Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/123/1 - 1916 - 1917 - Part 4

4
36
The first 2 waves had
by then gone on x over line
EG to line BX. The
first 3 trenches were practically
not occupied - the
few Germans dead there
were probly k. going away
from front line - a few
were caught on ^big trench EAB
(Commn trench).
The whole Bn ws
thus in line BX which
ws really a ditch wh
had bn started as a
trench but never completed.
It had abt 2 ft of mud
in it (there had bn no
rain for 2 or 3 days)
Some say the depth of
water increased during
/ night but this is doubtful. 

4
37
On this bn. sector there
were no men who
folld Germans on.
By the time ^the men got there Maj. Hughes
& Capt White were in
this trench, & they stopped
any further movement
forward.  On the 
right they were in touch
with 31 Bn on about
a line X Z & then across
some ditch or other to P.
When they arrived at BX
White & Hughes cd see no
Germans ahead. But
there were German m.gs
in front of Delangre
Farm enfilading. The
ditch ws abt 4 - 5 ft
deep - & the mgs made 

4
38
it very uncomfortable
there - a lot of men
were k. there.  If a man
were wd.  & no one saw
him wd he wd slip
into the mud & disappear.
On the left flank, and
on the ridge ahead near
where the ^Rouge Bancs rd turns
sharp to the left flares
were contly going up.
The Commn trench EAB
Successfully cut off any
m.g. fire from T or
thereabouts.
The German ws
by this time (by / time
our men arrived at
BX) shelling his own
trenches. The 32 Bn 

4
39
had suffered heavily by
/ time it was in BX.
They started to consolidate
but sand bags were insufficient
& mud ws too thin to
shovel up.
There was continuous
fighting from EABD from
time when Bn got in.
The Germans were coming
at it with bombs - they
wd leave it alone for
10 m. or ¼ hr & then come
again. There ws
never a big eno' bomb
supply.
Maj. Hughes had
bn wd abt 20 yds 

40
Hughes ^2 inC. S.A.
Halkyard W.A.
Ion W.A.
Hagan S.A.
Chinner S.A
Mills W.A.
White W.A. O.C. D Coy
Hutchens S.A.
^CaptTratman, O.C. B C Coy wd
in nomansland going over
Lt Benson W.A. k. in last objve
Lt Paterson W.A. k xxx going across - led 1st wave of C Coy.
M.G. bullets did most
of damage in nomansland
Lt Hulks W.A. k. between 1st
line & objve by a bullet in ditch
Maj. Higgon (Imperial Offr.)
O.C. A Coy R.W.F Yeomanry joinin in Egypt
He ws k just after leaving parapet. 
Capt Lloyd O.C. B Coy (S.A.) wd  "  "
Maj. Hughes thought he cd get
away all right - & went by
himself - but never got back
& is now a p. of w. in Germany.
Probly tried to come back.
Halkyard got thro.
Ion d. of w. (wd. going back
in nomansland hit in
shin just getting in)
Hutchens got thro.

4
41
ahead out to see if 
there were another line.
White ws with him &
got him in. They decided 
tt they were in BX.
The 2 sand bags wh men
carried with them on
belts were first used.
White saw all ws 
right on rt & centre -
There were 4 offrs there -
Lt Halkyard^x, Lt Ion,
Lt Hagan, & Capt Hutchens.
& in trench with 31Bn. (Capt. Mills ws there).
White went to left to see
how things were there.
The Germans were
throwing bombs on left,
not yet attacking

4
42
Lt ^S.E.G. Mills & ano. offr
were there. Mills had a 
bullet thro' his right
wrist & left leg going
across nomansland. He ws
organising counter bombing
work & kept going /
whole night, throwing
bombs, fixing up wd.
men.
White estab. H.Q. at
N on corner of trench.
He arranged with Mills
what ws to be done &
then went to H.Q.
The bomb stop at
K ws to be put in at
by the bombing offr.
Chinner (he ws blown
to pieces later - )or died in
Germany. 

4
43
Right to the end no
G. attack ever came from
the direct front. The rt
front seemed to be / same.
The German shellfire ws
descending all the time,
slightly long but pretty
accurate.
A Coy of the 29th took
over the bombblock the left.
The G. shells were unquestionably
aimed at trench BX. There
were a fair percentage of 
18 pdr shots during the
night - shrapnel. Our
heavies were doing excellent
work on Delangre.  At
one time / m.gs were
becoming heavy from there. 

4
44
A message ws sent to
the heavies wh silenced
them - coming on in abt ½ hr.
The whole of D coy
signallers were hit getting
line across, & line ws
never estab. The runners
had to do all commn work.
They only arrived with
2. ^rocket S.O.S. signals in the Coy.
All other ^carriers were hit. They
had not any Very lights.
Abt 8 p.m. there ws
a heavy attack on left
& arty on this sector
increased very much.
xxxx They tried to send up
the 2 SOS rockets but
neither wd go up. They

4
45
had probly got damp. [The
later rifle grenade is much better].
When Mills got across
the first 2 waves were in
the front trench, but orders of
3rd wave were to go through.
There were Germans in
EAB & bombing teams of 32 Bn
bombed up it. Mills ws ahead
of them over / open well to the
right.
Most o / Germans from
front line ^who got away (abt 20)
fled thro' a gap in Commn
trench abt A where it ws knocked
down & ran towds Delangre
but were mostly hit from
the commn trench before they
got there. Our men were within
10 yds of them. 

4
46
There ws no one in front
when they stopped & dug
in on line E A B D L M N
The Germans cd be seen
by daylight getting out of
Delangre Fme hopping across
rd or some open patch,
5 yds or so into a commn
trench running along rd towd.
S - so as to get into the
Commn trench.
The first bombg attack
ws up Commn trench from S to
B where we had a block.
This ws abt 7.30pm - by
daylight. Their hands
cd be seen. This ws
driven off by Sergt. Alexander
& a mixed bombing team organd
on the spot.