Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/247/1 - 1917 - 1933 - Part 8

FL.4151

5842.

16 May  1930.

Captain R.S. Somerville, D.S.O., M.C.,

59, Wattle Street, East,

Fullarton Estate, S.Aust.

Dear Captain Somerville,

I have to thank you for your letter and for your offer

of further assistance. I should be very grateful if you could

give me the benefit of your recollection of the fighting at

Bullecourt on the 11th of April 1917. In particular, I should

be obliged for information on the following points:-

(1) What did you see of the tanks in your part of the

advance, and did you see any tanks in front of any other

part?

(2) Any particulars of the defence of the trenches, and

of other officers seen there.

(3) Did you take part in the conference about 11 o'clock

with Captains Gardiner, Murray, Hummerston, and others,

when the withdrawal was discussed and provisionally

decided upon.

(4) Any particulars concerning the few men who advanced

beyond O.G.2. towards Riencourt.

The fourth volume willbbe finished about the end of

next year;  the narrative of Messines and the Third Battle of

Ypres having still to be completed.

Yours faithfully,

C.E.W. Bean.

[*Bullecourt I   Capt Somerville (16^th)

Denham.: The Bde orders for 

11.4.17 cannot have

been clear or his 

orders would have 

been in accordance 

with them.*] 

5842

59 Wattle St East

Fullarton Estate

S.A.

28/5/30

The Official Historian

Dear Captn Bean

Yours of 16^th Inst to

hand reference Bullecourt action

There is a certain

amount of information that I can

give you, though it will only refer

to a few main points owing to

the fact that the damage that I

received & the consequent following

unconsciousness has caused me to

forget most of the minor details.

(1) Tanks. Two or three points I can

bring to memory. (a) I noticed particularly

that the tanks were quite visible from

a good distance off owing to the

blue light that was continually

showing apparently from the top of

[*1*] 

the tanks (b) That when we were about

300 yards from the enemy barbed

wire a tank stopped & held up our

advancing front wave owing to

its continuing to fire at the enemy

though it the crew apparently had lost

control & were unable to continue

to advance. This was on my left

front but before I reached it, some

one had apparently got the crew to

cease firing as the line commenced

to move forward again (c) The only

other tank that I remember particularly

noticing was one that got

to the enemy front line & stuck

there. This was on the right of where

I entered the trenches, & was so

under the enemy gun fire that

that spot was avoided by the infantry

as particularly dangerous.

(I regret that I am not able to give

map references as all my papers

maps etc were removed). I have

no clear recollection of any other tanks

in the action.

(2) Defence of the trenches. (a) Enemy

The wire where I first attempted to

enter was not broken & to find an

opening (as it was too thick to go through)

I had to move down to the right.

We got an opening there which I

think had been opened up by shell

fire. The machine gun defence at

this time was very strong the enemy

firing along his own lines of wire.

There was a large collection of

men at this point, they apparently

having come from the right also owing

to lack of openings. One remark I

have heard since by a man who was

lying wounded outside the wire was

to the effect that "the wire seemed to

be a mass of fire flies owing to the

sparks caused by the bullets striking

the wire".) On going through we

entered the front line moving along

till we came to a sap running back

[*S via C.T.*] to the second line. Passing down this

we  we cleared a dug out & collected

a _^further couple of prisoners who had come

across diagonally from the right, from

the front line & were making for the sap

to effect an escape to the rear. Leaving

these men under control we moved

on to the second line. I think the com -

[*? Came later*] xxx communication trench ran straight

on through. At any rate at this

corner, I stopped to see how things

were going on our flanks. There

was not much happening on the

right of me but on my left in the

German second line a German

machine gun was mounted firing

at our men in the first line &

holding them up. A was Lewis gun

was obtained (whether this was with

me or whether I sent back for it

I cant remember). and the necessary

action taken to bring it into operation

from the side of the communication trench

where it continued past the second line.

At this time the men in the first line

were engaging the enemy gun with

machine gun & rifle fire from the

first line. Unfortunately on the Lewis

gun coming into action to fire

slightly in to the rear of the German

gun crew, our own men must have

taken it for a second German gun

as owing to lack of time we had not

been able to throwgh up a side protection

to mask the fire as they immediately

opened up on us & the gunner

dropped with a bullet wound through

the head. Deciding that there was no

time to take action to cover our

fire we moved down the trench to

the gun only to find that the gun had

been removed & I think 3 or 4 dead

Germans left there all being killed

with head wounds. We moved some

distance down this trench coming

across no one but one small

Australian & a big German down

with a bayonet wound. The A had

been moving down the trench towards

us away from towards us & the two had met

the boy getting in first & as a result

becoming very surprised. He was

still standing looking at his captive

when we reached him & immediately

asked what he was to do. The advice

given by someone was to "go on &

bayonet some more". Moving back

[*S. in Calwer*] 

we continued on the communication

trench toward the rear, till I think

we came to an open road with the

enemy holding the other side. A post

was established at this point. Going

back to the 2^nd line we went some

distance to our right & met

resistance. (From this point things

are hazy as far as I am concerned

though bombing was I can remember

much indulged in). My next particular

recollection is that we were

held at all points & that I it was

daylight. Bombing must have

been going on because I went back

to see what arrangements could

be made to get more bombs. I

found that the trenches at the back

were full of men doing nothing. They

were a mixture of our own men &

the supporting battalion who apparently

[*S Cobs
bombs*] 

instead of going straight on through

us had dropped into our lines. I

made what arrangements I could

to have bombs collected from them

& sent up to the bombing posts.

By this time it was certain that

we could not organise another

attack during the day & it was a

question of if possible holding the

enemy till night & making another

try to get on. Bombs were where

possible collected from those lying

outside the trenches if they were

under cover from enemy fire. (The

enemy machine guns had done much

damage particulary on a sunken

trench that ran through their lines).

By this time our offensive had stopped

& it was a question of holding as

much as we had got. The only officer

that I remember seeing about this time

was I were was Lieut McCarthy. I think whom

[*McC in 

2 line*]

I met in the second line running

a bombing post. (b) Our defence.

This really started from the time that

our bombers were held up & continued

throughout the morning till we got

out of the trenches. Owing to lack

of bombs we were not able to hold

our posts & the enemy's pressure

kept steadily increasing. Efforts were

strongly made to keep up the supply

of bombs but they could not be got

up fast enough. I am unable to

give details of the fighting. My next

recollection is of the conference. mentioned

by you. I think I arrived as

it was just over & do not remember the

details except that I immediately left

to have our telephone communications

destroyed. These were situated in

a dugout to the right of the position

where the conference was held. On the

way there I was able to use the

trenches but on the return journey

owing to the enemy pressure our

posts had been forced to retire

& I had to take to the open between

the trenches. On entering our own

line I found that in the spot I had

entered an instruction had been

given by a junior officer of our

supporting battalion allowing our

men to put up the white flag which

they had effected by tying handkerchiefs 

on to rifles with fixed bayonets.

[*S found
some men
surrendering*]
These were immediately taken down &

suitable advice given. I then went up

to the posts again & found them

very much pushed in & after advising

those that I saw as to the decision

to retire slowly as the support could

not be kept up, I moved back towards

the first line. There seemed to be

very few of our men about then &

the Germans were coming in very

close. so I decided to leave some
where about between 12.30 & 1 pm.
[*Some of 

the last*]

There could have been very few

of our men on our left then as

on getting in to the open the Germans

had their guns firing again from

the front line. There seemed to be

a fair number of our men in shell

holes in front of the german lines

but they did not seem to like to move

owing to the fire.  A lot of these

were probably taken prisoner after

leaving the lines & seeing the men

in the shell holes & then getting hit

I only saw one of our men moving

& he was trying to take his gun out.

(4) I regret I am unable to

give any information regarding

these men as I did not see them

& have no information. Our