Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/200/1 - 1915 - 1918 - Part 4

caused a lot of casualties.

A few men of all Units

were there. The sea ws

well in view on I left

front from here down by

Fishermans Hut. Our

men were lying all over

I place in their own

small pties a few yds

behind I crest but in

this shrapnel fire. Tulloch

didn't see any offr th he knew

there. Reinfts were constantly

arriving in small parties

& T ordered a retirement

of abt 100 yds just out o I

shrapnel bursts. He told I

troops to fix bayonets , put

10 rds in I magazine & then

wait - I idea being to

build up a firing line strong

eno' to get superiority

of fire before engaging I Turks

on I other side o I ravine.

There were staff officers

down I gully sending these 

reinfts forward - (prob. in

Shrapnel Gully?)[Tulloch's map

shows that it was Happy Valley

C.E.W.B 15/1/47.] New

Zealanders were coming on

& some of 2nd Bde. Then

Tulloch went forwd to reconnoitre

to I edge of the ridge

facing I Turks, & ws hit

in I leg & got back.

 

When T. got back to the

positn where he ws hit he

heard of Lawler's death.

 

Tulloch met Evans in

hosp. in Alex. & talking 

it over decided that Evans

ws on his rt in I advance

positn but out of touch.

In I advanced positn I

men kept touch splendidly

& passed orders & informatn

tho' there was a gap of 5

yds between men.

 

The pty who were left

to delay I Turks probl

on Baby 700 probably fought

their own action there.

 

In I advanced positn

they found I ground very

hard & any attempt to show

an entrenching tool brought

down heavy fire. There

might be little 6 in pozzies

there but no more.

12th Bn Proyart

(from Tulloch, ^(at time of interview)

then I think a/co 12 Bn)

Bde concentrated in

St Germaine Wood just W of

Proyart. They reached there

just at the Zero hour & came

in for the Counter barrage -

guns, high explosive. Lt A L

Wardlaw ws hit going in.

12 Bn ws camped in a

deep gully where there had

bn a German dump -just

in rear of 1st Bdes j.o. line

cloe to Proyart wh ws abt

300 yds away. They were abt

a little in front of Germaine Wood.

 

The move ws first

ordered for 7am but this ws

cancelled. Bde left I

bivouac at 2.15pm.

 

Before this the Red Circus

came over & bombed them

heavily. The lookers came

right up under shellfire. The QM

S of 12 Bn, White, ws k. there.

A German dump ws put up

by a shell & 6 men of B

Coy k.

 

12 Bn ws to move the

1st Bn - original orders had bn

for 3 Bde to leapfrog 1st Bde, but these

were altered later & the

attack ws thrown in further

left. 10 Bn were to clear

Long Wood N of Chuignolles

on I slope facing I Germans

12 Bn ws to rendezvous

there. The Bn moved up in

artillery formation, thro'

a rly cutting just W of Chuignolles

& there came under very heavy

m.g. & shrapnel at H.E. in a 

wheatfield at 900 yds range.

The Germans were on I opposite

slope facing this wheatfield,

onto wh Bn came after

passing the rly cutting.

The assembly ground ws

reached at 4.25.

 

Two Coys of 11 Bn were w

them going thro I wheatfield.

One L.G. section of 11 Bn ws blown

up completely in this, & 12 Bn

lost 10 men.  XXX

 

G. Coy                                  34

valley

 

Sketch map

 

They directed from I wheatfield

into I village & rested there -

the men were pretty done as I 

pace agst this barrage had bn

hot. 1st Bde had done a small

attack just before.

 

C Coy ws in Chuignolles

village & I other Coys (wh had

                                            35

not come thro' I wheatfield but

down I slope further to I

right) were on their

right.

 

C Coy in I village ws

not in touch w them.

 

When they got into I village

the Coy commdr sent back

word to the Batt Q th it

ws impossible to get to the

S,O, positn in time  - (the

barrage had already gone down)

-as the concentrated fire

from Marly Wood onto I

valley ws too heavy. He

sent Lt Lynas Lines w this.

Lines, picked up Bn forward

report centre & got thro' on I

phone. In I meantime another

                                           36

barrage came down while

they were watching I place. It

struck I hill ahead & seared

I German m. gunners.

A, B & D Coys on I rt (Lt Vaughan M C. & 

Lt Sellick) [ACBD  DBCA] made a

dash down I valley got

across I valley & got up

the slope opposite just below

Marly Wood (wh ws partly on

I slope) - across a dump

& rly. German

 

As soon as C saw A

Coy move it went after them

& went up I hill in rear o I

others in section rushes

At this time Long Wood still

had Germans in it. An old

A Tank ws on I top o I hill

blazing into it w a 6 pdr gun.

                                                                 37

Another tank ws bagged

further down I slope on a 

cross road.

 

This rush brought them

to Manly Wood. Out o I 

trench on I top o I ridge

wh had bn firing at them

(it ws a sunken rd really

they found out later) they

got I offr & 40 men, 2 77s

an Amer Tank gun & abt 10 mgs.

This ws on a single company front.

Each Coy ws taken, similar

prisoners.

 

When the Bn reached

the object edge of Marly Wood

it had bn it ws reorganised

as best the offrs [DBCA) cd as under