Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/76/1 - April 1917 - Part 1

AWM38

Official History,

1914-18 War: Records of C E W Bean,

Official Historian.

 

Diaries and Notebooks

 

Item number: 3DRL606/76/1

 

Title: Diary, April 1917

Includes references to the 9th Battalion and to 

the Turkish attack on 29 June 1915 at Gallipoli.

 

 

Original                   DIARY No.76

AWM38

DIARIES AND NOTES OF C. E. W. BEAN

CONCERNING THE WAR OF 1914-1918

 

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

The 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.
The 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 event. 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 believed them to be true. All

second -hand evidence herein should be read with this in mind.

 

16 Sept., 1946.                                                                C. E. W. BEAN.

Duke of Sutherland has

been staying here two

days. He is a young

man in the R.N.V.R.

& I believe runs his

motor launch as a

patrol on the Suez

Canal or something of the

sort. A quiet enough

chap - not very brilliant

They were discussing Well's

letter on Republican

England which clearly

came as a bit of a shock

Neither White nor the General

at all approve.

 

5 1 
27 Ap. 1917

[*76*] (25 Ap. 1915

29 June 1915

26 April 1917.
Went down & saw

Dougall of old 9^th Bn

A.I.F. who gave me /

followin account of the

landing of his coy & C coy

9 Bn on extreme right at
Anzac. He was clearly

landed well to the right of

the rest of the force -

They thought they were

landed first, but as

a matter of fact the

red light & rifle shots wh

occurred when they were

leaving their destroyer

were on the 3rd Bde

troops already landing at

Avi Barna.

His Coy was to have

taken Gaba Tepe, but

did not get further than

abt where was Chatham's 
Post.

2

25 Ap.

1915

9 Bn D & C Coys.

[Hand drawn diagram - see original document]

D Coy 9 Bn landed on extreme rt where marked.

A & B Coys were on Queen C & D were on Destroyers - D on

Colne. When they got close in after moon down they cd

see the shore (while still in destroyers). The tbds edged abt

a bit as if hazy as to correct place. Dougall ws on

bridge of Colne. The commdr of destroyer got excited & used a

a megaphone saying "Ease of to the right - we're too far up to

the left". His destroyer ws in / middle o / others. They

3

There seemed to be

odd sniping shots for

a few minutes from

then on before firing

became continuous.

 

No boats wd be

ashore by then.

 

5                            4

manoeuvred a little.

Dougall ws keenly watching

I shore & he saw a red light

flash & then rifle shots rang

out. Men were standing by at

this time. Gen, Maclagan ws on

board the destroyer & he

gave I order to push off in

I small boats.

 

Small boats cast off

& were rowed by Blue jackets

from the M.S. Blake.

Dougall had 5 men hit

going ashore from i destroyers.

A fusilade of rifle fire ws

opened on them as they

pushed off - rifle fire

only. You cdnt say where in

particular it came from.

 

They jumped quickly 

ashore - got under the bank

& got bayonets fixed &

charged over the hill.

5

The packs were thrown

ashore & one man

per coy ^under C.Q.M.S.

left to guard

them. These were well

looked after.

 

5                           6

The platoons & Coy. were

together up to this. This

Coy ws to take Gaba Tepe.

There were snipers everywhere

the fire ws coming from

direct ahead - they took it

as coming from what was

afterwds known as Gun

Ridge.

 

They charged up by the

hut. There were Turks

in the hut - 1/2 dozen

-they had a little fire going with

a pot of coffee on it heating.

The Turk who looked after it

had left his turned up shoes

& fled. The Ts there were

bayoneted & the coy went

on up the rather steep slope

opposite towds Plateau 400.

5                        7

C & D coys attempted

 to carry out instons by

swinging to I right.

C Coy Capt. Milne.

D Coy Capt Jackson who

ws hit on the bank above

I beach - slightly.