Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/208/1 - 1915 - 1918 - Part 2

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Awaiting approval
Accession number:
RCDIG1066584
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

up into Rollin Y from Caual but my. at Allans stopaw it. They ken with B Coy went round by Tesupol 4 past Ponsot Y into Rolin G & came down T wh is int side of hile to I flet in pout of it. They stoppe ture till & ten put a section out onte the XRd in 3 centrel. wh we there all night till next ip attack Dury I night they crossed over into Breseler Alley & attacen from these got into pay l without opposite & then workd up it to NE There they struck oppositic ferms out. The & bombed
Res. ferms (2 Jds. Dion) fought well to bombs but were out fouth wLg. & bouebs - one plen worked ap Frame, the rest up Aster t (where some yaus werek. By abt 8-830 K had Sentari & FinnlY. A big batch of Eo ws got from Aster 4 near its pacte wo Ttame. When his opposibe wI struck Mept Trompson turns his LJ. down 14 from 1 Juieti -5 of Aster-Zunmermaun Yept Weathers gumped up on side of y here becd see fermans - went along at 7or 8yds. & ten trew bourle at them. They didn't give in at 1 first go. Ae got down into
14 & got some move bombe The L.G. Ws trned on agains Weakers jumped up again in same place & hurbe we mave bourt (1 ferms had shotat him but missed) & the Jerms fave in. Thy fot out on top & marches back Terewere t 150 ohi too teken by his Coyalone.
63Bn Brayser Sone. The B Bn made its approve march abt 4.45 5a.m. 22 Ang I came under re beevy shellfire onway to support poath heavy ast 58 casualties bay in seppt allday bs te ordered tofom a Ans defensive flenk for the Corps, No of Bois do Taillis – indepet of anythng th I Buitish were doing. They moved there Esq 22 aug. Thereabt 2 hrs & found to British had already made this. Flank being secure Ber w. Withdrawn to Bois de ressie o Night of Aug 25/26 - hurin advance in dark Heavy thanderstorn. wcn
advancing to get touch bet Enemy - firin h go unto deonte as found them in pitch black.
From T.O. H Oliver G3Bn: Sept 29 - Oct 5/3 Bn & campednear Templeux guersed. 43 41 42 44 43 in this posite bec after passing green line the port expanded & they were to become left Bn of Brigade in front line going up on left of 41. They left Templer at I am. & advanced in arty formati a cross country N. of Hargecourt Missaye # 41 0 44 were held up came back to B H.O. abt 9.30 & Bn
stopped automatically in support sooyds behind yn (one cay in tns. of blown out tenks, anor loy in Sunken Rd S. of Ronssoy) At 4.00 pm. Bde Ancelle advance & sdt further strus adbe issued. Lete preliary came ap order for 43 to assemble w p2 & 44 in A27 centrel, to atteck Nwds up the Hindly line towds Bony. The Bn At 8.15 moved upinto Trcaugh Trench (whole Blepin up as far as it cd); tatee the Coys went across to near Quennemont Im & tence
into Top Lane. The night &driztng a very very derk the Bn tumbled almost by mistake outs a part of 42 Ba in toulane. in Quennemont Iou - heard from them & there were others (some 42 Bm nearer Hindby Lim near 27 ctl. They got into Top Lane I getting near I fay corner reds ftts fune w Hindly line ran into A fermer post. Tey divnt know where (ferms were fire af coming from WF NE and 1 ferm ws known to be close They bombed I ferms
out & pushedon to junation prshed down to jain 44 & at same time Islable around posts facug MxEe Ljuaction In this operati direction Ws very difficult indeed to fint owing 5 darkness, drizzle & were - 42 found this also] (enos preent) Capt Movan, then decide to try, push up, clear ferms out oT Syetem towds Bony (in both t Li This began at 11.30 nixt - Ay 32 day when 44th supplied a coy in the Support 2of1 true & 43 worked up pout 2t 44 Coy reportu
4a & Te names of these offis were N. MK. McDonald, N.RW Scott H.RD Thompson. abtnontt they cont get on owing to opposite by mps, artilly &bombs at 1 Juneti o top lane & I support live At 1 pm. 43Bn had pot to A21B0.2 & we held tere I men ptout & worked t a positie to S.W. of BorryT there sniped I crew of a fernan T.M. Wh hadbu finy at them from Iend of a sup I.W.0 village. The fan ws stopped to tae Apta). But in the pty of 43Bn wh her worked up 17 3offs were wd & 4 men wd, &2 meerk. The pty had to withdraw to 1 strongpoint near 1Nendo 1Sunkend

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up into Rollin trench from Canal

but mgs. at Allaine stopped

it. They then with B Coy

went round by Jesupol

trench past Ponsot trench into

Rolin trench & came down

/ trench wh is in / side o / hill 

w / flat in front of it. They

stopped there till & then

put a section out onto the

x Rd in 3 central. wh

ws there all night till 

next mgs attack. They

Durg / night they crossed

over into Boeseler Alley

& attacked from there, got

into Graz trench without oppositn

& then worked up it to NE.

