Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/77/1 - April - May 1917 - Part 1

AWM38
Official History,
1914-18 War: Records of C E W Bean,
Official Historian.
Diaries and Notebooks
Item number: 3DRL606/77/1
Title:  Diary, April - May 1917
Includes references to the 6th Infantry Brigade,
Lagnicourt, Bullecourt and Prince Frederick
Charles of Prussia.
AWM38-3DRL606/77/1

Original    DIARY No. 77.
AWM38    3DRL  606  ITEM  77 [1]
[*DIARY
AP.28.1917   77*]
DIARIES AND NOTES OF C.  W. BEAN
CONCERNING THE WAR OF 1914 - 1918
The use of these diaries and notes is subject of 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.
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 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 contest 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

18    1
Ap 28.  At 4.30 This
morning there was a
very heavy barrage to
N. of us which woke
me up.  (It is still
going on at 10.20 am).
Yesterdays newspaper
came as a shock -
a check on the Tigris
near Samarra - no one knows
of what extent;  & the weekly
statement of shipping losses
showing 40 ships of
1600 tons & over sunk by
the Germans.  19, I think,
ws / biggest in any week
before.

18    2
Went down to 15^th Bde &
got from 58^th & 60^th Bns their
story of the fight.  A fine day
April 29.
A beautiful day.
Spring is at last coming fast.
The trees during / last two
days have been shooting,
& a bright green grass is
visible all over in patches
on the half shelled area
opposite our camp.  As
I look over it, that half
shelled half dugout pan
in the hill top looked
reminds one irresistibly
of the wind scorched areas
of the Western Plains in
N.S.W - where the land
has been damaged by
sheep feeding & treading

18    3
on it after drought.
There is the same shallow
soup-plate depression,
the same bare baked pink clay
& scratchy ridges & lines
of grass.  Loupart wood
might be a belt of
tall belar, & the four
tents under it a 
camp of _^men fencing - The
same endless line of
telephone poles runs
out across it.
I am pretty well
stale - so I took the Weekly
Times out into the old
Quarry or depression just
W. of Grevillers;  & there,
lying down out of / wind,

18    4
with the warm sun
beating down, & the
birds singing in the dry
ragged branches of the
shattered old trees which
ring the place round.
I dropped half asleep.
With ones eyes shut
one cd not help feeling
as if one were on the
some hillside overlooking
the Thames or some
big valley - with great
green drowsy trees on
either side o / slope, &
the golden crops far
down the expanse;  & 
that if one opened ones
eyes one wd see men 

18    5
the farm hands down
there reaping &
men & horses moving here
& there amongst the rich
tillage & crops, & the whole
world going about its
proper work.  It seems
a forgotten paradise - &
it doesn't seem right even
to dream of it in these
days, with the world's real
business going on ten miles
away, and all the world
concentrated on it until
it is finished.  One opened
ones the eyes & there was
the ruined village & the

18    6
grey dusty shattered
red brick & faded
roof beam coloured
Grevillers at / far
end of the grey ragged
tall tree limbs - with its
few pale red patchy tiles &
the roof timbers grid ironing
patches of the pale blue
horizon.
Birdy is very
keen on cutting out all
wheat possible from
the non-fighting officers
diet - not the mens.
Headquarters messes
cd do with far less bread
he thinks - & he is
advising, I believe, a

18    7
reduction of bread ration
for officers messes at
H Qrs. from 16 lbs a
weeks to 10 lbs.
The German success
in sinking our ships
last wk. seems to have
been due to mines.
Witham who is
away _^at S. of France on leave telegraphed
to White asking if Smith
cd be sent come down to
meet him in Paris his
last 2 days.  Birdwood
has let Smith go.
Howse & Murdoch come
on a visit tonight or
tomorrow.

18    8
The higher commanders
on Both Sides are warning
their armies tt they must be
economical with guns and
ammunition - especially
with guns.
Other authorities have
warned us that we must
be careful in / use of 8 in 9 in
& 60 pdr guns - I am told
they give as / reason "tt no
more are being made."
The Germans on their side
have bn warned tt they
must get used to shooting at
our trenches w worn out
guns, & must pay particular
attention to / problem of how
best to do so.
Our mess is very
interesting in its discussions
of Lloyd George.  Of course -