Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/126/1 - 1915 - 1917 - Part 2

2
9
There ws a number of
little buildings there.
The rest of the Bn,
A B & C Coys, went
for / position next night.
50 on the left ^2 Coys of 52 on rt. wh
were in time (other 2 got muddled with tank tape).
This was with Arty.
The About 20 of C. Coy
joined up with D Coy
on left in Odd trench;
In valley Capt Seager
of B Coy took the big
German post, the Germs
having very heavy casualties.
D Coy, on fall of barrage
engaged the hostile m.g.
at O.28 c.7.5 (one man [shorthand]
above).
Rest of engagement is 

2
10
fully described in Diary.
When relieved next night
the Left Bde had no post
in Green Line (0dd support)
but 50 Bn helped them
to put one at 28d 05.50
The 50 Bn had originally
been told that rt flank of 51 Bn.
ws road thro both trenches in
28 C & d as a matter of fact
the flank ws just N of
German m.g. post in
28 c 7.5.
51st was relieved by
Cheshires on night of
June 10. who kept old
51 Bn front.
Night of June 11/12 the order 

11
Donohue k.
Wounded:-
June 10/11 Capt Wilton
wd in eye (lost
eye) in advance
up to wire.
Capt Seager hit by bomb
fragment on face slightly
in fighting in gully.
Seager stayed.
Lt Noblett, slightly wd in
body & stayed.
(in same fighting)
J June 7.
Lt MacGregor - slight wd in stomach
Lt Edwards. - in legs -
Both on carrying parties.
June. Lt Lowden - laying before attack
on June 7 - tape for the
original assembly position -
when he was hit in / old nomansland
by fragment from slow barrage.

2
12
came for 50 Bn to be
relieved & it had to
put post out on Green
Line - odd Support -
before relief.
After this they were
relieved by West Yorks
Cas.                       Offrs.    o.r.
Before 9th June     3        29
              9/10              1        56
              10/11              4        64
                                    8.      149 
June 9. Lt Price, just when lining
up got 2 pieces of shell on
cheek - he kept going & got thro
with the 30 men of D Coy. Then he was
sent back by Cl. Smith.
a field gun & m.g. were taken by
50th, & a field gun by 52nd. 

13
Diagram - see original document

2
14
Up by the m.g. at 28c.7.5
were 3 emplacement
(or 4). In second of
these, wh had bn smashed
in, ws a gun captd
by 50 Bn.
52 Bn gun may
have bn in their H.Q.
(taken June 7) or in farm
near Blaawpoortbeck.
50Bn Ap. 2 Noreuil
Diagram - see original document
 

15
This rested on 2
rds & ws flagged by
Capt. Clark.
Rt flank moved through to Messines
along same rd. to cemetery
thence across country to Junctn
of Huns walk at abt 33 c.4.4.
From there a tape had bn laid
at abt 9 am. by Lt. Hallan
Int. officer to 033d. 0.7.
Left flank from position across country
to Swaynes Fm wh cd be seen.
From there Int. officer had laid tape to
33B 10 95. The Jumping off line
from one to other ws flagged & taped
by Int. officer & 14 scouts.
(on green line). At this time Tommies had
not yet occupied Pink line (outposts). Fannys 
Fm had bn taken. Our barrage ws on our tape
line. Barrage moved & Tommies went on & formed
pink line (no fighting at Despagne - Chesires)

2
16
49 Bn Messines
Neuve Eglise June 7.
7.40 am Along 2 routes to Medicine Hat Trail
thence overland to Boyles Farm.
x 1st J.0. position at U2a 40.95
to U2a 7.1g. x Arrd there 9.40am
No casualty to then. There ws
some shelling here - not observed.
New Zero lock 2 hrs. Bn
moved at 1.40 pm. under
fairly heavy barrage. x
Reached final J.O. line O27
Dcc to O33d 06 at 2.20pm
in good order. Position well taped.
Extended along tape in touch
w 52 Bn on left & 45 Bn on rt.
Our barrage caused a few
casualties on rt.
3pm. 52 Bn reported they cd
see no sign of Lincolns who 

