Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/75/1 - March - April 1917 - Part 12

1  129
got up & came after her
- when our fast planes
suddenly swooped onto
them.
This is enormously
important. The air
men have been real
heroes & suffer in their
old slow 'planes without
grumbling - knowing tt they
were waiting for this.
Two months ago Capt
Short o / 3rd Sqn - /
big cavalryman - too
big, you wd have sd,
for a pilot, told us that
we were all right - our
people & our planes
 

1  130
were somewhere
waiting for / day.
They were having a bad
time meanwhile but he
wd scarcely admit
it. The little red German scouts
were a trouble, he sd.
A few days later he
sd ws killed, a Gallant chap
Englishman.
White told us tt our
big show here ws put
off another 3 or 4 days
- the rest o / army is
not far enough up.
The 3 line is a
disappointing one.
A German 'plane
ws after our balloons
 

1  131
agn today. I fancy
he had a red tail
resembling ours. They
are putting their +
black cross into a circle
now to took like ours.

Ap 25. Two years since
the landing. The troops
have bn celebrating "Anzac
Day" by sports. Birdwood
during dinner two nights ago
told Gen. Carruthers tt every
one who was not on absolutely
necessary fatigues ought to be
gn a rest on Anzac Day.
The 5^th & 6^th Bdes are
still waiting for their "stunt" -
being well fed up behind
 

1  132
the line at Beugnatre &
Favreuil.
Baldwin has - unknown
to me - been out photographing
Havrincourt & the Canal
du Nord from well out in
front of our lines - right
up in half German territory.
If he doesn't look out he'll
get taken prisoner -
he thinks so too, He's a
game little fell bird. Butler
suggested tt / photos wd
be nice for Gen. White to
have.
 

-PFH.
A.I.F. I 9/12/16. 50,000  E. & T. Ltd
TELEGRAPHIC ADDRESS:
"ADMINAUST, LONDON.”
IN REPLY PLEASE QUOTE
CABLE ADDRESS
"STRALIS, LONDON.”
TELEPHONE:
VICTORIA 8860 (8 Lines)

ADVANCE AUSTRALIA

AUSTRALIAN IMPERIAL FORCE.
Administrative Headquarters, A.l.F..
13O, HORSEFERRY ROAD.
LONDON. S.W.
I5th March 1917

Dear General Bean,
I am very sorry I have neglected replying to your letter
of the 4th February, but I put it on one side and overlooked it.
Would you kindly excuse me from ∧doing the Committee. I am not the slightest
bit of good either socially or as a sociable personage, and much as
I am interested in the work you are doing, if I were on the
Committee, I should be more than a failure. I will do anything at
all possible in my own way to push forward the aims of the league,
but to take part in anything that would bring me into contact with
persons outside the Service would shew me up so that I should be
ashamed to look anyone in the face afterwards, and really to take
part in any social event at all is worse to me than imprisonment
would be. I am exceedingly sorry, but I do hope you will let me
off.
b Best of good luck and good wishes.
Yours sincerely.
T Griffiths
 

Major Jack Bean, AAMC
2nd Aus. Gen. Hospital.
FRANCE.
 

KORONG VALE

VICTORIA

AUSTRALIA

To:
Mr. C.E.W. Bean
Dear Sir,
I am
writing to ask if you could
send me a few foreign stamp
for my collection. I am 15
years of age, and I work in
the Post Office at K Vale
I am always wishing that I was
18, so that I could go to
the war. Still, if this war is
ended soon, there might be another
that I could go to when I'm 18.
These Sth. American republics are
always having a go, so I might
have a try there. When you come
back to Australia, and if you
are travelling through Victoria
will you try to come to Korong Vale
so that I can have a yarn with
you. I have a good few Russian
stamps, but I have only 2 Swiss, and
 

no Italian or French at all.
I only left school about
3 months ago. I pretty sure that
they wouldn't cry out for
volunteers if School boys were
allowed to go. I reckon we'd
make ourselves felt if we did
get there, too.
Trusting to hear from
you,
I am, Sir,
Your sincerely
Geo Lowery.
 

My address is:-
Master Geo B Lowery
Post Office
Korong Vale
Victoria
Australia
 

Dear Sir, I am
putting in a bit of
wattle and a bit 
of scrub, which
might
interest you.
 

Outtrim
South Gippsland
26-2-17
Lt Captain Bean
Dear Sir
I received your kind & thoughtful
letter of the 7-12-16 telling all
particulars of my poor boy Walter and
we appreciate your kindness very much.
I'm sure you must have gone to a
deal of trouble for me, to find out so
much as you did, but when I wrote
I knew you would ^do so as the Bulletin
always had a good word for you.
That is the reason I wrote to you, I knew
you would find time to answer an
heart-broken mother's letter. My poor
boy! he was so loved by all We did
think he would be lucky in the big
game, as he was so lucky, all
through life, but as he said poor
lad on the Eve of his departure
 

2

"If I fall, dear mater, I hope it will
be as a man, and you must say well:
he did his duty, & I must do mine
by taking it calmly & say God is
our master & he knows best, But if
I am spared to come back, I will

come back ^to you clean in body and
mind." We never doubted that poor
lad; such a thought could never
enter our minds, as he did all in
his power to lead young men into
the light. I know his poor tent mate
Jim Sharples must miss him dreadful, 
as he almost worshiped my
poor boy, he used to say "I love
Wal better than my own brother,"
& would lay down my life for
him," The poor boy came out of that
terrible charge without a scratch
& may God still continue to cover
his head in the day of battle. He
wrote to me after the battle & said when
he came back to their dug out & Wal
was not there with him he bit his
 

3

fingers to the bone almost, before he
knew what he was doing. Poor boy!
had never travelled about like my
boy, & it must have been dreadful
for him to have lost Wal, he said
dear Mrs Garry I will never get over
the loss of Wal. I always looked to
him for advice, & now I seem like
a lost sheep without him, it is
awful." We can always say of our poor
son He was lovely & pleasant
in life, & beloved of all, rich & poor
high & low & he died for God
& a good cause."

 - - - -
Some day the clouds will break
Some day the shadows flee
And I shall see my dear son's face
And he will speak to me.
He'll soothe my aching heart
He'll clasp my weary hand
And lead me through the golden gate
To that bright & happy land

 - - - - -
And may that day not be far distant - for me
Your every sincerely Anni Garry