Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/82/1 - July 1917 - Part 6

during Bombt
5      46
blue sand without tubbing
(circular steel) shafts. But
these were kept put down
with timber & inclines -
& the water was pumped.
This ws all for the stunt,
men were there all / time
(50 at Bluff ^x in Canadian System,
where / men had to be put
on their honour not to
get a hit back for once
by going over to / first
wave - they had actually
began to fix up w /
battalion in / line to go
There). [The 47 Divn &
10 Corps were in / solient
at this time].
There were also men in
all / other ^mining work to make
repairs during bombt. After
 

5  47
stunt they were on ^foward roads,
cross [shorthand], & one section
at White Chateau repairing
Enemy dugouts &
investigating german
mining system wh they
joined up with ours,
giving underground
commn for cables.
They were then special
selectd by GHQ to test
chance of mining in /
sand (for I mile betw.
Sea & Niewport.) They
left the Ypres area in
June 17 & began at
Coxyde & Nieuport [[Bain?]]
(enemy side of canal)
as soon as British
took over. They reported
 

5   48
to 29 French Divn before
British arrd. When 1st Div
arrd they started work.
Experiments were made
at Coxyde Bains on
sea beach. The French
used to excavate &
put in timber & then
put sand over agn -
5 or 6ft cover only
The 2 aust. Coy put in
an incline at box caving
case sets & then
tunnelled out just a few
inches ^above water level. This
gave safe dugouts.
They put out 2
offensive systems to 2
If his strong pts wh
 

5  49
-was
were wellor
to completion when the
10 Joly ared. F firms
tok them. We also had
accdate for BrH.C.
prac. completed & an
infanty twanel from
anal Bank to pont
line well on way
to completion. Htlso
I wella in back areas
On July 15 Jenns
starte Comb& at 5 am
It became whuse at
to am till P.m. Then
his Coll & it WS.
14
onl when he started
after that toct we
clear what we a
to happen. He had a
barrage on bridfes but
 

50
agarta
them in y the aftroon &
at topo one as still
Swentin & way across
the Arcaln
He kept his bar ap
on steeam till 9pmF
on town till 1 am. It
wI clear he had atache
at
5.30
Practinll whole
arrison as k? or taken
presones Left Br C.O
made his Bn HErs in
the tanelled subway aheo
m
of Canal. E
part
who werein thw were
+ at
also in his,
top.m. they made thei
way to Cualwhile
ferans were digging
 

51
in - Swan Canal in
spite of acr of laves fyn
low & ferry m. g8, &
made them way back
to billets in town. 5o
the officers of End KRRs
(Capt Smith & 4 offis) 10t
back but C.O. never
seen again-- he went
out to scrap.
men on front tie
him System & Bn
t Crs were sitn
taken Co or bitter by
Jermans baonets whe
they took the place. Probt
afew made a break & Ik
bzshells.
slae the were bomber
or bayonethed un them.
When Genms came
over thy bombed dejouts
 

52
To one ws am Custr
tunneller. Spr. O'Counell
The germs trow, about
-K. one infantry man

& badly tore Sappers
Another Hun
hands.
ommenwerfo
Squirte
burning him
at him
The Hun ws
badl.
K. alt other entrance
to dijout on canal
bank be a fragment of
ferm. Whezbany
was put on
5
stretcher by Brtish
in andt. dugont
s tame
not many [
to this system. Shorth
after a pty of fer
were seen comm
round from beach. I
 

53
as every man for
himself, fews had bee
there 4 hours & no
C. aback in sight. The
sctuate ws explained to
To surprise of
2ofis who were
present, he gob up of
stretcher, walke over
part of poutoons & Iwan
rest of causl. No
sooner on other side than
be saw a Torm
strugling an water. He
Swam back; brought him
ashort. ws pulledou
a coual in a fainty
condition.
 

54
I wam
Spt. T. T. Burke
over wet a
near
rope from me tannel
exit on EAside of canal
so to some of mates
who id not swen
cd help themsalve
across. The Rope ws
too slack for some 3 So
Spr. J. Coade stayed&
held out tope keeping
it taut & wo last
man over. These
last 2 got in rd
pr. McGlinchy & in some
ways took charge in tunnel
went out to see where Hun
were, bombed tm etc. but
did not get back. Capt Swite
KRR Wr in C. in tumnel
 

55
We lost all our work.
& are now making
an inf. subway thro'
Nieuport Bains to our
new front line mined on W side
of Canal; & duponts for
inf. - also O.P.s.
Strength of Tun, Coy; 566
Reinforts. at present, abt 50
Attached Inf. at Present 200
Before 10 July there were
500 att Inf. & 160 Reinfts.
Total 1200.
Losses on Jul 10;
106 incl. attd. Inf.
47 of these sappers.
2/Lt Mortensen missing
4 wd & offrs.