17
All k. between Despagne Fm & Front line (Green line)
Capt. Kay got as far as enemy wire &
appears to have bn rallying some men to
charge m.g.
Capt Rhead ws wd. earlier by shell &
ws seen bandaging himself in shellhole.
Apptly another shell hit him.
Capt. Bridgeman abt ½ way betw. Desp.
Fm & front line. Body ws never found.
Capt. Smith got almost to the line & was
rallying them for the final charge when
hit by m.g.
Lt McKie ws wd in same advance & d. of w.
Col. Paul was hit 2nd night below groin
by shell fragment & during German c. attack.
Lt Gladhill - before Despagne
Lt Butler knee. xxxxxxxxxx Hit before reaching German trench.
Lt Tritton. thigh. Hit after Despagne in advance
Lt Thurlow - ankle & arm- moving from 1st Jumping off place.
Lt. Herron - Before Despagne.
Lt. Colvin - knee (Sig. Offr.)

2
18
shd bn ready for J. off at 3.10am.
At new Zero + 90 mins whole
line moved forward. Barrage
slow & we could not get into trench
until 10 mins after schedule
time. 10 out of 12 Offrs were wd -
4 Coy Commdrs all k. x
Result: in 1st objve.
Lieut Hart, men from C & B at
O 28a 9.4.
Lieut Berriman men of
A D & B at 028c. 41. Gap
of 300 yds between.
This ws not allotted front,
bec. men had bn told not to lose touch
& 52 Bn had to go to left.
Rt Coys kept touch with 45 Bn
who did not reach 1st objve. They
were seen at 034c 3.8 by 

19
Diagram - see original document

on 9/10

[*8/6/17*]

xx 5DBn were to consolidate 

in O dd trench (green Dotted line)

from N5M _ 51st Bn was going to 

push strong postn down trench to meet them from 

its rt at 28 c.6.4

xxxx is prbly where they were

intended to reach but it ws light

 & they cd not have bn nearly so [distanced?].
20
Berriman who patrolled down trench
as far as 034a 6.7. The
men seen were xx 250 yds
behind objve. Berriman
returned to his positn O28c4.1
& got in touch with Lt
Hart & took his men to form
protective flank at 028 c05.90
5 p.m. barrage came
back on our trenchx 52Bn
withdrew till it lifted.
9 p.m. enemy massed for
c attack. Arty & vickers dispersed
them before organised.
3am. 2 Coys of 51 Bn under
Capts. Cook & McBurnie reinfd
& extended to right to 34a.7.3. x
(this cant be quite right) x
Our Arty shelled our line 

8 June (cont)
June
9/10

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21
several times- otherwise
things quiet.
8.45 p.m. Germ. barraged heavily
for 90 mins front line, Despagne
Fm, blackline. Our Arty
shelled our front line causing
many casualties but ^at no
time did men leave front trenches.
Paul then wd. 10.30p.m.
quietened to normal.
Orders that 50 Bn wd attack
trench at O28c.51 to O34A6540
49 Bn to push 4 strong pts
to Green line at dusk. This
was done. Following dispositions
made
O  28 b.3.4
O 28 b.3.1
O 28 d.1.8
O 28 c.9.5.

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22
Relieved tt night by Wilts
at 0.30 on mg. of June 10^th.
49 Bn moved back into
original front line from wh NZ
attacked near Big Bull Cottage.
Capt Deuchatel did gt work
in consolidng 1st objve;
Lt. Duff. B ALT. M. Bty had
gun ready for emergency.
When 49 Bn xx tape line ws
being laid the position of future
HQ was just inside field at N.
end of line. In this same Hedge
in W. edge, was battery positn
containing 2 guns - the Int. officer
& Scouts were first in this field
& claimed 2 guns for 49 Bn. HQ 

23
x The 14 Scouts & Hanlan
had to go ahead of our barrage
& come back thro it - or
let it move over them. It
ws horribly severe, they sd,
4 were k. & 5 wounded by it
out of the 15. I fancy they
went too far ahead in moving
to Despagne Farm.

2 
24
was in a battery dugout.
There ws also a gun in
Despagne Farm. - 5.9 -
wh they entered. The Tommies
at this moment were in
post in front of military Rd.
- an officer and 30 men waiting
to move up when barrage,
moved. x
In move up to this
tape line 49 Bn was shelled.
Right of line (47 etc) ws seen
first & German seemed
at once to put barrage
right across the hill - wh was
v. heavy - barrage of heavy
shell, nothing under 5.9 apptly.