Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/78/1 - May 1917 - Part 2

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open for review
Accession number:
RCDIG1066844
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

Sullecourt at 6 S0 41 from I way and were h Bullecour tda hd say they are certain to t attack tonight mullens (now of Bos. of DedBde) thinks so. Beanett will be S.O.C. end Bde for 9 monint. m abt Kly he an ony ins on Our 8 widday fired up 600 rounds on an aver 4 pergon. Their previou highent cos 70 in 2 this war. The reoutt is a lt of inaccurs Sour badly contredsel Sincloir told ac fell Short of railway
Our men, during an barrage & German No saelling were hum side o1 Hendenby 12 fae vay
13 morning This May 81h after see dock of Me a I went with Herbertson the Brd. Brtiah Cas. Cleary woude to see a Sta german officer. hee He & was his beat a wound in chap hearted a very storit behive He would no e Ever fot any anevor until ferwan prisoner about we discllusioned him divn the poor ddx& traat &the End Guard Ron Res & the Lebr Regt Ht To as if Oh the Leer Regt. he were dyly. Oh that it understan He said he annd er
14 He gd we had onde hets it, but nows their barrigady were as shown opposite. ond mer were continually fightin them, be sel, with rifed prinades. 15 that the British the took Bullecourt on God may - he ddnt fo which truckn he havd an idea ty weren vellep - &to he and Bn of his own Regt. was called on t retake it & did so. Menever heard of any British being on the factory. He was sere we did not possess Of.2 where it san cnto the Lunten Road So 86 40
16 He we convuced to our hospital ships had been carrying munitions; and soldiers. They had been toto t then OBoats had found this by Examining our hoop. shipps &t oace abov a torpedo but a hosp. They the explerion had shown tt she carried manitions (? 1s he thinkg of the Lasitarnea?] He thought - &all Jermany thought - England Do being starved. Their two hopes were (0 That Kindinburg hat savit me trooks somewhere for a by offensive () to the OBoat ad compel England (othro her the allies) make peace thro shortage of armuinwod He ws quire proud of fact (at least he smiled when le sd it) to germany ws ap aget the worls y X 17 There we no attack on Bullecourt after all to fightful selling y We saw the 51) pyisty -14 cn rto the Bengi Bde biid. To bexan yeres ai to get the not Bomise moreths bot lakes all. Thi time Berdg has more or hes promised i t Sps on shington of promise from Yough Youghs miscrably awn offenive has now involve the whole coups in an entanlement in wt it has already and dwns & lost 10,000 Later. A bevy toommel fever at 7, another at 9.30 another as I wish
18 Shells bursting over line Hendex .2 E3 MnMM Bullecourt you can see from near Norcuil the ling benden back for miles past Fontaine. (Fom memory t 19 at 11.30. I thank it is the British attacking ad Ballicoust or pes of it Kuencdr 1825 00 Matcohn cams here today. White, who has been ferling very strongly that the Clushahous have been spocted as a Corps in this entanglement, showedif most markedly. He told Matcolm tt strony imperialiss though he was he wd never an again consent to Hustialan force coming away without it having someone on the who could put its Army Staff
view depinited of point right before & Cirh the Cn.C who id bow & judge Examine of how it ws to be used, & have I right to state his the openion without Loweeer man be stated it to heyh in command resenting I White thinks I think does not put Berdwood 4 of a fight; not up sufficient being independent of British army, but dependent on it. It docsnt matter twopence to White what orde they say to him, but it does to Badwood
1 51 Div. to thave Te done the same as the 4th Dis but now The British Commanyves have aot made the least wention of fact to it ws Aushahans who took the H. live to of Bullecoust. Altho the commenyue every day has had very little to say on whole batth pont exept of our success, it simply calls us O0 troops? or the British. It is not so WI Canadians, & there no miletary vecessily for indeed there is it
it certainly. I thenk, a little falowsy in Charters mind. I wrote a strongish telegram covered by a Stronger letter to H. Wilson & I see that in the ties tody they have given an account of te fightin almost exactly as I wrote it swen aredit to 7 Australians. I rother think to Hoegs wessage yesty must have been sent, though, before they got my letter
23 May 9. Abs 9.16 eons C. attacked parth disturbed by our having gone out for a suepeng post near the forked Road. He came on straight mr away after heavy shelling how road - a fet over the lop out round I road into 12 He tombed for Tebour - we didn't wove hom barricade (we ased 350 hand & 1500 rike priades). Ater attack the NCO in charge of ferman port as hit in arm & was apair to to back. Our mn

10 
Diagram -see original scan.
Bullecourt at 6.30


4     11

From / way in wh /
Germans were shelling
Bullecourt today I
shd say they are certain
to C. attack tonight.
Mullins (now A/Brig.
of 3rd Bde) thinks so.
Bennett wil be G.O.C.
2nd Bde for / moment.
at / Rly - we met 
him going in.
Our guns on May 3
up to 10 or midday fired
600 rounds on an average
per gun. Their previous 
highest ws 270 - in 
this war. The result is
a lot of inaccuracy.
Some badly centred shell
Sinclair told me, fell
short o / railway - 
 

 

4     12
Our men, during our
barrage & German normal
shelling were leaning over
side o / Hindenbg trench.
 

