Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/246/1 - 1916 - 1929 - Part 7

4.

pretty tight. Next disturbance was occasioned by Fritz throwing over
some 4.2" shells unpleasantly close, but all ended well.
22/11/16. We turned out at 7 a.m. in a cold fog and proceeded to
Montauben siding, where we entrained on an empty stomach at 9.45. Our
ride took us out of the heavy traffic area and we detrained at Meaulte,
and set out on foot for Ribemont, a jaunt of about 5 kilos. It was a
hard march on account of our poor condition and no breakfast. Some
less hardy than their mates fell out. We reached our haven at 1 p.m.
where hot tea and stew awaited us. A feast fit for a king! This has
been our xxx worst stunt so far in France, the signallers suffering
very heavily.- 2  17th, 1 18th, 1 Brigade men killed, as well as
several battalion and 2 Brigade men wounded.
23/11/16. To Heilly for bath and change of clothes.
24/11/16 to 28/11/16 We are tuckering well and not doing much. Menu -
breakfast; bacon, toast and coffee; dinner: Roast meat, spuds, haricot
beans, and cocoa; Tea: curry and tea; Supper: cocoa and cake (from
Comforts). The weather is wet and miserable, so it is no good going
out of our billets; hardly ever see the sun - what a contrast to
sunny N.S.W.....
30/11/16. LeftvRibemont per bicycle and traveled t.... to Rainneville
Billetted in a draughty barn with a damp floor. Very cold, weather
foggy.
3/12/16. To Amiens on leave. For a wonder 10% leave is allowed the
troops now to Amiens, but the means of conveyance is very meagre.
Meals in Amiens are very dear. We get a better feed in camp for
nothing than for 10 francs in Amiens....
6/121/16. .. Took walk to Poulainville via Coisy to keep up the
circulation. 7th - Constitutional to Pierrgot...
10/12/16. Weather still wet and miserable. Walked to aerodrome near
Poulainville - the only way to keep warm is to take a walk...
While we were in the line last time .. all underclothing was removed
from our kits, consequently on coming out we had no change. Another
requisition has since been put in for winter clothing, as a result of
which we received brassards and towels, also 4 pairs of boots among
 

5.

30 odd men.  ........
13/12/16. Stunt in connection with aeroplane contact manoeuvres.
Plane did not turn up - weather too bad.
14/12/16. Ditto repeated today, weather conditions slightly better.
Messages are transmitted to plane from units in the field by means of
a ground shutter, working on principle of Venetian blind, exposing
white surface to sky. The station calls are laid out in white letters
on the ground with distinguishing ground sheet. For instance, white
semicircle for battalion; ¾ circle for brigade H.Q. Messages are
transmitted from plane to ground station by means of a claxton horn
using morse code, or dropped with a streamer attached to render
it conspicuous.
16/12/16. Left Rainneville at 10 a.m. and marched .... to Franvillers,
17/12/16. Left Franvillers at 10 a.m. and marched along main Albert
road and turned off on the right by a 4th class road to Dernancourt.
... Billetted in a school room, which possesses only three walls, the
4th having been blown out by a bomb.   ......
18th - To Fricourt. Weather very cold, snow commenced to fall at 4 p.m.
Billetted in floorless huts - very damp - so moved into a tent which was
a bit dryer.   ......
20/12/16. .... arrived at Montauban at 3.30 p.m. The going is much
better this trip than last. The roads are now vastly improved and the
approaches to the camp are all duckboards.  .....
22/12/16. Roused out at 7 a.m., dark, raining, and cold, for our
final march to the line. Left Montauban camp at 8 a.m. Our new
position, which we reached about 10 a.m., is on the right of Flers,
just north of Delville Wood. The marching was good, being on solid road
or on duckboards, which are laid through D. Wood. It is a great
contrast to our last stunt at Flers.... We took over from the 14th
Bde. at 10 a.m.
24/12/16. ..... Our headquarters is on the site of a large dump, abt,
half way between Delville Wood and Flers, and on the Decauville light
railway, which runs from the main railhead.   ..... To make this place 

