Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/236/1 - 1915 - 1918 - Part 7

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Awaiting approval
Accession number:
RCDIG1066596
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

59 facth t beafern ws Mis attack brnt pom f5.a. hih post b fon there Hombn ho has 3 psm Ferns A fors put brought fap indice werfers Heavy Canage again. Thes bnage as f Dmn. A rrecompersance Dephuptl S £o tadd on thrust ws then rais on followed af cod
tere 420 for w Veitops post in prons Byt of tss & at (buried to seo). plays Leavy fairt o attacks were beptn I spal Dasiy bome by confinued afdong ad fmade on 1 Lours another fambing attagh we that tie p 139 but without sudcess t 440 4Pen 12 Bo ys down Hapt) 180 w5 interagtind Ise ply day there & a preo plear of recommnsange Spekn being over ald day te Ferman rlaned dir th
the 81 foubly opend very heaving fn 456 pm on X all airections: shels were coming into fear Some 0f1 many were of h from reand pased ant 0 trus in llhops in foud asI trentes were and death traps. Ie Samans made fe kaf seared] attaph from tayer wh ps daat of by duri & pont this timg an order cpnn from 165 At L. p. tf a goy of wkn wt feug sentt is. a the fling of 11 Bp which 4 182. 10P coy ad hold o took 200 y/s trench 2 150 went ptalt Maj court eghd
tit w Darnall andly called &c (conferencee) of alt. ofr. live [(he wo sandor off in Kind n/. in 4Q (in pout his] and pleased in 1 ane 640 to report oo this ws impracticable ap my wepe expecting, a heavy cettagh andy idanut & As by tn the2Rns cdnt mualis 250 ma. The Coy of JoBn mone tthan coming uphad thad afot 25 per cent csut. fetting in thot [opsragg - under feart. Partridge. & filling). Rafferty Spl. There two a lot of bagky (H. P. Buzzer). i had to the done] They had dlecaded You Rap 5d nott a flore Watrage wod Rave
63 order ws to attack to o down +as aeut down At dawn V Canay ferms akacked wo a flammten- it went clown wert in cach line we had a post dug into Dide o trench at A as te2 sers came on t te Hammen- 2 28 aerfer I men [in) post were ont Nor
ar A put fon 64 the c first dupout at o of teny Goth, them bouds in on t trugh. in ctaged Te Hlammnderf fuch past Ws 2d there lins In I dea Sner road, fo ws lleke Arecth fland shot klowd if up Syaphed The Bn Lgader were in for abt. Yoyds I whild t ferd yore a Augeryt at these ware dend goiy plony trugh fen 244 th H.t s butsser o
AuG5 at couple kraw boabs glown stick didn attengt te glown Lesons Garnepl ws a 1pont lave in a abt 167ds from Apple6y5 dy out morning tnght appleby as12 king get pet The fermand on the reay The flammenar for 190. Peoacer Rd. & Capt Hdmaany way first Cpt. W. Hafllaham fi ta a2 Capt Burgegs Cal 3 wof Seing atrack of this Hammen werfer 7M. pt MacWepl (of 452 heard this
which he huisaly 60 4.9 cfattaed with engen T4 offangte mans shoulder fized This yt. whitle he ws firin 4 ups bearer Feammcnwerfor thyough shot the ey So DFO ta Ander burnt 67 atteck a bornfin time Att Fame Darpeft M aprangementt a O 6s Seng. andder Fo) 1. Kont & Can. Cauughed theto Ct Pepmans Foweld o down o. (Fowels py by & Dao Josa our 15 find were c wh ferms this J. These DDenf for
Ever 3he attact 43 were K. 5aman. off by alt 8f30 am. (stavter aft t din in the sy of One of our There is nothing t0 a tkig up t Hlamenwp &. Gur outh trige onfis were 164 of our pwn man sackend fin foo ton. it e wiois divns. (Toe univergal ned we vepy 1das ad be blown our togther. 4E. PEngug extecpive & pes wis tind every ope had on buried (at e time of another in (h[strain as. admpost thoed beyond bopving. [This altads and oxaurred ind of t May & Bon . on 40 keld tll cife of 18th Mns
68 gane tht who offis a an wrunded Pab (who hd Lammgrton W Ba were there whole ting 2of on 4 Goubes profinant Who fayd not play far very epule its th attach papt a ws onl plexs ation H.C fdhams Ayorget officers Sept H Plack Sey Seitch sep Fowels DLIM all 80 Bde 2 Bullien 50

