Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/81/1 - June 1917 - Part 3

26

48^th Bn are in trenches

N.Z.s had left. Men with

pink arm bands everywhere

leaning over trenches like a lot

of school boys in the gallery

of a theatre - delighted with

everything.

76      27

10 Bde officer says that crossing

[shorthand] Douve ws [shorthand]

Heavy gas. Everywhere then. The

whole 10 Bde staff exc. McNicholl

were laid out by gas.

1.30 We can see dwn valley -

Heavy Guns going forward.

Tanks crawling thro' valley

Cavalry along road to left.

Sightseers around big mine.

Hun barrage in valley & behind

Messines.

4

28

Diagram - see original
76    29
Diagram - see original

76     30
2.50  heavy barrage - 2 tanks-
3.  v heavy barrage.  S. barrage
quieter
3.15 Inf going over in or trenches
3.20 "      "           "   again to halfway ? supports
3.35 over with tanks.

Past white house.
Great N^os on rd.
4^th Div also.
Some one [[shorthand]], some other
some body coming back to
White house.
3.50 Apparently in bec. now
going both ways.
4.10 Tanks coming back.
Our Barrage in front of left
& centre.
G. Barrage quite ceased.
Germans sd to have
bn seen by planes
massing for attack when
we were due to attack

76      31
45 & 47 were in positn
w few casualties. Attack

ws delayed. As far as
is known offensives are g

can be seen we have Huns
Walk.
48 Bn to send up guard for
prisoners!

4.25 One o / tanks
coming back is on fire
at the ^rt porthole.
4.29 Still on fire but still
moving. Tried one way

now trying another 

Diagram - see original

in & out of shellholes
wallowing.

25 German prisoners coming in
Drawn up under trees.

"No bloody Germans left soon. We'll be out a job."
Wonderful [shorthand] by Maoris on sap,

in front of Messines.

4.48 German Barrage agn on
Messines. Two white lights

32

^x The barrage of the
3rd Div Arty is blamed

by the 47 Bn for this retirement.

76       33

from right over Messines.

Hear that 47 Bn 

was driven back - probly

shelled bak by German

guns in Warneton District
to wh it is exposed.^x 13^th

Bde still holding. 37^th Bn

came back "in conformity."

Gen. Monash is giving
an anor Bn - 44^th - to

attack with at once tonight.

if needed. Grimwade is arranging
for barrage to lift from 
Green line at once. (I

suppose they reckon 
they cd get in if this

were done.

67       34

The 48^th Bn may

attack; or 4^th Bde.

In either case it will

be sev

There has bn a
noise of very heavy firing

for an hour now, since

10 pm or thereabout.

More c-attacks, Im afraid.

Too dead sleepy, what
with gas & fatigue of this
mornings work, I can
scarcely write sense - keep

on dropping to sleep.

35

(Evening June 8^th.) As I write I
notice that at 6.20 pm Guns are very active.

(Prob. Potteries wh

are to be bombd)

6.45 pm Guns v. heavy again

after a short interval

7.6 pm. 4^th ALH has just

passed along
the street with

gas masks at "ready"

going towards S.E.

They must be moving 

back, I think.

7 30 firing still heavy

Linoy 

Another lot of 4 L H

going out (back from
line).

8 pm Seems to have got

heavier.

After 9 p.m. Very heavy

barrage - Col. Jackson says
it is an attack all along - 

Later. Reports from NZ. Situatn normal -

76       36

Morning June 8th

The Corps has taken 31 offrs 1028 o.r.

prisoners. The attack ordered for 3-am

(Gwynn wanted it earlier) did not
come off. Holmes, waiting up, at
3.50 heard this. He imd. ordered car

& went up to Robertson & Glasgow
at Calgary Ave. He found they knew

nothing. He said "Well now it seems

/ only way is for us to go up & see.

Get your hats & come along." They
motored to Nomansland - then
went up rt of Messines & found
Imlay (47 Bn). He sd order had only

arrived at 2.53, & second coy of 48 Bn
didnt arrive till after Zero. However
47 Bn & 1 Coy 48 had gone on at 3. &
reached Oxygen trench, & near Owl trench.

He didnt know where 45 was. Holmes
went on & found Herring at Junction of
Black line & Undulating trench. Herring too had

not recd order till too late. He sd his men

were close to Owl - within 100yds. Both promised

to patrol at 

once & go on

if possible.

**June 8. Morning (air) report.

Junctn Owl 3rd 4 Divs uncertain - we have not

Owl trench or Uncanny trench or Septieme

Barn. Plane dropped flares at 4.30

a.m. from U4 A10 to U4 A32 good
continuous line. Flares show at 

White Spot Cottage, Despagne Fm,

Black Dotted line well dug in. No

movement seen on green line.

6.30 am report No activity no enemy visible

in green line. Black & Black dotted line well

consolidated. Left linked with 9 Corps.

[*By the time Holmes got back he heard they 

were in & patrolling further.*]

37

Reports of 8^th June (3 Div)

Diagram - see original
Part of green line ws

abandoned by 47 Bn

yesty & 37 came

out also.

Arranged to 
rectify this
at 3am but

at 4am 

situatn

was

48 in touch with 37 not with 44

NZ reports attack not yet launced.

8th

12.30. am Monash conversatn w Gwynn who

seems anxious for further attacks beyond

green line later. "I am not going to take on any 
[*operation 

with

tired 

troops."*]

3 a.m Order: (4^th Div) "12^th A I Bde in

conjunctn w 3rd Aus Div will

attack green line at 3 a.m. today.