6.
look still more busier there are large fatigue parties, mostly
Punjabis, working on the light railway. All this movement is
observed by the Taubes, and as a result we get a few shells at times.
.. Received our Xmas duff today, but as it is only 16 men's
rations and has to go round 52 it will be rather meagre when dished
out.
25/12/16. Christmas Day - duty from midnight to 4 a.m. No breakfast,
curry for dinner, bread and jam for tea. As a Xmas present to
Fritz we gave an intense bombardment at 8.30 and 11.30 a.m. for two
minutes each time. Fritz returned the compliment with a few shrapnels
at odd intervals.
26/12116. Morning broke rather fine. Consequently the aircraft were
very busy. Several duels. A German plane came down in flames from
a great height   .... Took a walk in Delville Wood, or rather what
is left of it - shattered trees and trenches, shell holes, military
gear, and corpses by the score are scattered everywhere, British and
Germans mixed, some with bayonets through their bodies, others with
limbs blown off - facts which show only too plainly the terrible
contest for the wood ..... If only those who are responsible for this
terrible war could see those silent forms!
27/12/16 ...... We learnt today why we received no Xmas parcels from
the Comforts Fund.  Bde. H.Q. got their share and ours too.  .......
30/12/16.  It has been raining all night and this morning as a result
our signal dugout is flooded. Although there is a depth of 15 feet
over the dugout the rain poured through - probably the earth is
cracked by the battery of 18 pounders on top. Shillito wounded in
leg by H.E. shrapnel. The Germans have been very persistently shelling
the road in front of us which carries the light railway. 5.9 H.E. fell
about every 2 minutes from 2 p.m. to 9 p.m.. Several dugouts have
been blown out and a couple of horses killed. They are probably
searching for a battery which xxxxxx is causing them trouble, but our battery
fires away about 10 to every one of the Germans.
31/12/16. The last day of 1916 ended in a slight drizzle, but
weather warm. We shelled the old year out and the new year in as a
 

7.
sort of reminder to Fritz what he may expect in the ensuing year.
1/1/17. The new year was ushered in by a spurt in shelling from
Fritz.  ......
6/1/17. Fall of snow during early hours of morning, but weather
comparatively warm.
8/1/17. Experiments with Claxton horns, which are to take the place
of flares as S.O.S. signals during fog - the present signal is a
rattle of musketry. Relieved at 1 p.m. by 7th Bde and moved back
to.....^near  Bernafay Wood.   ......
10/1/17. To div. baths but change of clothes just as shabby as our
old stuff.    ........
16/1/17.  ... Arrived Dernancourt about 3.30 p.m.  ......
18/1/17. To Mericourt Theatre, run by the Aust. Comfort Fund.
The conveyance consisted of motor lorries supplied by the military.
19/1/17. Several inches of snow fell during the night.  .....
23/1/17. Leave to Amiens. Left Dernancourt with Luke at 9 a.m..
Walked to Albert, had some coffee to warm up a bit. Hopped on a
lorry bound for Abbeville, but which turned off main road after a
couple of kilos. Two more lorries brought us to La Houssoye; we
walked from here to a kilo beyond Querrieu and picked up another
lorry that brought us right into Amiens at 1 p.m. Dinner at Hotel
Moderne - 12 francs. Shopping till tea- another 12 francs. Caught
tram out of Amiens at 7 p.m., but after about half an hour's ride
we found ourselves back in the middle of the cityagain so decided
to get a bed for the night - fixed up for 2 francs apiece in a good
warm bed in an attic overlooking one of the many ancient canals.
24/1/17. After a cup of hot coffee we got out of Amiens at 8.30
and held up an R.F.C. car which reluctantly condescended to give us
a lift. Our luck was in, as the car was bound for Albert. We were
stopped several times by pickets for passes, one of which reminded
us we were nearly a day overdue. Arrived at Albert at 10 a. m.
After 25 minutes walk arrived at Dernancourt just in time for
inspection by Maj. Watson. Leave is granted for Amiens but no
conveyance is supplied. Is it worth the trouble?
After dinner skating on the ponds, ice about 4 inches thick.
 

