Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/123/1 - 1916 - 1917 - Part 3

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Awaiting approval
Accession number:
RCDIG1066623
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

(the still Cap tss thes ita a to chap. He ma 2442 & May. Dennetin were1 only sencor offis left reor hee 1 on There were 300 400 yds to cross of nomans opp this On. Men reach ever evere it ws sole son had scrambled into no one knows if there is a truk in this poob not
23 The 9 Bn. late came 8 Col. Stewart took over - by wh. time thei were quictes o the two C.O.s were abt plage out. vext mornin a U.C.O. cameto D. for permission to send voluateris out to resin e men close - some wen had be shot clecen. One o1 two Sbs who ten went out ws shot down. His wate rolunte to & get the wel. mete. He andd anxter went out The germans K. one of ther the they went out boldly over 1top. There were further volunteer but Denver wdndallow an to go out by day.
I days after this fight men who had bn wo came in. Atter Sdegs it as throught here to not possibl be of ad lep allie. Te dis nt owwe ts our parapet. on 7th day two? who inore had bu wd in weak end thee in leg They hed bn ander parepet - had lived odd screps of food. It o well & Cheerf both 14 Ble B . Bn. 9 on fearly 9 A curks attack L. Pine from N 0 fully directy Norman Marshall. platoon I S Bn an the Secret frrm ti le them thrown bombs shooting fom parapet. a beautiful Explade to SBn at abt 50 yds. Buthire were hc stres not to shoot pov secretfrin i- & discipling set 24 215
26 0 22 53 ic 2oBi 21 li 2 wich 5 30Bn rel 3lBn wh Don in tie in po he Till for 4 days e B had whole Bde from b 1800 do tate The Lown as eacth of pace There was a bout fibe at the bout block an the Common E wnt Till 2 for 40r 5 hours. had 14m7.5 on one co s front our for ome of them till 2. 30 a Bn gob a Stokes Si & drave work
back 150 yds & took The right Coe the Commin? reported to one of their patrols had gobcut tell if &foundite This ws a littletfore 6. Col. Claike ordered thisa to Ocupy Till - put a block work ap t weet on right This ws betw Lest Coy in 6r C.3e and). The centre & lett is werea bit Coy comn dubioss att pushin, ato s0 strong a posite. So patrols X i ty w getw arty formate I dooyds over opin to Bapan under strap. witout a came n0 Centre Coy & rt. coy me shellfire & at prosite ix is crater at corn aud Rue dec hepcoy (capt cheeseme 7 cul up at c sit sens up, another the p 1 Ta 64 on acb o 4 29 Lagnicourt 32 before hagutiourt yr night the PB Bn advanced from the Lunkin Ped in Morchies of morchies) after t dark & day in on wk Ro 1000 70 lead. Nexx morn 26 28 Bn took Laynicon That afternoon B3.8 C Coys addd anotr 1000 yards - past the level of Lagnicount have The evey 2a &e party in a crate
8 WCORT 3 1 G. Gattack E 45 58 Er thi 37 the octs wh had by put but where ordered during the night had had to clear back when Ien atld at abt 10m yo port pom cto rear. t look eke air attack 4 b 600 or To in fairty thick formation The attack come 20 derectuof t across fronbof 58 Were A coy we held tthe Bn Coly ght attack. This
X 32 as hade with 2 flanking parties. were blunding them with a searchlight - but ws watching the pontel ty - & the Clanking pties were onto the ferman & got his M.g. & searchligh parts of a End scarchighs The had also got a M 9 F10 prisovers in te crater to day before - & had accounted for a good many so in their c attaph
te 5 858 3453 2 0.88 Y H ne froe 33 r £ ord E4B ws a fairty good revelled y FD wo fairt good, partl revetted EGas a good thrench. all built ap. Froat line we tcou by ofigpts was foor att 4f be sevel a French, parth suik, partl built up. This ws half fall of water when they wenbover. It ws imposs to say if this wate ws turned in lalety or not. MN were practicall ditches. The 32 Bn objic was poo B to X. Delangre in havin be cut out that morning BX was really only a detch &continued ut this continuation not to enown
34 in& Ba went over 2 ptatoon waves; on a per coypontage After thie came the carryen & digging troops from 30 Bn. The first two lives were to take the port tue. The Bodlive af to lake YAN., & 4t live truck BX. They were to start at Opmn. at abt 50 708 ateroals. The barrage lifted at 6 por onto the
35 burther barak tines When lines got across Maj. Hughes as reconvorting in front of D when he ws hit iy a short fror the barrage At 5.55 ferman arte dropped ont our port line mostly with shraprel The bombt. was confine practg to the Sector & pened from further left which boubt had not settled. (5 to waves lost. fairly heavily in crossing there we not much resistance & by trie Sot wave got in there were perh. 50 german dead in the frontline.