There they struck oppositn

& bombed / Germs out. The

 

10

Germs (2 Gds Res Divn) fought well

w bombs but were out fought

w L.Gs. & bombs - one pln

worked up Fiume. the rest

up Usler trench (where some Germs

were k.)

By abt 8 - 8.30 they

had Scutari & [[Finnit?]] trench.

A big batch of prisoners ws got from

Usler trench near its junctn w

Fiume. When this oppositn

ws struck L/Cpl Thompson turned

his L.G. down / trench from / junctn

of Usler - Zimmermann - &

L/Cpl Weathers jumped up on

/ side of I trench where he cd see

/ Germans - went along at

7 or 8 yds, & then threw bombs

at them. They didn't give in

at / first go. He got down into

 

11

/ trench & got some more bombs.

The L.G. ws turned on again;

Weathers jumped up again

in / same place & hurled

some more bombs (/ Germs

had shot at him but missed)

& the Germs gave in. They got

out on top & marched back.

There were abt 150 of them -

200 taken by this Coy alone.

 

12

43 Bn

Bray sur Somme: The

43 Bn made its approach

march abt 4.45 6 a.m. 22 Aug

& came under v. heavy shellfire

on / way to down support positn

having abt 50 casualties.

Lay in support all day.

Ws then ordered to form a

defensive flank for the ^Aust Corps,

N. of Bois de Tailles - independly

of everything tt / British were

doing. They moved there

evg 22 Aug. There abt 2 hrs -

& found tt British had 

already made this. Flank

being secure. Bn ws

withdrawn to Bois de

Gressaire agn.

Night of Aug 25/26 - during advance in

dark Heavy thunderstorm - men

 

13

advancing to get touch w /

enemy - firing L.Gs. into dugouts

as found them in pitch black.

 

14

From I.O. Lt. Oliver

43 Bn: Sept 29 - Oct 2/3

Bn ws camped near 

Templeux Guerard.

          43/              41/

42/                                 —————>

                              44/

43 ws in this positn bec. after

passing green line the front

expanded & they were to

become left Bn of Brigade

in / front line going up

on left of 41.

They left Templeux at

7 am. & advanced in arty

formation across country

N. of Hargicourt.

Message tt 41 & 44

were left up came back to

Bn H.Q. abt 9.30 & Bn

 

15

stopped automatically in 

support 500 yards behind 41 Bn.

(one Coy in trench near S. of blown

out tanks, anor Coy in /

Sunken Rd S, of Ronssoy).

At 4.50 p.m. Bde cancelled

/ advance - sd tt further

instrns wd be issued. Later

came a ^preliminary order for 43 to

assemble w 42 & 44 in

A27 central, to attack N.wds

up the Hindbg line towds

Bony.

The Bn at 8.15 moved

up into Triangle Trench

(whole Bde going up as far 

as it cd); later the Coys

went across to near 

Quennemont Fm & thence

 

16

into Top Lane. The night

ws very very dark - ^& drizzling - the

Bn tumbled almost by mistake

onto a part of 42 Bn in

Top Lane in Quennemont 

Fm - heard from them tt

there were others (some 42

Bn nearer Hindbg Line

& 44 Bn near 27 centl.)

They got into Top Lane

& getting near / far corner

of it at near its junctn w /

Hindbg line ran into

a German post. They didn't

know where / Germs were

— fire ws coming from

N & NE but and / Germ

ws known to be close.

They bombed / Germs

 

17

out & pushed on to / junction

— pushed down to join 44

& at same time establd

posts facing N & E near / around 

/ junction.

[In this operatn direction

ws very difficult indeed to

find owing to darkness,

drizzle & wire - 42 found

this also]

Capt Moran ^(senior offr present)  then decided

to try & push up & clear

Germs out o / system

towards Bony (in both trenches)

AugSept. 30 This began at 11.30 next

day when 44th supplied a

Coy in the Support trench of /

line & 43 worked up

front trench. 44 Coy reported

 

17a

∗The names of these offrs were :-

Lt. M.K. McDonald,

Lt. R.W. Scott,

Lt. R.D. Thompson.

18

abt noon tt cdnt get on owing

to oppositn by m.gs., artillery,

& bombs at / junctn of

Top Lane & / Support line.

At 1 p.m. 43 Bn had got

to A 21 B 0.2 & ws held there.

2 men got out & worked to a

positn to / S.W. of Bony &.

there sniped / crew of a German

T.M. wh had bn firing at them

from / end of a sap S.W. o /

village. The gun ws stopped 9&

later captd).

But in the pty of 43 Bn

wh had worked up / trench 3 offrs

were wd & 4 men wd, & 2

men k*. The pty had to

withdraw to / strong point

near / N end o / Sunken Rd

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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