Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/85/1 - July - August 1917 - Part 2

D32                             10

A wh followed had oppositn.

Germans bombed heavily

from first offshoot. Capt. 
Lodge pulled them together,

& tho' hit in shoulder

secured these trenches.

Some cleared into K

trench, but many killed.

One of carrying platoon hit a

German w a shovel - German

wanted to surrender.

 

They were keeping pace

w 4 Bn bombers. Everything

went well on time.

 

D ws in positn 50 yds

N of cemetery by 5 am.

 

C. had hard fighting

but reached orchard

shortly after 5 & dug in.

After 8 Bn (D Coy) had reached their

objve. their C.O. & Sergt. Maj. Goodwin

a Sergt, Corpl, & a bomber - went on

patrol. First they came back into

K trench & actually got in it behind I

Germans. The Germans they speak of

as abt 1000 strong. They threw their

hands up but Capt Hurrey tells me th I

8 Bn men sd -"There's too many of

them" (remark went round on 

all sides) & they were fired on. Of 100

only 30 reached Capt. Hurrey. Those

in I trench seem to have bolted

or streaked across country to left -

sneaking from crater to crater -

Hurrey thinks abt 500 were k or

captured & abt 500 got away

        (Prob these figures are too

                large.)

                              The patrol then turned

Sketch map        someone in 4 Bn w

                                L. gun ws firing on Germans

                               in a trench beyond Derj

                               who looked like surrendering 

                               & they got back into trench

 

D32                                    12

3 offrs. of C. were k. Germans

were in trenches in village

& craters. Mostly bayonet fighting.

We captured 7 m.gs in this

advance - we were under 

m.g. fire. 2 of these mgs

were used on I Germans

 

D Coy ws well ahead

on I Germans. 4 Bn

ws driving Germans

up - & as they streamed

Northwards D Coys m.g.

in Cemetery got them.

Some started getting out,

but meeting fire got

into trenches agn & wormed

away towards Mouquet 3.

                    13

& got away. (We saw British do

exactly I same at Fricourt).

 

The patrol then went up

K trench. Goodwin who went

first ws walking up it when

he saw a German in front of 

him wit coming out of a dugout.

Cdnt say if I man saw him - but he

turned to walk quietly up I trench.

Goodwin dropped his revolver at once

& fired - I German dropped his pack 

& ran on - leaving blood marks

along I trench.

 

The patrol went on past 

I trench in front of D coy.

From Further on they cd see to their right

the ridge behind the O.G. trench -

& there in I open was a line

of scattered men. Either At first

they thought these men were ^a c. attack

-but they seemed too scattered

then they took them for arty observers.

D32                                14

Left ^D Coy sent forwd a 

patrol - Sergt Maj. Goodwin,

Capt Hurey Hurrey (O.C.)

& Sergt Schleon went up

xxxx open to within 100 yds

of Mouquet Farm & only

saw one German whom

they shot. They saw Germans

moving in force down OG 1

& OG 2 towards Windmill.

This ws passed to Divn

& Arty got on to the Germans. (Patrol ws

out v. quickly)

 

At 3pm. 6 Bn

connected up w left & rt of

15

or else                   (Shorthand)

men 

laying cable.        R34.5.4

They fired

on them at           (Shorthand)

abt 1000 yds

or more.

They then went    (Shorthand)

on past the

shoulder o I hill

& their trench

here petered

out & they cd          Patrol got into OG

see Le Mouquet

Farm only

100 yds ahead.          By I posts at 77 & 78/2

(The trench got

v. shallow -                       (Shorthand)

German (shorthand)

told me this too). There seemed no one

abt. The walls o I Farm had bn backed in

& I roof had fallen - more or less

entire - to I ground.

 

The higher authorities questioned

the accuracy of this patrol but it

certainly was an accurate report.

D32                                   16

8 Bn. (& dug a new line

in front of 8Bn).

 

Intense shelling by evening

all day hampered shelling

digging.

 

Str Posts R34 C 66 had to

R 34 d23

be estab. that night.

 

July 26 At 3am both posts

secure, latter strong.

At former point

we were bombed by

Warwicks - 4 men

were injured. Our

men withdrew as 

they cdnt fire. Officer

came round & apologised.

17

A battery of ^our 18 powders on

left saw digging in D coys

advanced trench - & immediately

6 shell came - men withdrew

from trench. An artillery observer

came across & apologised.

 

That day Hurreys men were

fired at by Hurwicks from abt

X3 B 2.8. Our men were at ^R 34C Central.

 

[[?]] Patrol sd to have formed

O.G. trenches fairly well

North were empty. 

 

Next day a patrol found

or thought it found, movement

in trenches to N of us thro wh

Goodin had moved I day before.

 

This day a British officer came

along commn trench from left into K

trench w bombs. & was astonished

when he saw our men. "What - Australians."

D32                                  18

All day heavy fire.

July 27. 3 am, Bn relieved

by 6 Aust Bde (x Bns)

Totl cas.   46

Off        4               7

o.r.         77          259         16

Missing 16 all wounded

Total now  373

4[[x]] hit still on duty

 

In attack many were hit

by rifle m.g. & bombs.

D32                      19

VII Bn. (From Col. Jess CO.)

July 23.  By 6am.

Under 3rd Bn A & B 2 Coys in Sunken Rd trench ^3 Bde

                         2 Coys in Black Watch Ave.

                           C & D  under 2 Bde

 

H.Q. m. gunners Bailiff wood.

1 Barrage just behind

1    "             "       in front

 

12.5 in afternoon message

from Maclagan to say

Bn was allotted to him

3. Heard from Div th

allotment of C & D ws

cancelled.

 

July 23/24 At B Coys were

carrying for 3^rd Bde.

D32                          20

Monday.

July 24 morning: from 9am

till 2p.m. enemy

deluged valley w lacrymaty

& gas shells.

 

Had to use helmets

& goggles.

 

This night guns

moved up there & opened

covering 5 Bn operation.

 

3.10pm. Message from Bde.

A & B Coys were placed

under Le Maistre for

operation th night.

 

Lt M. ws to see Coy

Commanders & give

them all instns re

reconnaissance.

 

2 teams of regimental

bombers were to be attached

to protect left flank when

D32                                   21

they got in.

5.5p.m. Burrow in charge

of B Coy got shell shock

leaving 2/Lt Brown in

charge of B Coy.

 

Asked for Lt Hamilton

to replace (left in Albert).

 

5.45: sent to 5 Bn:

Cd you let me have

some knowledge o I

scheme tonight in order

th I might help Swift

(O.C. A Coy) & new commdr

of B Coy, who is likely

to come up very late.

 

No reply.

 

?Jess 7 p.m. I went personally

D34                             22

to 5 Bn & found Le M.

in I middle of his order.

While there waiting for

it to be finished I

got a message from

3 Bde saying th I had

bn again attached to

3 Bde ^ wanting to

see me. 

 

Le M. promised to send

a copy of order to me.

 

At Bde H.Q. the

situatn ws explained to

me. I ws told th A & B

were absolutely under

Le M's orders & to

divide Lewis guns betw

D32                        23

the 2 assaulting Coys.

th C & D coys were Bde

reserve under myself,

& were not to move

without orders in writing 

from G.O.C. 3 Bde

or myself & th Bn

H.Q. were to remain

where they were.

 

9.15pm. Folly & Swift

A Coy. During operatns

take instrns from either

Col Le M. or GOC 3 Bde.

2/Lt H Brown to carry

on with B Coy until

arrival of Lt Hamilton.