Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/80/1 - May - June 1917 - Part 1

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
  • Shorthand
Status:
Open to contributions
Accession number:
RCDIG1066848
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

AWM3S Official History, 1974-18 War: Records of C E W Bean, Official Historian. Diaries and Notebooks Hem number: 3DR16061801/ Title: Diary, May - June 1917 includes references to the 18th and 19tt Battalions, the 17th infantry Brigade, Bullecourt, gas shelling and the New Zealanders attack at FerS. AWMISS-SDRLCOC1SON
3- 3 10S 5 5 315 215 001 . 8- 50 3 3 8E 8 2.- 34 3 o.8.E - 35 3. 3- May 23-26. 190 Visit to Treach front. 35 5 5 iso33 32:5
May 23-26 2 Visit. to Treach front. June 24. 12.20 pm. Att Brintwood (Chigwell Match, Higs came in I said you could hear the guns clearly. We went out into the garden & from the pist I thought one could hear the undercurrent of palsation of the guns in a boubardment Pesently came heavier bumps, some quite distinct, though fant. & there we no doubt aboutit. We were hearing a heavy Comberdment in France or Belerum. I have heard it less distinctly 10 miles from the tine.
At this staye s was invited to visit ae Crench tronte) tee, are horingd notins oftnmade the cravelling car:- Barky 27r May 23. Interviewad the two men of 16Bn who escoped from Margnion Thencame down by car with Southwell, to Paris. G.H.O. suggester the car in a telegram telling me to get a pass if I wanted thy car - I could see white dsapproved of my join by car & not by train seaged Al Pares I went to the Maison de la Prest, where the a young man on unnaculate dress, I man cured hands & a powdint face treater in some way any. how) told me of the proposed etiverar. It is nothing like as complete as I has hoped- not verdun - just two days out of Compeegine. one of these will take ais to the country whare this Trench Offensive took place. Mayry.-Starter early with Ross Lyous, & Bruce (of Renters) andi an old aval is captain ferman Woman hand till y in infront of forcat Wutbe March 17 aigue on House half Frunch t Germ 5 Dren sand bagged with village stores. move wire fan we Coothos ferm barts Salvoged moler;a ond runy the an hi mman wattl cnne Beautifull 2. ag 5 store wire emets
an McKennin count us so hoslege ond ceftanso foret Oursecatin Escayrac te River- overdo unal- nes Ccks. and boyyes. Woyor Gernian inscriptions all gone - bredesblowi 14p Gero. clearnout all women be le 15-6 an woss w. you I thei poured on the inhabitants of surren wollages wh they wishes to distroy
31 admited gone from Boyou Cathedral (Roman Jotic) organ & bells. Blue & while colours o Fom of Arc. Brouge yuce (180 let Flawe astel e1 1st deot Gurnt Engire May sts hourse tobe ✓ Si3 Swrn Ishture Karthead. by just being made, I stall rly goes pust. artilley I leatt to plough fields. I soldi Tost 500 d12080 5
Fench are trying tot to damage St quenties ernsblocked I caual & water into valley of twrand Oise near La Fire- French have the Basse arde concy. Platean &then line vens round to Craonne - shart of haon. The St goban wd v diffailt of idea ws to squeage remain out. Little rly thro Tuss frest nade - Broadtguagh one tine piishe fuss secon tling unfinishe. Pring Eitel Friedewt Schanz. Faillouch 2 7 2 Hubertus Hous Burdrinkin place S Gueatin Coledvael were vesible on riofe to right. Also practically pout C vermend where Builipsh line ends. It is v quiet. Massif de Gobain. Fere Yu The first 5t French ofen was on Lam. 16April Foessons at
8 121 Chaung- Well seruned- blown to bits23. 2 Palaesde Justice Soldatenleim April. [blothedont) They told people to sta Fanbory de Noyon then shelled suiburt where ty were 180020 werkille g propersonaly Beher Staff work than ours Point de vie de Encog lle. Extrequish lights gas! Better Sercem ferman perviits Germans blew down Chalian de Concy tower as they so it gave obseroati. 20 tons of dignamite blew it up. on
149 9 generally - the french front seeived ex caordiary cheet. While we watehes about 10 weles of tine near So quentin, Soukwards not one shell burot in half an hoar & I only heard onegun - + that may have been a bouib at a school. We were taken by special request, to Concy. Tep The old castle tower there has been blown down - the fermanss destroyed every bing within acertain distance of the Hendenburg line, which seems to we to have been why they left Noyon- (but they may have been too burried there).
21 10 The road down to concy was serened te honzou was only 2000 or 3000 yards our cars went away down this road, into the village. I saw one shell - a black HE conivenl burst in the air. But the Termans and Trench seemed otherwise almost askep - the place, if it had not been blown up by 1 germans - might beautiful have be ap English country town on a five summer Sunday Ior I distance towards the Forchde Gobain we saw a faw by ferman shells burst over part of battlefield - which there tos as red + shattered as Bullecy

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