Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/114/1 - June 1918 - Part 4

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Awaiting approval
Accession number:
RCDIG1066560
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

37 ville. When last I was at trenk our fartuest outposts were not 80o7do along this road. But now the tracks of a bigeles upon it showed to it was safely used by our ranners. I waked along - seeig absolutely no one. I wanted to find first 1 bank from wh I attack (upon Ville itself) started - the bank o1 river aucre where it bends Nwas)
28 + leaves a meadow of mustard abt 400 yds square, between itself & 1 town. I ws going to walk round by this bank to the N. Side I town to see for myself what 1 marshes were like there, I what ws I road or track along wh Egerton took his company ville agst But the place was
1 39 most eerily quiet. There ws not a soul moving, out left of road ws the tong grass of 1 meadous & I by trees of river a little way down. On I right was a bank wh ws. I daressy, really cur by river. D But no man o no sign of men except those bicycle wheels o the whiels of limbers
30 or ration carts toh clearly come up here of night. Then the bank opened out to right in a by steep sickle & swept round a head of me away to left. Beyond it, straight ahead, ws a fiel of Saffron a mustard - & across this the old red cottages of Ville. The bank
ahead we certainly bank I wanted; & at last, busy on some dugont where he lined, in bank on I right, I saw a man coveif& tith latpta f Mr D ou field y offeca ta. 4
32 I asked him where Company Hgr was - 22nd Bn still held the place He said they were in the villagh away back - I had passed them. The next officer ahead ad be somewhere ap in treaches or roads on I right of I villag. He didn't know at all where posts were on I lett of it in
Marshes. as I as gut alone I thought I had better go up to some officer on N a joikag & find from him whate posts were on South of it. There is not much danger - but if you do miss our posts on 1flats & go wandering close to enemy, & get shot in
34 there is aways a long grass, chance to no one may ever find you. It is different if two are together. Also - you may Easily get a comparatively simple wound + bleed to death for want of someone to get help or to bind you up. The man at dugont sd to you could walk
35 across to the little Caterpillar beyond o bank. To I went on to way The track across the mustand field strikes the little Caterpillar almosg exactly at the Crucifix - a very little before - the Engineers had been M dumping wire for entanglements on the road bank.
36 I turned into the little Caterpillar. It ian between goeen deep wheat fields 16 a good 111 Cire deep road finle calepit of but saken headily shelled pSt some time or another at the corner near the cemelery Cincifis Or the Western side were the shelters which the

 

106 27
Ville.  When last I was at Treux our
furthest outposts were not 800 yds
along this road. But now the tracks
of & brigades upon it showed tt it
was safely used by our runners.
I walked along - seeing absolutely
no one. I wanted to find first  /
bank from which / attack (upon
Ville itself) started - the bank o /
river Ancre where it bends N. wards
 

 

 

106 28
& leaves a meadow of mustard -
abt 400 yds square, between
itself & / town. I ws going to walk
round by this bank to the N. side
o / town to see for myself what
/ marshes were like there, &
what ws / road or track along 
wh Egerton took his company
agst Ville. But the place was
 

 

 

106 29
most eerily quiet.  There ws not
a soul moving. on / left o /
road ws the long grass o / meadows
& / big trees o / river a little
way down.  On / right was a
bank wh ws, I daresay, really cut
by / river. Xx  But no man & no sign 
of men except those bicycle
wheels and the wheels of limbers
 

 

 

106 30
or ration carts wh clearly come
up here of night.
Then the bank opened out to /
right in a big steep sickle & 
swept round ahead of me &
away to / left. Beyond it, straight
ahead, ws a field of Saffron or
mustard - & across this the
old red cottages of Ville. The bank
 

 

 

106 31
ahead ws certainly / bank I
wanted; & at last, busy on some
dugout where he lived, in  /
bank on / right, I saw a man.
[diagram of area with labels- please see original]
Ville Crucifix
Little Caterpillar
yellow field
BANK
 

 

 

106 32
I asked him where Company Hqrs
was - 22nd Bn still held the place.
He said they were in the village
away back - I had passed them.
The next officer ahead wd be
somewhere up in / trenches or
roads on / right of / village.  He
didnt know at all where /
posts were on / left of it in /
 

 

 

106 33
marshes.
As I ws quit  alone I thought
I had better go up to some officer
on / N. o / village & find from
him where / posts were on /
South of it.  There is not much
danger - but if you do miss
our posts on / flats & go wandering
close to / enemy & get shot in /
 

 

 

106 34
long grass, there is always a 
chance tt no one may ever
find you. It is different if two
are together. Also - you may
easily get a comparatively simple
wound & bleed to death for 
want of someone to get help
or to bind you up.  The man at /
dugout sd tt you could walk
 

 

 

106 35
across to the little Caterpillar - 
beyond / bank. So I went on
tt way.
The track across the mustard
field strikes the little Caterpillar almost
exactly at the Crucifix - a very 
little before - the engineers had been
[diagram of landscape- please see original].
dumping wire for
entanglements on the road bank.
 

 

 

106 36
I turned into the little Caterpillar.
[diagram of area- please see original].
Ville
Little Caterpillar
It ran between 
deep ^green wheat
fields -
a good
deep road
but rather
heavily shelled
some time or another at the corner
near the cemetery & Crucifix.  On the
Western side were the shelters which the
 

 

 

 

Last edited by:
Jenny BJenny B
Last edited on:

Last updated: