Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/88/1 - September 1917 - Part 6

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Awaiting approval
Accession number:
RCDIG1066618
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

to tia 4 t N in order to catel anute Cattack. Patations attack Th a onte final objoe 1s made w 2 Bno for I same reason. The left hs not difficult a fot o will fewer vattations go for it. w weak up the Cie Sept 18. ith Gallett toda It was daik 5 w tkins icten ram- ver threate be started it tho Gillebeke ran into some there 1 duckboartsranty Britiih fantry Sancrary in wood The gerlusus were shekin ty hearily up behine Icrest at Strllin castle. On a sudden 5 yellow flaces event up, one after other as fast as they ed thrown Within a few be f t down can fe bariage, tremendousl
137 19 heary onto therear stope of the hill - crash crash crash crash -t all colours of fiersts fleean with white snok + black 24 so relief disappeared ito stell holes on Gwd W pressed lpham Lunction, but just as we creates I stope a coople of shraprel burst streight ahead of is up avenne, up wh we were Walkin then abyger shell swesped in low straught over our heads & plunged into a neighbouri TheWhole a buish on to side of route as we dived nto a trench onte other. They starty their banage here, too - Sowe 5movet back & made round. over 1crate at Hoofe
X 137 where the tunneller ae medi the leadguacties for the 2ndt Grd Bdes. We cat past Bellevaide Lake to Bellwards on the crest of which thee is a little reat of truches acupid by as idrom There we followed a halfidug trunc a a soupplt red cratere soapplate of a plain to the dge on wh we cdsee the Fan Weathoek Village. aratti There peppering shelling plaino an couply of min every now & then running found the we acton it treches on the summit - with t awhiszting stell
137 the Laty 1 of it secki t the 22nd n were o whole port of the Cold be sashed alom End Dwr battered trinch until the anofficer. The men were form on the little undercut pogzies front side of truc two, in neghbousing we passd possies- with] a bloodsplasher waterproof sheet covern the of the flies buzz enbrance round the bloodstannd legs + proteded otherwise patties wh have known wed not we e not alive. at last to te officer, a ame startled boy, horfed b the sights & the shelling - they l had been [bursting] in parados & & blowing the the men with of kitter the back blast. Col. Willitag whose HD wsin
A Pill. 6 Hyline, Sdt Boxeo on had lost Tomen on, ther E0 hours holding of line. The On continually visiter m wha were b lieve them, &the German had probly noticed this continual movement, & shelled him all don Wug. Every somment wart oe projection on to sky lin a t. Grs we or a dressing station. Ih ere ein relieved at once t tBdes;t 1471 were t be Reserve Bde3P. then the 1objve XI 610 Either the Bdes faileds or if the other relieve them & hold t se in succeeded rine tywere not relieting ( prospect - rather any day, they hop sl way back we found On 37
tooket right at his H heavy ferman barreg on 337 a slopt worth west of Bellwards Lake the new road wh just becide yen Bendwood had Ciit fo I don't know if it Security. aroad they were shootin we sawta still burst at- within a yard or two of a wale team, & from then on all the teams woh passed came down at agetop. There two horses & a man were byng dead on the meninn Road at Berr Cross a shell had sot a splash ut of 27 at th 2 Sonea Dressay Station at anbile House - the School - where Half way Boddy &7 car. ot a number of photos with spaid iti & to dark bus way bong & fot legve to spend tomorrow of Dugt Sllenwoorde we arove in home ad night & had a pleasanti Supper with Hurle & ter old The martin o the man abt
27 54 to House 5 off a dob -79. postid of work in the last drawing to Tmas Book - except for th Powells T car we sent of with ancens to fetch Bullett pelmour - the Austialasean Reis Assoen man, got leave from Charteris, the ether day, for him to come to this Hlers for a short tin as I promised townend in Lordon Murdoel also has from London tt he is wined over, but feeb. while says at he musestoy at T.H.O. Birdwood has refr acket Murdock to arrange with the Aust. Bess Assocn when he makes further visits but mardach has regused. He
37 says tit is his catisprise wh has obtained him visits abe tere right to of share to right can wt any man - no journalist could well be asked to do so. He rather crabbed the Aust. Press Assocn, I thought &tried & set Birdwood against them if thes made any request for equal rights w him Gallell: thinks to 1 best plan is for them Each to be permancally here, & for1 realy to official concept think this out of business. privat interests is entirely wrong - the a papers it wntests o areaota tast are somdl wh oe cutriht acrosset enterests o 1countr scoops, competition majnificato are out of Exaggeration i what silget for countrys& al Larmony 88
56 came with Hurley Wilkis ap the Poperih Ild after leaving a prem cable w Butler. I watked out the Menio Ral to Hoog ale they were pounday sit but not I road itself. Jens Bennett & Hean were up their thers whe were a wtl wet but splendily roomy had a cold, & in order to keep in (open as much as possible I went up to I fore stope of hillechire + Sumnel where the IndBn (at has helt [Bt BdeLin) were at in reaciae. Sone oh t Mena Sergt who recin we give we tea – and just as we finisher, down came basyp a heavy abt S batteries of F.9 concentrate on the Hooge Killty
very toin but I saw no man hit, yself got back toth te across open. Since then I have dinner w. Bennett & bn talling with him, FCtepenson fthe Srd (aray) A.J.A. Bde & Cl. MacCarlntz of 3rd Dul Art + Hutchus & others. the day has bna beautiful one - clear + -good beyond all wrndy hopes. They ad not lay the segs last night as hopes because th ferms hed a barre, down, but Capt Rogers, the Bde Iutzee of, has gone up to by then out toslight. The ferman's have by Expecty this attack, 5o kenedy the Heavy Arty Recoman letts me & tr anne f

