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

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open to contributions
Accession number:
RCDIG1066843
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Page 1 / 10

18 realle co justified. have seen a good deal of English troops &f I doubt if our men are more leable to panie than any except perhaps the very best British ward battalions & Scottish battations. They are certainly as far as I have seen them less liable far less liable to become panic strickin than the ave te Brilish regiment Posaily the Scolish preserve an imperturbabitet in a crisis which goes beyond that your Vicronan & south Anstalin & some other regiments. I believe the newes ofour men are bett
Iasked white abt this May 1. & he, like me doesn't at all agree. He thinks our men are tere less hable to panic- not much differuns. Indeed wall indana t Gen walke told him to no other troops or have kept back to attack from breaking through at sermies &Boursies. Iasked white abb work aintes. He says to in his theran S openion our troops dis more work far more work, he sd- deerey) except ter than any others lefs. 3t Scottish troop The only then is, he says, to they must He sek down depenitit To systematically to do a lask or they will was to themelves around about it, - working individnally disorganisedly. The only thing is to sebther a definite task when white believes they will more earth than a ferman. Sh Moore of SodBo agrees that they with more work at Ypres & Fleur bang them any others appear to have done. X than 2 21 54 But the cretice on our working capacit of late is I am apaid. somewhat truer Durin the winter our battations got two so little work to in1 end Jen. White had to come do. to the expedient fgiv him tasks & making cach ballation send in a wt ts report of cent. of work done Even To, the 15h Dion arex, when we went into it, ws I think better improved tan ours I had bn held b Scolamen 18
18 22 & Worthumbrcan miners of the 50 dion. It seens did quite probable oon more work the our bottalions did in weter Es from first to last in I wenter we Searcely put any wire in port of our line. British wering is always a trifle a lmost a contemptible obstacte beside erman were our live durin winter antil ead had very little even of the tinnng wire Tereason ws t C.6 did 20 wait t depress
18 23 their abready depressed cnits by gro. them his cata dangerous fatigue. Aachalian anils have earely, in this war, fmade use 5 flares. They leave it 1f e 6o light up Roma 0 when the ferman flares stp do we use ours + he is proble ap to Sor maoch then there is outher rather fine in this attituve - whether it i5 justified or not It was To at Augac (where an old tow or kerose
18 24 flare known over paropet was a antil near (1 and tonle flare we wve a that most parely When eve came wto pewarfare the works report was drapped. The anits got into I way Semple ad Sunter roads, or wau or little fulpost trucle of this shope without wire. When we took o precaution te ws usually taken to were & depend it. The
25 l C that our little outh to were most defence less After Lapnicourt ws attacked b Herman on Aprib 15 the army sent down yen. prant (an Engunaer who mneslaid out the defences of the Lacy Can which we had to by out again (he ait te out on Ireverse dope of wdhills without se fiett of fire & whole tie had to be attend there we never any fear o heavy arty tere) came
Ye 26 Vaulk-Vran right down to ng e court t the absenee 8 ville i defences ter a for it reason Some good a whole th Lince too Scheme wer of been carried out a recond laid down we oul t 1onh e still posts. a 1ho 1151. We cen be trye idea fane oferi to we attack pa 5 hemt our right also Bangalo e re fit orpedoe in
200 bo his wire the Bde Con th ofthe lost 7t Bde) night Oters o tt er but t Jermans 16 sw th parties & bombed The last 4 have bu plorcon H 15 fine the Col. 60 Co out pass co patchess on Som the battle fiett ^ thinkk on 0 rees are dead. We have 2 Se severs t latily ing 5 27
out last our gashelmets 15E as profectors there great their lives $1000 yds ats I cant help thenkin one 4 tough has often be save ferin one up his gas for by costinous attack csting with it somewhere, Iln h ensttin t agueyta n Dnt wd be, unpossible tangmae Herber say wsanymsnte 5 do a very obbious sty Wtte Busn
COTNE SCOTT LORAINE Evrs. 8.30. Mat. Wed. Sst..2.15 TMPIRE-Dal A 230 A815. HANKy PA D The Cast includes Phyllis Dare, Unit Roseys Skelton, Amy Augarde, Ralph Lymn, O’Farrell, Ton Drew, and Robert Wale 3.15-Bra Today. KTORD -NAlInCe O WILLLAMS, 2 BOBS, ARTHUR ROBERTS. TI Martincoks, ROSE-IEE-IVv, Niblo and Dorts, Those AD. 4 Vasabonds. The 4 Kids, Luciile BENST KHAKI Boys. Open S. MCREN, CaSt TIE PALACE-VANITY FAIR INE BROGDEN EN L REGINE FLOR IRING, FRED MAN STANLEY LOGAN, MOYA ALERME, OYRA, ROY ROYS AROVES GINA 100. Ba6.2. KEYS. TETES. 8. TON, and NELS 230 and 8 Am. HOLISEUN PYGMALION D Miss MARY SRT, sopporied by AND GALATEA ctc. Norman LADY TREE. Ba AUsTRA Narman and Co., NE in BRACE TRIO, Mis LETS and Varlettes, OHEERIOTN 138 FONDON PT WTO PUBLIO FAVO ROLLICKEI ernon Watson, 3.30. and 9.... Vancties, 8.10. Wed. And 806. 21 3. Mats., Mon. BALLADIUM-230. 6.10, and S. HETT) ADA. CROSSLEY AHARRY WE (SFINGS VERSATIN EvANS. ERNES7 ROS. DAISY JAMES, CISSIE LUPINO GRACE olc TIPPODROME, LONDON-Tric Dl I and 8.30 The rerne starts at 3 p.m. D.m. -216-2A61 Production by Albert df ville. SHIRLEY KELLOGG and GEORGE RO Alco Fraser, Clcely Debenham. Goorn Clarke Daphne Follard, Phyllis Bedells Ger. 650. TADAME TSSDS EKHIHITION BEFS WI station. The most Inexpensive, Enjoyable, and Instructive House of Entertainment in London, wa Maps and Relies explained daily. Free Cinemate graph Pictures. Deligatful Music. Luncheons Afte noon Teas. eic. Admission 1s.: children under 12. 6d Open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. TTOOLOHICAL GARDENS-Ore J AM IIHSAnS as Mondays and Salurdays 6d, other days is dren always 6d Sundays, Fellows and Fellows, orders oaly Poultry Cpiture Exhibition Now Open TASKELYNES MYSTERIES S. Cr H AVA 3 and S.—New and beautiful illusions. comedy sketches Mr. J. Mastelyne's Iaimitabl Specialities, and famous Magical Romance. is to se children hallprice. 1645 Maylale OUEENS HALL. Bolo Ifreces, Mesers. Chappall and Co., 1d) UESDAY, May 15, at 245 p.m. GRAND OONCERT. Mdme, Alrs Bateman ATE THE BABIES ROR THE EMPIRE 70 Butter has just come in wek a ogn statgment from to men of the to Br that it was ac whe captinal Prinse rederick Charles of Prressia te aern the not Licht Horse. Qvite a Serious matter t. 5. Powell (Sworn) stated to be 50 air fight &So one stanes byin afall. Ac saw out ie Sauies ts Nomandlaur following 1 plane tohen it landed the Sot ator out & began to rus lewds ferman we He ws then 1509ds away Tacyfired a bt 9010 shors iste ran towds Lagnicourt on March E