22
4
in this ^(the Staff Captain) - a great
assistance for he ws a
very plucky young
chap. He & Maj. Layh
& Maj. Dennehy were /
only senior offrs left to
reorganise & keep things
going.
There were 300 - 400
yds to cross of nomansland
opp. this bn.  Men did
reach / enemys wire, &
it was sd tt some men
had scrambled into /
enemy's trench ; no one
knows if there is any
truth in this - prob. not. 

 

23
4
The 57 Bn later came
up & Col. Stewart took
over - by wh. time things
were quieter , & the
two C.O.s were abt played
out.
Next morning a N.C.O.
came to D. for permission
to send volunteers out to
rescue some men close
in - Some men had bn
shot down.  One o / two
s.b.s who then went out
ws shot down.  His mate
came in & volunteered to
go out & get the wd. mate.
He and another went out
The Germans k. one of them -
tho' they went out boldly over
 / top. There were further
volunteers but Dennehy
wdnt allow anymore
to go out by day. 

 

24
7 days after this fight men
who had bn wd came in.
After 3 days it ws thought
there cd not possibly be
any o / wd left alive.
They did not know wh
ws our parapet.
On 7th day two men
came in one of whom
had bn wd in neck, (cured)
and then in leg (gangrened).
They had bn under / German
parapet - had lived on 
odd scraps of food. They were
very well & cheerful -
both 14 Bde men.
 

4
25
5 Bn. Aug. 7 1915.
On / early morng of
Aug 7.  Turks attack
L. Pine from N.- Owen's
Gully directn.
Norman Marshalls
platoon of 5 Bn in the
Secret firing line cd
see them throwing bombs, &
shooting from parapet -
a beautiful enfilade to 5Bn
at abt 50 yds.  But there
were strict instrns not
to shoot from secret firing
line - & discipline held. 

 

26
→  Germans retiring running across the open. Cheeseman
salved German wire & carried it thro to his H.Q.
& by 8 am. they were talking to him there.
During the day they dug in where I
saw them.
Lieut. White (who ws / first into Bapaume)
2 days later found in the old Sugar Factory on the
Fremicourt rd a German who sd he ws one
of a party left behind to Spring a mine at one
of / road junctions. He had about 30 el. batteries
w him.  He sd he had been fighting 2 yrs &
had never had leave.
By 19th March the Bn Canteen ws estab.
in Bapaume, & it made 5000 f. profit in 2 wks.
The Bn ws in Beaumetz - & Clark had the
vanguard.
 

