Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/192/1 - 1915, 1918 - Part 8

73
After the pty had bn here 5 or 10 mins there
came round the corner w a rush
L/Cpl Alward, w a revolver. He must
have come down the trench M A , &
was at the first moment almost shot for
a Turk. He reported tt the trench was clear
as far as the junction at A, & the pty w
wh Back was (abt 7) went down &
barricaded the junction
Diagram – see original
w sandbags pulled down
from the top o the trench.
 

74
They then got a supply of bombs &
carried on there till they were relieved
by 7^th Bn on the mg. of Aug 8^th.
Just after they had finished
the barricade, before dark, a single
Turk came up the trench E A &
was shot dead by Alward w his
revolver over the top o the barricade.
The Turk ws looking breast high over
the barricade at this time.
There ws a little trench
wh seemed to run somewhat as L T 
 

75
ending in some dugouts towds the
bottom of Owens Gully - (on steps or
verandahs). The Turks from here
on the mg. of Aug 7 abt 10 am
started throwing bombs. They got 3
bombs at intervals into the trench.
Pte English? picked one up & attempted
to throw it out & it blew his hand off.
L/Cpl Alward ws wd in legs & wrist by the
first bomb & went out. This
 

76
trench ws not shelled - the shells went
over. The same party firestepped the trench
A-M with entrenching tools cutting steps
on either side of it so tt a man cd
get up & snipe or shoot. In the night
you cd observe - our old front line
probably commanded this.
There ws a bomb stop somewhere
abt N & a short trench had to be
dug through to it (abt 20 yds or so). Probly
 

77
tt was the Bomb-stop where Mackay &
Scott were.
Back's party ws the extreme left of
the Bn. Therefore this trench was
probly what was known as
the Circus.
 

77a
Pte Hayward went over
just to the left of the crater
as marked opposite.
[*Hayward Dont remember ^any wire entang.
X m.g. in trap
settled trench bombs.*]
Just opposite to the crater at X
ws a m.g. on a heavy stand mounted & firing
twds our trenches. It seemed to be mounted
in a trap door in the head cover. They cd see
the T. crew. They crossed the head cover to the left o the
gun & then from behind ^ Hayward who ws bomber slipped 3 bombs into
the opening in the headcover where the gun was
- wh stopped the gun. A good few of our men
were lying in front o the gun. One man ws in the
crater & two lying on the edge of it - whether alive
or dead ws difficult to say.

78
Diagram – see original
Men were lying in front o / trench (as x ↑) & Hayward
jumped over a couple at one point.
Hayward & Alward went on
& entered 2nd trench at B.

[*Turks were probly
frightened to go
left on acct of
arty wh had
k. so many
Turks, & they
wd have to
show themselves
in getting out o the 
tunnel anyhow.*]
 

79
One of our guns had made a jagged hole
in the head cover. They pulled the pine logs aside
(& squared one gun) aside  & scrambled in at that
shell hole - a new shell hole. There ws a Turk
lying dead underneath - only a few
mins. dead. The head cover covered the
trench running in from the front trench (VT)
So tt it was like a tunnel, hollowed
out on each side for sleeping in.
When Cpl Alward, & Pte Hayward got in there
there were Turks in the covered trench TV.
Other men got in - Hayward ws helping
 

80
one man - ^ Pte Dodd ^ 4 Bn - in when Dodd
ws shot in the head.
As soon as Hayward jumped
into the trench he saw a man in a
uniform something like the Turks -
singing out for our men to come
round there "Come on Australia _ Come
on Australia - we've got them!" he sd.
This T ^ German offr ws trying to get them in front of
the tunnel where they wd be shot. He had
been shouting round the corner. Hayward
asked him his battalion - The man spoke splendid
 

81
English & it ws scarcely possible to tell tt
he was a foreigner but they knew they
were on the left & none of our people
further round. He did not attempt to
answer as to his bn. & presently made
a dash round the corner from the tunnel
towds our men & ws shot thro the
stomach. He lay on the ground & laughed
at them & was finished off there.
There followed him an old Turk w
whiskers shouting "Allah". he ws shot at
once. The Turks kept on trying at intervals
to make a rush past our men - they
 

82
had to go tt way to get out. They were
wounded every time - finally 11 were k &
wd (all died) in the trench. Then the second
German officer sang ^shouted something tt cdnt be understood & began to throw out
rifles & revolvers. Then they came out w
their hands up. he
Before this Capt Milson came up,
shortly after the party got there. He asked what
they were doing & sd "I think you've got
them". They sd they hadnt. M. sd "Will
you come w me?" & both Hayward &
L/Cpl Alward sd yes & started with him.