Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/243A/1 - 1916 - 1934 - Part 21

Lt Flack.  8 M.g. Coy.  Guns on left.
(1)  One gun in a sort of shell hole. ^near Kaslinway.  The
water was bailed out - held until follg
mg when infy fell back & they came back
after infy.  No 3 sect. 8 mg Coy.
Sgt Maj. MacEwan went over after
Lt Shepherd had bn hit (by a short in own line)
& Lt Wynn went over durg night.
[*Wynn went to
McE's gun*]
(2)  Gs came at dawn from rt front -
across front of 31 Bn in old G. F. L.
& started bombg down f.l. from left.
In O.G. front line one of Lt Flack's guns
ws hit thro barrel casing - Other gun ws
covering C.T.
The attack in that part of line came from left.
Lt Wynn saw no barricades.  The m.g. wd be
somewhat to our rt of main trench.
O Sullivan had a bomb post & block on the flanks
of 31 Bn in O.G. front line & was moving from
flank to flank during the night.
Wynn Bros. Hatters N side of King St before Pitt St.
[*Newcastle.*]
Lt Flack (wd & Pte Jeater) got back at last
moment with 2 m.gs. from near
Toll's HQ.

xxxxxxxxxx

F.4151
1614.
7 December 1926.
W.D. Jeater, Esq.,
c/o Messrs. Pepper & Jeater,
Architects,
Newcastle.
Dear Mr. Jeater,
Both Mr. Winn and Mr. Flack, formerly of the 8th
Machine Gun Company, have mentioned to me that you had a good
knowledge of the events in the 31st and 32nd Battalions'
sectors in the Battle of Fromelles, especially in the matter
of machine-guns.
If you happen to be in Sydney and could spare the
time to call at the Victoria Barracks, where I have an office,
I should value a chance of going through some of the air-photographs
and maps with you, and checking the story as I
know it.  If, however, you are not often in Sydney, I should
be grateful if you could put down for me a few notes as to
your recollections of that fight.
Yours faithfully,
C. E. W. BEAN

Jeater.
The attack in mg - Row of trees.
In mg. Gs had reached f.l. on
left & were bombing from tt directn.
Flack had gone ^abt 5 mins. - Jeater ^fired a belt & left the
damaged gun & brought back the
undamaged one - when / bombs
were v. close.  There had been one
man behind him.
Creek.
Just before daylight Gs seen in skirmishing
order to front, coming up.
J. opened at abt 400^x & they scattered.
All the enfilading in mg. ws from the left
(E) Only the damaged gun was left.
J. got out on Tolls rt. towards rd - went
straight over.  Got some ammn - but only
3 there - so came back to rt of Toll's H.Q.
Flack consold w 2 guns - to rt of Toll.
Winn had x 2 guns in Mill's trench ^(took one over) - went over abt 8 p.m.
whe and there was a gun on his left.

Diagram - see original document
[*Arbloster.
Duntrooners*]
Campbell wd in Nomansland. on left - knew of no pties orgd to barrcde G. F. or suppt l
Barbr.
LGs clogged during night ; dump ; only 2 in mg crew on l of 32.
Barbour had a platoon (No 14.D.) & ws sent over to rfce left.
Purser's Coy had bn cut up going to l. aft offrs k or w.
B going across met w cas. from m.g. & rifle fire.
shell landed on leading sectn.
Br cdnt find anyone exc. d & w.  Posting pln he
He ordd them to collect cartridges from d & w & form dump in a dry
spot & to consold.
[*Higgon - Godley friend - Engl.
To take 2 s/ps on left.*]
Worked to l & met Capt White. ^He had had Bad time on l
but holding on tho short of men & ammn.  B told him of dump -
sent supplies to mg. crew at block end, who imdly
used it.  B worked to rt & came on Mills.  This gave W & M
connection.

[*This ws

before nightfall*]
Line enfiladed from l ↘ , cas frequent & wd falling into water.
G. Arty also v accurate on this trench.  Water ws no gt discomfort
but rifles clogged & ammn wet.
Saa & bombs wanted for block where mg. w depleted
crew. hanging on.  Some o / men kept 2 or 3 rifles in reserves as
their own were choked.  B's pln lost 20.
B. retd w Col Coghill to rept progress & worked in a circle
Diagram - see original document
bc pts had to crawl to keep under cover.

[*Diffs of runners.
Nankivell.*]

F.4151
xxxxx
1397.
15 September 1926.
Colonel W.E.H. Cass, C.M.G.,
H.Q., 3rd District Base,

Victoria Barracks,
Sydney, Melbourne
Dear Cass,
In writing the chapters of the Official History concerning
the Battle of Fromelles I am somewhat puzzled by
conflicting evidence as to the attacks made by Captain Gibbins
on the morning of July 20. I understood that his bombing
attacks were all made towards the left, where the 31st had retired,
and that, after continually driving back the Germans in
that direction, he had been withdrawn to the old German front
line to take charge of the rear-guard. One of his officers,
S.A. Pinkstone, however, tells me that Gibbins twice formed up in
No-Man's Land and charged over the top towards the right front,
and that he personally saw Gibbins make the second of these
attacks with his head bandaged and the men following him over
the surface. Captain Murray of the 53rd also told me that he
had seen an officer, whom he understood at the time to be
Gibbins, making an attack towards the right front from near your
headquarters.
I wonder if you would be so good as to drop me a line
giving me your opinion on this point?
Yours sincerely,
C. E. W. BEAN

Officers.
E. (Ech. - to Epps)

AUSTRALIAN MILITARY FORCES.-3RD MILITARY DISTRICT.

HEAD-QUARTERS.
Melbourne, 25 Sept.
Capt. C.E.W. Bean
Official Historian A.I.F.
My dear Bean.
Your letter of the 15^th Sept
has been unanswered because I have
been away from the office for about
ten days on the sick list. Please
excuse the delay.
I am quite sure that your
informants are making a mistake
and that there was no "forming up"
in No Man's Land or Counter attack

from No Man's Land back 
on the German Trenches.
The ground held was roughly
as under 
Diagram - see original document
A being my right flank 54^th & 53^rd Bns
formed when I found that the
15^th Bde had failed to get in.
B was a drain improved into a

trench & held by 54' Bn
'C' was my left flank formed of
one coy 55^th (Gibbins) when the
8^th Bde fell back
D was the old German front line held
by McConaghy with one coy 55'.
When I told McC. that we should
probably get the order to withdraw, I
told him to form a rear guard -
that he had one coy practically not
touched and that it would cover the
retirement.
Unknown to me he told Gibbins
to command the rear guard and
withdraw this coy with him when
he went.
Gibbins brought his coy from C
to form the rear guard and the Huns
followed thus getting behind my
men at B.
These men from B went through
and over the Huns who had followed
Gibbins and some continued over
D into No Man's Land and
across to the British line - many
being shot down as they went.

I saw many crossing No Man's 
Land but, at the time did not know
why.  I crossed N.M.L via the
C. Trench dug by the 56^th and when
I reached our own front line found
McConaghy going for my men for
leaving me behind. Had Gibbins
counterattacked from N.M.L to
the right front he must have
over run me. I am certain he
did not. Just where he was killed
I don't know but I am sure it
was not in the circumstances related
to you.
I hope you have a reliable 
account of this fight - I haven't
read or heard one yet.
Yours sincerely
W.E.H. Cass