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 a.m.
C. had hard fighting
but reached orchard
shortly after 5 & dug in.

11
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 /
Germans. The Germans they speak of
as abt 1000 strong. They threw their
hands up but Capt Hurrey tells me tt /
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 / 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.)
[Diagram- see original scan]

The patrol then turned.
Someone in 4 Bn w
L. gun ws firing on Germans
in a trench beyond [[?Dairy]]
who looked like surrendering 
& they too 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 m.gs
were used on / Germans

D Coy ws well ahead
o / 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 trench agn & wormed
away towards Mouquet F.

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 / man saw him - but he
turned to walk quietly up / trench.
Goodwin dropped his revolver at once
& fired - / German dropped his pack 
& ran on - leaving blood marks
along / trench.

The patrol went on past 
/ trench in front of D Coy.

From Further on they cd see to their right
the ridge behind the O.G. trench -
& there in / 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
men 
laying 
cable. 
They fired
on them at
abt 1000 yds
or more.
They then went
on past the

shoulder o / hill
& their trench
here petered

out & they cd          
see Le Mouquet
Farm only
100 yds ahead.
(The trench got
v. shallow -        
German [[shorthand]]
told me this too). There seemed no one
abt. The walls o / Farm had bn bashed in
& / roof had fallen - more or less
entire - to / ground.

The higher authorities questioned
the accuracy of this patrol but it
certainly was an accurate report.

[* [[shorthand]]
R 34.5.4
 [[shorthand]]
18
24
Patrol  [[shorthand]] got into OG
trench
By  [[shorthand]] posts at 77 & 78 [[shorthand]]*]
D32      16
8 Bn. (& dug a new line
in front of 8 Bn).

Intense shelling by evening
all day hampered shelling
digging.

Str Posts R 34 C 66 
R 34 d23 had to
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 pounders 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 Warwicks from abt
X3 B 2.8. Our men were at ^R 34 C Central.
-----
Another Patrol sd to have found
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
Goodwin had moved / 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 (2 Bns)
Total cas.   46
Off        4               7
o.r.         77          259         16
Missing 16 all wounded

Total now  373
4  [[shorthand]] 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 6 a.m.
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 tt
allotment of C & D ws
cancelled.

July 23/24 A & B Coys were
carrying for 3^rd Bde.

D32        20
Monday.
July 24 morning: from 9 am
till 2 p.m. enemy
deluged valley w lacrymaty
& gas shells.

Had to use helmets
& goggles.

This night guns
moved up there & opened
covering 5 Bn operation.

3.10 pm. Message from Bde.
A & B Coys were placed
under Le Maistre for
operation tt night.

Le 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 /
scheme tonight in order

tt 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 / middle of his order.
While there waiting for
it to be finished I
got a message from
3 Bde saying tt I had
bn again attached to
3 Bde & wanting to
see me. 

Le M. promised to send

a copy o / order to me.

At Bde H.Q. the
situatn ws explained to
me. I ws told tt A & B
were absolutely under

Le M's orders & to
divide Lewis guns betw.

D32        23
the 2 assaulting Coys.
tt C & D coys were Bde
reserve under myself,
& were not to move
without orders in writing 
from G.O.C. 3 Bde

or myself & tt 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.