Barrage will thicken up at tt

hour but will not move from

its present line. 12^th & 10^th 

Aust Inf Bdes will arrange for

attacking Bns to join up before

attack starts. Patrols will be

sent out at once towards green

line to attempt to clear up

situation."

10^th Bde told similarly - reinforced by 44 Bn

it is first to get touch with 48.45: bits of

47 Bn in front of black line - & then advance

under quickened barrage (not big arty

demonstrn for fear of retaliation - this 
proved sound).

At same time Monash asks McN. if he has any

part of green line.

76      38

8th June.

8th. 8.30 am. 47 Bn patrols report

Owl trench unoccupied. 47 Bn

moved to occupy it at 6.40 am

Contact plane brought down by Germs at

6.45 a.m.

6.48 am Germs had m.gs. in trees near

Undulating trench.

When we put down our bombt.

for 3 a.m. advance enemy put down

heavy barrage.

10^th Bde ws held up on left in

this advance & didnt think

48^th had gone forwd. 44 Bn

started late from black line.

9.20 am. 12 Bde reports it is in Owl Support

& in touch with 3rd Div there. Left O.34 Cent.

10.30 am. Plane sees men on Huns Walk digging.

^x 6.15 pm Message from 44 Bn. We are still on green

line & provided our barrage holds good continues

we can hold it.

^x Col. Mansbridge at 6.20 p.m. came back

& informed Cannan tt 37.38.44 had bn

blown back off green line to black line.

Bde Major 10 Bde doesnt believe it

(after speaking to adjt 44 Bn).

^x 3 pm. Pigeon message from 44th We are

driven out of our trenches; wires all cut

at 4 b.2.3.

39

This disturbed G.O.C. Rang up 4 Div.

to know if in actual contact & do we

still hold Septieme Barn?

Observer reports 7 white lights

at minute intervals there folld by

heavy Germ. barrage on Ulcer Reserve.

Difficulty of Monash to know what

barrage to put down. Decided to put

down SOS well East of green line.

12.30 A few enemy seen in U 22 C.38  Put heads over

parapet, 3 climbed out, scrambled back when 
[*fired at 

by LG.*]

3.15 pm 44 Bn reports very heavy shelling

in progress for some hours

still continuing.

4.10 am. Forwd left Bde Stn says the

Bombt has eased off. Dont know

what ws grounds for pigeon message

4.55 Left Bde report enemy massing

for c-attack on 48 Bn N of Huns
Walk - on left of 44^th Bn. 3 Div line

badly damaged by shell fire.

(i.e. Black line trench)

5.42 Gray Farm to Ulster trench, old front line,

& only way to Ulrica sap - lots of

shrapnels 5.55 gas shell on 9th Bde!

6 a.m. 4th Div FOO went forwd & ws

informed at 5.45 tt small enemy

c.attack had bn made & replused -

He got this from 3rd Div. Major in

Unbearable & Uncanny trench.

[*6-6.30 

Potteries to be

bomd.*

[*part of green line*]

 

76     40

8th. 4. am.

52nd Bn. H.Q. O28 Cent^l.

Owing to troops on left not coming

up till 5 pm the 52 Bn extended to

left & now holds 022 D2.2

Farm 028. B61. O28 c77

O28 c7.3 In touch with 49 Bn.

on rt.

49^th Bn ^H.Q. O27 D00 not in touch with

45^th on right. The positn of rt

coy is obscure.

52 Bn in touch with Lincolns who
spread along whole front in sixs

& sevens.

NZ Pigeon. 6.5. Enemy heavily reinforcing front at 6.5; O29 G & 35A.

6.30. 34 Bn - heavy barrage behind its new support line

At 6.25 pm 38 Bn reported it had bn

heavily attacked. 6.45 Attack appears 

to be general.

NZ can

see Germs

hopping forwd over shellholes.

7.17 Art all along front.

4 Div. reports repelled c-att.

& taken some prisoners.

7.35. 4 Div. reports enemy c-attack

beaten off & enemy retiring

7.20 10 Bde report no news from

green line; 38 Bn reports

heavy c-attack in force on rt of 10 Bde in

black line. Inference - green line lost there.

[*Att. N / S of Douve*]

41

7.45 p.m. Contact plane reported

flares at Long Ruin - Grey Farm,

NE Bridge over Douve, U4 C.88.

Undulating & Uncanny trenches,

Septieme Barn, Owl, Odd,

Odious trenches. Furthest S in

Undulating trench abt 4 c.8.8.

^x 9.30 Rumour ^from NZ that 25 Div.

being attacked.

57. 39 Bn suffered heavily (37 gassed night of 7^th)

10th Bde to be pulled out, reld by

11 Bde N. of Douve.

76      42

9 & 10 Bdes asked arty to

slacken. 38 Bn report

enemy did not reach

black line. Enemy used 8 in,

11 in. all calibres agst centre

of 3 Div front & support.

9.5 pm. At 8.59 Cope in Heath trench reports

Germans put down heavy

barrage from [[Bethleem?]]

Northwds behind Messines.

2 Red 2 green rockets at

once went up from beyond

ridge. Our arty put down

v heavy barrage (in less than

minute) (Put down at 9.4)

x 9.31 Heaviest barrage of day on whole front.

10.12 Corps reports parts of 4 Div

driven in from green line.

10.57 p.m 44 Bn & relies of 37 Bn

holding green line. Barrage

slackened.

9th.

12.5 am Quiet

[Tanks. 1 tank in morning

went with 10 Bde left but