Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/121/1 - 1915 - 1916 - Part 3

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Awaiting approval
Accession number:
RCDIG1066622
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

5 5 Eadent 5 G8 2 27 4 D Co OX ti wave (51 t Ent.I 75 Most o camalties M. 9 in art of course in oar T Bde 6OBn under Macral EinC. Elliott - T.P. May Duntroon boy- abt 22 both K. Elhrott ws asplended Co havemaria Kitchener everyone thought Harris 8 under wave to First Let Yers 6. out within &pet at 80 CS 100 eds of enemy's under own barray te dirn understane creepiy barrage then it
9 28 toS strayht on eneigs 7X Beng. had bin to port 450 ap at 300 DS lime Kine D time on out very well Bry Law them 10 l waves at 15040 dast wave wel get out abt 6 O.C. e beek them poi. 50 Hat do to go The came out fire inthe parope t. Bry CC hear righ them fire &m on the thoment the of out M 9. on extreme by w et of Bde calerval in betw it. of 15Bde let of 615 Dwn They were ere deagone 6 to across our front onto both ports 6st Div Sent The atony specially to say
2 29 tt there Funs did spended work shot one They M 9 parepet shoote at Co be and & preoin crew le br mann beiny shoot rew. 15t Dwn were to Hart at same time The had chd Fal ports at 52 70 all way als Brg Sen lliott Cold him a ou C C get p Gervan Officers 2 Only ove Con not in the one on our right Sot out did X they not fet along all a Th got just bey ad our own were & lay down 5 came back had to The British
6 4444 Mg whellay 2 sune tn Merfirn liderecs. atenter firean on cdn M.9 X for as bet side for lon th ad £o fot people but Eire masker the nt p0 fire in were able to our san fermans Porit. the an 30 take the Sular hoaf down to where R Layes Crosses parapet 15 Bdle on that Nside d as our 15 Bcle went forward the ot to e wave Enpitade in from Lagar Loaf Harris sentonessag by Maj. Lagh Ein t he cdat get move tank way across. I ws old ploughet fround a ditches ith (the old drains) wh all rann deagonally across wh on parapet there put artilr fire on them fora white Lns were ond 9 act. But bos ncane ender got reinft for them thro' heavy bartay on V.C avenue wh as blown bits they startet tam
2 31 65 the onto ado gave there sweft 7w Even D0 rifles 6 + in t sd a acct Perman The outinto got M.P. thei barroge our durn 14000 rounds hied in one arrived About when Layh 60 w mee no of a Lon e back 2 same 2t Id Gernan Perman for accoss had then nd hie ferm hive np [et d behind Abt 50 t it. we seat 182 60 had fot Harris t to 1h wd st Bde as 14 X i wast male the he in ot ept all An th
32 23 himself out Harris went shell out a on way & put him him 7 near burs severe Shock lion a of co ont ack. comm kept me wd th onle left clar ws t in had for 60t of Co 14 Bde nex were These to or capt. X all Aco to da 8 alony attack out behind inade ap party alread 200 f this extended They tos very not deer but sase No tbe touch fams B25 Ser 60th tt £ fet on 5o glow 2
34 were ategt brave Many a get telephone made to Ser Dates across 60 B 5 tames out wen Coe. Sergt time inen Each De w Gales aS lost. pt whole both 1h0 45 I tine seco wd He t agn ree out but no Ae Ed fin officer. t he Exhauster £0 we agan. to but Ednt ere frm heavies the till 20 af Lugar on to aprelws on Sh No from wes under juresdic i it th Aast Als0 of Brlish fatse report h 900 Divn had fot Co a th British first on into Sugarloa disnt advance the like to thel it
his 35 went out Lagh 6 te return nessage to Harris a message 6o get across co then Doyle heach try + C Sent 5 mat tommn Se w 29 Set touch didn but he bi hae ence nd the heard). tlive never back from brought Doyle fet Talu they Bu Set tel Bry ahead where the them to dif cn were. toty interval 2 Atr told mess Lagh o from tere were tomn II take to 28 this ef men few tl 2 ake l liie a cent p of messoy 21
1 2 36 were some Dwh from th there £1 a Caft 4 in S Devn 7opm 24 Div rest 61 fen te $ to were $ &ed attack frest £816 to two ase of tbin Cooperety t Fom Houpe do bor trenche hold to two ando Ma 67 Duntraon Hutchinso C Bo coygs were tw these Ed hand Ilend unfil 0 They then be d bad he unlit 202 out right went an wire far then en from on osee l ferm and Fremnd To o 5 ire them. llaged. St mea were to a ditch cover in some 78
34 Sonce in A58R live tell were end 1Pn. Dernancours 54 kept 2 38 cracking in buillets T tin ere you it above to our 8 8o Hulchenson -above himself yds 20 went fele tne ernan toward. Hes bullets o C 2 B Shot repa 13 never bod bd but man outo an His peck he lee he up br Lyons. ti 0 H6 W hit recd messs X 10 3 16 tho tlephan British from Ed his aot make they th to we my X lell atach thei Jobs lost 6padiess two over this 6 our recond light barrage at be The ferman food. 637 B0 woul parapetSd. ci fermany when a fint

Evidently given
to me by
B.Gen Elliot
C.E.W.B.
5.6.26
I remember him giving
me an account of 
the fight. 