8
Everything is frozen, even the water in our bottles. The
weather though cold is beautiful during the day, sun for last 3
days. Temp. tonight 22^o below freezing.  ......... We have
good fires, burning coal bartered par for rum at the railway
depot.  .......
29.1.17. To Vivien Mill baths - pretty rough bath; Half the water
tanks broken by the ice. The floor of the baths is covered in ice, therefore
bathers not inclined to linger.
30.1.17.  Moved out of Dernancourt at 11 am, 50th British Div. took over from
us. Arrived at our new billets at Albert at 12.30, billetted in what was once
the receiving room of a lawyer who judging from papers and books lying
about, was in a bigway......
31.1.17.  Section moved up to Shelter Wood near Contalmaison, taking
over from 44th Imp. Bde. I part company from the section .... to report to
K Corps Signal School at Henencourt......
1.2.17. .......Lectures...... on message forms & a test on dictation.  2 to 5pm -
Fuller phones & buzzer.
2-11 Feb. Lectures 9 am to 5 p.m.
12.2.17  To Lavieville aerodrome for instruction in aeroplane siqnalling.
17.2.17  The thaw has come with a vengeance............
22.2.17  Left school & conveyed in a box car. ..... to Fricourt. Luckily
our ration cart happened to be at 2nd Div H.Q. & gave us a lift as far as
Bailiff Wood Siding at Contalmaison. This place is totally changed since our
first visit in July last. There is a saw mill on the site of my old dugout.
& close by is a platform for the narrow gauge railway running to Martinpuich
I managed to get a ride on a train loaded with sandbags & duckboards. The
course led past the old battlefield of Pozieres - everything is totally altered......
As this is a single road & the trains do not seem to run to any prescribed
timetable, there are great disputes over the right ofway from trains travelling in 
the opposite directions. We met another train head on and, after a good deal of
expressive language, our driver backed to the nearest siding & allowed the
other train to pass it, & we proceeded on our way again. The weather was pretty
miserable sitting on top of the sandbags in a drizzling rain........... The train
halted just outside the finish Here & there were heaps of tangled iron rails and
sleepers which had been blown out by shells. These damages are soon
repaired by sections which are kept handy right along the line. The train halted
just outside Martinpuich & backed into the dump, and ran off the line at a bad
curve. Leaving the train here & following the duckboards I arrived at 5th Bde HQ 

9
23.2.17.  So far there have been three casualties this "turn in", ........Like the
rest of the Somme villages Martenpuich has not a house standing, everywhere among
the ruins are remains of once valuable machinery, including dynamos &
electro motors. In retreating the Germans left a large engineering dump.
24.2.17 Wild rumours tonight of the Germans evacuating the trenches......
The 5^th Bde has occupied Warlencourt & the Butte.
25.2.17 ....... There is the unusual sight of motor lorries & waggons proceeding
along the main Bapaume Road, bringing up material. ........Relieved by 7^th Bde.
26.2.17.  Left for Shelter Wood camp at 8 a.m..... Last night our HQ was moved
up to Le Sars, but as the Germans look right down on it, it became too hot, so
this little operation had to be postponed.  .............
1.3.17 Now that we are reserve Bde our section is salvaging all unused
wire & cable, miles of which lie on the ground everywhere.  ........ A Fritz
aeroplane brought down one of our observation balloons in flames near
Mametz.  ............
5.3.17 Heavy fall of snow ^early this morning - weather fairly warm.
6.3.17. Left Shelter Wood at 1.30 pm. for the line again (at M30 to 31),
via Contalmaison Circus, Langland Circus, Hot Cross Road to Clarke's Dump
at High Wood Station. We transported gear from Maltese cart across 200 yds of
bog to Anzac light railway & loaded up. After about 2 hours wait we
hooked on to a motor engine & proceeded, arriving at our destination at 7.30 p.m.
7.3.17 Our dugout is an old German one, enlarged by cubicles off an
alleyway, each cubicle contains 6 bunks. Freezing again, a bitterly
cold wind is blowing. To Luisenhof Farm via Factory Corner & Factory
Avenue. The ground is terribly cut up......... every where are pieces of
human bodies lying unburied, xxxx and the remains of several aeroplanes are
also lying round about.
8-9 March. Snowing off & on with cold winds from the E., shifting on
9^th to South.
10.3.17  To Gird Trench........ Many dead of the 26^th (Bn) are still
lying unburied, also scores of Tommies; the sights are worse than those in
Delville Wood. .......... Many men are lying dead in the barbed wire.
11.3.17  Weather very much warmer. There is a spring touch in the air.
On account of the clear weather there have been several aerial fights
this morning, our chaps seemed to be having a rough time.........
12.3.17  Moving again, our home was too good to last long. The 8^th AI Bde
took over from us at midday. I set out across country for Le Sars.........
We took over from the 7^th AI Bde at abt 8p.m. Our office is in a deep
tunnel but living quarters are on top in 3 shrapnel proof huts. ....... 

