Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/114/1 - June 1918 - Part 6

106       
47
tt isolated hut. The long grass hid
him perfectly from / Germans he told
me.
Later, on my way down Kangaroo
trench again, I sketched the
Dernancourt Hill f in this notebook.
The trench was very shallow - but
presently I met an Australian coming
down it with the m a dozen letters
& papers - evidently of the incoming

 106        
48
Australian Mail - ^in his hand to deliver. The
trench was too narrow for us to pass
in shelter - but standing up we cd do
it. He didn't seem to worry about
snipers but sat on / back o / trench
for half a minute or so while he ws
taking to me.
About 300 yds up from
Kybosh Lane I came the trench became
deeper & there were one saw / ends of rifles in it - &

 106         
49
per them - on coming round / corner -
men sitting here & there along it - others
lying asleep on / floor o / trench or
in shelters covered by waterproof sheets.
They told me tt about 150 yards along
I shd find a coy headqrs. I found
it, in a little sap leading back
off the front line 
like this:

106      
50
The youngster there recognised me. I found
him in his shelter, with his Company
Sergt Major sitting on the step of it.
The C.S.M was older than he, but was
exactly like his 2nd in Command - took
exactly / position of a junior officer, leading
most o / conversation.

They didn't know very
much about / positn in front of
Ville except tt this trench was more

106       
51
or less continuous into / village.
The 24 Bn were holding / left o / trench
they sd, & they cd probly tell me more
o / posts in / marshes.
I went down / trench
again - having a look into over at Morlancourt
on / way. Morlancourt ws
on / other side ^o / dip in front o / trench lying at / top end
o / gully & more or less in / bottom

106
52
of the dip
Morlancourt


The enemys diggings cd be seen on
the green hill opposite. Morlancourt

106
53
was pretty well destroyed by shells.

It ws from / shallow bit of trench
immediately S. of their post tt the 22 Bn
made their raid the other day at
/ same time as the attack by the 7^th
Bde (8.45 p.m.) It ws still light at
/ time. They wend over about 120
yards to / nearest German post -
& killed abt 30 Germans & brought in 

106
54
6 prisoners.

It was also into an unoccupied
piece of ^front line trench like this tt / Germans
made their last raid - on top of
this hill - against the 19 Bn. They
got into a length of trench wh ws
unoccupied & then our people
proceeded to bomb them out from

106 
55
the flanks & captured (I think it was)
22 prisoners - (or it may have been about
10). These Germans have only made
two raids recently - this one & /
one against the 17^th Bn when they
tried to capture one of our posts on /
summit o / hill & both failed badly.
The 23rd Bn made a raid (of wh
Fred & I had heard nothing) on / same

106
56
night as 7^th Bde & 22 Bn. But they made
it at 11 p.m. instead of at / same
time as / others. They sd tt it ws
too light to go over earlier. They
must have run into trouble - the Germs
wd be stirred up by / previous attack -
& the raid ws a failure. I don't know
how many they lost, but this Coy Commander
of 22nd sd tt they were cut up.