Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/191/1 - August 1918 - Part 9

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I expect that the desire of the troops for undertaking small [[shorthand]] shall be encouraged
and [[awakened?]] and that single divisions don't remain passive.
Wants more patrol activity.  In this respect in some divisions there seems to be absolutely nothing done.  [[Thus the?]]
enemy succeeds with some special support by the artillery or their auxiliary forces.

111
Left at 7  Returned at 1.45
Burnt 3 Hangars
Hit 3.  & Offrs mess & burnt it
Chased Germans across to the hospital.  Chasing a German car
and [[shorthand]] it.
Waited 10 minutes.  Officers would be at lunch
and mess was hit.
38 first day
Diagram- see original document
home in formation
Waited 10 minutes.
[[Later?]] xxxxx with a [[shorthand]]
[[shorthand]].  Went down to 100 feet
Haubourdin -
Lomme next day -
Jones had left L [[shorthand]]
and have gone on leave.
7.  Lomme  Cole ws leading.
14 machines.  44  25 lb bombs  2000 rounds fired.
2 squadrons dived together this time.
109

111
2 British squadrons [[escalating?]] and 2 bombing
Cobbie led. McClaughry ws departing
over Bethune.
Our aerodrome [[shorthand]] engines and dived.  There were 2 machines
out on the ground.  They passed one German and he [[shorthand]] and clashed in a [[tree?]].
40 minutes getting height.  6 ¼ hour.  35 minutes from the aerodrome
dived at it first and over main strip as bombs from 250 feet
50 to 100 feet absolutely certain of hitting   2 Hangars
went on fire at once.  Then there were [[shorthand]] running all over the
aerodrome.  Many follow.  They made off towards the hospital.
Baker chased a motor car and shot him up and
overturned him.  Both machines on the ground were hit and went in
flames.  [[Shorthand]].  The hangars were
close together.  A few mgs from the ground.  All intended to 
do the usual and rendezvous.  You would get the
bullets away but there for an hour afterwards men were
[[shorthand]] and [[shorthand]].  Made a [[shorthand]] at the [[rail station?]]
[[shorthand]].  Then collected in a [[village?]] and
came home.
Next day left ground and I got there about 8  About 20 miles from
a suburb of Lille Lomme.
110

111
4 squadrons (19 each time) dived straight on to the aerodrome
Got on to the hangars dropped bombs from 50 to 100 feet
no sign of life   no [[shorthand]]  hangar doors closed  everything
perfectly quiet.  The hangars were full of machines
they have trenches they can get into.  Got a fire going
straight away  4 hangars were going and seven smaller
fires.  A wind was blowing the fire along the hangars which were
wooden.  You could see the fire burning.  This time no

Huns were seen.  Then mgs opened up from
the forts.  In the forts they were using field guns
throwing up flaming onions.
A man on a motor bike was shot.  A  [[German?]]
on the [[rail?]].  About 50 cavalry on horseback were galloping
and in the village there were a lot of troops in the streets.
Several shot them up.
2 Germans crashed endeavouring to land with their [[instruments?]].
One was smashed to pieces.  ¼ hour this time.  ¼ hour to 20 minutes.
[[Raids?]] were going all the time and field guns.  One man
McCleary was shot down by a m.g.   He crashed.
111

111
Cobby now 30 or 31.
Capt E.J. McClaughry 10  2 battalions  Only 2 months with the squadron
Cobby                      4            2
Melb. Elsternwk    16 []shorthand]]  3 battalions
30 machines  7 battalions in a month.
318 machines  dropped 7 tons bombs.
2 casualties, (one prisoner.)
4 days in present battle.  Got / Germans.
13, 14, & 15.  Both Sqns [[being witness?]].
High [[reaching?]] is simply a winner shot.
17000 feet.  One machine up over high [[ridge?]].
Cobbie 28.  mostly in last 2 months.
4 camels
2 SE5s.
3 RE8.
1^st Bristol companies.
Total [[bag?]] of Germans 147.
Lost 25 new [[shorthand]]
? 7 months.  2 [[shorthand]]
8 killed.
112

No. 3.
Diagram - see original document
9 Bn.
2 & 4 grnd crews.
& 7 Bavs.
Got in 7.45.  Left 8.
red line
11th on left.
5^th on rt.
Got from [[shorthand]] to near
Lihons
5^th & 11^th held.  C. attack at 6.30
[[shorthand]] trust he didn't get in.
We put in Coy of 10 Bn & reestab
line before A.
9 officers (Walker k)
[[Mackintosh?]] hit 2ce
100 machines.
Gullett
9 Rue Leon,
Corbie
[[Curexes?]]
(371m.)  Wt. 2205-SK550.  100 m.  12/17.
Gullett:  Covering note for
despatch re cases
to Gen Donald.
[[?]] office.