Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/108/1 - April - May 1918 - Part 10

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We cd see a lot of the French fall in 10 central. They went well
& the so did some of the Zouaves, but the m.g. fire seemed to
stop the left.  The French were 2000 yds deep going up in
arty formatn very thick - much thicker than we attack.
The 5O Bn front line at / end of this advance ws 3
companies Abt 50 yds ahead of the rly. rd junction & joined w / French abt
300 - 400 yds west o / monument wood
Hallam had 50 yds behind him in shell holes
another coy o / Durham pioneers.
[*Hand drawn diagram please see original*]

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50 Bn
Band Pioneers and details were all carrying.  Put in whole Bn - didnt
keep any nucleus.
[[10 shorthand]]
M.O. Capt Sewell ws killed 300 yds from Bn HQ soon after / attack started
with
m. g. fire.  Looking for a place for an aid post.
Kay ws k. getting thro / wire in front of Cachy Switch
M^c Kay had captd 6 prisoners & on looking away from them
to give some instrus abt them one of them shot him.
Capt Hancock ws killed in the advance - dont know where
 

102a  
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DISPOSITIONS AFTER FRENCH HAVE GONE THROUGH:
50th Bn:    2 Coys from MONUMENT to Rly Line,
                    2 Coys dug in Support.
49th Bn:    2 Coys ( under C,O. 50th Bn.)
                    from Rly Line to Right flank of
                    57th Bn.

                    2 Coys in O.33.a.
51st Bn:      0.34.b and d.
52nd Bn:   BOIS de BLANGY.
M.G.Coy:    1 Section with 50th Bn, and
                    remainder as at present.
L.T.M.B:     Under 50th Bn.
                                   -------------------------- 
 

                           
[*50 Bn*]         ?52 Bn.
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Capt Auld is missing
Last seen of L^t Scarborough he ws attacking a Germ. m.g.
post w 3 of his men & ws wounded. That ws on /
edge o / wood.
Maj. Craes ^(52Bn) ws reported tt he ws
wounded from his right rear.
C & D Coys on / left did a lot of the
[*50 Bn*] mopping up in Bois d' Arquenne.
 

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Ap 28. (Contd) The Germans have been
registering our front line of 5 Bde front w
T.Ms  There is a tremendous noise tonight
- possibly a raid.  A It sounds as if there
were ten distant thunderstorms on - all about
5 miles away to the NE or E.
Mulligan of our 2nd tunnellers tells me
tt when / British were 5th Army was broken his
men, w / 5^th Corps, were not required to retire till the
3^rd day when by its flank being turned their corps
ws forced to retire first on the Rocquigny line
wh it meant to hold - then on the sailly Saillisel
 

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alignment - then Le Transloy, Pozieres, Aveluy.
They did not dig a single yard of line; each time
/ retirement ws ordered before work ws to begin.
Pozieres ws held for a while, he says.
The Great dumps at Ytres & Sailly Saillisel
contained enormous supplies of shell - & we were
not able to blow them up - we had no explosive
& left is too late.  At Bapaume, the biggest dump
of all - (of supplies) - cdnt be blown up but
was burnt. The Germans, he hears, twice
tried to salve it but could not.
This reminds me tt Maj Williams of the
 

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American Force says that the big stores at Suvla
tho' set on fire were not destroyed & immense
quantities were taken salved by / Turks.
Ap. 29. Col. Butler came in from the North.  He
tells me he got all / museum models for our
medical museums away from  Caestre Meteren a little
before the Germans took it.
English troops & R.H.A. passing here all day.  I
believe the 47 Divn are to relieve _^our 2^nd Divn.
Germans have bn splashing about / back area
w a long range gun today.  Franvillers, Baizieux
Contay - This is a sign they may attack near Albert tomorrow
 

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1000 American Engrs came into this area
yesty;  but the Americans haven't yet begun
to affect  / war. The Australians are getting
a good deal of appreciation from / French - both
from / French troops here & from / population.
Cutlack says to tt / British behind / 15 Bde
did not do their "mopping up" in V/B.   The
Germans officers seemed helpless. The _^British N.C.O s
did something to rally / men but / officers were
often useless.
 

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April 30. Wrote an article for evening papers on V/B from
German Prisoners stories.  Dined with Angus at
Baizieux.  The 2nd Divn is coming out & 47 (London)
Divn going in - For 2 days companies of
infantry have been passing us on / roads - past
this window, on / way to Bussy, tonight at
Franvillers - companies of children, English
children; pink faced round cheeked children, flushed
under / weight of their unaccustomed packs, with
their steel helmets on / back of their heads & the straps
hanging loosely on their rounded baby chins . The
English have suspended the rule
that a boy must be 19 before
he comes out here; the great
Hand drawn sketch please see original  

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mass of the reinforcements which they have
rushed out here into the ranks of shattered regiments
(& some divisions were down to 800 or 900 men
out of 16,000) are children.  There are grown
men in England (as Australia (as Dyson
said when he saw these children passing our
window) who are sheltering behind these
kids.  And there are in England too.  When it comes
to a crisis they bundle these kids out to the war -
I'll swear there are munition workers & avil
servants - yes & older men of 45 46 - who
ought to come first.  I took Dysons phrase for a