Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/246/1 - 1916 - 1929 - Part 8

(14)
3.6.17. .... Sports & horse show at Contay. Concert by 7^th Imp. Div.
Concert troupe - excellent. Milk is very cheap here - we get a dixie full 
every night for 3d. .....
14.6.17 We move out from Rubempre at f 1.30 p.m. to Puchevillers, entrain
here at 4 p.m. ..... to Bapaume where we detrained & proceeded to our old camp
near Biefvillers. Gas alarm abt midnight. .....
16.6.17 Cricket tournament starts for cup given by Gen. Smith.
18.6.17 Pierrot & picture show at Bapaume. ......
22.6.17 To Favreuil open air Pierrot show - very good. .....
28.6.17 Thunderstorm burst suddenly at 8 p.m., & nearly washed us out
29.6.17 Brigade parade to greet W. Holman but he turned us down.
Tucker getting very poor - very little fresh meat.
30.6.17 Raining .... Mr Holman delivered a short speech at Bde HQ
1.7.17 To Amiens (leave). Left camp per bike for Achiėt le Grand at 6.30 am.
Train left Achiėt 7.30 am (fare 7.50 single). Picked up great crowd at Albert
& Ribemont - arrived Amiens 10.15. ..... Left Amiens 8 p.m. train packed
troops standing inside, on footboards & even on roof, & then some were left
behind. Arrived Achiėt 11 p.m. .....
9.7.17 Leave to Blighty at last. ......
22.7.17 Back to France. -  arrived Bapaume 6.30 am on 23rd.
23.7.17 To the Pelicans show at Favreuil.

(15) 

6.9.17. Stunt (practice) in Clair Marais Forest. Zero time 2 pm. - new
system of attack. No 1 Bde takes first objective, No 2 Bde passes through No 1
& takes second objective, No 3 bde passes through both & secures third objective.
15.9.17 8 casualties among cable burying party, 1 killed. Mr Ireland wounded.
17.9.17 To Reninghelst to see model of stunt ground. ....
18.9.17 Prepare to move up to line at 10 a.m. Weather beginning to look bad.
Move off at 5.30 p.m. ..... Camped on Bellevarde Ridge in shellhole
for the night. Fritz made things nasty for a while.
19.9.17 Spent most of day sleeping in a shellhole. ......
20.9.17 Took up our positions near the hopping of tape about 4 a.m.
making a temporary home in a cold wet shellhole with Corps. Spark & Macdonald,
each thinking of his chances of coming out O.K. The tense monotony was only
broken by Fritz's flares, which were so close that they nearly fell on us.
On our left were the KOSB; on our right the 7th A I Bde. ......
Our bombardment was timed to commence at dawn .... but Fritz got in a few
minutes before us - we did not wait long in our shellholes. Fritz did not
know where to put his barrage & kept shifting it about, consequently we
had few casualties at the hop off.  ..... We set up our visual station
about halfway up slope to Anzac House, alongside a pillbox. We could not
get inside as the redoubt was set on fire by a bomb. We managed to get in in
the evening. ...... Things were not healthy outside the p/box all day: parties of
Taubes flew over very low & directed the 5.9's on to us - many were wounded
& our lamp damaged by shrapnel, & every now & then drowned in a shower
of mud & water. This is the first occasion that visual has been used
on these stunts. The forward lines all held well. A few messages were put
through on the power buzzer. ....... Relieved about 5.30 p.m. just before
Fritz attacked ...... Went back to Bellevaarde Ridge for a sleep
29.9.17 Notice to move up to the line at 2 p.m. Moonlight night, consequently
Fritz is having the night out with his bombing planes. .....
2.10.17 Leave Cornwall Camp at 9 a.m. for Belge Chateau. Since we were at
the Chateau last a shell has blown the top floor in, including the Signal
Office. ......
3.10.17 Move off at 10 a.m, to Railway Dugouts. These dugouts are part of
an extensive system built by the Canadian Tunnelling Coy ......
Electric light is supplied from a dynamo. A pumping engine is also
installed to take off the heavy soakage.
4.10.17 ....... Left Railway dugouts at 2 p.m. & moved up to
Potsdam (? Ideal House) & took over from 7th Bde. Casualties in
sigs - Laurenson killed on amplifier & power buzzer.

