Photostat copy of diaries of Benjamin Bennett Leane, 1915-1916 - Part 23

23                            

410 men. This includes also

75 reinforcements who joined

us a few days ago. It almost

breaks your heart to look back

over the column now as it marches

along the road. Instead of

the dark mass of men

stretching away back for

about 800 yds or more,

there are now four little

bunches of men representing

the four companies, and

each company not much 

stronger than one of its

platoons originally. It is

very sad.
The last night we

spent in the trenches was

a rather anxious one. As I

said in my last entry,
the Huns commenced a rather

heavy bombardment of our

position at about one o'clock

in the afternoon. This lasted

until after four o'clock ad

then slackened a little

on account of our xxx ^artillery

retaliation. This I asked for

at about 1.15pm. but the 

wires were broken just after

I sent the message through

to the intermediate station, and

consequently the artillery did

not get it. I waited until

after three o'clock and then

as there had been little

response I sent off a couple

pigeons. Within less than

half an hour our guns

were peppering Hell into the

25               

Germans, after a while

their fire slackened a little.

I am firmly convinced

that they intended to attack

our position again, and

I hope our guns caught

their troops massed in rear.

Fortunately for us our

people had an attack

planned for the night,

and at about nine pm

our guns opened up a 

most tremendous fire. 

This of course took their

attention off us and the

troops which were to have

attacked us were no doubt

hurried off to stave off

our attack elsewhere.

Still, it was a very
anxious night, and the whole

time we received a great

deal of attention from the

enemy guns. At about

ten o'clock one of our officers

(Captain Evans) was killed by

shrapnel. He was a particularly

sad case. He had been on

Brigade work during the previous

stunt, but asked to be allowed

to rejoin the battalion just after

we came out the first time. His

request was granted and this

is the result. He was married

to a nurse of the 3^rd A G.H. just

before we left Egypt. We

brought the body down with us

when we were relieved on the

morning of the 15^th and he was

buried in our little cemetery in the

27               

valley just below Pozieres.

This war business is a sad game.

Sunday, August 20^th. Berteaucourt

It was like coming home

again to get back here, All

the people seemed very glad

to see us, and many of 

them shed tears for those who

have not returned. I was

speaking to the people ^with whom

Capt. Hartley used to live. They

are excellent people; most 

refined, and very hospitable.

With them were Capt Hartley,

Lts Caldwell, Richardson, and

Carter. None of these

have returned; Hartley ws killed,

Richardson is missing, almost

certainly killed, and Caldwell

& Carter both wounded. The
good people were very cut

up. They gave me a warm

welcome, seeming relieved to

see one face they knew.
We did not go back to our

old billet. It was very

nice and comfortable, but not

very private, so I put my

office and signallers etc in 

there and the C.O. Major Imlay

& myself have come to this

place. It is the home of

the manager of the big ^jute factory

here; a very clean and

comfortable billet. We each

have a room, nicely furnished

& with well chosen paper on

the wall, a large dining 

room, and a pretty little

garden quite shut off from

29               

the road, where one may

sit and take one's afternoon

tea etc etc in peace and

comfort. They also have

a piano in their private

sitting room, and I am

waiting an invitation to

use it. I do all my

work down here, and 

have a telephone up to

the office in the old billet.

I hope they leave us

here for a week or so.

Yesterday fourteen bags

of mail came, in, but 

still no letter from you.

I wonder wherever they

get to sweetheart. I am 

quite sure you are

writing regularly. It is
about five weeks now since

I had a letter from you.

Fortunately I get English

mail in plenty, so I don't 

feel quite so deserted as I

might.
Since we left Pozieres the

Germans have made three

more attempts to get the

position we held near the

Windmill. All of them

were repulsed, fortunately.

That Windmill is destined

to be quite famous in history.

A few months ago a quiet

sleepy old mill that lazily

turned its big brown sails

whenever the wind blew; today

a rock round which the

stream of battle surges to and

31                       

fro continually; a goal for

which thousands of Germans,

Englishmen and Australians

have laid down their lives;

a point of such importance

to both sides that millions

of shells and thousands of

soldiers have been poured

across the tortured ground that

lies around it - And yet

it is nothing but a ruin, a 

mound of twisted iron and

crumbled masonry, a poor

broken monument to the

brave lives that have been

sacrificed for it. But like so

many other things in life - the

church, the cross, the flag

of Britain - it is not the 

thing itself, but what it stands
for, that counts. The mill

itself is of no value whatever

from a military point of view,

for every gun within miles

can register on it. It's

importance lies in the fact that

it stands on the highest point

of the ridge that overlooks

Courcellette and Martenfuich,

and that its possession

by either side gives them

superiority of position. At

present we hold it, and I 

guess we'll keep it. To

the left of it lies Mouquet

Farm, another point of interest,

and further to the left again

Thiepival. Both these places

are unfortunately in 

the possession of the enemy

33         

and from them he can

pour enfilade and even

rear fire into our trenches

near the Mill. These places

we must have soon, and

then - well then Martenfuich

and Courcellette will be

untenable.
Well chicken, it's 

getting too dark to see any

longer. I have been

sitting at my window

writing this, but it is now

quarter to nine so it's about

time it got a little a little bit dark.

