Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/69/1 - January 1917 - Part 5

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Awaiting approval
Accession number:
RCDIG1066834
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

35 t oad alday Germans mathaalba spootin al them a a gan 15 miles from Achet away I suppose some plane spotted t. My were 15 or 15 Hells - from a rly fun. The Jermans ard uaiy wech byon guus herets frmertly a 14 in or 15 gan fires at Hlbert Ray. AP.M. Smith, whom we took out Lad his horse bil under him in lbert bday while charng a block in traffic &abt mn we wounded by bit. 9 flying brick. Atewr mastg back a bit& fill in long gap in rought a
(1926- to Toc H. Syrney Eventuatly for work among returned soldeers in hospetal or hard up. CEw. B. 1928 aits 36 this deary. The last one closed on Jan 14 when Dw saing on leave. On Jan 15. Igot away from Heille abt midday went (Rolancourt) with Baldwin to Hesain where I picked up from the Casor the MSs. of Letters from Fance which Crels. I will offer to Cosells in place of Navel book ah I have not time for. The proceedes) it are So to the frinds for traing blu & maned men o Ansae Corps chiefty because I have said I will not make any money during this war - not move than any other of my countrymen here, as anyralo for I am saving abt $1450 a year out of my pay of $600 o field
37 allowance. I stayed t night at Coulogne and saw Jock Cahose Coloner Danlo him to get leave). There is a wheat steamer - Noweguin Swink right anm Channel at Bonlopne 5 all trafic for a fortuight more at this annenscly inportant hid has had to oby Colors They hadguss raised her, but she had sunk again: She cdnotbeblown upwiton breaking up sices of channel eis still holding upt traffice There asknow all the Lighlands & Mostrenn near Doullins to Calais on1 Road shd say it bu ws only
18 breezing just Caught Jan16 boat at Calois at 11 8 we in London before 4. Edges no rooms at the Windsan gen. which was protl comin to stay over thers too) besanse Sort has be taking up so the many hotels for offices to remaining hotets are vowder. However Grassick a pay opfice let me sl night to him & his weas. there are 4 officers + a warrant officer on to little you ad never se dess AW.O. in a British wes I think next day I started the busy fortuight in London wt is recorded in 1begining from of my of this book in Ja
39 dait engagement liats. then chieft every fou There done. be ()to place betters from France 21 6 get th Boyieres air. shots copied & made perman (& some omy aura ans o other photed also (3710 get the Cinema photos of Austahans pat tgede in a record oblan some specimis scened from 1 shelling of Bieres Dy Germans get the negatives 0 4 o the British oficial photos Pozires of other Austahan seenes transferred to the Cownonwealth as our copied cannot be permanent hem make unless sc occosewes.
But see note on p 41 I also wanted Set Ser Baldwan a car late him antosih cencia photes thangs with All then were help Sparts Indi ed? of Dustrahan pho to Ta taken by Brooks) Icdadt find in Popecial albans. Ir he 5ok b X wass the one 47526 talian my side of our An the in bs bngi white wounded under boy co a ferman flac Sherewere be bind Ke -ope copies of this saw wa Bunds Road were then immediately after there prented een
47 4 45 very please af hevin got stretther beaun anm if eatione So there it And arlicte To to fer photo the 45 a 260 it may Anatration di ofeape Strelite the Egl fer X from farrage bekindor words It a the phots effect. t immostabing the work of our Aurstialian 6.5 w 48 As 1pho to e an cg to in at Cnsord. the Bance the Saf taptain Lapt See Ovilliant Intelligence stap this He remeabered if mety well it as toon up o the I think he 15al.1 We plate broking here for true havend much to tell the brth flags white
42 Lee - sithing We or his bottom 25 meles away fom the nearest shellsphaler your damn hearty Eati we haven't weals for the Antiahan much hing streteher bearers whil flag. getangry do och tat Tese think o When red- tak fat overfed stuped eajoying their agars in pont of the fire whit ey drow & their heads drops over their have te newspapers ogatin whec the for aotuse goant soor pretch t enables and Hond 100 a shell hole in the with lav poman by Eyes his lips ands eatting fin & the stinging fles the
43 bledge of death from k thirst stating him straight be brought in face 6o of course terded on F but Id they havent a wanang Sign withough them change place make t poor wiihth out there with the and teain get some atone of imagination driven into the dul of thei heavy brains Matter said I hard by thought I distroyed this photo had they 1 a record was i as did Enstration 5 6.5 what barrage Everys the ande white ander th 26 d See. slas wch of all Lee Austrshen at ec that to know ers. There is just bea stretcher
44 that the man one chance the brains in the who has Hoss bayor Serg fice t photo saved may have forme on his own well If not inetiative See has done of autialion people a real infar bad mlan not He is fool. dull but a just 9.15 this morning Slept till Febs is apying Sen Lada who as Bazley. did no same (I sleepon letters a camp bed in the ofice the on his overcoats & newgsapers in coris). the t. found that the whole squally late - Corlett mess was just setting upt stais at 9.30& lates. went up t Hophinson thatean for a slids on Hevencourt

35
4
tt road all day, & /
Germans must have bn
shooting at them w a gun
from Achet - 15 miles
away. I suppose some "plane
spotted them. They were 13 or
15 inch shells - from a rly
gun. The Germans are using
much bigger guns here than
formerly - a 14 in or 15 in
gun fires at Albert - Maj.
Smith, ^A.P.M., whom we took out,
had his horse hit under him
in Albert today while clearing
a block in / traffic - & abt
6 men were wounded by bits of
flying brick.
All the world is very
I must go back a bit &
roughly fill in a long gap in 