D37          48
in order to catch any possible
c-attack.  They Battalions attack
arrive on the final objve is
made w 2 Bns for / same
reason.  The left has not
so difficult a job & will
go for it w fewer battalions.

Sept 18.  Went up the line
today with Gullett &
Wilkins.  It was dark &
inclined to rain - very
threatening - We started up thro'
Gillebeke & ran into some
British infantry at ^where / duckboards ran thro Sanctuary
Wood.  The Germans were
shelling pretty heavily up
behind / crest at Stirling
Castle.  On a sudden 5 yellow
flares went up, one after /
other as fast as they cd
be thrown.  Within a few
minutes, down came a
German barrage, tremendously

 

D37       49
heavy onto the rear slope
of the hill - crash crash
crash crash - all colours
of bursts flecked with
white smoke & black - The
xx relief disappeared into
shell holes.

We pressed on towds
Clapham Junction but
just as we crested / slope
a couple of shrapnel burst
straight ahead of us up
/ avenue up wh we were
walking, & then a bigger
shell swished in low
straight over our heads
& plunged into a neighbouring
shellhole & burst on tt side
o / route as we dived
into a trench on the other.
They started their barrage
there too - so we of moved
back & made round
over / crater at Hooge,

 

D37         50
where the tunnellers are making
the headquarters for the 2nd &
3rd Bdes.  We cut past
Bellevarde Lake to Bellevarde
xx on the crest of which there is
a little nest of trenches occupied
by us.  From there we followed
a half dug trench across
a soup plate red cratered
soup-plate of a plain to the
ridge on wh we cd see the
remains ^of Westhoek Village.

Diagram - see original scan
There ws a scattered
shelling going peppering /
plain, & a couple of men
were now & then running
across it, we found the
trenches on the summit - with
a whizzbang shell every continually

 

D37       51
picking the top of it.  In the
trenches were the 22nd Bn,
holding / whole front of the
2nd Divn.  We pushed along
the battered trench until we
found an officer. The men were
in xx little undercut pozzies
in / front side o / trench -
we passed two, in neighbouring
pozzies with a blood splashed
waterproof sheet covering the
entrance, & the flies buzzing
round the bloodstained legs &
putties wh protruded - otherwise
we shd not have known
they the men were not alive.  We
came at last to the officer, a
poor little startled boy, horrified by
the sights & the shelling - they
had been bursting in /
parados & x blowing the
men & killing the men with
the back blast.  Col. Willshire
told us tt whose H.Q. ws in

 

D37        52
one o / very prominent "Pill-
Boxes" on / skyline, sd tt
they had lost 70 men in their
48 hours holding o / line.  They
had bn continually visited
by / men who were to
relieve them, & the German
had probly noticed this continual
movement, & shelled them all day
long.  Every prominent wart
or projection on tt skyline
ws an ambulance a H.Qrs
or a dressing station.  They
were being relieved at once by
the 7th & 5th Bdes; they were
then to be Reserve Bde; &
either to go in & take / objve
if the other Bdes failed; or if they
succeeded - to go in & relieve them & hold
/ line.  They were not
relishing / prospect - rather
"hop over" any day, they
sd.