18

19

Is really justified. I 

have seen a good deal of

English troops & I doubt

if our men are more liable

to panic than any except

perhaps the very best British

guard battalions & Scottish

battalions. The are certainly,

as far as I have seen

them, less liable - far less

liable - to become panic

stricken than the average

British regiment. Possibly

the Scottish preserve an

imperturbability is a 

crisis which goes beyond

that of our Victorian & south

Australian, & some others

regiments.  I believe the 

[[newws?]] of our men are better

 

18

22

& Northumbrians miners

of the 50th Divn. It seem

quite probably they xxxx did

down move work than

our Battalions did in /

winter; & xxxx from first

to last in / winter we

scarcely put any wire

in front of our line. British

wiring is always a trifle

 - almost a [[?]]

obstacle beside German

wire; our line during

/ winter until / end has

very little even of the thinnest

wire.

The reason ws tt C.Os

did not want to depress

 

18

23

their already depressed

units by giving them this

extra dangerous fatigue.

Australian units have

rarely, in this war, made

use of flares. They eave

it to / German to light

up [[?]]. Only

when the German flares stop

do we use ours - he

is probly up to some

mischief  then. There is

something rather five in this

attitude - whether it is

justified or not. It was

so at Anzac where an

old tow or Kerosene

 

18

24

flare thrown over /

parapet was ab util

near / end / only

flare we ever used - &

that most rarely

When we came into

open warfare the works

report was dropped.

The units got into / way

of simply using Sunbeam

roads, or German [[?]]

or little outpost trenches

Diagram

of this shape,

without wire

when we took

a village no precaution

ws usually taken to wire

& defend it. The

 

 

 

18

25

consequence was

that our little outposts

were most defenceless,

After [[?]] ws

attacked by / Germans on

April 15 the Army sent

down Gen Grant (the engineer)

who mislaid out the

defences of the Suez Canal

which we had to lay out

again (he laid them out

on / reverse slope of 

Sand hills without any

field of fire & / whole line

had to be altered - There

ws never nay fear of

heavy arty there) came

 

18

26

right down to Vaulk -Vrau -

 - court to inquire into

the absence of village

defence - & there was

some good reason for it

too. Since then a whole

scheme of wiring has

been carried out, & a

second line laid down

 - though we only have

May 1st: Are seen to be trying

to give / Germans / idea

tt we are going to attack

him w our right Divn

also. 7 Bangalore

torpedoes were fired under

 

 

 

 - 

 

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