Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/233/1 - 1919 - 1920 - Part 3

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open for review
Accession number:
RCDIG1066593
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

the oldiers who heve mne remained underay commend hial bu pashed up again I have tele I first lines in my E. But hynt stay there. They need greas remfts &I soldiers who have rotn After seeing him Sym A 3Basked. Major - what fout If We are you speaking of you speak ofy from wh 5 coml the Titiater is him what he kn Fove what Tefik Bey od 3/B understood to be spoke of 1 line toI wh ws never occupied I Austilus. (He had read a repord bas from on off or N.CO. We aroanced u to pout line? This wo I extreme it owens fully 3/B sd I will go back
pama ali 500 Cd 32 Jsar Litty To ble ta J alepe e reat o pose Alde betine B. Dech 5 n0 Der looking wt from Ris X 1 19
S/B went to Kirney, Sert toask the CO. 125t Rest Abdax Rasak Bey sbe cd see very well from there to turn fire onte L. Pine & demoralise the assalents there All (the Bn COs. & Rep. CO) ere here. A. Rasak Bey said to the Austers on his post too were dctive some of the saadbags had be taken down in our 2 the thought there at be an attack SBed things were critical at the Dine –wdh do tis at all cosh. At I same time 3/B Law A Tefit Bly wrote a report to the folo Divn & sd: after the attack by
82 m Rlodo Sre e Destrope t List tat S. Froow 223 63) Fet 29/9 No SPont Take top. 21
621 ao an fo e tey 22 glosters to here he on thste here Britiss here NE many deadle Antis asdead sen a e e e se A60 a many Frous of Brit deadhers. Turks buig 100 a bankafiw WE yds purdm 3166 o sketche Feb. 24/19 for this was, Feb. 23 - not 24) Notes of Apex Malores French is not pov mencory really natines- enlaks (3wt 20/121646)
They tooken at that posite. in 1 directe of our Ex What is there. reported the A DCO from there, Law a man who placed a flag where marked, He asked - is it one of our men aEnglishean 3/B3 sd It must be an Enushian, So be fired Hws obvious to Istation as critical; if any farther attack came they ad lose whole posibe. There ws no fire step in K.C & it us vdeep 3/B sd. lease off at else & quickly put firesteps in his 7soas to give usa defence time. So w bayonets & wenthing took they began this at
& test soldiers wont (o wls 31 t encourage tem. them sch: The l are not empty there are end of tema Come to he Thow ae where theie Austhrs are! Hee young off look him toI again - & 3/B showed him to there were end soldiers there w bayonets. He left him at & & heart a later this young of wentto as wd TB looked aaintrom & Gowds here were soldiers in E valley toods F- congested in 1 same vay as in lothen E Jnst of going up there he entered by k& went towdeI & wet there te offe who commanded
33 ordered young off You will make a barrier wo fire in this y until we see what is happening else where He ten vent to F as it ws I riglest & most wept part. As he want out ofX he neet some NCOS& Fdeers & asked. That is I positie, whet has heppened. Tey sd: The Austhis have reached even here - see, there are I dead even here (& 9B saw one auto lying beside him dead) It ws cleerly criticel - tere were r few I behind - only C.T & one fix cross G. An offe of one of other Brs there N.f V sd: The Austhis have entered our
at canon ws eupladig soldiers who disht know their way & exposed thanselves to it. The Hoja Mafti Sd: Don & be Anxious abt this side. I will remein cheef here. I as clear to 1 daner was hiper up on 1 Cep. To 3/B left I pocite in I hands of the Roga & went to wds I. At I at corner be net a young off whosd: This C.t is held by Austlus, Here as a traverse tere & above I traverse co be seen [ Austh bayonets. Bonbs were o frm boto sides. In I tero were wd& dead, + soldiers were passing over these dead& ad. This increased to Emotion of Iooldiers - they were in a lipe tstate of strain.
the live to D bat by LY &F. 3 Bey startet first up by 2 He went ap to C.T. by Ls perh 35 ydsap it. At G there ws no off- only the Hoja of Lis Bn. (Merfti ws his rank being w 15 Bn - the 213 wd have an Eriem). He ws avery brave man, + kept his head or well. S Bly came up near him. He appere- Id you cant ppurther - there were some dead +wd of 15/5 & of the other Bn. Therews an old bay there, humbled a bit. Somemen had fallen there. Tey toto 3/B. Behind this plec there are English v. Bombs were being thrown from both sides & it was & dangivous. The situster ws lead there. But sone 1 direct of H a

18
(see over.)
enemy the soldiers who have

remained under my command

have bn pushed up again & have

taken / front lines in my trenches. But

they cant stay there. They need great

reinfts & / soldiers who have

gone up there are not eno!

