Charles Bean’s war

Photo of devastation caused by fighting in the Battle of the Somme. Road has been badly shelled, trees have been destroyed apart from a few stumps and debris litters the battle ground
The Battle of the Somme

© Public domain

As fighting on the Western Front continued, did you notice a difference in the mindsets of the Australian soldiers, and did your writing change?

After the Anzacs' experiences at Pozieres (.docx 528kB) and Fromelles, the reality of the Western Front (.docx 528kB) was understood and the confident attitudes of 1914 and early 1915 had changed. More than ever, Bean's reports depended on which source you read.