Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/128/1 - 1915 - 1916 - Part 4

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the next bend in  /  trench (abt a 20
yds rush) & there found an
ideal place for a barricade. There
being a big shellhole just in front
outside / trench on the right.
5 of / fresh men got into the
shellhole with bombs, & the other
5 & the men behind began to build
a barricade at / pt where / 
trench turned there. A very strong
barricade ws built there under
a heavy fire - Green, red, blue
all sorts of lights went up for
barrage & Germans put over a 
few high shrapnel.
It ws just here tt / men 
showed so well. They threw for ¾
hr from tt shellhole & outranged
the German until / barricade
was finished. The Germans cd
be seen ahead in / trench. The
cylindrical stick bombs were lobbing
6 yds away & were wounding men.

35
The Germans were this day
also using a bomb something like
a rifle grenade with a wooden
handle & ribbons.
Also the big low explos. German
cricket ball & the little egg bombs.
A bomb burst in trench abt this
time (5.45- k. two men, & wd.
Lt Matthews - who we also hit by
Shrap. as he ws being taken away).
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36
but not killing. The sniping ws
killing men from Windmill trench -
One German officer or N.C.O. came along
top of trench encouraging his men. He
ws shot thro the mouth.
The 18^th regular bombers came
along & some of 19^th & 20^th to
keep up the steady demand for fresh men.
32 bombers were knocked & only
one ws standing on his feet - he
cd scarcely speak. 3 or 4 had bn
sent back exhausted & these were
used in subsequent fights. Only 
one bomber survived untouched.
A new British regt took over 
abt this time - relieving
[* {W. Bordrs, D.L.I, N.Fs,
West Ridings, Yorks & Lancs)*]
all our men & shortly afterwds the
further call came for Anzac Reinfts
& it ws found tt Germans were
actually in 30 yds of the Ladder
Commn trench between trench OG 1 & 2 (wh
was part of our then front line)  

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37
we had to reorganise again - get
further volunteers - during wh
time Mackenzie (17 Bn) won his
M.C. & after another stubborn
fight Germans were driven back
& there ws an intermittent
fight for / rest of / time at our
own barricade sentry post. So tt things were
as you were.
2 days later (prob. 27th)
a fresh British regt came in (one
on above list) & an offr came in
& made inquiries & sd they were
going to make a flank attack
& get to / barricade. They 
did this - but didn't reach
the barricade we built but
built another short of it.
The Tommies put a guard
on this barricade - a number
were there. 2 Australians were
missing. Mackenzie & Matthews
went up to see if they cd find
them. Matthews found the Tommies
were reposeful behind / barricade.
Matthews looked over & round / corner.

38
Lt. Kemmis w Stokes mortar
wh ws doing excellent work from O.G.1
ws blown up at the end of the
morning bomb fight abt 11am.
& Kemmis & whole crew disappeared
& a great crater ws left.
The explosion affected everyone
for hundreds of yds.
The 18.19.20 Bn bombers
fought v. hard but did not
lose quite so heavily.
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were 3 Germans carrying up armfuls
of stick bombs to a new bombing
post of wh the Germ Tommies had
no idea abt 6 yds away. Matthews
Germ had time to say Allemand -
McK. threw one stick bomb he had
-& then the air ws full of
stick bombs. The men were choking
 / trench ^in a blind rush - Matth. & McK. got back
along the top & the trench was
lost - back to our old Sentry 
post agn.
Every day ^morning the Germans
came down the trench to
bomb our people - & there ws
a scrap. We have never seen 
the Germans fight better.
One British Offr. wd, hung
on inspite of his wds, until he
got our guarantee tt eveything ws
alright. NCOs were v. good - 
but Tommy ws no good on his own
initiative.
The lessons of this were-
1. Bomb supply system needed 

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40
2. Exhaustion of bombers quite
apart from casualties.
3. Water - thirst from acrid gases
& exhaustion
4. Use of covering snipers men.
5. And need for a rifle grenade
(short range ^Mills) to outrange the egg bomb.
 cover bombers.
6. Passing of messages correctly.
(There ws a chain of men
to the Sunken Rd.)
7. Necessity for checking posts
to check messages or a
message will go from front
throwing man (who says
"More bombs') to back
end of whole chain.
8. Control of bomb throwing needed.
9. Premature using up of well
trained bombers.
10. It shd be watched how a little
stunt may start wh

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develops into a great fight.
The Tommy ws in 24 hrs & we
11 days at this point.
Began 3.30 26/7/16
No intermission till 4am. 27.7.16 (12 ½hrs)
Betw 6am & 6am 2 casualties
Expend. of grenades: (figures for one night).
Bombs taken over: 10,000
Sent from Bdes        43,000
                                      53,000
Expended durg. fight  15,000
Reserve in front line     15,000
Unexpended                  23,000
                                           53,000

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Durrants a/c
of May 2. 1915

N.B, Dead mans Ridge
ws called by 16 Bn the
Razorback.
The Ridge attacked by 16 Bn
ws called by them Deadmans Ridge (wrongly)
Diagram - see original document
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Baby 700  2/3 27th May 1915
Col. Durrants sketch
Diagram - see original document
13 had a thinned out Coy in Quinns & took 3
Coys (500) into attack.
13th Objve ws never clearly defined to them.

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but orders were to link up w left of
16 Bn across Chessbd.
Otagos were to prolong left further & 
seize Baby 700.
13 & 16 had both to go up past betw.
Quinns & Popes (only possible in single file);
& when ^16^th head got far eno, right turn
& scale the heights.
They moved as soon as dark
(abt 6.3). 13 had to follow 16 until
its head got opp 16. left & then to
left wheel across in directn of Baby
700, rout out any Turks there
were, & dig in. (Their actual fighting
front ws 1 man). Gully got flatter
after Dead mans Ridge. It ws very
scrubby. They walked in the watercourse
& there were 3 ft steps in it. Men 
had to haul their mates up after themselves.
Black ws w Maxim guns on ext. left
of 16 Bn firing on Chessboard.
13^th moved in single file
imd. after tail of 16 Bn.
Col. Burrage ws first man after 6
Scouts (& Durrant w him). He ws able

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to give decision on this unreconnoitred
place & pass them back.
13 Bn orders were to follow 16^th
(They assembled on flat & moved
Otagos cd have moved past them.)
They followed imd. on tail of 16.
The 16^th attacked as soon 
as they got in positn up very
steep hill - simply right turn & up it.
(Durrant doesnt know what order
was.)
13 Bn made a reconnaissance
straight out from Popes Hill in daylight
crawling across to Chessboard - they got
300 or 400 yds, down Gully & up-
There were odd T. snipers (it ws a
place where snipers stalked one another).
Two got back wd & made reports.
One (Sergt Cotterill) died v. shortly
after. He was promoted to Lieut.
that day (he never knew it). They
reported tt / place ws crawling
w Turks. But we knew from
Mark's report where the T. trench
was.