(16)
6.10.17 Rain & mud.
7.10.17 Mud as bad as Flers .......
8.10.17 Our domicile Potsdam, although not as palatial as its namesake in
the Vaterland, is pretty substantial, built of concrete & elephant iron in the
embankment of the Ypres Roulers Railway. Our apartment for the Sig Office is about
15' x 8' but there is apparently no limit to its accommodation. The bunks are occupied
two xxxx thick, anyway it keeps the cold _^air out. This morning there is an argument
as to the ownership of gear - mostly boots.
The visual is working well to Zonnebeke. The lines forward are very bad & the
barrages are very heavy. Arrangements being made for the stunt. I nearly miss
going forward, but come a horrible "flop" at the last moment. The night is pitch
black, a driving wind and rain & very treacherous mud. The duckboards lead as
far as Zonnebeke. We arrived at the Report Centre at Zonnebeke wet through and
absolutely miserable. This report centre was a store house & Fritz in his ^hasty retreat
had left dozens of cases of soda water behind. The forward party left here about 9.30 pm
& for the next ½ hour we did the most miserable flounder, slip, & slide in mud,
water, & shellholes, dodging shells, & tripping over barbed wire, with an
encumberance of two portable D's (telephones) slung round my neck.
We reached our advanced position in a German officers pillbox to set up shop. Our p/box
is about 5 feet high with abt as much concrete on top.
9.10.17 The rain stopped soon after midnight but the ground was very sloppy.
The stunt started about 6.15 am & commenced well, but were held up by
Daisy & Dairy Woods ....... Our casualties were heavy among the Signals. Luke & Boans
on the lamps were wounded, Sgt Utting & Mr Hall killed on 20th & 18 Bns respectively.
The lines were useless in the heavy barrages & the lamps & power buzzers had to be
relied on. Fritz, knowing that troops shelter of his pillboxes, peppers them
most unmercifully. One shell killed one man & wounded two at the door.
In the afternoon a shell landed on a dump of flares near the door & set them
alight. Flames & fumes swept into the "box", blocking the only exit & we all
thought our last moments had come & were going to experience being roasted
alive; but luckily the flames did not spread. ......
10.10.17 Relieved by Letton & Taylor about 2.30 am & managed to get back
to Rear Brigade while things were quiet. ........The enemy made a much better
show with his barrages this stunt being mostly heavy stuff on Zonnebeke Ridge
& the forward hollow. ......... Moved off at 4 pm for Infantry barracks, Ypres.
11.10.17 ..... The whole brigade is billeted at the Barracks which last year
took only one battalion. They were very poor depleted coys, that fell in for roll call.

1210.17 .... Move off to .... Steenvoorde .......
1710.17 "Live Wire" the interpreter receives a Military Medal for failing to secure
billets for the Sigs at Steenvoorde on 12/10/17. ........
26.10.17 Leave Steenvoorde at 11.45 am. per bike, - raining cats & dogs all day -
..... to Walker Camp .....

(17)

28.10.17. Foward again.... foot it to Halfway House, on left of Zillebeke
Lake held up for a while. ..... Our advance party of 12 had a terribly rough
handling - 7 killed or wounded.
29.10.17 ..... The tunnellers have just finished repairing the damage caused
through yesterday's bombardment - a shell breaking through abt 15 feet of earth into
the tunnel beneath. .....
1.11.17 Fritz still lobbing big stuff about. Considering the circumstances
our menu is not too bad, tonight we had underground mutton (rabbit) stew.
2.11.17 Left Half Way House 9 a.m. for forward area. Things fairly quiet
till we reached Westhoek Ridge. ..... Took over from 7 Bde Sigs at 1 p.m. (AW)
Just before midnight Fritz started issuing gas shells of phosgene.
3.11.17. Another issue of gas, mustard this time – not much got in through
our double blanket door. The signal system is arranged as follows -
Forward Relay at Retaliation Farm
2nd Relay (AW) J 3d 33
1st Relay (A2) J 2d 97
& rear Bde at Kit & Kat.
All lines are buried as far as forward post. ....
5.11.17 More casualties. Mr Lucas hit in foot & while he was being
carried away on the Stretcher 3 of the bearers were killed & Mr Lucas
received 4 more slight wounds. ......
7.11.17 Relieved at 2 pm by 6th Bde. Had a very rough time coming out, chased
by Taubes, Gothas, & bombs, some of the latter catching the relieving Bde.
14.I.17 Receive word to proceed to Paris on leave.....
[*end of Edmond's diary*]

