Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/207/1 - 1915 - 1918 - Part 6

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open to contributions
Accession number:
RCDIG1066583
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

as a matter of fact there were 5 tiues of telegraph soles) wh led them considerty too far right (to Cutts] However bok there crross were soon mendrs. After t hrs wait S0 Bn mover off to tke up its posites near the Touthern recatrant. Leut Hodges Coy ws yout sorti thesee to di just in on 1edg. Of gully - when there us a call from aheas who are you? It ws in poed English II men thought it ws a Torniny, or Else (Americans (Tho had rtedto they comeon to them). Some one shouted back
Hustialians- here, dont shoot they were standin up. The voice came balk alright - Coare on Australia & then a gun only 309ds or so ahead opened on him hle men still thought it ws started a Courmy & curserg him Bt Battalion Austialians they sait. Ae fu answered again some on Austialians I put in another burst. Then our chaps took a tuable They pot down & Lomcone than a bomb at him He ran & left his gun. There was high c there where he was - he got away from his position his gun
just swept the slope where our nen were, tike a glacis He reust hase hed our ma fair apt shoy & feen kem long before in Ffleres Io this burst Lient Bills As k with several wp bullets thro I hear. Annoshall men lit to night were hit thro I hear - the men were mosthy hit by these pazing batleto as trey lay down. Abt 13 or 14 camalties here tes towler reported the Ba on its objective- & 13o 14 camnatties - this 6s att mednight. Te 50Bn weten dug in as stown on map in a live of posts - B.C. finell
a continuous line They cd get splende obser from their rt down the Culty to Bray. In their Centre the had not sack good observation -the cliff side here convists of a steep series of brmps or beaches. Heir rt as on the highest ground from there I hill stoped down to a quarry on 1billtop with a hedge along the Nedge of it. The contect plane came over & they lit their flares att J am. Then a ferman t a place came over- red nose - very checky. mast have on armour plated for
our infantry bit back at him to everytheng they had in way of a Lfun. The forman be seen leaving over I waving his arm.The trenches were shallow for I ground ws tough linestone Eop. on 1 right]. Te plane ws over from hr an Dr. Att an hour to 1/ Lrs leter 1 ferman Arb It begn to get the enge at once.I byan. i ne very heavy indeed. The fermans had a fun NE of Poyart (behind G central). It enfileded the right entirely. Tis enfitades Hodges Coy especially. There ts another ballery shooting direct from just behind la Newvite. There were also
was behind or on Fioissy Beacon. There were fieldgaus ahear. Theg could see the white parapets on 1 green Lit – we had trid t Camonflage these with grass mustard crop) but ocourse coul see Hodges het 5 men kellet eft Beresfords Coy bad 2 posts completed blown out shell one shell fell into the hole where two dee is funners thei gan were. Ma Towlers Coy had a shell into one post of tmen & NCO 4were K. & 308 ba4.2. No sells were waster - all seemed to fell on 1 brench. The
S/bs did very heavy work- & prodicall all those in two of Coys were bit The Suipers in IGullies were also very active they fired pom behind thr banks & here were mess. there. One offer of Towlers loy D Wills, learing a man Call sho hedh bit, jumped out on pareper - Hs bitman Tho followed him Every where I pumped out at once ls hit straight thro I hear indby This day I femmans were slen coming down road pon Tizannl mosh of them came down
road into Ivillap. Mey were out of range here. Our men tried to snipe them at an oce spacenear Church wh they crossed - they w Extrema sights – but it ws too far. He arty were called for & they landed a stell fair in I read after first by tot hed passed. At One time a motoe Car bed come no along his 2oad. dropped an officer at some trenches near oturned roun, waiter to & abt t0 mins later took tin away afain The fermans had probl cleared out during the selent
attack of night before The authorities at I back knew dow ery little If it till their plane came over next day. They pok tought our objic was Broy & hed cleared out I ths worning they were orderi tei farrison back Those shom So Bn saw were clearly making for the N.W. edge of villap. Me fermans who were thot down tere on the next day here were (Aug 12) after the 51st hat to attac. made or That day the yensday in on fort of Perincule. T Ris night (11/12)3 Divn took Mericourt. On the sext night 124/13 Luent Livesey At Isame 51Bn - (am.) took a fighting
patrol down the S. gull T00 parties followed - ore under E Billing, to form the pirst for 51 Bn. - a baison pest Ma Intyre betw. 507 51; mac Budet ws to dig in a post down the slope by (road, with heresay's party covering him, in order to block traffic abong 1 rd entired At I same time a fighting patrof of Daj. Towlers loy went down Nosthem jully under Cpl. Mengersen (DCM forthir). Hc us, yf possible, to place a post at I monk of the fully too Livesey got down alright & the contre Ple of Towlers Cov

as a matter of fact there

were 5 lines of telegraph

poles) wh led them considerably

too far right (Lt Cutts). However

both there errors were

soon mended. After½ hrs 

wait 50 Bn moved off

to take up its positn near

the Southern re entrant.

Lieut Hodges Coy ws

just digging^lying out .sorting themselves to dig in on / edge

o / gully - when there

ws a call from ahead

"Who are you!" It was

in good English' & / men

thought it was a Tommy, or

else / Americans (who had

shouted tt they wd come on

to them).  Some one shouted back
50

 

 

"Australians, here, dont 

shoot" - they were standing

up. The voice came back

"Alright - Come on Australia"

& then a gun only 30 yds or 

so ahead opened on them.

The men still thought it was

a Tommy & ^started cursing him.

"50th Battalion Australians"

they said. He [[?]] answered
again "Come on Australians"

& put in another burst.  Then

our chaps took a tumble.

They got down & someone

threw a bomb at him.

He ran & left his gun. There

was high crop  grass there where

he was - he got away.

From his position his gun
51
 

 

just swept the slope where
our men were, like a [[glacis?]].
He must have had our men
fair agst / sky & seen them
long before in / flares.
In this burst Lieut Bills
ws k with several m.g. bullets
thro / head. Almost all /
men hit tt night were hit
trho / head - the men



 

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