I wish you were with me

tonight sweet. I am missing

you very much indeed.

Monday 21^st

And a bonny day. I got

up fairly and went out for a bike

rife before breakfast. Unfortunately

I don't get much time to be out

during the day. Poor old Ray

has been off color today.  He has

had a bad cold ever since

we came out of Pozieres the past 

time. I supposehe had such

a "hot" time there that he took

a chill when he came back to a

cooler spot. Today we

received word that we are to

move to a place called La Vicogne

on the 23^rd. That's on the

way back to Pozieres! no bon!!
Got a "Punch" from Aunt

Agnes today. Last night

the lady of the house opened

her heart and the door of the

sitting room and let me loose

35                  

among the music. There

were a few things I knew -

"Little Grey Home" "Where my Caravan

has rested" "Spring Song" and a

few others. I had quite a

happy little half hour, I can tell you.

I must go down to dinner now

Tuesday 22^nd 1916

Tonight Brearley has been

round. I dug up a violin

for him from one of the places

here. It had all its strings

broken so we hunted round

the village until we found

some new strings. And then

we had to borrow a bow.

Finally we had some music.

Brearley plays splendidly.

He studied in Germany for

a long time. We had the
"Indian Love Lines " Cavatina"

and everything else we could rake

up. Also some excellent 

white wine the lady of the

house provided. And then

just as we were thinking

of bed a wire came from

Brigade to say that we are to

move to Talmas tomorrow. So

I had to get busy, I'm

going to bed now.
I wrote you and Mother 

today.

Wednesday 23^rd August 1916 _Talmas

Arrived heer about five this

afternoon. Expect to move to

Rubempre or Herissait tomorrow.

(Just thus minute received order to

move to Harponville, where we

were before going to Albert).

37                            

They say we are to go xx into

the line in front of Thiepval

this time, somewhere near the

famous Liepsig Redoubt. I won't

be sorry to get out of the place.

Its an estaminet, and my

room is next the bar, and

all the noisy tommies in the

town seem to congregate here

and make the place hideous

with their talk and the

rejections of their overloaded

stomachs.
Dear old darling, the

sergeant has just brought

me three letters - one from 

Mother, one from Norm, and one

from  ---------------YOU. You

young beggar to miss two

mails. Your previous letter
was dated June 7^th and this one

June 23^rd. I wish I was with 

you now and I guess I'd

"learn" you to miss mails.

Nevermind, it's a bonny old letter,

sweetheart, just the sort of love-

letter you always write. Dear

little girl, I do want you so much.

Don't worry, chicken, the wine

& women business doesn't worry

me much. As you say,

I like these both in moderation,

but of the form we we don't

see very many - not of

the right sort - and of the

latter, well, like Meinheer

van Dunck, I never get 

drunk. Well sweetheart,

I'll have to be stirring "curly 

in the mornin" so bon soir.

39     

Thursday August 24^th 1916 Rubenifre

We didn't move to Harponville

after all, but came on here

instead. H.Q. billet is a bonny

place this time. A lovely

big old, farmhouse with big

grounds and a park. I'm

going to get up at half past

five tomorrow morning to go

for a long ramble through the 

park. I suppose we'll

be moving on to Harponville

again in the afternoon.

I should like to put in a week

in this place. It's like

a holiday in the country.

The previous owner (who is

away at the front- there

is only a housekeeper in

charge) was evidently a man
of wealth. He was certainly

a man of education and

refinement. His name is

Monsieur Ceron. It is just

the sort of home I would

delight in. The house

stands well back from the

main road, and has a long

drive through an avenue of

trees leading to it. The

grounds are very extensive.

My bedroom is most comfy.

A big double bed (why aren't

you here!) a cosy arm chair,

a fine oak writing table, pictures

on the wall, double windows

opening into the garden!!
What a roving life we

lead, to be sure. A different

home nearly every night.

41

Friday August 25^th 1916 Still Rubenfore

Yesterday I bet the Doc his 

mess bill against mine that we

wouldn't spend another night in 

this place - and I've lost, I'm 

glad to say. We don't

move on until tomorrow.
This morning the whole

brigade paraded for General

Cox's inspection. After he

had addressed us he distributed

congratulatory cards to those

who had been mentioned for

special word at Pozieres.

I have posted my card on

to you today, I hope you

get it alright.
This afternoon we rode

to Herissart to carry out

some special operations
in conjunction with aeroplanes.
Had a parcel from Uncle

Arthur today - two tins of

shortbread.

Saturday, August 26^th 1916 Vadencourt.

Moved on here at 9 o'clock

this morning. Met with a

perfect deluge just as we were 

coming in, and everybody got

drenched. The battalion

is camped in a wood just

above the village - huts to

hold about 40 each. The C.O.

had a bed in a house nearby, 

and Major Imlay & your

worser half are bunked on

the floor in an empty room.
Tomorrow General Birdwood

is to address the Brigade after

Church parade. Unfortunately