On / way back we found

 

D37          53
a heavy German barrage on
/ slope North West of Bellevarde Lake
just beside the new road wh
Gen. Birdwood had laid for
security.  I dont know if it
ws / road they were shooting
at - we saw a shell burst
within a yard or two of a
xxx mule teams, & from then
on all the teams wh passed
came down at a gallop.  There
were two horses & a man
lying dead on the Menin
Road at Birr Cross;
a splash of a shell had got
23 men out of 27 at the
ambula Dressing Station at
Halfway House - the School - where
we met Boddy & / car.
Wilkins got a number of photos
but I am afraid it ws too dark.
Looked in at Bennetts on / way home & got leave to spend tomorrow
night at his HQrs.
We drove Wilkins home to Steenvoorde
& had a pleasant midnight
supper with xx xxxxx Hurley
& their old Pte Martin - the "man" abt

 

D37        54
the House."

Sept 19.  Finished off a job
of work in / morning - posted
the last drawing to Smart
for the Xmas Book - except
Powells - The came up
to / car ws sent off with
Gullett to Amiens to fetch
Gilmour - the Australasian
Press Assocn man, whom
- I got leave from Charteris, the
other day, for him to come to
this H.Qrs for a short time
as I promised Townend in
London.  Murdoch also has
wired from London tt he is
coming over, but Genl. White
says tt he must stay at G.H.Q.
Murdoch Birdwood has refused
asked Murdoch to arrange
with the Aust. Press Assocn when
he makes further visits,
but Murdoch has refused.  He

 

D37          55
says tt it is his enterprise
wh has obtained him /
right to make these visits,
& he cannot share tt right
w any man - no journalist
could well be asked to do so.
He rather crabbed the Aust.
Press Assocn, I thought,
& tried to set Birdwood
against them if they made any
request for equal rights w
him.

Gullett thinks tt / best
plan is for them each to be
permanently here, & for /
official correspt really to
go out of business.  I think this
is entirely wrong - the ^private interests
o / papers & / interests o /
country are not in / least
are something wh often cut right
across / interests o / country -
Scoops, competition, magnification
& exaggeration are out of
all harmony o w what is best for / country. xx

 

D37        56
I came with Hurley &
Wilkins up the Poperinghe
Rd after leaving a preliminary
cable w Butler.  I walked
out the Menin Rd to Hooge
- they were pounding / side
of it but not / road itself.
Gens. Bennett & Heane were up at
their H.Qrs - wh were a little
wet but splendidly roomy.

I had a cold, & in
order to keep in / open as much
as possible I went up to /
fore slope o / hill XXXX  & /
summit, where the 2nd Bn
(wh has held / 1st Bde Line) were
camped in reserve.  Some old
Mena Sergt who recognised
me gave me tea - and just
as we finished, down came
a heavy German barrage -
abt 3 batteries of 5.9
concentrated on the Hooge hilltop.

 

D37        57
It ws very hot indeed -
but I saw no man hit,
& myself got back thro' the
trenches & then running across /
open.

Since then I have had
dinner w Bennett & bn
talking with him, & Col Stephenson
of the 3rd (army) A.F.A. Bde, &
Col. MacCartney of 3rd Divl Arty
& Hutchins & others.

The day has bn a
beautiful one - clear &
windy - good beyond all
hopes. They cd not lay ^out the
pegs last night as hoped because
the Germs had a barrage down,
but Capt Rogers, the Bde Intgce
Offr, has gone up to lay them
out tonight.

The German's have bn expecting
this attack, so Kennedy, the
Heavy Arty Reconnaisance
Offr tells me, & our airmen

 




 

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