Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/88/1 - September 1917 - Part 2

8
D37
Sectn to repair it found
tt in the apparent arch ws
what looked like a steel girder;
the girder on closer inspectn
proved to be cast iron - so
bridge wd not be safe for 6in gun
- much less a tank.  11 F.C.
put in steel girders in this
arch but other half remains
cast iron.
____

Before July 31 we managed to 
persuade Germs tt there ws
a concentratn there - He
smashed up / rly bridge in
spite of our putting  sham broken
girders & bats there to look 
like shell hole (British Rly Coy RE)
& night after night Armentieres
ws burning. 

9
D39
Aug. 5. Leanes Trench.
Rockliffe ws in trench when
bombt started abt 6 till 7 pm
It ws / hottest he had seen on a 
small piece of trench; from Olive
Grove & Gun Ridge - from Gun
Ridge it ws too flat to hurt;
Olive Grove w / dangerous gun.
It did no damage. There were
90 odd reinfts in line at this time
recd 2 days before.  R went
along line & put reinft - old
man - reinft - old man, all
/ way along / line.
2 men were wd - it
ws mostly HE jfrom gun ridge
wh knocked down sandbags
but tt is all tho' shooting v. straight.
Nothing happened imd after.
we had orders to fire _^demonstrate next day
& make loopholes & complete trench. 
R didn't want noise; they
cdnt see 10 yds so had to

10
D37
listen - R went to Colonel
to get picking stopped.  Ws
told orders had to go on.
He sd All right - went
back, & dif allowed no
picking - (Field of fire ws
10 yds - there direct drop).
At mid night handed
over to Aarons & told him
not to allow picking.
Nothing suspicious till then
exc. T. sniping increased.
R. went out. They took
up digging again.  Just
before dawn someone in
trench heard T offr giving an
order. The Ts has worked
up the two gullies during 
night - 
See over 

11
D37

illustration - see original document

Rifles were fired at sound &
bombs thrown.  Next thing ws
a volley of bombs into right 

12
D37
of trench K. or wounding our
bombers & most of old
hands there.  The garrison
of this end ws mostly wd,
& 4 or 5 k.  Turks got
in over / top - &
abt 30 Ts were in trench
where marked. (the Ts
cd throw their bombs from
beyond / Gully's Edge).
The Ts tried to work up
rt hand tunnel.  Rockliffe
who ws woken by the bombt (Turks)
came into Tasm. post -
there were few men in
Post - He heard bomb
bomb bomb up tt tunnel.  

13
D37
Placed a couple of snipers
at / end (it ws just
daylight) The end of the
tunnel ws pretty straight.
No Ts. came further as they 
heard out men firing down.
8 Ts were captd afterwds
in this tunnel (w bombs
on them).
Second Tunnel from rt ws
alright - our wd were
coming down it.  R went
along left of Leanes trench
& found tt ws alright
also.  So trouble had bn
located & checked.  We
were holding from over 

14
D37
traverses in Leanes &
bombing back at Ts.
The T's stopped their arty
after abt 20 mins - it
ws v heavy & concentrated.
& they had men lined
up opposite whole length
of trench just in dead ground
to rush rest of trench at
first opportunity.  The 9
Bn reported from 
trenches ^These at head of gully
on left tt they cd see
these men (whom R already
suspected).
R at mouth of 3rd
Tunnel from right
heard (during latter part of

15
D37
fighting pick pick pick
underneath this part of
trench.  (It ws found later
tt / Turks had had
sniping possies under /
cliff there.  They were
(Sketch - see original)
picking away
at this to put
in a charge
& blow up /
trench.  R. knew
tt Clogstoun

ws about & sent for him.
C. sd tt he cdnt see w a
periscope, & put his head
over / top & ws shot
instantly through the neck
& wind pipe - v. seriously.

16
D37
This charge ws actually
blown abt 1½ hrs after
fight started.  (Bombs
rolled down hill & cdnt
get the workers)

On infn. from 9th
bombs were thrown over
at the waiting Turks
parallel to trench.  These
gave up the attempt &
retired into gully & our
mgs & snipers got them.
One of our men sniping thro
a loophole cd see part
of the Northern T. wash away
where bank ws broken.
He fired cd see / Ts coming
along this.  he ws a good
shot & firing most coolly
& had a pile of Ts there
dead before he finished.
In the meantime two 

17
D37
steps were taken.

(1)  To enfilade Ts ^in Gully from
left a party of 25 under
Lieut Hall ws sent over
across the wheatfield to an
old Turk Commn trench running
N from end of Leanes trench.

Hand drawn diagram - see original
They were caught in
/ wheatfield by T
snipers & shrapnel
& m.gs. & 3 wd
men alone got
back.

[The T. m.gs
were firing v. heavily
at this time - possibly
partly to force on their
own men]

(2)  Lts Franklin & Proctor
& abt 30 men were sent