Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/247/1 - 1917 - 1933 - Part 12

No. (2) Question - About a week after the

attack I met Lieut Master in 

hospital. He told me that when the

bomb attack was on he & Lieut Stanton

were down the dug-out with Major

Waine the entrance to which was in

the same bay of trench as the attack

Until he told me I was unaware

that he & Stanton were down there.

However by the time they & some men

came up we had fallen back a couple

of bays. Master told me that

Stanton suggested a raid over the

top but that he did not approve.

As a matter of fact the same idea

entered my head but I knew it would

only be throwing more lives away
as about 10 minutes before the bombing

a sergeant & I had a peep over the

top to see if we could see any thing

of the Germans, we scarcely had our

eyes over when a bullet kicked up

the dust a few inches from our faces.

They apparently had a good observing

sniper posted (Some are enclined to

think that Major Waine might have

3

got out that dug-out when Master &

Stanton did, but I knew that Major

Waine was a very worried & exhausted

man that day. Our company. D. had

been occupying the front line (the railway

line) for 3 days, prior to the attack,

although we did not suffer any casualties

to speak of it was a very precarious

position to be holding & made worse by

some guns on our right rear who

were dropping their shells very short
some of them bursting in our rear

On the night of the 9^th we were to have

been relieved & were looking forward to

a nights rest, instead we spent the night

in the open waiting for the tanks to come

up, which did not come. The next day was

a very disorganised day. The whole Bn

straggled back to Vaux. & I dont think

Major Waine had any sleep that day

Then at night we marched back to the

jumping off trench & lay there waiting all

night. So that when the attack did take

place we were very tired men

On top of that Major Waine had the

responsibility of being senior Bn officer

to go over with the attack

I think this little explanation is only

just to Major Waine as people may

be apt to misjudge his action.

(3) Question - No I cannot remember

any communication trench near there

(though I would not say there was none

there) There was one further along

to the left near where I entered

the trench.

(4) Question - Yes. Lance corporal Tobin

was the same man. He was our

company Serg. Major until about a

fortnight prior to then, when he was

court martialed for A.W.L, & reduced

to the ranks. He was almost immediately

promoted again to Lance corporal

He was a very fine soldier

Yours sincerely

W. C. Pentland

5879.

24 May 1930.

J. A. Stanton, Esq., M. C.,

Roadside Mail,

Nungarin, W.A.

Dear Sir,

I have lately been writing the officialaaccount of the

First Battle of Bullecourt (11 April 1917), and Lieutenant

Master has mentioned that he was with you at the end of the

attack when the Germans came over from the right. There is

nothing in the records as to the commencement of that attack, or

as to how the right flank was held.

I should be most grateful if you could assist me with

any recollection either on that point or as to the fighting under

Captain Boddington on the left, or indeed any recollection that you

have of that day's fighting. It would also greatly help if you

could assist me by marking on the enclosed map what you believe

to have been the flank posts of the 46th Battalion.

Yours faithfully

CEW Bean

C.E.W. Bean
[[?]]

Official Historian

[*GI or OGI )

Note: 62 Div ws not to att. at same time.

was this in Gen Robertsons opn order?*]

46 Bn

1st Bullecourt

Belmore Farm

Roadside Mail,

Nungarin W.A.

June 2^nd 1930

Mr C. E. W. Bean

Official Historian

Victoria Barracks

Sydney NSW

Dear Sir

Your No 5879 dated

24^th May 1930, to hand.

I note with interest that you are writing the Official account

of the First Battle of Bullecourt (11^th April 1917), and will be very pleased

to give you any information that is in my power to give.

Excuse if narrative has a personal note, but under the

circumstances, it could hardly be otherwise.

As far as my memory serves, B. C, & D Companies of the

46^th Battalion were to take the first trench of the Hindenburg Line

immediately to the right of Bullecourt Village, as marked on map

under separate cover, with A Company in support.

Our right flank was our sister Battalion, the 14^th of the 4^th Brigade.
We had no one on our immediate left, but on the other
side of the village of Bullecourt, an English Division was to

[*their impression*] attack at the same time, and with the assistance of Tanks,

we were to fight our way along the Hindenburg Line behind

the Village, but owing to the failure of the tanks, this was impossible.

Being attached to A. Coy, we were engaged in carrying up

2

[*46^th tired.*]

gas shells to the front line during the night of the 9^th, and almost 
at the last moment, I was lent to B Coy, as second in Command

to Captain Boddington.

We were on the left flank of the 46^th Battln, nearest the Village,.

We originally intended to attack on 10^th April & were lying

out in front in the snow waiting for the tanks, which did not turn

up, so about daybreak, we were sent back behind the front lines.

The Germans saw us going back & sent over 'planes, which flew

low, and no doubt had a good look at us, & knew what we

intended doing, and consequently made preparations to

receive us the next morning

After a barrage (including numerous Gas shells) had

been put down, we attacked just before dawn on 11^th April, over

about 700 yards of snow covered ground. Our casualties were

very heavy in this attack, as we were not only fired at from

the Hindenburg Line, but we received a hot fire from the village

a few yards on our left, which had not been cleared of Germans,

although I think that the gas shells were supposed to have driven

them out.

