Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/89/1 - September - October 1917 - Part 2

11
D39
"A few mouthfuls"
says Von Armin "do
immense harm to unprotected
persons".
Oct 1. 1917. The Germans
made 3 attacks this mg
between 8.30 & 8.40 am
betw. NE Corner of Polygon
Wd & the Reutelbeck.
Betw. Cameron Covent &
Joist Fm. The Germs got
into British line & British
now hold line in front
of Cameron H.
Enemy bombed Abeele,
Poperinghe Vlamertinghe,
Locre, Mont des Cats, Hazebrouck,
Steenbecque, Cassel, Bavinghove,
Zuytpeene, & Dickebusch last
night. They killed 6 offrs of one 

12
D39
Sqn.  We hear tt every available
machine has gone out with 6 bombs tonight.
I hear that Col. Scott - who had
bn left behind to help relieving
Bn to take over, ws sniped
thro / head today; & his successor
K. w him.  Scott ws one o /
youngest & one o / very finest
C.Os we had - he shd have
had a V.C. at Lone Pine.
Oct 4. Today the very great
battle of Brodseinde.
The question arose what to be
done next.  Godley, on infomatn
tt Germans were demoralised
wanted to push on at once today;
Plumer came to see Birdwood &
decided to have nothing to do w it
& afterwds met Haig in Conference
at Cassell.
Redwood told me it ws decided
not to go further down the far slope

13
D39
(tho / gunners want to
for observatn, the infantry
shd be paramount).
White sd it had bn - decided to go
on to Nov. ?if weather permitted.
Col. Nicholson sd he had bn
asked to make 4000 yds
of road in 4 days. This
wd mean carrying 30,000
planks or 6000 tons of
road metal.  The Pioneers
had made 700 yds of wooden
road in a day at the Menin
diversion - their wonderful
record.  2000 yds of C.T.
at Bullecourt in 17 hrs
ws the record trench work.
This battle has largely
bn won by our pioneers. 

14
3 Div 1018 prisoners mostly bayonet wds
51 mgs,  4 Tanks incl 23 offrs
2 Bn Commdrs
2 Div 2 Bn Commandrs
14 offrs 314 men.
(24 mgs) thro' capt.

[shorthand]
[shorthand]
4 guard Div 212 RIR [[to dig at]] 6 am
(29th 1 k. one man ).
When got on crest much mg
fire & therefore downslope. Not from
road.
                                  28                          21
Later helped by    27                          24           8 offrs  7.40 am
                                  —                           —
                                  25                          22

27 men sent to help them on crest.
When Germs saw our men on
crest down came barrage there.
27 had to help them.
Probly  losses abt 3000.
6 Bde is ahead of 7 & have
taken part at D2.9 B 2 9 overlooking
valley.  7 Bde similarly
Daisy Wood still hold  7 Bde.

15
D39
1st  stunt [shorthand] 3000   1st Div losses est 2000
1st Aust Div. 11 offrs, 330 men prisoners
960 Germs. counted dead -
to within 200 yds of front line.
quite a no. of bayonet wounds.
8 Bn report tt in several
cases on rt German stood up
near great crater on Broodseinde
front.
212 came up to make attack
(2 BNs - stoss truppe for this
area, 45th Divn).
4th Guards, 45 Divn were
on this front.
4th Guards were going to
follow & were garrisoning
original line.
212 ws in no mans land & when
our barrage advd we
found some of them there.
Night before Bdes sd
77s and 4.2s had bn
registering on front line.
We have their orders &
they were to take Polygon to

C 83
D39/15
G.S.
1st Aust Division
Reports as under were
forwarded to you through
1^st Brigade HQ. today from
Sgt Scott - N.C.O. in charge of
party counting German dead.
"Counted 410 German dead
on 2^nd Brigade front AAA 1^st"
Brigade count not yet complete"
Scott 12 noon

"Counted 550 German dead
on 1^st Brigade front"
Scott  12.40 p.m.
Repeated to confirm
reports
10.21 pm
JDL
H. Mitchell  Major
O.C. 13th LH Detachment
4.10.17
Ig

15a
C83

16
D39
Anzac Ridge inclusive.
A German Bn Commandr sd
tt it ws wonderful tt our
troops had only bn trained
3 yrs & this ws regular Bn
and yet when two met our
people absolutely rolled them
up.  He sd other side of
ridge ws too formidable
to attack up.
"Your men are funny -
they rob while they fight!"
If Germany cd get their
colonies back this bn Commandr
sd they wd give up Alsace
Lorraine.
The Bn Commdr's  shoulder
straps had bn taken & he
had lost a lot of blood -
he had wound thro arm &
our men had given him
tea all way along.  His
dugout ws smashed by our

( Sutell offr)

17
D39
shellfire.  He thought
Priestly^x ws a doctor -
he ws full of admiration
Germs wire not on tapes.
5th Footguards were to be
formed up in rear of
Assembly front line &
were just moving up to this
assembly positn - our heavy
shelling in / rear caught
them before / barrage.
All

Country quite good up to
200 or 300 yds behind
front line.
It is curious tt / majority
o / prisoners were from the Guards
in support.  212th in front
were apptly k. by our bayonets

18
D39
One guardsmen cd only
speak French - or v. little
German.  He ws thinking of
deserting / whole time & asked
at once for ^one who cd speak French.
The 212^th prisoners were on
their way out into no mans land when
taken by our men.
93^rd  5th Guard Grenadiers &  5 Footguards
were in  Sunken Rd on
hill top - They had shrapnel
proof shelters there.
Greater part of Germ dead are
both front line & our 1st objve.
One Austrian deserted.
The Germ Bn Commdr
(212 Regt 1st Bn) ws taken
just other side of no mans land.  He
sd / Austlns followed /
barrage v quick.  He sd he
knew all our orders for relief
& we knew his. The war ws

 19
D39
no longer a war but only a
butchery.  You don't hunt your
enemy.  You know where he sits
& shell tt area till he moves.
He lost a watch & his hat.
He didn't mind giving souvenirs
to men who had fought.  He
rather objected having shoulder
straps cut off by Red X men.
They had noticed
from shoulder straps tt our
men were Australians.
They knew tt they were
tremendously keen on
souvenirs  & some of them
took souvenirs in hands
when went over.

                       
They relied on submarine
entirely.  They thought our
figures were boats leaving
Southampton & going into
Plymouth etc. The French were
very young- good fighters in
a scrap.  He had never seen

20
D39
fighters w / initiative
of Austlns.  Everyman seemed
to know where to go & what
to do.
The Alsatian sd tt a
great number of Alsatians
desert.
[The German guns were
largely firing from N & S.]
While our men were digging
in they  were being sniped from
woods beyond.  But they v.
soon had a C.T. down &
complete safety.
The 5 Footguards Alsatian
sd he had seen 2 c. attack
Regts on the Keiberg
wh were smashed up by
our arty at back of
Anvil Wood.
4th Guard Divn wh had
had heavy fighting in Champagne