 

Eventually Gn. ^(1926-7) to Toc H., Sydney,. X
for work among returned soldiers
in hospital or hard up.
C.EW.B. 1928

36
4
this diary. The last one
closed on Jan 14 when I ws
going on leave.
On Jan 15 I got away from
Heilly abt midday & went
(Jan 15) with Baldwin to Hesdin ∧(Rolancourt) where
I picked up from the Censor
the M.S.S. of "Letters from
France" which xxxxx.
I will offer to Cassells in place
o / naval book wh I have
not time for. The proceeds of
it are to go to the funds for training
blind & maimed men o /
Anzac Corps x, chiefly because
I have said I will not make
any money during this war - not
more than any other of my
countrymen here, at any rate,
for I am saving abt £450 a year
out of my pay of £600 & field

 

37
4
allowance. I stayed the
night at Boulogne with
and saw Jock (whose Colonel
wants him to get leave). There
is a wheat steamer - Norwegian
- sunk right in / middle o /
channel at Boulogne & so
all traffic for a fortnight
or more at this immensely
important time has had to
go by Calais. They had just
raised her but she had sunk
again; she cd not be blown
up without breaking up /
sides o / channel - so she is
still holding up / traffic There
Diagram. See original
There ws snow
on all the highlands
near Doullens & Montreuil
& on / road to Calais,
but I shd say it ws only

 

38
4
just freezing. Caught /
(Jan 16) boat at Calais at 11 - &
ws in London before 4. Cd get
no rooms at the Windsor
(Gen. White was probly coming
to stay over there too) - because
the Govt has bn taking up so
many hotels for offices tt /
remaining hotels are
crowded. However Grassick
o / pay office let me stay /
night w him & his mess.
There are 4 officers & a
Warrant Officer in tt little
mess - you wd never see
a W.O. in a British mess,
I think.
Next day I started the
(Jan 17) busy fortnight in London
wh is recorded in / beginning
of this book in / form of my

 

39
4
daily engagement lists.
There were four things chiefly
to be done.
(1) To place "Letters from France".
(2) To get the Pozieres Air
photos copied & made permanent
(& some of my Anzac
air & other photos also)
(3) To get the Cinema
photos of Australians
put together in a record
& obtain some specimen
scenes from / shelling of
Pozieres by / Germans.
(4) To get the negatives of
the British official photos of
Pozieres & other Australian
scenes transferred to the
Commonwealth as our
copies cannot be permanent
unless we make them
ourselves.

 

x But see note on p. 9.

40
4
I also wanted to get
Baldwin a car, & to get
him authority to take
cinema photos.
All these things with
Smart's help were
managed. x
One photo of Australians
(taken by Brooks) I cd not
find in / official albums. It
was the one wh he took by
[*Aug 28*] my side ^on Aug 26 of our Australian
S. bs. bringing in the
wounded under / white
flag w a German barrage
behind them. There were
2 copies of this & one of
Brinds Road wh I saw
immediately after they were
printed & have never seen

 

41
4
since. I ws very pleased
at having got / stretcher bearers
& mentioned it in my
Article. "And so there it
is in the photo - so tt every
Australian may see it -
the stretcher bearers in
front & / ugly German
barrage behind.." or words
to tt effect.  It ws the photo showing
immortalising the work of our Australian S. b.s.
As / photo ws not
in England, I inquired in
France at the Censor's.
Capt Lee - the Staff Captain of
this brilliant Intelligence staff -
He remembered it quite well.
"I think it ws torn up & the
plate broken". he sd. "We
haven't much time here for
white flags - to tell the truth!" 

 

42
4
We! - Lee! - sitting
on his bottom 25 miles away
from the nearest shell splinter
& eating four damn hearty
meals - we! haven't
much time for the Australian
stretcher bearers' white flag.
By God, I do get angry
when I think of that. These
stupid overfed fat red-tabs,
enjoying their cigars in front
of the fire until they drowse
& their heads drops over their
newspapers - they have
no use for the system which
enables the poor wretch groaning
in a shell hole 100 yards out
in Nomansland, with the
ants eating his lips & eyes
& the flies stinging him & the

 

43
4
knowledge of death from
thirst staring him straight
in / face, to be brought
in & tended. Of course
they haven't - but I'd
willingly sign a warrant
to make them change places
& learn some thing with the poor wretch out there and
get some atom of imagination
driven into amongst the dull
matter of their heavy brains.
I said I hardly thought
they had destroyed this photo
as it was a record of
what Australian S. b.s did
under the Enemy's barrage -
"Yes - & under the white
flag!" sd Lee.
Lee - of all men -
to throw that sneer at Australian
stretcher bearers! There is just

 

44
4
one chance - that the man
who has the brains in tt
office - Sergt Major Hogg -
may have saved tt photo
for me on his own
initiative. If not - well,
Lee has done / Australian
people a real injury.
He is not a bad man -
but just a dull fool.
____________________________
Feb 5. Slept till 9.15 this morning
as Bazley, who is copying Gen. Birdwoods
letters, did the same (I sleep on
a camp bed in the office & he
on his overcoats & newspapers in
the other ^corner). Found that the whole
mess was equally late - Corlette
just getting up / stairs at 9.30 &
Hopkinson later. Went up to
Hevencourt Chateau for a slide on

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last edited by:
Robyn GRobyn G
Last edited on:

Last updated: