Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/247/1 - 1917 - 1933 - Part 11

F.L. 4151

5715.

14 April  1930.

W.C. Pentland, Esq.,

18, Oak Avenue,

Elsternwick, Vic.

Dear Sir,

I have been writing the official account of the First

Battle of Bullecourt. The records for your battalion are very

meagre, but in conversation this week with Major Waine I have

pick up part of the story. I should be particularly thankful

if you would help me with your recollections. In particular,

we have very little knowledge of the position of the tanks. I

understand that there was one on the right of the 46th, and that

it may have moved forward either just before or just after the

battalion. Certainly one tank got caught in the German wire in

the hollow some way beyond your right, and was knocked out there.

Between the 46th and this tank would be a long sap leading out

from the Hindenburg Line into the wire. I have no information

as to whether this sap was ever reached by us, or whether it was

held by the Germans. According to the records and the explanation

given to me by Major Waine, you and part of the right-hand

company were held up in front of the heavy wire on this flank,

and you reported this fact to battalion headquarters and afterwards

engaged in carrying up ammunition. The sap and the tank

above referred to cannot have been very far from the point where

your flank was, I understand, held up.

I should be most grateful for any assistance that you

could give me on these or any other points.

Yours faithfully,

C.E.W.Bean

Official Historian.

[*H N.

First Bullecourt 46 Bn.*]

18 Oak Avenue

Elsternwick

1.5.30

Mr Bean

Dear Sir

Replying to your request

for information regarding the first

Bullecourt attack

Commencing from the night of the 10th

of April. The 46th Bn occupied the small

jumping off trench marked on the map

about 10. P.M.

We were to attack in 3 waves. I was in

charge of the 3rd wave of D Company

My position was at the right of the

jumping off trench.

Just before daybreak on the morning

of the 11th of April, the tanks came

up one of them passing about 30 yds

on my right. Mistaking us for the

Germans, it formed wheeled to its left,

moved along about 20 yds out from

our trench & parallel to the trench &

opened fire on us with a machine gun

The men in the trench called out in

2

no uncertain voice that we were

Australians After moving along about

30 yds the tank commander opened a

little shutter in the tank & asked who we

were I told him we were Australians

He then opened his door & came out. He

apoligised for having fired on us

& asked where the German line was

on being informed he again wheeled

round & made for it, but he bore over

too much to the right & got into the

depression shown on the map A few

minutes later one of his men came back

& reported to me that they had been

hit & he believed himself to be the only

survivor I told him we were going

over in a few minutes & that he could

come with us. He said he would go as far

as the tank & set fire to it. I dont

remember seeing that tank when we

did go over, but it must have been in

the depression on our right some where

near where I have marked on the map

Here is a little incident which happened

in connection with that tank & which

since struck me as being rather humerous

3

As you probably know there was no

zero time fixed for that attack. Our

signal to go over was "a Green 

disc to be shown from the side of the

tanks". I made numerous enquiries

as to how we were to see a green disc

¼ of a mile away in the dark, but could

get no information However when that

tank opened fire on us I saw a little

green light blinking in & out on the

side of it. The signal for us to advance

needless to say we didnt obey the

signal.

We were to have attacked in 3 waves

with intervals of I think of 2 minutes

between but the 2nd wave & hardly

left the trench when the call of

3rd wave 'Come On' swept along

the trench. I kept those near me

back for a few seconds but I could see

that if we didnt go we would be left

crossed over with from 20 to 30 men,

but the men were as eager they ran too

fast & became scattered too much. We

also made the same mistake as the tank

& kept too far to the right, which brought 

4

us to the German wire at a point,

slightly to the right of the tank you

have marked on the map. That tank

to the best of my recollection was on the

third row of wire you have it marked

on the second. It had cut a lane

through the first & second rows of

wire for which a number of my men

made but were mown down with

machine gun fire almost as soon as

they entered it. I with a few others

who were a little to the left made

our way over the wire where it had

been broken with shell fire. On

reaching between the 2nd & 3rd rows

of wire I found myself alone

Serg. Major Tobin who was with me

fell badly wounded I then

dropped into a shell hole & could

see spurts of machine gun fire coming

from the side of the tank which was

then only a few yards from me &

stationary I called several times for

any unwounded but only one man

answered the call. I looked to the left

to see if I could see any of the rest of

5

the rest of the battalion but I could

not see a single person. My own

men had all become casualities

with the one exception I concluded

that attack had been a failure & with

my one remaining man made my

way back to Battalion.H.Q. in the

cutting in the railway line, where I

reported to Col.Denham.