After seeing him sign tt 

3/B asked. Major - what front

line are you speaking of ? If

you speak o / trenches from wh I

come, the situation is ....&

Z/B told him what he knew.

From what Telik Bey sd Z/B

understood tt he spoke of / line

to D wh ws never occupied by

/ Australns. (He had read a report

from an offr a NCO : we ^have advanced up

to / front line." This ws / extreme rt

Owens Gully. Z/B sd I will go back

170

 

175    19
Diagram - see original document

 

 

20
See over
Z/B went to Kirmizi Sirt

to ask the C.O. 125th Regt

^Abdul Rasak Bey. (C)

(as who he cd see very well from there)

to turn fire onto L. Pine & demoralise

the assailants there.

All (the Bn C.O.s & Regt. C.O.)

were there.

A. Rasak Bey said tt the Austlns

on his front too were active - 

some of the sandbags had bn taken

down in our trenches & he thought

there wd be an attack.

Z/B sd things were more

critical at the Pine - wd he

do this at all costs?

At / same time Z/B saw tt

Telik Bey wrote a report to the GOC

Divn & sd: after the attack by /

174

 

173     21
Diagram - see original document

 

once.

Z/B ordered the N.C.O.

Tell your men ^imdl to fire even if

they dont see / English - so

as to make a barrage.

The attack ws at a

standstill by then - at tt moment.

The same thing ws being 

done by soldiers on their own

initiative - & a front line

was estabd facing abt G-F

The C.T.s were full & nothing cd be 

done there.

After seeing tt things were

quiet, & how close we were

Z/B left, & sent a message to

/ Hoja tt he ws going to Kirmizi 

Sirt. The Bn ws absorbed by them

& no reserve.

(2 pages over)

172

22
Diagram - see original document

 

at that positn. They looked

in / direction of our trenches : What

is there.

A NCO from there ^reported he saw a man

who placed a flag where marked.

He asked - is it one of our men

or an Englishman. Z/B

sd It must be an Englishman.

So he fired.

It ws obvious tt / station

ws critical; if any further

attack came they wd lose

/ whole positn. There ws no

fire stop in KL & it ws v. deep.

Z/B sd: leave off all else &

quickly put firestops in 

this trench so as to give us a

defence line. So - w bayonets &

trenching tools they began this at

 171

 

& these soldiers wont go into

them. Z/B to encourage

them sd : 'The trenches are not empty -

there are eno of them. Come w me

& show me where these Austlns

are!

The young offr took him

to J again - & Z/B showed him

tt there wre eno' soldiers there

w bayonets. He left him at Y

& heard tt later this young offr

went into / trench & ws wd.

Z/B looked again from Y towds

F. There were soldiers in /

valley towds F - congested in /

same way as in / other trenches.

Inst of going up there he entered

by K & went towds J & met

there the officer who commanded

170

 

 

Z/B ordered young offr. "You

will make a barrier w fire in

this trench until we see what is

happening else where.

He then went to F as

it ws / highest & most impt

post. As he went out of Y he

met some NCOs & soldiers &

asked : What is / positn; what

has happened.

They sd : The Austlns have 

reached even here - see, there are

3 dead even here (& Z/B saw one

Austln lying beside him dead) It ws clearly

critical - there were v. few trenches

behind - only C.Ts & one fire cross

trench.  An offr of one o / other

Bns there N. of Y sd : The

Austlns have entered our trenches

169

 

small canon ws enfilading

soldiers who didnt know their

way & exposed themselves to it.

The Hoja Mufti sd : "Dont be

anxious abt this side. I will remain

here." It ws clear tt / ^chief danger was

higher up on / left. So Z/B left

/ positn in / hands of the Hoja.

& went towds J. At J at /

corner he met a young offr

who sd : This C.T. is held by /

Austlns : There ws a traverse

there & above / traverse cd be

seen / Austln bayonets. Bombs

were going from both sides. In J Y

there were wd & dead, & /

soldiers were passing over these

dead & wd. This increased the 

emotion of soldiers - they were in 

a high state of strain.

168

 

the line to D but by Z Y & F.

Z/Bey started first up by Z.

He went up the C.T. by Z, perh

35yds up it. At G there

ws no offr - only the Hoja of

his Bn. ("Mufti" ws his rank

being w 1stBn - the 2 & 3 wd have

an Imam). He ws a very brave

man, & kept his head v. well.

Z/Bey came up near him. He

sd you cant go further ^up here - there

were some dead & wd of 1st/57

& of the other Bn. There ws an

old bay there, tumbled a

bit. Some men had fallen there.

They told Z/B. "Behind this place 

there are English". Bombs were

being thrown from both sides & it ws

v. dangerous. The situation ws level

there. But from / directn of H a

167

 

 

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