Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/89/1 - September - October 1917 - Part 9

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Awaiting approval
Accession number:
RCDIG1066619
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

Hclawbax 90 Jas a the ws going the Bt Major 506 6 the 6y we want. you tdraw 50 rounds of amm ttion ser rgd then the came back again want youll to take two days rations 2 you time For the first when the march we half th thro battle side were abe op infoon of yous were the t they were oin in this bt Thy thought Itrech ent t ay were before moved being 6 read up into Lup
3 lit 200 Hen and yes Sir where an I todraw the Rations The B.M. Oh in tedrp which you will fint in Yous ining the direction it ws 4 be found) where quitation very will Ken. Sir. How are we to get thim here. (The pation way ons were Duprose oo not there. dumy A Bot. you must your annunition Edmention & send the Aum ftion carts managed it sometion ten. They found the telm in yures an Austation in t put there by the 66th Shang Dwn was not siven Hi
32 the h ws str a traeh 1tE 24 en t a the rity Se d they foud wt the it eser Bde The two to set. on to0 toissue I3 any anthorth asked to food be wa supt Mend it et but he save to them Ken their looks. on 5d 5o pm. they m By a field. Moye thei to te be the Etracte showed them edi then they told track also the had tr given officiall Healia to his set. wanter back wh ws waiting hin try tracks He two told t ten 56 meta at dam 460 as the they w ta battation of their tike san dupont by concrete
2 Kentet souch. 50 tin & the Bppited its up On two same trach lark ty went inquiry for Polsdam. Down E we a fuet when them bain this con Poto dam had 50 pom road Weither track let there as a matter th had done so it of fact had bn attered f1 cuckboard laid past it) I day before. Ken Of or rather put his it 2coys wh were w him on F tract into sheltholes find Be & went
39 35 C it suides. After to sheltholes fallin into te Strugtin tho 1barray Caman WD 90f t tere helf I en every way. there; a second barrage Aftr the difficulties ben numeror found Aust. suides more his companies. te found suides sd tt tha thy B did at track the Knew Hen went. track tnow Co Cannap back to Brrgade sent some she ot & called un fuides H.l Fuides. I you two pattalion way up to know dont
front he 3d you must 96 learn it T6e now of Brigade take ty with Dr &ye will 98.65 Coy learn wae them went w1 first Hten & one of guides w a met here May second who had bn offi Den their the time to tearn aep 5 e found to they way not Potsda 43 Bn 46 furth up but a to t in Gason pear fenally The Fonnebet 8 it there stragfled e them Sa Ken
front tine sptendid t tans auch by 9 hom t 18 hrs ap 30 ta Tey found to tood their Lewis funs hadbn Sir d we b Galians when n team w lte deyoutfor i a in a half dn or 6e a dt C X in hof Broach th a Oct he had pe Cotumn head the fom pont time 1000 yds Knewit HC 20 ad be they tl
38 erd at on in wasked if they Bde ed not be up by paritter 6d sd the patts Bde they wd lose ed not themsels The track following had by the were mules used by trample into hear wid mad the long timeo en on it it because worse &worse. They led eventially were in little parattel off it in sight of cotumng another & to one extent along some ws wh railway the
99 a track made by or reserved for Andtratious with this appalin winddbig, the ignorns Somme conditions+ 1 first necessities of retiefs, watth no wonder thast poor old Lancastire cheps lost not their barag. Iad bear I thought ment 51 regimental oficers bein fex it the stap blamed didn't evey give them beginnting of a chance When gont back usual tosee it told him what White
100 14 t totme auoupt Oher things Bhdword came tin i Thy hat her th the CDwvn 4s it tt tan not till 4 later wonderiy as wish tep them and Bdean 5dat tim you thoe t 4 tan Fort th ought about know I think its out 244 otear t a man Maawit tike Sae Isd. Son wont sare t m cane his
 

D39  90
elsewhere.  Just as he ws 
going the Bde Major sd: Oh 
by the bye - we want you 
to draw 50 rounds of ammunition
per man. 
Then he came back again
- "& you'll want to take
two days rations with
you."
For the first time, when 
the march ws half thro' & they 
were already on / battle side
of Ypres they were informed 
- in this way - th they were going
into / trenches.  They thought
before tt they were being moved
up into support - (it read

 