Shortly after reporting there a runner

Pte Wilberforce came through with a

message from Major Waine saying they

had got into the German line &asking

for reinforcements & more bombs. Col

Denham arranged for 2 platoons of

the 47 Bn to go over each man to carry

a box of bombs. I went over with

some of these reinforcements, but there

were not many of them reached the

German line the whole ground between

the two positions was being sprayed

with machine guns from Bullecourt

On reaching the line I found it very

thinly held. French mortars from

Bullecourt were having deadly effect

Lieut Walker was having the wounded

6

carried down a German dug-out which

were well made & had tiers of wire -

netting bunks fitted in them. All those

wounded must have fallen in to German

hands On our extreme right was

another deep dugout, which Major

Waine had made his H.Q. He being

senior officer of the Bn in the attack

This dug out would be some where near

where you have the right of the Bn

marked on the map. We had a block

built across the trench there & a bombing

post established. Some where about 10 or

11 o'clock the Germans commenced

bombing heavily at this end Commencing

with a fusilade of a couple of dozen stick 

bombs from which we suffered more

casualities One of them wounding me in

the foot. Our bombers retaliated with

the few bombs they had, not more

than ½ a dozen. One of them Pte Condell

having his left hand blown off while resting

it on the parapet to get more leverage to

throw. By this time I was left with Lieut

F Walker & 3 men Our position was so

hopeless that we decided to try to get

7

back to our original position. I dont

know if any of the men got back

Lieut Walker was killed & I had my

leg shattered by a shell & was afterwards

carried out by stretcher bearers under

Sergt A Ramage - The Battalion scout

sergt - who came out with flags

The Germans allowing them to work

for about an hour before dusk

I feel sure that the sap you mention

on the right was never in our hands

The 46th Bn left originally extended to about

where I have marked it in black pencil

There was continual bomb fighting there

until our bombs gave out Capt. Bodington

was killed at that end.

I never saw anything of the 48th Bn during

the whole of the attack.

The weakness of the position was lack of

communication with our supports Had we

had a sap through which reinforcements, &

ammunition could have come through

with reasonable safety I have no doubt we

could have held on.

Yours sincerely

W C Pentland

FL. 4151

5828.

15 May 1930.

W.C. Pentland, Esq.,

18, Oak Avenue,

Elsternwick, Vic.

Dear Mr. Pentland,

I am most grateful for your interesting account of

the fighting at Bullecourt. It has been of great service.

Might I ask four more questions -

(1) Did you yourself see or know any particulars of the

fighting on the left under Captain Boddington?

(2) One account, in describing the German attack on your

block on the right, states that, as bombs came to an end,

an officer endeavoured to organise an attack over the

top, but the men who got up to attempt this were shot

down. Do you remember anything of such an attempt?

(3) Cann you recall whether there was a communication

trench to the German support line near this block,

either in front or in rear of it?

(4) I can find no Sergeant-Major Tobin, but a Lance-

Corporal Tobin of the 46th was killed that day. Would

this be the man you refer to?

Yours sincerely,

[*Ap 11 46 Bn*]

18 Oak Avenue

Elsternwick

29.5.30

Mr Bean

Dear Sir

Replying to your communication

of the 15 Inst.

Reply to question No. (1) When I entered

the trench about where you had our left

marked with Blue pencil, two or three

of the 47th reinforcements were with me

The bombs they brought over with them

were at once seized by men waiting

&run along to the left where they told

me there had been heavy bomb fighting

but it was quite quiet at that time

Soon after however the Germans commenced

with trench mortars & worked along

the trench with them. I cannot remember

whether Capt Boddington had been killed

at that time or not. I enquired for Major

Waine who was my company commander

& was told he was along to the right. I went along

& saw him. So I have no first hand knowledge of the

fighting on the left