The dense lines of barb wire entanglements in this sector

were passable, although our D. Coy on the right flank, could

[*Rt Coy held by wire*] not get through the wire where they attacked, and not knowing

that we had got through & had taken our objective, returned to

our old front line, where Colonel Denham sent them back to

try further along near us. I believe they got through this time

The first person I met after jumping down into the

3

Hindenburg Trench, & rushing round a bay, was Captain

Boddington, who exclaimed "Thank God Stanton, we got here

safely". He told me to rally the B. Coy & to beat off any

Counter attacks, whilst he took charge of the left flank, and

[*Boddington & Stanton*] 

would try & bomb his way along the trench to join up with

the English Battalion. Our tank did not turn up,

having been disabled some distance back.

(Later the 48^th Battalion went through us on to the next

line of trenches).

Captain Boddington did some very heroic work, but it

was impossible to work far along the trench, owing to the

strength of the enemy, and the fact that we soon ran short of

bombs. During this fighting Captain Boddington

was killed, and I was left in command & although we made

every effort to advance along the trench, it was impossible

without reinforcements and more bombs.

[*Stanton in c/ after B's death*] 

These were dispatched at various times during the morning,

but very few reached us owing to the fact they had to pass

very close to the village of Bullecourt, which seemed to be full of

Germans, who took heavy toll of our men.
[*Note diffcl on May 3 (1) bombt (2) Centl rd available*]

These Huns gave our left flank a pretty hot time from

this village by firing minenwerfer shells at us during the

morning, so that we were really being fired at from 3 sides.

During a lull in the fighting, I went along to see how our

right flank was getting on & to see Major Wain, who was

4

in charge of our Battalion's hop over.

There was no sign of the 14^th Battalion linking up with

us, & I do not know how far away they were.

[*Reason for failure to bomb to rt*] 

Our right flank had blocked up the trench to prevent an

attack from that quarter and were probably not strong enough

to attack along the trench towards the 14^th Battln, and some of the

Officers & men were resting down a dug out, probably temporary

Battalions Hqrs. I was invited down, but decided that I 

would get back to the left flank again. Some time later,

the enemy came over and attacked the right flank & took prisoners

some of those down this dug out.

[*deep trenches*] 

The remainder were gradually forced back on to us, and after a

strenuous resistance, considering the shortage of bombs, the

trenches being too deep for much sniping, we were gradually

forced back along the trench. Whilst organising a counter-attack,

we were heavily bombed by the advancing enemy, & I

was rendered unconsious, & upon recovering, found that our

men were returning across no mans land towards our front line.

[*Stanton's escape*]  

It was either that, or be captured. This was about 11.30 am.

On looking towards the advancing Germans, I found that they

were in the next bay, so I quickly slid over the parapet & dived

into a shellhole. Private Davidson saw the dive & reported me 

as being shot. After a short wait, I decided to try

my luck & made a dash for the wire entanglements, hoping

that I might get through and across no man's land.

5

Every few yards, I had to dive into a shellhole to escape the

snipers & machine guns, because as far as I could see, I was 

the last of the 46^th Battalion in sight, & they certainly seemed to

be concentrating their fire upon me, but beyond having my

steel hat knocked off a couple of times, they could not hit me,

& I ultimately reached our front line at the railway

embankment, safely, with a sprained wrist only.

Out of the 13 Officers from the 46^th Battalion in the actual

hop over, I was the only one not killed, captured, or wounded

severely enough to leave the Battalion.

Later on, I furnished Col Denham our C.O. with a full

report of the attack, from what I could see of it. Perhaps this is

with the records of the Battalion?

During the day, parties of stretcher bearers were very busy bringing

in wounded, & I believe the Germans allowed them to approach close

to the barb wire to collect wounded.

I was awarded the Military Cross for my part in the

operation, and received the usual congratulatory letter from

General Birdwood in which he referred to the manner in which

I had led the company upon the commander being killed, and to the

fact that I had been rendered insensible by a German bomb, & then recovered, to escape.

[*refer to Stantons statement*] 

We understood at the time, that the 46^th& 48^th Battalions, hung

on the longest of any Battalion in that sector, and we saw the 
14^th Battalion being driven out whilst we were still in the

6

Hindenburg Line. After that they seemed to concentrate on us.

Captain P. W. Simonsen (a nephew of General Monash)

was with A. Coy 46^th Battalion, and could possibly give you an 

account of this attack from his diary.

[*Write to Simonsen*] 

My cousin, Captain Fred. B. Stanton, 14^th Battalion,

went over with the same wave as myself, a few hundred yards

to my right, & was never heard of again. He must have been

killed in, or near, the enemy trench.

At the time, we reckoned the reasons for not being able

to hold the trench after capturing it in the early morning, were;

 1/ Failure of the tanks to assist in the operations.

 2/ Failure to clear the Village of Bullecourt of the enemy, thereby

allowing them to shoot down at close range, reinforcements

proceeding from our front line to the captured trench.

 3/ Not receiving enough bombs owing to same cause.

 4/ The distance between our frontline trench and the

Hindenburg Line.

A very interesting account could be given by Captain -

of 48^thBattalion, who was wounded and taken prisoner in the

Hindenburg Line & subsequently escaped from Prisoner of War Camp

under sensational circumstances & reached England, where he

had an interview, to relate his experiences, with the King.

Trusting this will be of some assistance to you & would

be glad to read your account when it is prepared.

Yours faithfully J.A. Stanton

late Lieut. 46^th Battln AIF.