Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/207/1 - 1915 - 1918 - Part 9

in no condition to do it
They had been coming up in
/ wind & rain & many
were lost – they were out
of spirits. This ws abt 11pm
The attack at 12 (for wh
/ artillery ws all ready) ws
put off - at / last moment.
The Arty officers & others all
disappointed - and it, ws
done later (? next day night)
w a barrage of Stokes mortars
up / trench abt 300yds ahead
o / troops & rifle grenades
abt 60 yds ahead. Bombing
platoons were still in use
at his time. They were
done away w before Ypres.
80

50 Bn Mouquet Aug. 12
When 50 Bn went over on Aug 12/13
the Lahore Divsnl artillery put up
a splendid barrage. The whole Bn cd
be seen by / flame of it - a continuous
flash of shrapnel busting almost
over / mens' foreheads. The
relief ws a daylight relief
& / men had bn pretty depressed -
the Germans saw them abt 300yds
after they turned in to Tom's Cut
where / trench became broken^& his arty came down. In
Park Lane the whole o / 16Bn ws
met - they had had a very had
time really  – the whole 16 & nearly whole 50^th
were both there - & / men were
3 deep & the trench hopelessly congested.
16Bn dribbled out as it got
dark - their officers simply told
him where to go back to - O'Meara
ws splendid with their wounded - wdnt
go as Coy as there were wd men there -
This he did w / help of 50 Bn bearers partly.
But He must have on there all
/ next day making many trips -
When the 50^th saw / barrage
their spirits changed completely.
It cheered them & many of them
were almost fascinated by it.
The barrage got away from the Bn -
not like a "creeper" of these days.
The feeling ws like tt of a wall ahead of you
- like a protective wall .You
Diagram - see original document
had no idea of
getting hit.
The men who
spoke of leaning
against / barrage
ws not so
much out.
They were
convinced
when
shells
began
to fall
amongst
them later
next morng tt it ws our
own guns (landing
near / trees). But
it ws certainly the
German fire from
the two flanks.
 

207
Typed
209-228A
11Bn.
Landing
& Battle  outposts
13 Bn- Russells Top
April 26.
49 Bn. Aug 1-7
Domant
Aug 11-16.
Etinehem
50 Bn. Aug 11 -
52 Bn Mouquet.
57 Bn Noreuil
Somme winter
Stormy Trench