 

4     13
May 8th. This morning,
after seeing Murdoch off,
I went with Herbertson to 
the 3rd British Cas. Clearing 
Stn to see a wounded
German officer. He had
a wound in his head, & was
a very stout hearted chap.
He wouldn't believe tt we
Ever got any unwounded
German prisoners - until
we disillusioned him about
the poor old 4th Ersatz Divn,
& the 2nd Guard Reserve xxxx
& the Lehr Regt. He said
"oh - the Lehr Regt...."as if
he were saying ": Oh, I can 
quite understand that."
He said he underst[[?]]
 

 

14
 He sd we had once held
it, but now their barricade
were as shown opposite.
Our men were continually
fighting them, he sd, with
rifle grenades.
 

4     15
that the British
took Bullecourt on the
3rd May - he cdnt say
which trench - he had
an idea they were in /
village - &  tt the
2nd Bn of his own Regt
was called on to retake
it & did so. He never
heard of any British
being in the factory. He
was sure we did not
possess O.G.2 where
it ran into the Sunken
Road
Diagram - see original scan.
 

 

16
He ws convinced tt our
hospital ships had been
carrying munitions; and
didn't believe soldiers.
They had been told tt their
U Boats had found this, by
examining our hosp. ships
& tt once, when a torpedo
hit a hosp. ship the explosion
had shown tt she carried
munitions (? is he thinking
of the Lusitania?)
He thought - & all
Germany thought - England
ws being starved. Their two
hopes were (1) That Hindenburg
had. saved eno' troops
somewhere for a big offensive
(2) tt the U Boats wd compel
England (& thro' her the allies)
to make peace thro shortage of
ammun, wood, & food.
He ws quite proud o /
fact (at least he smiled when
he sd it) tt Germany ws
up agst the world.

4     17
There ws no attack
on Bullecourt after all
tt frightful selling yesty.
We saw the 5th Div.
coming up yesty - 14th
Bde - to the Bengury
Ytres line. So they are
not going to get their 
promised months holiday
after all. This time Birdwood
has more or less promised
it to / offrs, on / strength of 
a promise from Gough.
Goughs miserably arranged
offensive has now involved
the whole corps in an
entanglement in wh
it has already used
3 divns & lost 10,000
men.
Later. A heavy trommel -
fewer at 7, another at 9.30
& another as I write
 

 

18
Shells bursting
over line
Diagram - see original scan.
Bullecourt
You can see from
near Noreuil the line
bending back for miles
past Fontaine. (From memory)
 

4     19
at 11.30. I think it
is the British attacking
at Bullecourt or West of
it
Riencourt
Diagram - see original scan.

Malcolm came here today.
White, who has been
feeling very strongly that
the Australians have been
spoiled as a Corps in this
entanglement, showed it
most markedly. He told
Malcolm tt strong imperialist
though he was he wd never
again consent to ^an Australian
force coming away without
it having someone on the
Army Staff who could put its
 

 

4     20 
point of view definitely
& clearly of right before
the Cin.C; who cd 
examine how & judge
of how it ws to be used, &
have / right to state his
opinion without the
man he stated it to, however
high in command,
resenting it.
I think White thinks
tt Birdwood does not put
up Sufficient of a fight; not 
being independent o / British
army, but dependent on
it. It doesnt matter
twopence to White what
they say ^or do to him, but it
does to Birdwood.
 

 

4     21
The 5th Div. ws to have
done the same as the
4th Div - but now ....
The British communiques
have not made the least
mention o / fact tt it ws
Australians who took
the H. line E of Bullecourt.
Altho' the communique
every day has had very
little to say on / whole
battle front except of our
success, it simply calls
us "Our troops" or
"the British". It is not so
w / Canadians, & there is
no military necessity
for it - indeed there is
 

 

4     22
certainly, I think, a little
jealousy in Charteris
mind. I wrote a strongish
telegram covered by a
stronger letter to H. Wilson
& I see that in The Times
tody they have given an
account of the our fighting almost
exactly as I wrote it,
& given / credit to /
Australians. I rather
think tt Haig's message
of yesty must have
been sent, though, before
they got my letter.
 

 

Daigram - see original scan.
4     23
May 9. Abt 9.45 Germs
c. attacked partly
disturbed by our
having gone out for
a sniping post near
the forked Road.
Diagram - see original scan.
He came
on straight
away after
heavy shelling,
from road - a far
over the top and
round / road into
/ trench. He bombed for
¾ hour - we didn't
move from / barricade
(we used 350 hand &
1500 rifle grenades).
After attack the NCO
in charge o / German
post ws hit in /
arm & was afraid to
go back. Our men
 

 
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Robyn GRobyn G
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