10

Although we are only about 3 kilos from our old possie, the gear has
to go right back to Bazentin by Decauville, thence by Decauville to
Martinpuich. ......
14.3.17 At 10 p.m. the enemy put in asphyxiating gas shells into Le Sars.
During afternoon he shelled cross road & blew up a waggon. Tonight fires can
be seen behind the enemys line.....
17.3.17  Much aerial activity. Several duels - two of our machines brought
down. The Germans seen to have some new fast machine which can
out manoeuvre ours........ Fish is now included in our rations in the form
of sardines and like the bread ration issue is anything but liberal (5 men to a
loaf)........
18.3.17  We cut out from Le Sars at 2 p.m. & moved up along Bapaume Road.
......Fritz has built a broad gauge railway along the edge of the Bapaume Rd.
some badly damaged trucks are being upturned off the line near the Butte & the
rails brought closer to suit our Decauville gauge. ........ The traffic on the
Road is excessively heavy bringing up guns & ammunition...........
20.3.17 Left our position near La Coupe Gueule & moved up to NIa 66
in an old German engineer dump...........
21.3.17 ...... Moved up to Bapaume....... our signal office is in a destroyed
sugar factory. .....Weather cold again tonight - snow.
22.3.17..... Opened visual Station at top of town in Sugar factory.
24.3.17  Bapaume seems now quite out of the war zone & is very quiet.
Our rations are very poor indeed - we have had to be satisfied with one slice of
dry bread for a meal....... At dusk we raided the 2nd Div Train & carried off
4 tons of Maconochie's as booty.
25.3.17 Soon after 11. 30 p.m. a violent shock rocked our unstable home. It
was occasioned by a mine which absolutely demolished the Town Hall.......
27.3.17.  Left Bapaume at 2 p.m. (relieved by 4^th Bde) & reached No 6 Camp. Bazentin
at 4.30 p.m. per motor ambulance & Decauville, the latter held up at
Martinpuich by a breakdown ahead. Walked to Bazentin
28.3.17 Left Bazentin....... for Crucifix Camp, Fricourt, at 10 a.m...... To
picture show at YMCA - close to camp - a great tonic to the fed up ones.
2.4.17 Commencement of a 3 weeks general signalling scheme. Today is
bitterly cold...... About 4 pm one of the heaviest snow storms we have yet
experienced -  a couple of inches fell within an hour. ......
3.4.17  Flag wagging - severe on the eyes reading against the snow background.
Three of our observation balloons brought down by a Fritz airman, who ran the
gauntlet of considerable anti aircraft fire before he secured his targets.
4.4.17.  More snow..........More pictures. 

