Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/240/1 - 1915 - 1918 - Part 4

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open for review
Accession number:
RCDIG1066601
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 11

chaked- men cont get forod men cnt et back. The German shells were very close pounding away - Soon a cry came - Lears fans wanted. The guus nanaged to strugh their way along & found they way to our own pont hin Thene were many woundet ws bady knocked about. R. lost his Coy - only had his nt 3 guas. He coseet weves hedat reached, front ferman time. They lay down some distance in fronto Were - the owing bombs lost a loto
here. For this resson, as it was specially laid down to I Lewis funs were in be risted, & were to be tihe into a posite until posite ws secured - So R-kepthis L. Gs in the post tine just att head of Perneys Sap. The men starte t fire & had to be stopped. There ws in this y 4 Briggs of 4MnG. Coy with 28 gans- He asked R. why he as not going on, &on beny told se to the two lots had bete go over toget All twaves had fore on the germ fire had move spare fait owere pout of trench tos now
pretty clear. Brigss shouted Are you ready? Hs ws very caol - smoking a cyaietly He waved his hand to wave them out & over the all went Later in 1 day Briggs was nalled) c The repet it became 1top of ps hideous w ng. fire There ws a styht lopi- our time ran down it Ithen went I plack into I ditch up to their waists in water It ws sterry but it gave one protection Rturned to I right & it the gurs to I right along ditch & then sharp to lef along acontinuationf
litch ran straght lowds German lines. It very ws protection for Abt 4C y0s ✓ R. sot inweck by a nif bullet. He choked- Elliott one of ganness tell him is &w Macdonalo, and the ganner, thy lay here fo The ditch ws he or adying men all of wounded
like a batchers shop groanny & cryey & thrie ammunition was being carried up by pairs of men the hoxes being carrie on sticks One man wd go down shote crash wdgo the box cnts waters shelling ws r heavy The enges were diffing a C.T. at this point prom ave alongside Pinneys The wounded were streann. into this I hoppiy over the Engis were haven de an awful time tryeng the trench while in pstream two warnins came along. t be are gas! Then ust
tirig a wee falling to thnys were clearly wron. Bat when I word alt retirnng came along I men received it 20 what retreatyy, with Not on you life- &so on tim theys were to AtI same broken to they had a sortg fear a it as true - tongh it ws not I case. Before dark 1 men were trencles.Ch Norris eading them from t wsk ferman Tine to secon man time (53 Be) R. ws taken out. The water in 1 ditch ws feell of stine & mid of men had to
dray henselves aloay it. NS. Write to Sey C. Lorking, Wentworth Falls, NSW photo showing the shells burshen & our men jamping over parepet & gor forward 4. Bll tanding During first week the 14th Bn sitting on I rear slope of their posite watched a party go out. Bde Hgos I clear the walkers Ridge side of suyers. Theme t extended a ventap looked very fime. As they got
towards (top these was a fell shot heard &one man wounded: The man next him went across to him there ws another shot & he too fell. The line went on I presently as gtn top thre werete 4 shots on right&a scuffle men towards them. A few minutes later our nencame back Theyhad killed leading a tark. another up there. Laut Ball 14 Bn Who ws looking on thinks this ws on I first Saturday (May 157
o ot fa in Leerd Pot 8B 45 114 ing ent 4 th 166
10
Ant I Roberts ws in the Tntb. at Low of Qveen. The Oveen A & B Coys of 9t was one of first me Dr Butler shore + was taking palks hands beat. oute

29

choked - men cdnt get

forwd & wd men cdnt

get back. The German

shells were very close,

pounding away - soon 

a cry came - Lewis 

Guns wanted. The guns

managed to struggle their

way along & found their

way to our own front line.

There were many

wounded there & / trench 

ws badly knocked about.

R. lost his Coy - only had his

3 guns. He cd see tt / Germs front

waves hadnt reached / front

German line. They lay down

some distance in front o / 

German wire - throwing bombs

& firing - & lost a lot of men

 

30

here. For this reason, as

it was specially laid down

tt / Lewis Guns were not

to be risked, & were to be taken

into a positn until / positn

ws secured - So R. kept his

L.Gs in the front line just at / 

head of Pinneys Sap. The

men started to fire & had to be

stopped. There ws in this trench

Lt Briggs of 14 m.g. Coy with

(?) 8 guns - He asked R. why

he ws not going on, & on 

being told sd tt the two

lots had better go over together.

All 4 waves had gone on

& the Germ fire had moved 

forward. The space just

in front o  / trench ws now

 

31

pretty clear. Briggs shouted

"Are you ready?" He ws very

cool - smoking a cigarette.

He waved his hand to wave

them out & over they all

went (later in / day Briggs was

killed).

The moment they cleared

/ top of / parapet it became

hideous w m.g. fire.

There ws a slight slope -

our line ran down it & then

went splash into / ditch

up to their waists in water.

It ws slimy but it gave 
some protection.

R. turned to / right &

led the guns to / right along

/ ditch & then sharp to /

left along a continuation of /

 

32

ditch wh ran straight

towds / German lines. It

ws very good

Diagram - see original document

protection

for /

guns.

Abt 

40

yds

along

it,

R. got

hit in / neck by a m.g. 

bullet. He choked - Elliott

one o / gunners tied him up

& w Macdonald, another

gunner, they lay there for

½ hr or longer. The ditch ws

full of wounded & dying men

 

33

like a butchers shop - men

groaning & crying & shrieking

- ammunition was being

carried up by pairs of men

the boxes being carried on sticks.

One man wd go down

shot & crash wd go the box into

/ water. Shelling ws v. heavy

The engrs were digging a

C.T. at this point from 

Pinneys Ave alongside /

stream. The wounded were

hopping over into this &

some the Engrs were having

an awful time trying to dig

the trench.

While in / stream two

warnings came along -

first "gas!" Then "We are

 

34

retiring".

So many men were

falling tt things were 

clearly wrong. But when

/ word abt retiring came

along / men received it

with: "What retreating?"

"Not on your life!" - & so on

At / same time things were so

broken tt they had a sort of

fear tt it ws true - though

it ws not / case.

Before dark / men were

in / trenches. Col. Norris

ws k. leading them from the

1st German line to / second

German line (53 Bn).

R. ws taken out. The

water in / ditch ws full of

slime & mud & / men had to 

 34

35

drag themselves along it.

N3. write to

Sergt L. Lorking,

Wentworth Falls,

N.S.W.

for photo showing the shells

bursting & our men jumping

over / parapet & going forward.

4th Bde Landing.

During first week the 14th Bn

sitting on / rear slope of their

positn watched a party go out of

Bde Hqrs to clear the Walkers

Ridge side of snipers. The men

extended & went up thro / scrub.

They looked very fine. As they got

 

towards / top there was a

shot heard & one man fell,

wounded. The man next

him went across to him -

there ws another shot & he too

fell. The line went on &

presently, as they got on top,

there were xxxxxx three or

4 shots on / right & a scuffle of

men towards them. A few minutes

later our men came back

leading a Turk - They had killed

another up there.

Lieut Ball 14 Bn who ws

looking on thinks this ws

on / first Saturday (May 1st)

 

99

Diagram - see original document

 

101

Diagram - see original document

 

104

Diagram - see original document

102

Anzac Landing

25/4/1915

Lt Roberts ws in the 2nd boat

of 1st tow of Queen. The Queen

had A & B Coys of 9th -

Dr Butler was one o / first men

ashore & was taking packs handed

out o / boat.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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