[*L8118*]
Base Depot, Etaples, 1916.  No 1 Training Camp.
Extracts from diary of Sgt L. DeVine, A Coy 4th Battalion
2.9.16 . Warned by the Adjutant that I am to go to Etaples for one month
to the school of instruction......
3.9.16 Left. ..... for Poperinghe Station to catch the 1.30 pm for Etaples.
I had to report to Capt Hamilton of the 3rd Brigade who is in charge of the party
There are only two Sgts being sent from the 1st Bde, myself & another from the
2nd Bn. At Poperinghe we meet two other sergeants from the 2nd Bde and all
travel down together. .....
5.9.16. C.O's parade 7.30 a.m. Afterwards we had to go before the Co. Major
Chapman and was placed in the bombing section to give instruction on the use of
the Mills Grenade etc. .....
6.9.16. C.O's parade 7.30 a.m. Rest of the day in the "bull ring" instructing
the various drafts of men, both English & Australian, who come here for a
final 14 days polish up before proceeding up to the line. As far as I am
concerned I am working longer & harder than I would be if I remained
with the Bn. This has been given to me as a rest, as I have not yet left the
battalion since it formation over 2 years ago, my service being
continuous. I think that I have struck a bad bargain & would give
anything to be back with the Bn. again. During the evening went to the
1st Div. Camp at Etaples for a complete rig out of new uniform & clothes.
7.9.16 First parade 9 a.m. Very busy day. .....
8.9.16 An easy morning but a long afternoon. Was with drafts of our boys
for 3 hours in the afternoon. They are much more difficult to handle than
the Tommies, & make the work of instructing very much harder. .....
(9.9.16. in No. 26 General Hospital until 16.9.16)
17.9.16. 3½ hours "bull ring". We work here even on Sunday & keep going all the
time. No bull ring in afternoon. .....
18.9.16 Very wet day. ..... Wet through, 3½ hours instructing during the morning
19.9.16 Eight hours parade today, heavy day. Rained heavily during afternoon
Got wet through. Did not finish with the drafts until 7.15 p.m.
20.9.16 Rained heavily during day. Wet through 6 hours duty.
21.9.16  Very fine today. Sun shining all day. 6 hours duty
22.9.16 Very heavy day. ½ hours C.O. parade before breakfast, 3 hours

(2)

instructing in morning, 3 hours in afternoon. Relief of trenches at night at
7.10 pm. Heaviest day that I have had yet. Not much chance of a rest here.
23.9.16 Orderly sergeant all day. Long day.
24.9.16 Attended 2 hours lecture on rifle grenades in morning. .....
25.9.16 Long day, six hours instructing.
26.9.16 Another long day; drafts continually arriving.
27.9.16 Easy day, nothing to do during afternoon.
28.9.16. Heavy day, 7 hours instructing, finished at 7.15 p.m.
29.9.16  Six hours instructing.
30.9.16 Another full day.
1.10.16  Sunday. Managed to catch an easy day - one hours duty only.
10-30 - 11.30. Went into Paris Plage for the afternoon. .....
2.10.16 Rained continually all day. Wet through. Very cold all day.
34.10.16 Easy day. 4 hours instructing only. Rained all the morning.
making everything in the bull ring very wet.
[entries for succeeding days almost a reiteration of above]
16.10.16 Hours of work changed from 9.30 am. until 2 p.m., without a
break, then finish for rest of day......
28.10.16  Still raining heavily, everywhere flooded. Very cold & miserable.
The "bull ring" is in parts under water. Worked the full circuit today,
We have to be out in all weathers as the drafts must be got ready for going
up to the line in their proper time, owing to our heavy casualties on the
Somme. The drafts are continually coming over from England & passing
through our hands. .....
2.11.16 ..... Was warned that my relief had arrived. Paraded before C.O.
& received orders to rejoin my J.B. Depot ......
3.11.16 Ordered to rejoin my Bn. ..... Train left very late.. We are not told
our destination & do not know where we are going. .....

[*Somme Winter

1916/17
Wounded;

and Hospitals;

Salisbury Plain;