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5.4.17.  A beautiful day.  More pictures in the evening.  "Visions of home"
- pictures of Sydney & Jenolan Caves. One part of film actually showed the
Lane Cove ferry wharf, Circular Quay, just when the Leichhardt was
leaving.
6.4.17  Walking along road from Fricourt to Meaulte now, one cannot
recognise it as the same along which we struggled last Nov. through
terribly congested traffic & the road itself in a deplorable condition. The
recent advance having taken practically all the traffic to the Bapaume Road.
The trenches are being filled in & old dugouts blown up. .......
8.4.17  Inoculated again for the umpteenth time..... A beautiful day so
we took a walk to Pozieres - what a change. It is now a large railhead
where material is dumped for transport forward....... Along each side of
the main road are hospitals and camps.  Forward of the town on the ridge are
the remains of the Windmill & several tanks....... Leaving here in a motor
lorry.....made for Albert ..... (to which) a good many civilians have returned,
12.4.17.  Left Crucifix Camp at 9 am per bike. Roads very bad & severe wind
blowing. .....arrived at our destination Vaulx Fraucourt at 3.3 p.m., & took over
position vacated by 13 AI Bde.
13.4.17  Moved again at 3 p.m...... for Noreuil about 4 kilos along a valley
somewhat like Sausage Vy. We took over from 13 Bde at 9 pm...... living in a cellar
......On the way up the valley our limber became bogged. Consequently a
fatigue party was detailed to go & carry up the gear, when about halfway down
the valley Fritz put up a barrage of 10 armour piercing shells which took a
bit lot of dodging - a terrible avalanche of earth followed each explosion.
We have to keep low in this village as Fritz snipes it all day long. .......
14.4.17  Tonight things are pretty lively, Fritz is shelling the village pretty
heavily & our lines are suffering badly.
15.4.17  At 4.30 am the Huns attacked & captured Lagnicourt...... and got
within 400 yards of Noreuil. We were awakened about 5 a.m. by bullets
cracking on the walls of the buildings. We got up tout de suite, in time to
see Fritz coming over the brow of the hill opposite. Our barrage shifted
back as our men retired till the barrage reached a point 300 yds from us.
About 6.30 Fritz started to give way.......We stood to with our rifles ready
& began to think seriously of a trip to Berlin........
16.4.17  At 5 am Fritz was seen in the dim light to be approaching our lines
in some force, thereby putting the wind up the staff; but Fritz's hordes only
developed into patrols ......... Leave stopped again. ......
17.4.17. Things quiet on our front, but very persistent shelling of our village
.............
19.4.17 Struts & supports have been placed in the cellars & layers of
bricks on floor above........ 5^th Bde relieved by 7^th, but we sigs. are 

