands Bde
bought 10,000 fr. worth
before nightfall (Brand
sent & thanked him).
Duncan Maxwell was recommended
for the V.C. for his work on Sept 3/4
- & might have got it if the affair
had been more successful. Both
 

^x Wrong Incorrect. C.E.W.B  3.9.26.
 71     71
brothers got the M.C. Duncan
sd: you know the more I
think of what Arthur did
the more splendid his work
seems - he led everyone to
their place - managed the
whole thing -  Arthur was
very annoyed when he
heard he had got the M.C.
He sd it was absurd - he
had done nothing - it ws
simply lowering the value of
the decoration."
The 49^th blame the
52nd a good deal; but the
52nd were actually holding
half the 49ths proper front!
 The name of the Pozieres Signaller
was ^Pte L. Angel, 5 Bn, attached
temporarily to 2nd Bde. His cousin
wrote to me to day to know if he had
bn badly hurt. ^xThe poor chap died 3 months ago.
 

72
→ We had a long cold drive from
Boulogne to Heilly, dining at Abbeville
(tea in quay Refreshment Room at Boulogne.)
Smart told me that Anderson had asked
Murdoch to do all that he could to get him
his Brigadier General-ship. Birdwood, I
know has had a cable from Australia asking
if he will recommend it – he wired back
that he ws not at all in favour of it - it
wd make A. the laughing stock of soldiers
for he knew very little abt military work.
However - B said - he wd not did not wish to stand
in their way of their wishes, if they
Fred Leist is coming over here as
draughtsman - I must say I feel a
little jealous for the Anzac Book artists.
They have been thro' the turmoil - they
began at the beginnng - old Crozier enlisted
as a private in the infantry; & here is
this bumptious chap coming straight into
a job wh they have asked for for ages.
White is putting Crozier on ^Corps H.Q. also. Leist
wrote to Birdwd. that he presumed he wd be
promoted very rapidly. B wrote back tt he
cd hold out no hope at all of his promotion.
He may turn out a great picture; but
it is the others who have seen the events -
Pozieres, & Anzac. so far.
Dec. 5^th. Took Smart up to the Flers Ridge -
overlooking the whole battle field.
Dec. 6^th  Took Smart to Pozieres - a bitter drive,
He arranged with H. Wilson about the photos
& cinema pictures for Australia.
71     73
Dec. 3rd. Motored down to
Boulogne to meet Smart
He did not arrive - Brought
Tom Griffiths down as he is going
over to England.
By the bye he tells me
that the idea of the authorities
is to put in M^cCay in London
- they think he is getting too old for
the division (or too infirm -
it needs a young hard man
really to stand the winter on the
Somme); x & they want someone
[*^xOne main
reason 
was that 
They thought
his nerve had
gn way ; I
fancy White
thought M^cC
had lived
too rapidly-
& he (like
Antill)
had no 
longer his 
old courage.
C.EWB 1918*]
 to put over Newton Moore who,
they hope, will then resign. If 
they dont think Moore equal 
to it I must say I think

they might turn him out
straight away. They consider him
too much of a politician.
Dec. 4th. Smart arrived today
 

74
Dec. 4
5 am & Gen Elliott & the Scout.
Duckboards in 20 trenches taken by us
in bombs raid.
Men w [[shorthand]].
6 wks arriving.
Began early July (9 Bde)
Last unit 40 Bn middle
of Aug. some units came
by Egypt.
Dec. 7^th.  Took Smart up to the 3rd
Division - a long cold drive through the
mist. Ist Anzac didnt know where 3^rd
Divn H.Q. were. We went to Sailly first - found
N.Z. there; they said 3rd Divn. were at
Armentieres - probly in their old
H.Qrs. We drove to Armentieres - got there
after dark. The Old N.Z. HQrs were in the
hands of the Engineers of 3rd Divn. They
told us, after some hesitation, (as they
weren't quite sure of my identity) that
3rd Divn H.Q. were at Steenwerk.
We reached there just before dinner.
Gen. Monash ws in a fine house there, -
when the Daughter o / house ws playing on /
piano when I arrived. He tells me tt he & the
staff are kept in very strict discipline by the
owner o / house - Madame. If they open
the big French window during dinner it is immediately
closed again by Madames order.
(3^rdDiv. Salisbury)  ^After dinner Gen. Monash gave me
follg.  history of his Divn. He took
command on July 28 ; left Nov. 24.

71 Nov. 24th. 7.50 a.m. left London 5.15pm ws in
command of the Armentieries Sector.
The B.(.R.A of 2nd Anzac Corps.
(Brig Gen. Powell) ws in command
of Franks's Force when
Monash came in- (P) He left for
Bailleul same night.
2 Bns of 9^th Bde. 33 & 34 were
in two days before.
Specialists (even at Cooking) trained
as soon as M. arrived, at
special British schools.
Larkhill.
Nothing  done for Divn in way
of Equipment till they got on the
priority list.
Abt Oct 17^th G.O.C.became v.
anxious & wrote to Birdwood.
Haig wrote & sd he must have the
3 Divn. Result ws tt _∧ abt Oct 17 they were
put on the prioroty list & within
24 hrs they became flooded with
equipment - a field [[shorthand]] -Larkhill
ws full of it.
  

 76
Had enemy in this line -
Stage managed training
in order to inculcate parties
lessons (the thing you want
to exhibit must happen -
it doesnt train higher commdrs
of course).