& Return to France.*]
Extracts from diary of Sgt. L. De Vine, "A" Coy 4th Battalion.
5.11.16 Left Albert in afternoon, after drawing a box helmet from the DADOS.
& passing through gas chamber with it, ..... for Div H.Q., 6 miles away .... near
Mametz Wood, where we stayed for the night. .....
6.11.16 Draft moved off at 10 a.m. to find Brigade H.Q.  The whole country is
one huge sea of mud. I sank in up to my knee twice & had to be
hauled out of the mud. Having found Bde we were passed on to the Bn.
which we reached at 2 p.m. My coy. was in the line & as they are being relieved
tonight I did not join them. Went to Delville Wood where the bn. will be camped
when they are relieved, found my coy. sector of the camp, & waited there for them
until they arrived late at night..... The whole country is a mass of mud &
shellholes filled with water, debris, etc. Bn. relieved by the 2nd Bn.
7.11.16 Spent all day resting & getting some of the mud off ourselves. Rained
all day; everybody wet through. The weather promises to be very severe & wet.
6.11.16 Still behind Delville Wood. Detailed for fatigue party to the line
in the evening.
9.11.16 Sun shining a little today. No rain.
10.11.16 Sun shining all day, weather much improved. Was detailed
with a party to visit the firing line to find our Coy. position, as we
expect to be returning in a day or two. This work was done in daylight,
fortunately without any casualties, although we were sniped at many
several times while moving from shell hole to shellhole. We returned late in
the evening.
11.11.16 Very good day. Sun shone for about 5 hours, ground much drier,
rather cold. An aeroplane fight took place above our camp during the
afternoon - the Taube fell in flames just inside our lines. Our boys
cheered our aviator when he returned.
12.11.16 Orders arrived for us to be prepared to move off tomorrow morning
..... further back towards Albert. .....
13.11.16. Moved off at 10 a.m. to a support position two miles to the rear, being relieved in close support by the 52 Bn. We camp for the night
in Bernafay Wood, where we occupy old German dugouts.
14.11.16 Moved off at 10 a.m. & marched to Nissen huts at Fricourt. ....
15.11.16. Moved off at 10 am passing throug the outskirts of Albert & the
villages of Meaulte & Bernancourt to Buire-sous Corbie....

(2)
17.11.16. Left Buire full marching order at 11 a.m. to a point about 1 mile
outside village, where we picked up motor busses, which took us about 20
miles, passing through many villages & the outskirts of Amiens. We stop at the
village of Flessellles, where we are billetted .... It is very cold & snow
fell throughout the night.
18.11.16 Parade 9.30 am & 2.30 pm each day. Very cold, village covered
with snow this morning. Started to rain during afternoon, turning the village
into a huge quagmire. ......
20.11.16. Two parades daily 9am 9-11.30 a.m. & 2-4.30. Very muddy &
raining. Parades held in billets & lectures given on Lewis Guns etc,
21.11.16. ..... Practise coy. in attack by waves of platoons.
22.11.16 ..... Route march
23.11.16 Two parades as usual.
24.11.16 Fuel muster parade. Anzac colours distributed today - viz.
a golden A in the centre of the Bn. colours
26.11.16 ..... Decided to visit Amiens with Sgts Curran & Mills
Cpls Palmer & Goldwater. We walked all the way, a distance of 13 kilometres,
arriving there about 12.30 after dodging the piquets that are stationed
on the road, as the town is out of bounds. We all succeeded in having
a very good time. I have no idea of what happened after 5 p.m. I woke
up during the night while an air raid was on, & found myself with
Sgt Curran in the "clink".
27.11.16 Sgt Crawford was sent from the Bn. to be our escort, & to bring
us back to Flesselles He arrived for us about 12.30. We spent the rest of
the day in Amiens, having a good time, & caught the 7.30 pm bus at the
station, arriving at the bn. about 9 p.m. where we reported, & were
placed under close arrest by the R.S.M.
28.11.16. Placed under the escort of Sgt Davidson. Attended Bn. orderly
room during the day & remanded by the Colonel for a District Court Martial.
Summary of evidence taken today.
29.11.16 Sgt. Davidson still our escort. We can move about the village
very freely taking exercise, but we are exempt from all duties.
30.1.16 Sgt. Beales our escort today. We are not having a bad time
as we are exempt from all duties. We sit in the estaminets all day
while the rest of the Coy is on parade.....
1.12.16 Reveille at 3 a.m. Packed up full marching order & marched to
Vignacourt where we arrived at daybreak. We have had no breakfast.
We expected to catch the train at 6 a.m., but it did not arrive until
12.15. During this long wait many men wandered into the village

(3)