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stopping in.  168^th Bde still on our left & 2nd AI Bde on our right.
A considerable number of gas shells were thrown over during the night.
20.4.17 One of our aeroplanes driven down near Noreuil by 3 enemy planes
Pilot was slightly wounded. The machine had to be abandoned when Fritz started
to shell it.  ..........
21.4.17  Fritz put a barrage of gas shells into the valley below us at 8. pm. & gave us
a hot time with all sorts of shells in Noreuil.  ........
22.4.17.  For some unknown reason Fritz put up a barrage in valley
at midday.  A very exciting air fight in which 3 of our machines
received a rough handling from a good many Taubes. All machines
ran out of ammunition. Two of our machines were forced down. The
excitement was so tense that the artillery stopped firing to watch
23-24 Apl.  Fritz very quiet. Great preparations are being made for the
stunt, all cables are being buried from brigade forward to Coy HQ,
and lines are laid forward again past the outposts into No MansLand
as far as the first sunken road past the railway - NoMansLand is
about 800 yds wide here. Preparations are also being made for a set
back - 800 yds of barbed wire are now in position in front of Noreuil.
25.4.17  Anzac Day. General Birdwood sends a message to the troops that
"the day is to be kept as much a holiday as possible" (I don't think).
Anyway the Cook seems to be observing the holiday, as our tucker menu
consists of "Anzac wafers" (Army No 4).
26.4.17..... A triumph for the Signal Service - spoke from Noreuil to
Amiens via 2nd Div, Anzac, 5^th Army, & Amiens exchange...........
28.4.17  Receive the sad intelligence that we go out for two days only.
(for a practice stunt). Left Noreuil to care of 7 Bde at 3 p.m. Had a feed
and received some parcels at Vaulx...... & rode to Favreuil. ......
30.4.17  No rest. Up at 1.30 a.m. for practice hop over stunt at Biefvillers.
Got home dog tired again at 7.30 a.m.  3 pm. moving again - no rest for the
weary. 4 pm order cancelled.  8 pm. Australian Commonwealth Elections.
9 pm turn in. 10.30 pm moving orders again. Oh! What a lovely war.
Clung to bed for another 15 minutes in the desperate hope that the order
might again be cancelled, but no such luck.........Stop at YMCA
comforts for a cup of tea & a packet of biscuits baksheesh - this fine
institution is open all day & all night. ........ Arrived at Noreuil 1.30 am
1.5.17.  Turned in about 2 a.m.; gas alarm at 3 a.m.  ........ The final touches
are being put on our preparations for the Hindenburg Line stunt. Our visual
station is in a shellhole strengthened with sandbags, & commands a fine
view of the line.
2.5.17  A German aeroplane brought down by M.Guns. near our front
line, the pilot mortally wounded but the observer O.K. & who was very
 

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disinclined to give any information even after 3rd Degree methods.
............
3.5.17........ Our lines holding well till 2 p.m. when the forward buried
cable failed, so we ran D5 twin to assist the existing surface lines.
We discovered that not shells but a party of Pioneers were responsible for the
damage. I suppose they thought the ground was nice and soft for digging.
Owing to smoke from shells the "visual" was a washout. "V.O." (aeroplane
signal) was knocked out by a shell, in fact the visual possie had to be
shifted as the first locality got too hot.
Trench wireless installed at the railway cutting during evening to work back
to Noreuil.  This stunt is a 2nd Munster Alley (Pozieres). .........
4.5.17.  In case of lines failing power buzzers have been installed
in railway cutting to work back to Noreuil. ..........
5.5.17  Relieved by 3rd Bde at midnight. Took road on left to Vaulx. - had
a tin of cocoa at Comforts Fund - tres bon - ........ and rode to H20a central
near Biefvillers – a camp of tents. ..........
7.5.17 ....... Raining like mad.  Entrained at 2 p.m. at Bapaume ..........
travelled........... to Albert. Arrived Crucifix Camp at 8 p.m...........
12.5.17  Leave to Amiens. Reveille 5 am. Walked to Albert. Entrained 7.45
a.m. Arrived Amiens 9.15. Even here one is not out of the war zone. The sapper
or private down from the line for a day's leave is hounded & restricted by
innumerable indignant orders; for instance we were ordered out of a
gharry by a red cap but, still possessing a little war like spirit, we
marched the MP up to the APM's office to see the order in black & white
5th Army order - "Men in uniform must not travel in gharries. Anyway we
scored a victory. Left Amiens 6.30 p.m. for the barrier where a small army was
awaiting a lift towards Albert. Obtained a lift as far as Querrieu & another
from here to Albert & walked the rest arriving at Crucifix Camp at 11.45 p.m.
17.5.17 Left Fricourt........ for Senlis. ......Weather very wet. Billeted in tres
bon possies evacuated by an Army Corps. ........
18.5.17  Leave Senlis 10 am for Rubempre..........
20.517.  To Puchevillers......... Signal training.
22.5.17  To Beauquesne
23.5.17  To "Les Souterrains", Naours.
24.5.17  To Beauquesne.  Section play Div. cricket - latter won by 7 runs.
27-31 May.  Leading a lazy & luxurious life. Days spent mostly in a
little signalling - a lot of cricket etc (bats bought at Amiens for 38
francs apiece).