Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/111/1 - May 1918 - Part 9

102                                                          57

McN. went along / top o / bank opposite the house before
going back to / Stokes  Mortars.
An N.C.O. ws going back to Coy Hqrs when
he found 2 German snipers in a shell hole
in / field in front of it – they had not
tried to get away.  Macneil organised a
10 shot barrage from S. Mortars on the corner
house of  / village & Garton then mopped it
up, abt 3 to 3.30. The Germs had cleared & left
/ gun. [[Cis?]]
At 4.17 when it ws light MacNeil ws
ordered by telephone (to A & B Coys to be
passed on to A Coy) to mop up village   F

102                                                                 56
The men were digging in under NCOs
& they were being annoyed by bursts from
a m.g. firing thro a hole in / wall o /
last house o / village. Two rifle bombs.
were put thro / roof o / house &
an egg bomb after.  That stopped / gun.
MacN. then got the Stokes to put in
10 shots up along / road - (Stokes gun
was at J 6 13 9½ 7  in / bank at Coy Hqrs) 

102                                                              55
tt they had bn hit. He went up w
Garton & found the mg in the by the
crucifix one German gunner lying by
/ bank w his face on his arm. He
ws apptly dead, but / runner who
brought B. back knew tt he had
not bn there before. He pricked him
w a bayonet & / man jumped up - he
had not bn touched & cdnt be induced
to put his hands down. 

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Road. There were no gunners at
it – probly run under / bombt or
when saw our people coming. They
threw many flares the first 2 or 3
mins – after this we depended on the
starlight. This ground ws very well
studied beforehand, the Coy having bn in
/ line 4 days & knowing what front they
wd have to work over.
Macneil heard from Besemeres
(who came back helped by a runner at 2.20) 

102                                                     53
They were digging in & [but ? annoyed by] annoying
the m.g. at the end house of the village -
It ws firing thro a hole in / wall.

When on The Crucifix gun had hit /
two officers _^at 10yds - Pte Reid (when / gun
opened at 10 yds - our men
were very close to / barrage) rushed
/ gun & bayoneted / man working
it. The other Crucifix gun ws S of the 

102                                                      52
/ bank just above / trees
'Hand drawn diagram -see original'
2½ plus under L^t Garton (Lt English &
Besemeres had both bn knocked in
first 5 mins of original advance)
were making a defensive flank
having captd the Crucifix (under 3 little
trees as usual) (22 Div the Cemetery)
& were astride of the road NE of Crucifix. 

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so little resistance ws met w
it ws decided to go for / village at
4.15.
Word reached M. at 4.17 &
he moved at 4. 30 in two waves from
the defensive flank positn wh he
had already taken up.
One pty ¹/₂ pln ws _^abt to set to at mopping up / posts
(under Lt Winstanby) on / N.W. corner
o / village. These were in trenches on 

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21 Bn
Capt Macneil B Coy ws to make
a defensive flank from / Cemetery
inclusive down to / River. They were
to send a patrol thro' Ville at
5.30am to see if it were possible to mop
up. It had bn thought tt there were
more Germs in / village & tt it wd
be better for / arty to pound it for
several hours more. But as
 

1946 Sergt W Ruthven. "Rusty" one of the original Anzac men

acting C.S.M.J

_________________________

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& threw a bomb wh landed beside / gun
post - R rushed the post, bayoneted one o /
crew & captured / gun. He then met some
Germs coming out of a shelter & wd. two &
captd 6 & handed them over to an escort from
/ leading wave. He reorganised our men &
estabd a post in / 2nd Objve (beyond / Caterpillar
on / little track). The Germs were then seen in
a Sunken Rd. in rear (at dawn). R. went out
w a revolver & shot 2 Germs who refused to
come out of dugout & then alone mopped up /
garrison of 32 until an escort arrived

                      _____________________________
Wall as an old Anzac 6 Bn man who came to the 22 lately
as Reinf offr

102                                                   48
shot abt 5 Germs, & had 30 or 40 of them
putting their souvenirs in a heap on / ground.
The Germs were on / run & cd probly have
bn followed by fresh troops.
The Germs had just received their
mail & had not read the letters in some
cases. They were a new crowd & all in clean
clothes.

                         _____________________

Ruthven took over when Hunter ws wd.
He rallied Bn & then ws advancing when leading
wave ws fired on by a m.g. from
directly ahead - 30 to 40 yds away. R. sprang out