D39  91
like Loos)                   
Ken said: Yes Sir; & where
am I to draw the rations.
The B.M.: Oh, in the dump
which you will find in
Ypres (giving the direction
where it ws to be found).
Ken: xxxxxxx Very well
Sir.  How are we to get them 
here. (The ration waggons were
xxxx not there, I suppose)
The BM: You must dump
your ammunition somewhere
& send the ammunition 
carts.
Ken. managed it somehow.
They found the dump in Ypres.
It had an Australian in
charge, put there by the 66th
Divn- He was not given

 

D39  92
on J track they found
the 11th Bde, whom 
they were relieving, 
coming out -  it 
was a track reserved
for the x  11th  Bde
on relief. The two
streams had to get
past some how on
a simple duckboard
track.

 

D39  93
any authority to issue
food - he ws simply asked to
mind it; but he gave it
to them on their looks, Ken
sd.  By 5p.m. they managed
to leave their field.  Moyes
showed them the "F" track,
& told them they cd use "J"

track also x (they had bn given
"F' officially). He clearly
wanted to get back to his
business wh ws waiting him.
He told them tt / two tracks
met at "Potsdam" wh
they were given as the HQ.
of their battalion - (a
big concrete dugout like Sans

 

D39  94
Souci.  So Ken let him
go & the Bn filed up its
two tracks.  On came /
dark & they went inquiring
for Potsdam.  Down came 
a barrage just when Ken
had discovered Potsdam
150 yds from / road. Neither
track led there as a matter
of fact - they had done so but
had bn altered -( / duckboard
laid past it) 1 day before.
Only one 0 / guns at Ken
put his bn into or rather
its 2 coys wh were w him
on F track into shellholes
& went off to find xx Bde

 

D39  95
HQrs to get guides. After
falling into shellholes &
struggling thro / barrage he
got to HQrs.  Cannan ws
there, & helped in every way.
After a second barrage &
numerous ^other difficulties Ken
found 2 more Aust. guides
& re-formed his companies.
But / guides sd tt tho' they
knew J track they didn't
know F track.  Ken went
back to Cannan - Cannan
sd he wd send some Brigade
H.Q. guides, & called in /
two Battalion guides.  "If you
dont know / way up to /

 

D39  96
front", he sd, "you must
learn it now. You're The
Brigade guides will take these
coys up & you will go w
them and learn / way."
Ken went w / first
coy, & one o / guides w
/ second.  They met here
their offrs who had bn sent
up to / line to learn the
way.  They Bde  found tt
Bn HQs ws not Potsdam
but a long way further up,
near / gasometer in
Zonnebeke.  They finally
struggled past there &
Ken saw them safely in

 

D39  97
/ front line, splendidly
dug by the ^3rd Australians,
at 1.30 am - 18 hrs after
starting!
They found tt two of
their Lewis guns had bn
pinched on / way by /
Australians when /
Lewis Gun team ws
sheltering in a dugout from
a barrage or during a halt.
Ken sd tt during
the approach march of
Oct. 9 he had passed
the head of / column
1000 yds from / front line
at 2.30. He knew tt
they cdnt possibly be

 

D39  98
in position at zero
& asked Bde if they cd
not be led up by parallel
paths.  Bde sd they
cd not - they wd lose
themselves.  The track
they were following had bn
used by mules &
trampled into heavy
mud - ^with the long line of
men on it it became
worse & worse.  They
were eventually led
off it in little parallel
columns in sight of
one another - & to
some extent along
the railway wh ws

 

D39  99
a track. made by
or reserved for /
Australians.
With this appalling
muddling, the ignorance of
Somme conditions &
of / first necessities of
battle ^reliefs, no wonder these poor
old Lancashire chaps lost
their barrage.  I cd not
bear / thought o / men &
regimental officers being
blamed for it -the staffs
didn't even give them /
beginning of a chance.
When I got back I
went as usual, to see
White - & I told him what

 

D39  100
Ken had told me, amongst
other things.  Birdwood
came in in / middle.  They
had heard tt the 66 Divn
had lost its barrage &
not started till 2 hrs
later - I wondered if I
ws wise to tell them but
and Birdwood sd at /
time:  You know, it's /
sort of move they ought to
know about - I think its
only right they shd hear
what a man like Maxwell
has to say.
I sd: I'm sure he wdnt
care to have his name 

  

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