Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/68/1 - December 1916 - January 1917 - Part 1

AWM38
Official History,
1914-18 War: Records of C E W Bean,
Official Historian.
Diaries and Notebooks
Item number: 3DRL606/68/1
Title: Diary, December 1916 - January 1917
Refers to W Dyson, German prisoners, the 9th
Battalion at Gallipol, Christmas Day and work
on "The Rising Sun"
AWM38-3DRL606/68/1
 

Dec. 12. 1916
to Jan 14.

& 9 Bn 1st Day
at ANZAC
Original DIARY NO. 68.
AWM38 3DRL 606 ITEM 68 [1]
DIARIES AND NOTES OF C.E.W. BEAN
CONCERNING THE WAR OF 1914 - 1918

The use of these diaries and notes is subject to conditions laid down in the terms
of gift to the Australian War Memorial.  But, apart from those terms, I wish the
following circumstances and considerations to be brought to the notice of every
reader and writer who may use them.

These writings represent only what at the moment of making them I believed to be
true.  The diaries were jotted down almost daily with the object of recording what
was then in the writer's mind.  Often he wrote them when very tired and half asleep;
also, not infrequently, what he believed to be true was not so - but it does not
follow that he always discovered this, or remembered to correct the mistakes when
discovered.  Indeed, he could not always remember that he had written them.

These records should, therefore, be used with great caution, as relating only what
their author, at the time of writing, believed.  Further, he cannot, of course, vouch
for the accuracy of statements made to him by others here recorded.  But he
did try to ensure such accuracy by consulting, as far as possible, those who had
seen or otherwise taken part in the events.  The constant falsity of second-hand
evidence (on which a large proportion of war stories are founded) was impressed
upon him by the second or third day of the Gallipoli campaign, notwithstanding that
those who passed on such stories usually themselves believed them to be true.  All
second-hand evidence herein should be read with this in mind.

16 Sept., 1946.  AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL  C.E.W.BEAN.
ACCESS STATUS

OPEN  RC02051
 

1
Driver Houston W.
4^th Div HQs
Pass 14377.
APM.4 Aust Div.
1 yd from left of
road as he ws
going.
W. officer East
A4Aust D.H.Q.

3

68 

Dec. 12 1916
to Jan14.
& 9 Bn 1st Day
at ANZAC.
 

2
3
Dec. 14th. 12th went out to see  Sertt Claude
Jones of the 29th Bn. to get story of
Pozieres. Had the afternoon in
Amiens with him - & brought
him back to 20 Bn after
dinner.
He tells me tt he saw
during 20^th Bns first period in
trenches a man standing up to his
waist in muddy water,
shivering violently all the time,
He was leaning back agst
the trench wall - & was
fast asleep.
The Battalions had men
sometimes 3 days in front line
- & 7 in front & support - which
is too long.
The G.H.Q. order tt men
must take off their boots, &
rub their feet every day -
is all very well. But when men
are standing in 3 feet of mud
 

3
3
- when they cant put their
head over the top of the trench -
when they cannot sit down
because there is nowhere
dry to sit - s how can they
take off their boots. All the trenches
are not like tt of course; but
a good deal is.
Dec 13. Went out to see Scott
of 19^th Bn - & small field
day of 5^th Bde. The small
field day went wrong in two
obvious respects: (1) No definite
instructions had bn gn to the 3rd
& 4^th waves where they were to
rest while 1^st & 2nd waves
were consolidating 1st objective
& before barrage moved to 2nd
objective, (2) The battalions
bunch a bit & even in this
peace manoeuvre over 250
yds, a gap grew between 

4
3
two right & two left battalions.
The men did not notice the
bunching until they were
100 yds or more when they
"Hand drawn diagram - see original"
were like this. at end of
attack on first line they were
 like this.
"Hand drawn diagram - see original"
Lt. Trenery told me tt one
reason why a certain proportion
of men voted" No" for on conscription
ws tt they considered believed
tt if recruits fell short, the
divisions wd have to be
pulled out of  the line: " an that
wd bloody well force them
to give us a rest."
They realise tt the men
have can get little training during this sort
of fighting as all their time is
taken up in keeping fit. The 

5
3
3rd Divn is probly as well
trained as any - if not better
tho' its still is not so smart.
The reviewing of court
martial sentences by a court
in Australia is giving the greatest
anxiety to officers. Of course it
is a political move, to give
members of Parlt an answer
to questions from constituents
but it is a hopeless step.
Every single interference
tt I know of by politicians
in this force has bn a step
wh helps the Germans to win the
war & us to lose it
Dec. 14. Will Dyson arrived
today. Took him up to
Montauban.
 They te Lt Salmon -
Intell offr. 5th Aust Divn - told
me tt he had seen Lt Nivett 

6
3
of 59 Bn (15 Bde) after Nivett
got back from his adventure
into the German line.
"Hand drawn diagram - see original"

Gen Elliott ws looking at the
positn before his men went
into it. The line ws disconnected
on the left of 8^th Bde.
Elliott wanted to go across
to 14 Bde's right but they
persuaded him not to -
It ws abt 1 a.m. Nivett,
intelligence offr. of 15 Bde
sd he wd go over & see the
way. He steered by the N.
star, wh shd have taken him 

7

3

right but probly be sent from
trench at X instead of at
Y. He went abt 450
yds - wh shd have brought
him to 14^th Bde ; but 
came on a sap. A man
ws standing there w a
muffler. Knivett said :
"I am the Intelligence officer
of the 15 Bde".
The man w the muffler
said "Halte! "and
fired & two or three others
ran up & started firing.
Nivett ran 30yds or so,
straight, & then ducked into
a shell hole to the left -
They threw egg bombs at him &
two rolled agst his leg &
wounded him in abt a
dozen places. He saw them 

8

3
come out & look for
him _∧ on his left But he lay very
still & they did not see him.
He crawled in later.
It ws just as well
the Genl. did not go or we shd
certainly have had a Brig.
Gen. captured or killed.
The 1st  Divn, have got
the Sunken Road wh the 1st
& 3rd Bns attacked, & wh
the 4^th Divn ws to have attacked
had not the Germans found the
plans. The finding of the
plans probably won us
the place - as it turned out. The
Germans evacuated it- &
probably prepared a hell of
a reception for us when
we entered it according to the
plans. Our people thought