27
4
30 Bn.
x 16th March.
30 Bn reld 31 Bn wh
had bn in line in front
of Till trench for 4 days.
The Bn had whole Bde
frontage of 1800 yds.
The ^whole town ws exactly opposite.
There was a bomb fight
at the bomb block in the
Commn trench into Till trench for
4 or 5 hours.  Germs
had 14 m.g.s on one
Coys front & ws firing
some of them till 4.30 a.m.
Bn got a Stokes gun
to work & drove Germs 

 

28
back 150 yds & took
the Commn trench. The right Coy
reported tt one of their patrols
had got into Till trench & found it empty.
This ws a little before 6.
Col. Clarke ordered this coy
to occupy Till - put a block
on right & work up to meet
Left Coy in trench (This ws betw
6 & 6.30 am.) The centre & left
Coy Commdrs were a bit
dubious abt pushing into so
strong a positn. So patrols were
sent in first
The ^ coys got thro trench & broke
got into Arty formatn & went
1200 yds over open to Bapaume
under shrap. with out a casualty
Centre Coy & rt coy met no
oppositn exc. shellfire & at 7
a.m. occupied crater at corner of
Rue de Pelonne & main Cambrai Rd.
Left Coy (Capt Cheeseman & Barbour)
were held up at entrance of town by
Snipers & m.g. - 4 k & 4 wd at
entrance to one of streets. Cheeseman
moved all remaining plns up another
parallel rd. Germans seeing this
cleared. When this party got to the
other side o / town they saw these
← (cont. on last page but one)
 

29
4
Lagnicourt. 58 Bn
On night before Lagnicourt
the 58 Bn advanced from
the Sunken Rd in Morchies
(E ^end of Morchies) after
dark & dug in on
Sunken Rd 1000 yds
ahead.
Next morning 26 &
28 Bn took Lagnicourt.
That afternoon B &
C Coys advd another 1000
yards - past the
level of Lagnicourt.
The enemy ^ had had a m.g.
& party in a crater 

 

30

Hand drawn diagram - see original
 

31
4
& the posts wh had
bn put out where
ordered during the night
had had to clear
back when / enemy
c.attd at abt 10 a.m.
This m.g. fired on post from its rear:
It looked like an 
attack by 600 men
or so in fairly thick
formation. The attack
seemed to come from
directn of Queant,
across front of 5 8 Bn.
Where A Coy ws held
up the Bn later made
a night attack. This 

 

32
4
ws made with
2 flanking parties.
Gs. were blinding them
with a searchlight - but
he ws watching the frontal
pty - & the flanking pties
were into the German &
got his m.g. & searchlight
& parts of a 2nd searchlight.
[They had also got a
m.g. & 10 prisoners in
the Crater the day
before - & had accounted
for a good many Germans
in their c.attack. ]. 

 

Hand drawn diagram - see original

33
4
32nd. Bn.
EAB ws a fairly good revetted trench
FD ws fairly good, partly revetted
EG ws a good trench.
Front line ws all built up.
with deep concrete dugouts
floor abt 4 ft below level
EG was
a trench partly sunk, partly
built up. This ws half full
of water when they went over.
[*HI no good*]
It ws imposs. to say if this water
ws turned in lately or not
L M N were practically 
ditches.
The 32 Bn objve was
from B to X, Delangre
Fm. having bn cut out
that morning.
BX was really only a ditch
& continued into  V - this
continuation not being 
known. 

 

34
4
Bn went over in 4
waves, on a 2 platoon
per coy frontage
  A         ↑       C
==    ==     ==    ==
  B                   D
==    ==      ==   ==
After these came the carrying
& digging troops from 30 Bn.

The first two lines were to
take the front line.
The 3rd line ws to take
trench AY, & 4th line trench
BX.
They were to start at
6 p.m. at abt 50 yds
intervals. The barrage
lifted at 6 pm onto the 

 

35
4
further barrage lines.
[When lines got across,
Maj. Hughes ws reconnoitring
in front of D when he
ws hit by a short from
the barrage].
At 5.55 German arty
dropped onto our front
line mostly with shrapnel.
The bombt. was confined
practly to the sector &
m.gs opened from further
left which bombt had
not settled.
1st two waves lost.
fairly heavily in crossing.
There ws not much
resistance & by time
3rd wave got in there
were perh. 50 German
dead in the frontline.

 

 

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