Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/120/1 - 1919 - Part 2

11
This due to O.C.
Communications being
killed.

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12
Men sent for to work round parapet
s had to retire, bombed.
Rt party got in but met w bombs
from ∧ enemys rear; 8 men w. 2 k by them.
Sheldon w: ordered party to retire
No Germans in front trench - seem to
have taken position in support trench
Our party Left enemys parapet at 11.40 but
1.40 before last w. man brt. in.
Enemy fire till 1 a.m.
2 rifles & bayonets & some gas
helmets were obtained.
Telephone worked to front
line till 1.15 11.55 pm when cut.
During whole operation only one
message got thro' & no telephone. 

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Body shields used by raiders
& in one case saved dangerous wound.
Enemys Barrage much heavier
than before.  He seemed to retire
to support trench.

3rd N.Z. Rifle Bde: 25/26 June.
Offrs. Capt. A J Powley }2Bn
Lt. A.P. Castle                  }3 NZR Bde
2/Lt C.J.H. Davidson
72.0.R (35 in assault pty)
Result { Prisoners 9
             {K. (counted) 29
Found 2 large dugouts
              1 pumping engine.
              3 bomb stores
               blown up by gun cutter.
Booty { 7 Rifles
               5 gas helmets
               7. bombs.  Books papers
Cas. 1 or Killed. 8 o.r.w.

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Point Raided.  Port Ballot
salient abt C 29 a 4½ 3
Scouts went out at 10.30.
at pt to be raided.
10.45 Rdg Pty went out.
11.9 all out
11.15 bombt.  wires cut
probs by own T.M.
blow backs.
11.25 Enemys retaliation
11.30.  Bombt lifted. Party
went forwd.
3G.C.17C.88.
[*1 17a 1½ 5½ 1st Bde [[shorthand]]*]
All wire
broken &
3 strands.  Front trench
of Enemy ws 8 ft wide
8 ft deep diff. to
cross.
[I have this report already).
No 8. [[shorthand]]

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1/2 July. at [xx?]]
1st N.Z. Rifle Bde.
Raid on ∧36 I 17a 1½ 5½
Arranged by Lt. Col. Hart DSO. commanding
Wellington Bn.
Lt Col. FB. Sykes D.S.O. commanding
N.Z.F.A.  carried it under 
Capt. A.B. McColl. It was
very successful going without a  hitch.
The ladder system of wiring from
their telephone was a success.
The scouts moved from 
sally Post as soon as it was dark
11.45 p.m. Two returned and allowed to remain at 
the raiding Party of sally post (shorthand)
There was a bombardment of artillery and Medium  T.M
fire from 12.30 a.m.
T.M we employed solely for
cutting wire

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After 20 minutes bombardment artillery
fire at point of assault
lifted & formed semi circular 
barrage.  Scouts found wire 
thoroughly cut?  They had only
to clear loose wire
away.  They were not fired on &
met no opposition. The centre
party easily got into German
trench along a listening
sap tt came out to where
the wire ws cut. The men
in German trenches were covered
by artillery fire & were crouching
in shelters under parapet.
They were either passed up to
prison parties or K. if they
refused to move. Raiders
remained 8 mins in trench & they
withdrew

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on a (shorthand) signal.
Arty ceased fire at 1.24
am Enemy continued till
1.45 am.
We maintained telephone
connection thro'out whole proceedings.
Casualties.
1 Offr. died o/w.
1 m. killed,
9 m. wd.
Of these 1 man ws K & 4 w
in our trenches after return
of parties. So tt only 4 were
wd.
Capt A.B. MacColl reached
our trenches but returned to help our
S.bs. who had got into
diffs. in a ditch not far
from our parapet. When getting

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back over / parapet he
ws caught by m.g. fire
& severely wd.  He died before
reaching dressing stn.
15 dead bodies counted
in German trenches K. by raiders.
Many others were K. by
arty and T.M. fire.
10 prisoners taken.
[[shorthand]] were 35 yds thro,
4ft 6 high - heavy close barbed.
Parapet 20ft thick at base
6ft a top - NO sand bags.
Trench sides revetted w lattice.
Shallow borrow pit but no wire
in it.  No dug outs under
parapet but shallow shelters
& at one point a large
bomb store w iron door.

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3 men came out of this,
4th remained inside w door
shut.  Door ws blown in by
engineer after raiders left.
Shaft ws found leading
from a deep well to a 
(shorthand) some distance in
rear.  It was demolished
by Engr.
Trenches 6ft deep,
narrow, strongly traversed
floored w duckboards.
A traffic trench at back
of parados thro ' wh
abt every 20 yds ws opening
to front line.  Parados lower
than parapet.  Number of
roomy dugouts in it,
sev. containing beds.

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All were very strong dugouts
w thick solid roof supported
by heavy iron girders.
Some floors little deeper
than trench floor. Possible to stand
up in all of them. Lighted
by Electricity & doors all
towards rear.
An officer was taken but would not cross 
nomansland and was shot.  Enemy were
evidently expecting relief
as packs were all
made up.  These were
brought back.
Trench ws not heavily
held.  Parapet much
knocked aft, 1 dugout &
parados damaged.
V. few dead as a result

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of shelling
Men in trench had no
fight in them, Enemy arty
started in 5 mins. Some
trenches suffered a good deal.
Prussian & Saxon helmets
etc.