Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/88/1 - September 1917 - Part 7

[*D37*]          58
have reported concentrations
of their camps well beyond
our gun range for some
days. Today the airmen

saw their infantry moving

up.  Some think this is
for a relief but Bennett thinks
it is quite as likely to be
for their c-attack, & tt they
suspect the show is tomorrow
or very soon.
5.30 pm. Our bombs seem to
be quickening up.
The tunnellers are continually
pumping the water out of this
dugout - during the shelling they
were out in the crater pumping,
the only men still there.
The signallers & others have
moved off with their pigeons &
wire rolls. There is also to be
 

[*D37*] 59
a tank with a wireless
installation ^^going up forward to a
central position. Big guns will
also go up tomorrow on tanks.
11 p.m. A report in that the
tape line has been laid.
It is raining. This is an
anxiety, as, the valley thro
wh all the 3rd Bde has to
pass is simply a marsh of
huge water filled shell holes in
which men have to walk
very carefully round the
rims in order not to fall in.
However the hop over is at 5.40
(when it will be almost light)
& the barrage only goes, first 25 yds
then 16-17 yds, then 12½ yds
a minute. There are
German m.g emplacements
- one or two of them in cement
blockhouses - in this marsh.
 

[*D37*]      60
The 11^th Bn is in the line & goes
out first; the 12^th Bn goes
next & has instrns to take
the 11 Bn objve if 11 Bn fails,
the 9 & 10 Bns come last in
platoons in file. The 12 Bn
shd be passing here at 1.30;
10 Bn at 2.30; 9 Bn at
3.30 am Neligan is going to
have the morning paper taken
round in sacks & distributed
to his men when they are
in the shell holes during their
long 2 hrs wait before the
last objve.

11.45 Rogers reports tt the tape
is completely laid exc. for
50 yds at the left of 11^th Bn.

Sept 20. Thurs:
12.10 am. The rain has
stopped, but it is very muddy.
 

61
[*D37*]
2.10 am The 12^th Bn is passing
now - very rather late.
 2.30 all going right. Young
Cornish comes in to say if the
10^th Bn is passing. The
28th Bn caused ½ an hours
delay, they say, by using the
track clearly marked ^out for the
3rd Bde - it is a curious thing
if the 7^th Bde did exactly the
same at Pozieres - one
cannot help thinking that
the General Staff of the 2nd Divn,
notoriously bad, is responsible
for this. Surely it shd have bn
marked as the 3rd Bde track
was.
4.30 all 9 Bn has passed
Bennett & Hutchins asleep
in bunks beside me.
 

62
[*D37*]
5.15 am. The light is breaking
red in the East. A very few
white flares going - little shelling
back here. Ths Ge 
The Germans have bn
shelling the front line - but as
the flares are white I do not
think they have seen us but
they probably think it a 
good thing to shell the front
line at this time - it is
an obvious thing to do. They
have bn turning gas shell &
H.E. onto the front & our
counter batteries were turned
on 20 mins ago to neutralise
them.
The going is not bad outside.

5.20. The 2nd Bde have news
tt their men are in position.
The Germans are shelling Clapham
Junction.
 

63
Counter batteries still on.
[*D37*]
The Germans have been
improving greatly ^of lately, one
of the roads ^not much used by them up
to the present. Thxx Our heavy
artillery has bn ordered to leave
this religiously alone as
their c-attacking troops will
be brought up along it in
motor busses. Yesty we
turned some guns onto it.
Immediately the German
wireless sent up a demand
for "Annihilation fire on
the English."

6.8x
5.37 I went up stairs & a
red flare went up at this
 

64

[*D37*]
The next instant a shell burst
 in the crater 7 yards away.
As I reached the dugout
entrance my eyes & nose
were smarting. The men on
the stairs were sneezing. I realised
it ws a gas shell.
Just then out broke our
barrage.
6.3 xxxx The men shd be in 1st objve
They will not leave it till 7.8
6.45:-
From Cable head from
Ist Div. OC Tanks going well on the right
30 prisoners coming in.
Bavarian Reserve Regiment.
15 Bav. R I R 4 Bav Res Div RIR
From 1st Divn: 2nd Divn Brigades have
both captured both their objectives.
50 prisoners coming in on left &
more on the right.
6.59. The 11^th Bn has the first
objective. Casualties slight. Forming
 

65
[*D37*]
up for 2nd objective. 10^th Bn
going strong.

7.7 am 2nd Bde have got their
red line.
Foster: Liaison officer with 5 Bn
(2nd Bde) reports casualties
rather heavy especially
when moving into the
forming up position.

Ferguson ∧Henwood (10 Bn) reports that
the 1st objective ws taken on the
whole line front & men already
formed up for 2nd objve.
The Big strong post in Northern
part of Glencorse wood ws
taken w ease.
7.40 Neligan, ( speaking on the
'phone, reports that the 10^th
is in 8D waiting.
 

66

[*D37*] 
7.55. Germans 11 Bn state tt they
have mopped up abt 40
prisoners & are consolidating
the strong point at J 14 B2 8
(in N edge of Glencorse wood)

8 a.m. 
Owing to heavy casualties
no material has reached the
front line. Can material be
pushed up, please.

8.2 2nd Bde sent in urgent
message to say arty firing
short causing casualties at
Fitzclarence Farm.

8.7 2nd Divn left ∧5th Bde captd
Blue Line.

8.10 3rd Bde has got 2nd objve.

67
[*D37*]

Germ. Shelling was on over own line in Glenc. wood
& is now on the S/P in Glenc wood from wh

we got abt 40 personnel Also dugouts round abt there

Our offrs were hit from [[?]]. Henwood got in
& took charge of 10th line - everyone he cd find.

The carrg pty ws badly knocked abt

It got blown up 6 times in the enemies barrage in

wh they got mixed up.

The casualties were before they got into positn

on the 1st objve they got their men well forward

Darnell &
Henwood were looking out when Henwood ws hit by

a bit of our own shell wh flew back.

Henwd got organised again before they were all started

10,11 & 9 were got right up close to the  . . . . . 
6 Bn got the 60 personnel
The Germans are shelling some of their own men who are having

a [[?]] time.  Clapham Jn again very hot.