71    77
4 wks Coy training
2 _______ Bn________
2________Bde_______
2________Div^l. training.

Bn training ws extended by 2 wks & Bde
training by one week. (13 in all).

The Bustard area (named after an
Inn) ws given for digging. They
dug 3000 yds of front line trench
German^x & British - Comm trenches
O.P.S, Coy H.Qs, wired it
& a mile behind got 2 farmers
to serve as billets; made a
Bde go in & live & cook there;
then anor Bde entered &
relieved them - trench standing
orders complete ABCD
Bns - Each Bn had to carry
out a raid & a big attack
w artillery coopⁿ. & aeropls
 

71    78
cooperation. The Flying School
wd always send 2 to 4 planes
on days notice. - failing
attacks - aeropl. wd come
over with Klaxon Horn. ^Men showed
flares - aeropl. dropped
map for artillery.
(No such system of training
to our knowledge in Eng.
On Sept 27 Royal Review.
Borrowed 10 000 DP rifles for this.
Crater blown in beginning of Nov. - abt 200
Generals etc were brought down
to see it consolidated.
Nov. 1 to 7 consolidated crater
Nov 13. 3^rd Divn. turned out
for first time. QMG sd it
was the best equipped Divn
tt had ever left England.
It ws absolutely complete to
Establishment to spare
parts of L. guns.
 

79
71    80
Nov. 16. 17 2 Divl. Exercises.
Training closed on Nov. 18 -
First troops left on Nov 21 for
France.
Knew what a dump ws bec.
were told to make them.
Had done wiring at night.
Also night attacks in gas
helmets - firing at flashes w
target behind by flares.
Sniping Instrn. miniature
landscape - concealed periscope
& sniping pozzy.
" i.c.t" = trench feet by another
name. (inflamed cellular
tissue).
Once every week wrote to B.
B. sd abt Pozieres: " Whatever you do,
ensure tt every man of your divn can throw a bomb &
manage a L. Gun.
Lewis gun. "During

 

79

(shorthand)

8 - 10 (shorthand) wk.
 

71     80
Nov. 16. 17 2 Divl. Exercises.
Training closed on Nov. 18.
First toops left on Nov 21 for
France.

Knew what a dump ws bec.
were told to make them.
Had done wiring at night.
Also night attacks in gas
helmets - firing at flashes w
target behind by flares.
Sniping Instrn. miniature
landscape - conceated periscope
& sniping pozzy.
"i.c.t" = trench feet by another.
name. (inflamed cellular
tissue).
Once every week wrote to B.
B. sd abt Pozieres : "Whatever you do,
ensure tt every man of your divn can throw a bomb &
manage a L. Gun.
"Lewis gun". During
 

 71/79
A MESSAGE
TO
The Men of the Third Australlan Division.
You are about to embark for France in order to take
your places by the side of our Australian kinsmen, who in
Gallipoli and France, by their valour and endurance, have
made Australia famous throughout the world.
In the name of our Commonwealth, I call upon every
one of you to resolve that, in the task which lies
ahead, you will endeavour to display the highest
qualities of self-sacrifice, discipline, devotion to
duty and self-restraint under all temptations; in
order that the reputation you are to earn may rank
second to none.
You have undergone training in the arts of modern
fighting, and in the conduct of a disciplined soldiery.
Remember to apply everything that you have
learned at all times, and in all places; for on the
manner in which you do this you will be judged.
While your future renown will rest chiefly upon your
fighting qualities, your courage in the face of the
enemy, and your perseverence under hardships, it
will depend also upon your soldierly behaviour,
whether on or off duty, your prompt obedience,
your respect for your military superiors, your smartness
of appearance and bearing, and, particularly,
your regard for the welfare and property of the
women and children of France whose men-folk are
away from their homes helping us to fight our
common enemy.
Keep in mind the crimes of that enemy against our
Empire, our Allies, and humanity, and be determined,
now that the opportunity for which you
have waited so long has come at last, to work and to
fight with all the strength and all the skill of which
you are capable.
IOHN MONASH
Major-General
Commanding 3rd Australian Division.
Salisbury Plain,
November, 1916.

71    80
Nov. 16. 17 2 Divl. Exercises.
Training closed on Nov. 18.
First troops left on Nov 21 for
France.
Knew what a dump ws bec.
were told to make them.
Had done wiring at night.
Also night attacks in gas
helmets - firing at flashes w
target behind by flares.
Sniping Instrn. miniature
landscape - concealed periscope
& sniping pozzy.
"i.c.t" = trench feet by another
name. (inflamed cellular
tissue).
Once every week wrote to B.
B. sd abt Pozieres: "Whatever you do,
ensure th every man of your divn can throw a bomb &
manage a L. gun.
"Lewis gun." During
 

71     81
Bde training they were given
3 days training - ¼ tots of the
Bde at a time.   . ; every infantry man
in the Divn has had at least
1 days bombing, 1 days L.G.,
1 day other specialist subjects.
In Aug or early Sept. every
bn made a march of 12 to
15 miles to some village. First
picked a village, then saw
local constable, picked billets,
took food w them, lived there, settled up
I^d per night per man; &
muddled thro' somehow.
Afterwds each Bde did
the same. (They were inspected
at the time by staff officers,
but they were left to themselves
& criticised afterwds).
Divn - got order to embark
for France & on 21 Nov. they left
in a quiet, orderly, punctual