Photostat copy of diaries of Benjamin Bennett Leane, 1915-1916 - Part 30

162
Friday November 17^th 1916
This morning we turned out
at 'stand to' to find the
ground white with snow,
and two inches of ice on
the water. It has been
a bright, clear, freezing day,
and all the mud is
hard frozen, so that you can
walk easily right over
the top of the worst of it.
Today there was a conference
at Headquarters which
company commanders had to
attend. As I anticipated,
our battalion is to go over the
top. We are to take the
enemy salient which shows
in that sketch. I'll mark the
part as you can see. All that
piece contained within the form
asterisks (X). Our line will
then join up from A to B.
My job is to take a strong
point down near the Sunken
road (the piece that makes
a triangle), then all the
trench running along Sunken
Road and up to the asterisk
near "B". We are to do
the job at moonrise on
Sunday night. (just after
midnight) so I hope the
weather keeps fine. Three
other units have attempted
the same job and failed,
but we are confident
of doing it provided the
ground keeps dry. The
last battalion to try it (the

164
Bn.) had a very bad time.
The ground was awfully
muddy, and they couldn't
get over the last 50 yds.
quickly enough after the
barrage lifted, consequently
Fritz got his machine guns
to work and caught them
all stuck in the mud.
Tomorrow morning I am
going to take my company
officers up to have a look
at the ground we will
have to advance over.
Saturday 18^th 1916
Isn't it rotten ; it's been 
raining nearly all day,
and all the good work
of the frost is undone, and
the ground is more sloppy
and mucky than it was
before. Unless it freezes
hard tonight we will have
an awkward job to do
Sunday night. We went
up to the line this morning,
and got ourselves plastered 
in mud from head to toe.
What you don't get from
the bottom of the trenches
you get from the sides.
(We went up into a new 
sector this time , not the
Grease Trench sector, and it
is necessary to keep to the
trenches when you get up
near the front line.). We
got up to within thirty
yards of the Bosch lines
near that Strong point I

166
told you of. They have
dug outs all along the
Sunken road where they
go when our shelling starts.
We got out to an old
German gunpit just close
to their dugouts - on the
same sunken road in fact,
only just round a bend
in it. We are
running a trench out to the
gun pit, and there are
a couple of old dugouts
there which will be used
as battalion headquarters on
the night of the attack.
Sunday Nov. 19^th 1916 noon
Just as I expected. It is
still raining. We went
down to H.Q for the final
discussion of plans for 
tonight, when word came
from Division to say that
the General would not
permit the stunt as the
weather was too bad and
we would probably share
the fate of the 6^th Bn.
I guess he is right too.
Instead we take over the
line tonight from the

47^th Bn. so I am going
up this afternoon to make
arrangements with the
company I am to relieve.
Later - 8 pm. Bull Trench
A and B Coys have gone
up into the front line. My
company and C Coy are
in support. This afternoon

168
went over with Allan and
enfiladed the line (support
and at 4.30 pm we moved
in. It was almost dark
when we started to move
and quite dark when we
got here. However, all the
fellows are fired up now.
Allan and I are sharing
another little shelter a little
longer than the one we
first had in Gap trench.
Monday 20^th
Only twenty more days
before you arrive chicken.
I hope we are out of the
line by then, so that I
can get leave to meet you.
This old Bosch shelled us
pretty heavily this morning;
and got one of my stretcher
bearers. The poor chap died
before we could get him
to the doctor. Another man 
was wounded, but not very
badly. After lunch I went
up to the line to inspect, and
took three of my platoon
officers with me. About
half way up the communication
trench the enemy
suddenly offered up an
intense barrage, and
for twenty minutes we
has as hot a time as
we have ever had. Every
minute I was expecting
a shell to come crashing
into the trench where we
were sheltering. They were

170
bursting all along the sap,
and several times we
were caught by the flying
earth and splinters, but
Providence was good and
kept out little bit intact.
While the shelling was on
I was watching a fight
in the air between five
enemy planes and three
of our. I am sorry
to say that one of ours
was brought down.
After awhile, we decided
to push on so that we
could see the whole of the
line and get back in
the daylight, and soon
after this the fire ceased
except for a few shells
here and there. We were
pretty lucky altogether. I
don't think we had more
than eight casualties
altogether. On the way
back just at dusk we
decided to get out of the
trench as we could
walk more quickly on
the top; twice we were
nearly caught by individual
fire from a machine gun,
but after shells you
don't seem to worry about
mere bullets very much.
Anyhow, we got back
about six and found
Allan with a worried
expression and some hot
stew, so we were alright

