Soldiers' diaries

Museum Victoria holds several diaries written under war conditions by servicemen and nurses. A much larger collection is held in the Australian War Memorial.

In their diaries, soldiers sometimes took the opportunity to express views about the war, in their own words and free from the patriotic rhetoric of the times.

Driver Charles Ewert, 6 May 1917:
This is an extract from a diary in the Museum's collection, written by Charles Ewart on or about 6 May 1917.

Our boys were ready to make an attack on Fritz when they got in first but he got cut up very badly. They were ready for him. They were not many that got away, took very few prisoners, knocked them over as fast as they came. Counted 2500 dead after the battle.

We are the only ones to break through the Hindenburg Line so far. Another battle coming up tonight. The Tommies are going over supported by the Australians to try and capture Bullecourt.

It is rumoured that we are going to get out for a rest in a few days. It is time too. They are getting all they can out of the Australians in this war. Tommies can go out for 3 months but we only go out for a few days.

Our guns are in a valley. It is called Death Valley just beyond Noreiul[?]. We were just having a nice sleep this morning when old Fritz started to shell us. We had to get out of it tuts sweet. He sent some aeroplanes over last night. He dropped some bombs on Bapuame killing a few, they were flying very low. They turned the machine guns on us but never hit anybody. The guns have never stopped firing for over a fortnight now, it is hell on earth of a night time. All kinds of rockets going up most[ly] Fritz's.

We are camped outside a village called Vaux or Vrancourt. We have been shelled out twice now. I met a Richmond boy today [illegible] he is coming up tonight to see me. Dead bodies packed up 4 ft high in No Man's Land, mostly Germans. He is getting a rough time of it lately. He is doing a lot of counter attacks. He is coming second all the time...

To think about:

1. Do you think Ewert was directly involved in the battle breaking through the Hindenberg Line which he describes? Why or why not?
2. What attitudes does Ewert express towards the British (the Tommies)? Do you know of other occasions when similiar resentments were expressed?
3. What are some of the attitudes that Driver Ewert expresses about Australian involvment in the war?
4. Who do you think Ewert was writing for? For himself or a wider audience?

Glossary of Terms

View Albert Germaine Diary