Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/192/1 - 1915, 1918 - Part 9

83
M. ws going to take them straight on to the

Jolly.  M. had not got 3 yards when he

was shot from the tunnel. Hayward had

finished all / bombs trying to put them round

/ corner into / tunnel - the bombs were

finished before Capt Milson came up

(3 had bn used on / first trench & only

3 were left - Hayward ws / only bomber

there).  Milson just asked what they were

doing; sd I think you've got them all, boys -

they sd they didnt think so - asked them

to come on w him - He threw no

Stone ^x
see Recommendns

84
bombs nor fired his revolver.  He ws k.

within a minute of his arriving.

Milson was the first to be k. in front of the

tunnel - 3 or 4 men were k. near there

getting in (incl. Dodd) but not at / tunnel.

8 Turks surrendered w tt second

wd German offr. Cpl. Stone ws & some others took

charge of them.  Lt. Shelden came along

abt then from / rt (where Milson had

come from).  Sheldens ^rt eye ws hanging down

Haywd wanted to bandage it but he

sd there ws no time.

84a

Diagram - see original document

85
As soon as the Turks were finished

sent off, one way Shelden divided

the party & sent Hayward &

Alward one way while he & /

rest went another way.  Sergt Spratt,

Pte Stan. Taylor, L/Cpl O'Brien were with Lt

Shelden, Pte Back & anot Pte Tom Hannington

were with Shelden also.

As Alward & Hayward went round

to the left they found many Ts lying dead

as they went down hill towds the Jolly.

They met one Turk without arms

86
coming up to surrender & he showed

them where / T. bombs were.  They

went straight on to where / trenches

met;  after the trenches joined the

trench to / left dipped straight down

into / valley & there ws anor trench

abt 6 yds down by the hill where

the Ts were.

Hayward just got round the corner

into the trench down which Shelden was

coming when Shelden was bayoneted by

87
a Turk.  This T. was just in front of Hayward

& Alward & H. shot him.  There ws overhead

cover with sand bags, there.  They used this

for barricade & built up a barricade abt

breast high.  It ws just getting dark then.

They had to take an occasional shot at /

Jolly to keep sniping down - Alward & Hayward

were alternately sniping & working - Lt Sheldens

body ws lying just behind.  The Turks once or

twice tried to come up / trench but were

shot as they came round - it ws very steep &

they cd do nothing.  Sergt Spratts party

88
built a barricade a little further up / hill

behind where Lt. Shelden ws killed - filling

sand bags & so on.  The trench was covered

where Hayward & Alwards barricade was,

but only here & there at corners [flat cover

over the trench with breast work towds our

old trenches & some loop holes].

Before / barricade ws finished

Lt Massey came along - abt 10 pm.  He split

went back & split Sergt Spratt's pty up,

& sent some of them down to Alward (incl.

Pte W. H P Kelly who got the D.C.M. for picking up a 

bomb) & Sergt Sparks ? of 1st Bn.  Pte Swankey

89
of 4 Bn also.  They manned this lower

bomb block (& between it & Sergt Spratts pty).

The Turks had one or two feeble attacks

in / night - not apptly in force - &

were easily beaten back by shooting &

bombs. - They We had many Turk bombs

by then.  At daylight in / morning

the Ts bombed very heavily into the 

lower part of the sap behind / bomb

block.  Alward ws wd - Kelly had

his hand blown off.  Several were k. and

89a

:X: Hayward expected / Turks to attack

on top of this, but they did not.

Hayward sd to Kelly (whose hand ws

blown off) "I'd sell my life for 2 bob now"

Kelly ws very cheerful & so ws Alward

H. got them to go out after a few mins.

Kelly died he thinks before leaving / Pine

& Alward ws for a long time in Hspl

in England.

90

all / others wd except Hayward in 

tt part o / trench :X: ∧The garrison from further up extended so as to hold trench. Hannington & others 

were in / left part o / trench down

wh Alward & Hayward had come.

In / mg. a machine gun was put into

the block made by Hayward & Alward.

The T's never came at this block

later so far as Hayward knows.

On Monday night this pty ws

reld by 7^th Bn. Till then Hayward ws

never 10 yds away from / place except

91

once when he went looking for his brother (who w

he didnt know to have bn wd).

On Sunday evg a burial pty came

round.  They told them where Capt

Milson's body was & showed them Lt. Sheldens

body; & as far as Hayward knows they

were buried.  Where Capt Milson ws there wd

be 19 or 20 lying. The The tunnel (or really

covered sap) opp. which Milson lay did not

run right thro to / front line; & it ws

later sd tt Capt Milson ws buried in 

91a

Diagram - see original document

92
it.  There is no doubt abt Shelden being

bayoneted.  He only had one bullet in his

revolver (he had told Hayward so).

He sd he cd kill w tt all / Turks he

cd meet down there.  Hayward saw 

the Turk lunge forward & pull his bayonet

back out of Lt. Shelden's chest. Haywd &

Alward as they came round / corner

saw / quick movement. Haywd sd "It

is / last ever you will bayonet" as they

shot him.  That Turk was standing just around