172
Caldwell, one of D Coy Officers
who were wounded at Pozieres
on August 6^th and 7^th returned
tonight, so my company
is up to full strength in
officers now.  Our artillery
is putting up a big strafe
over on the left, over
towards Beaumont Hamel,
tonight. The sky is lurid
with the flashes, and the
shells are bursting in one
continuous roar.
Tuesday Nov 21^st 1916
Nothing out of the way today.
Usual shelling etc. Very foggy.
Allan left today to go to a school
at Flixecourt. He will be away
for about a month.
Wednesday 22^nd Today was bright
and clear, consequently there was
plenty of activity in the air.
Fights galore. First of all a 
German plane was brought
down by one of ours.  He came
to earth with a terrific crash.
There one of our Scout monoplanes
fell; It came down
slowly like a big kite,
circling round and round,
and finally landing just
behind Flers. The pilot
was wounded through the
head by a bullet, and
was unconscious, but was
otherwise uninjured. When
he regained consciousness
he was astounded to find
that he had not been 
smashed up in the fall.

174
[[His]]observer escaped with a broken
leg. A little later one  of our
Vickers fighters brought
down a German plane.
It came to earth with a swift
nose dive about a thousand
yards away from our trench.
The pilot and observer were
both killed. Tonight there is
a heavy strafe and by the
enemy artillery, and all our
telephone wires are cut. Fritz
evidently thinks we are going
to attack tonight, and expects
to catch us massed in the
front trenches. He may be
intending to come over
himself, but I don't think
so. My company goes
up to front line tomorrow to
relieve A Coy in the right
sector.
Friday 24^th 2am
I've got Fritz, as my next door
neighbour tonight. He lives
within thirty yards of me, and
his star shells make the night
like day. We moved up
into the line directly after dusk
tonight. I think Fritz had an
idea there was a relief on
because the first over a lot of
shells onto the communication
trench as we were coming up.
Fortunately he did not get
anyone until just as we
got right up here to the
gun pits (where I am
making my company headquarters, 
and putting in one

176
platoon as a strong point).
Just as the head of the party
was entering the pit, he put
over three whizbangs in quick
succession, and one of them
caught three of my men
One was killed outright, another
very badly wounded, and the
third only slightly wounded.
I had rather an interesting
part of the line to hold. It is
not a continuous line at all.
I have one platoon here in the
gun pits; also all the grenades
and three machine guns,. Old
Fritz will have a lot of dead
men before ever he gets past
it. Then about half a mile
away I have two more
platoons in another strong
point. Their forward bombing
post is in the same
trench as the enemy's.
I have two machine guns
watching this corner. There
I have another platoon back
in reserve, ready to shove
in where ever it may be
wanted. I went over to|
have a look at all the
posts about midnight, and
everything was OK. but I
won't turn in tonight as all
the sentries are fresh and
may get the jumps a bit.
Tomorrow night they will be
more familiar with the place
and it will be alright.
It is frightfully cold, and I 
will be glad when daylight comes

178
11 pm. same day.
It has been a fairly quiet day.
Two more of our planes and
one German plan brought down
today. The Bosch has certainly
improved a lot in the air since
were were last down here.
This afternoon I went across
to the No 2 strong point (where
I have the two platoons) and
nearly got blown out by
77's. I went out with
Lt Imlay (one of the officers in
that section) to have a look at
some advanced observation 
posts which we use for
night work only. Fritz saw
us and sniped at us with
his whizbangs. He didn't get
us though. English mail
came today. Got a very nice
letter from Bae. Wait till
your letters come by English
mail! Only 16 more days.
Am going to turn in now for
a few hours. Goodnight.
Saturday 25^th 1916
Very quiet today, but
working up for rain. Have
had the fellows busy
improving the trenches all
day.
Sunday 26^th 1916
Poured like the dickens all
last night and the
trenches are over a foot
deep in mud and
slush. Tonight we have
had rather an exciting
time. About half past

180
eight I got a message from
my No 2 strong point that a 
large party of Germans were
sapping towards the strong point.
I sent back orders to stand to
ready, and got my reserve
platoon up, and then rang
up headquarters and gave
the artillery the map reference.
In about fifteen minutes
we had shrapnel bursting all
over xxxx the Huns. At first
it was bursting high, so I
rang them up and told them
and almost immediately
the bursts were beautifully
low. It is fine the way
the artillery work with the
infantry, and respond to
our requests. I guess old 

Fritz got the surprise of his
life.
Monday, Nov 29th 10 am
Sure enough he did. This
morning there are eleven
dead Huns laying out in
the open, so working on
the usual average that
means about another eleven
wounded, not too bad.
We are to be relieved tonight
by the 14^th Battalion. The
trenches are in a frightful
condition, nearly as 
bad as when we were at
Mouquet Farm. I'll be
too busy for the rest of the
day to write any more,
and anyway the book
is finalised. I'll start
a new one after we get
out of the line, Goodbye
for the time sweetheart.
I'll be able to hand
this book over to you myself
I hope. Yours Beny