Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/71/1 - February 1917 - Part 1

AWM38
Official History,
1914-18 War: Records of C E W Bean,
Official Historian.

Diaries and Notebooks

Item number: 3DRL606/71/1

Title: Diary, February 1917
Mentions the fighting of 21-24 February and
conversations with Sir Brudenell White about
German plans.

AWM38-3DRL606/71/1 

Feb 24 / 1917
Original.
DIARY NO.71.
AWM38
3DRL 606 Item 71 [ 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 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 the 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 and 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
C. E. W. BEAN.
AUSTRALIAN WAR MEMORIAL
ACCESS STATUS
OPEN

Book 75      1
Feb 24 / 1917
Feb 24.  I was up at Pozieres
today showing Capt Collins
& Maj. Buckley over
the old crater pitted
crest & the O.G. lines.  Our
guns were fairly active
away on the right &
the Germans were throwing
a certain amount of
shelling into the gun
positions near Courcelette,
- in front of us.  It did
not seem to be heavy stuff.
xxxx  At dinner in
the mess I said I was going
to take Collins out the
next day to xxx Switch
trench or somewhere there about.

75      2
" going to take them
for a walk in Bapaume?"
asked Herbertson - " you'hd
better arrange that."
I thought he was
more than merely joking.
"You'll be able to
do that," he sd.
"What fair dinkum?"
I asked.
"Yes - they say the
2nd Corps are all around
Pys & Serre, & they
aren't in them but
they are in Miraumont
& they've been wandering
around the others
all the afternoon "
It seems pres
There is a strong
indication that the German

75      3
is retiring from his
trenches on our front.
Why or where to is not
known.  There was
speculation all thro.
dinner as to whether
he was retiring from
the whole front or only
getting back to the
Bapaume & Cambrai
line.  Most people
seemed to think this.
I went up to the
Chateau after dinner.
xx There were several
messages which looked
suspicious in the light
of what we now know.
It appears that last

75      4
night ∧23/24 the Enemy suddenly
opened a bombardment
on his own front trench.
Our people were amazed
& at first thought it
might be our own
Artillery firing shorter than
usual.
Amongst the messages
is one from 2nd Div (Gellibrand
acting):
" 12.40p.m. Feb.24.  During
night no enemy on m.gs.
or T.Ms fired from BUTTE
TR or vicinity of 2PS (?)
at M17 a 3 ½ 2 nor were
any flares fired from
these positns, altho' on
previous nights Enemy
had been very active.
Relief is suspected.

75      5
[This wd have been
better if reported at 8 a.m].
Moreover apparently one
of our 1st Aust. Divl. patrols
got into either bayonet or
Gird trench & found it
unoccupied -  & this was
not at once reported back.
[They are getting so used to
finding front trenches unoccupied
in parts tt it is nothing
surprising].
The day before yesty (22nd)
had been particularly
active - but something
was up w / German
artillery yesty - it was
a particularly quiet
day.
Today, on the
Moreover 2 days ago

24a 35.
75      6
there was a telegraphic
message o / Germans
intercepted saying :
"-&-Wireless stations (names
of 2 stns given) will close
down & retire at .... "
The army sent this round
with a suggestion tt there
might be something in
it.
This evening our people
have been ordered to push
on patrols.  The 1st Divn.
has reported at 7.50 tt its
Left Bde (3rd) has occupied
the maze & Chord line &
now holds line M24 B4.9½
M 24 A7. 9½  M24 A4.9. aaa
patrols are pushing forward
beyond this line.  No informatn
from Right Bde yet.

75      7
At 9 p.m.  1st Divn reported:
"Right brigade reports enemy
still in occupation of his
original positn.  Strong patrols
have bn sent out & arrangements
made to take advantage
of any opportunity & to
co-operate with left Bde."
xxxx  11.15.  The second corps
have just reported tt they
have captured a prisoner
who was left behind with
trench feet.  He reports tt
they has the enemy evacuated
Miraumont on night of 22/23
all leaving behind strong camps
bodies of abt 20 men to make show
themselves as active as
possible.  He was left behind

75      8
when the last crowd
retired.  He thinks they
retired to the Cambrai
line (we had a suspicion
rumour tt they were
going back to the Cambrai
line in December(?))
11.20 p.m.  Our cavalry
has been ordered to go
forward in / morning.
[The Divns have been
ordered to hold themselves
in readiness to move
forward x.  This order ws
sent forward out at 8pm to
be typed & had not been
recd by 5^th Divn at 11pm.
But they guessed it.]
If we do not get touch