where there was plenty of rum, & as we have had no breakfast this took effect
on their empty stomachs, many returning horribly drunk. When the train was about
to leave a strong picquet went into the village to gather up the drunks. Those
that could not walk were wheeled on to the parade ground in carts & tossed
on top of one another like sacks, much to the amusement of all of us. After
gathering up all they could the picquet returned, but we left several men behind
in the village. The journey was very merry as there were many bottles of rum
with us, real "firewater", which had a very bad effect on our empty
stomachs. We eventually reached a siding near Mericourt about 4 p.m. &
marched to Ribemont where we were billetted.
2.12.16. Placed under open arrest today & attended all parades, an hours
march during the morning, & a bathing parade in the afternoon at Heilly, where
the baths are situated in an old brewery.
3.12.16 Attended Church parade during morning. Nothing else to do during day
4.12.16 Two parades today – morning parade, Bn. drill by the C.O.;
afternoon parade, Attacks by waves of Coys.
5.12.16 Warned that our F.G. Court Martial is to be held at 10 am. .....
Pleaded not gulty. We were only charged with being in Amiens & out of bounds
without a pass on the 26 & 27/1/16. Evidence of good character given by Lieut Hill,
Lt. McKewan, & Capt. Judge, all officers of my coy. .....
6.12.16. ..... Marched off full marching order at 8 am ..... to Fricourt & onto
Melbourne Camp at Mametz. ..... The camp is very muddy. .....
112.16 ..... Verdict of court martial in orders tonight. We are reduced to
the rank of corporal, with loss of seniority from March until 5/12/16.... also to
forfeit one days pay. .....
9.12.16 Out with a fatigue party building roads all day, made with the
bricks of the ruined houses etc. Very wet & muddy day & terribly cold.
Rained all night. .....
11.12.16 Two parades today in huts, morning & afternoon, a lecture. .....
18.12.16 Easy day. We are warned that we will be moving towards the
firing line tomorrow. Three parcels arrived today from Mother full of
Christmas tucker etc.
19.12.16. Moved off today at 12. A bad accident happened in B Coys hut
before we left. A bomb was put into the fire to settle an argument
as to whether it would explode by heat only & not by detonation.
The bomb exploded injuring 6 men very badly, two also & were
killed - all the killed & injured were Sgts or C.S.M's. Sgt. Laws
& C.S.M. Huxtable killed, of B. Coy. "A" Coy's C.S.M. Doretly (?) very badly
injured. The 19^th reinforcements joined us before we left.
We arrived during the afternoon at Bernafay Wood Camp, about 3
miles behind the line, near a railway siding.

(4)

20.12.16 Detached to move off, full marching order, at 8 a.m. as advance party,
to go to the reserve trenches behind the line where we are to stay for a few days.
We are situated in Gap Trench & Switch Trench, just behind & to the right of
Flers. The Bn. follows on during the later part of the day, & we relieve the 5th Bn.
The firing line is straight ahead of us, just over the skyline. The country here is
covered with snow & shellholes filled with ice. It is terribly cold & the wind very
keen. The guns are bombarding behind us all day, giving Fritz plenty too
think about. Advances cannot be undertaken owing to the nature the country is
in, due to the rain. Neither side can attack, as they could never hope to get
through the mud, which is like a river between us.
21.12.16 On fatigue all day, repairing duck board track from Brigade to
the firing line. Mounted trench guard all night .....
22.12.16 ..... Flers heavily bombarded all day. We do not enter the
village eccept for water, as it is always being heavily bombarded.
23.12.16 Went into Flers during the morning, with a fatigue party for
water. The village after being heavily bombarded for several days, is
absolutely wiped out of existence, not a wall remaining. It is still being
heavily shelled. We all managed to return to our trench safely with
several tins of water. Our reserve trench has been several times hit by
shellfire, causing casualties. During the afternoon was detailed with an
officer, Mr Turnbull, & others and 2 men to move towards Flers with
our ordnance maps for a little practice in map reading. Just as we were
leaving our trench, a shrapnel shell burst amongst us, hitting all of the party
except me. Mr Turnbull died within a few minutes, badly hit in the
throat. The map reading class was abandoned, & the remainder of the party were
evacuated as wounded. My luck seems to be still sticking to me. I have not
been wounded once since we first went into action on April 25, 1915.
I have not missed an action that my battalion has been engaged in.
24.12.16. Christmas Eve. Sunday, big guns very active all day. There seems to be
no chance of us getting a quiet prese Christmas. It has been raining all day,
making conditions even worse. Issue of Christmas puddings tonight with the
rations - I tin to three men.
25.12.16. Christmas Day. Firing line very quiet, although the big guns are
active all day. It is now very muddy & wet. No fatigues today. This is a very
miserable Christmas, raining nearly all day. Every where is an ocean of
liquid mud. If once you get in the chances are that you will sink in & get
drowned.
26.12.16 Freezing hard all day, & night, terribly cold. On fatigues all day for the
engineers. The men are getting very bad with their feet, they are feeling the
effect of the extreme cold & wet. Fatigue party to the firing line at night.
27.12.16 Fatigues on duckboards all day. _^Very cold, Freezing all day hard. Digging
fatigue again to the firing line all night,
28.12.16 Hard frost all night. Terribly cold all day. All the shellholes are
filled with thick ice.