2 
27 
Lt Cox D Coy. K. 
1st wave C. In A coys 
2nd:  D & B. 
Most of casualties m.g. in nomansland 
& of course arty in our trenches.
15 Bde 60 Bn under Macrae 
2 in C. Elliot - T.P. May: 
Duntroon boy - abt 22 
both K. Elliot ws a splendid 
boy - wd have made a 
Kitchener - everyone thought. 
June 9 under Harris. 
Zero 6. First wave to get  
out at 5.45 & get within 
100 yds of enemy’s  trenches
under own barrage. 
We didnt understand 
creeping barrage then - it

 

2
28 
ws straight on enemys trench.
Brig. had bn's up to front & ws 
at 300 yds line. Line  
got out on time very well 
Brig saw them go (4 waves at 150yds) 
Last wave wd get out abt 
6 o’c - wd keep them going. 
Had 500yds to go.
They came onto fire on the 
parapet. Brig cd hear 
rifle & mg fire on them 
the moment they got out. 
M.g. Coy ws on extreme
rt of Bde - in interval 
betw rt of 15 Bde & left 
of 61st Divn. They were 
to fire diagonally across  
our front onto both fronts. 
Diagram - see original document
The 61st Div. sent
along specially to say 

 

2  
29 
tt these guns did splendid 
work. They shot one m.g. 
of parapet by shooting all 
crew, & prevented anor.
being mounted by shooting 
crew.  
61st Div were to start  
at same time. They had 
cut Sally posts at 30 yds 
all way along. Brig Gen  
Elliott told him of our  
exp. agst German Officers 
trenches. Only one Bn - not 
the one on our ^imd  right - got 
out & they did not get
along at all. They got
just beyond our own
wire & lay down &
came back. 
The British had to

 

 29a 
Diagram - see original document
m.g. 
whole coy 
exc. 4 guns 
in rear firing 
indirect. 
(6 in action here)

 

2
30 
take the Sugar Loaf down 
to where R.Layes crossed 
parapet - 15 Bde on 
N side of that. 
As our 15 Bde went forward 
they got more & more  
enfilade fire from Sugar 
Loaf. Harris sent message 
by Maj. Layh (2 in C) tt 
he cdnt get more than ½  
way across. It ws old 
ploughed ground with ditches 
(the old drains) wh all ran 
diagonally across - wh 
M.G cdnt fire on our 
side for long bec. as our
people got forward they 
masked the fire - but they  
were able to fire in front of 
Brit. Germans saw our m.g 
there ^on parapet & put artillery fire 
on them, & for a while 4 guns 
were out of action. But boy
named Pinder got reinfts 
for them (thro’ heavy barrage 
on V.C. Avenue wh ws blown 
to bits) & they started again. 

 

2
31
gave advantage to the
enemy who swept these
w m.g. & rifles.
The German acct. sd tt
their m.g. got out into
nomansland during our barrage
& one m.g. fired 14000 rounds.
About when Layh arrived
a no. of wd men of 60th
came back w some
German prisoners.  They sd
they had got across German
1st line up to Germ 2nd. line
abt 50 or 60yds behind
it.
Brig sent a message
to Harris tt 60th had got
in & 14th Bde (as wd sd)
had got in & he must make
another attempt. 

 

32 
Diagram - see original document
2
33
Harris went out himself
& on way out a shell
burst near him & put him
out of action w ^severe shock.
Wd men kept coming back.
It ws clear tt only left
coy of 60th had got  in -
next to 14 Bde.  These were
all k. or capt.
A coy of 58 ws digging
out behind attack along 
sap already partly made.
They extended this 200ft
but not very deep & lost
heavily.
No touch cd be gained
w 60th Brig sent Lt Doyle
down to get touch. 

 

2 
34
Many brave attempts were
made to get a telephone
across.  Sergt Gates 60 Bn
(Sig. Sergt) went out 3 times
w some men.  Each time
whole pty lost.  Gates ws
wd. second time thro both legs
but went out agn.  He
cd find no officer.  He
ws so exhausted tt he
cdnt go out again.
[The heavies were firing
on to Sugar Loaf till
6 p.m. No shrapnel ws on
it - it ws under jurisdiction
of British. Also, 5th Aust.
Divn got a false report
tt British had got a coy
into Sugar Loaf on first
advance & they didnt
like to shell it]

 

2
35
Layh went out w his
Doyle message: he returned
w / message to Harris to
get across; Doyle ws then
sent to Col Mack  try &
get commn w Maj. Macrae 
but he didn't get touch
(he may not have bn
alive - never heard).
Doyle brought back from
59 Bn tt they cdn't get
ahead.  Brig sent Doyle to tell
them to dig in where they
were.
After a long interval
got message from Layh (told
to take command) tt there were
so few men left tt they cdnt
make a decent line.
At 8 p.m. ^Bn got message

 

2
36
from Divn tt there were some
of 61 Divn in Sugar Loaf & tt
rest of 61 Divn at 10 pm
were going to make a
fresh attack; tt I cd
use two coys of 58th to
cooperate; &to bring up
is 57th (from Rouge de Boue)
to hold trenches.  Brig.
got two coys under Maj.
Hutchinson (a Duntroon
Boy) These two coys were
splendid  - cd hardly
be held back ^until 10. They then 
went right out until not
far from German wire. Then
germ suddenly opened on
them.  Fire ws so tremendous
tt men were dazed.  They
got some cover in a ditch - 

 Th

37 
58th Bn.
Dernancourt
[Shorthand]
Some of 58th were kept
in line till end.

2
38
m.g bullets cracking
above it were terrifying
Hutchinson got out &
went 20 yds - himself - above
towards German line & fell
shot by 2 or 3 bullets.  His
body ws never regained.
His batman ran out to
pick him up but he too
ws hit.  He got in. Lyons.
At 10.30 recd. message
from British, thro telephone,
tt they cd not make this
attack till next morning.
(Two brigadiers lost their jobs
over this).
Our light barrage seemed to
be good. The German Brig. at
parapet sd Boys you wont
find a German in / trenches when

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