59
This attack ws beaten back by digging
in little posts from / side o / trench &
bombing from there.
At 3 pm / Germs; who had
brought up minenwerfers, put down a
heavy barrage again. This barrage ws
kept up till 9 p.m. A reconnaissance
thrust ws then made on 3rd Bn on
/ left, imdly followed by a raid on

 

60
Veitchs' post in front (V. ws there for 4
days & ws buried twice).  Both of these
attacks were beaten off.  A fairly heavy
bombt continued all night.  During / small
hours another bombing attack ws made on /
right but without success.  By this time
12 Bn ws down to abt 160, & 11 Bn to 140
The follg day there ws intermittent
shelling & a great deal of reconnaissance
in the air, the German 'planes being over all day

 

on & off. At 6 pm bombts opened very heavily from
all directions. Shells were coming into / rear
of / line from Queant. Some o / men were
pushed out o / trenches into shellholes in
front as / trenches were only death traps.
The Germans made a half hearted attack from
/ front during / night wh ws dealt w by
L.Gs. At this time an order came from Bn H Q
tt a Coy of 10 Bn ws being sent up - & that
this 10 Bn Coy wd hold the line of 11 Bn while 11 Bn
went thro' 12 Bn & took 200 yds of trench
to / right by a bomb attack. Maj

62Darnell 

62
Darnell imdly called a conference of all offrs
in / line (he ws senior offr in / line in/c of
2 Bns in / line, H.Q. in front line) and decided
to report tt this ws impracticable as
they were expecting a heavy attack any
moment & As by then the 2 Bns cdnt muster
more than 250 men. The Coy of 10 Bn
coming up had had abt 25 per cent casualties
getting in thro / barrage - under Lieut. Partridge.
There ws a lot of backing & filling. Rafferty sd
(on H.P. Buzzer) it had to be done They had decided
tt it ws not to be done. Raff. sd tt / barrage wd have

 

63
to go down & / order ws to attack
At dawn / barrage went down - & as
it went down / Germs attacked w a flammenwerfer
in each line.
Diagram - see original document
We had a post 
dug into / side
o / trench at
A. As the 2
Germs came on
w their flammenwerfer
/ men in /
post were safe &
let them pass. When they got close to /

 

64
first dugout at B the men at A put some
bombs in on top of them & got them both.
The Flammenwerfer stayed in / trench.
In / rear line there ws no such post -
/ trench ws like a sunken road, so
smashed up - & / flame shot down it
for abt 40 yds. The Bn signallers were in
a dugout at C; & while / Germs were
going along / trench these were sending 
messages on the H.P. buzzer. The Germs

 

65
threw a couple of stick bombs down but
didnt attempt to go down there.
Darnell ws in / front line in a dugout
abt 6 yds from Appleby's dugout -
Appleby ws k tt night morning.
The Germans in the rear line got rt to /
Pioneer Rd. The flammenwerfer got
first Capt. W. Hallahan - & Capt. Hemmingway
(both c & Capt Burgess (all 3 wd in the
c/attack on this flammenwerfer ).  Lieut.
MacNeill (of the 3rd L.T.M. Bty) got lead this

 

66
c/attack with a L.G. which he himself
fired off another mans shoulder. The man
ws k, while he ws firing it. This L.G.
shot the Flammenwerfer through & / bearer
ws burnt to a cinder. (McN. got DSO)
At / same time a bombing attack
ws (by arrangement w Maj Darnell)
launched from / front line under Sergt.
Fowels - down the C.T. to cut / Germans
off. (Fowels MM & DCM got a bar to his
DCM for this). These Germs who were cut

 

67
off were k to a man. The attack ws over 
by abt 8.30 a.m (Started abt 5am.)
There is nothing in the story of one of our
Germans people taking up the Flamenwfr & turning
it on / Germs.
At one time there were 164 of our own men stacked in / bottom
o / trench - dead of this & previous divns. The universal shell ws very
effective & whole L.G. crews wd be blown out together.
At this time everyone had bn
buried at one time or another in
those trenches & the strain ws almost
beyond bearing. This attack had occurred
on / mg of 7th May & Bn ws not
reld till evg of 8th May

 

68
Only X unwounded offrs who came thro
in 11 Bn were Lt Lammerton (who had
not bn there / whole time) & Lt Coombes
(who did not play a very prominent
part in the attack or its repulse).
Graham's M.C. ws / only decoration
amongst / Officers -
Sergt Black ^MM., Sergt Veitch & Sergt Fowels
all got D.C.M.
For the 1st & 3rd Bdes (exc 9 Bn) Bullecourt

 

 

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