Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/129/1 - 1916 - 1917 - Part 1

AWM3S
Official History,
1914-18 War: Records of CE W Bean,
Official Historian.
Diaries and Notebooks
Item number: 3DRL606/129/7
Title: Notebook, 1916 -1917
Includes references to the 5th and 12th
Battalions, Pozieres and the German retirement,
February 1917.
AWM38-3DRL606/129/1 

Original DIARY NO.129
AWM38 3DRL 606 ITEM 129 [1]
DIARIES AND NOTES OF C. E. W. BEAN
CONCERNING THE WAR OF 1914-1918
THE use of these diaries and notes is subject to conditions laid down in the terms
of gift to the Australian War Memorial's, But, apart from those terms, I wish the 
following circumstances and considerations to be brought to the notice of every
reader and writer who may use them.
These writings represent only what at the moment of making them I believed to be
true. The diaries were jotted down almost, daily with the object of recording what
was then in the writer's mind. Often he wrote them when very tired and half asleep;
also, not infrequently, what he believed, to be true was not so - but it does not
follow that he always discovered this or remembered to correct the mistakes when
discovered. Indeed, he could not always remember that he had written them.
These records should, therefore be used with great caution, as relating only what
their author, at the time of writing believed. Further, he cannot, of course, vouch 
for the accuracy of statements made to him by others and here recorded. But he
did try and ensure such accuracy by consulting, as far as possible, those who had
seen or otherwise taken part in the events. The constant falsity of second-hand
evidence (on which a large proportion of war stories are founded) was impressed
upon him by the second or third day of the Gallipoli campaign, notwithstanding that 
those who passed on such stories usually themselves believed them to be true. All
second-hand evidence herein should be read with this in mind.
16 September 1946. C .C. W. BEAN
 

129
 

The arty put up an excellent
barrage - as tho' they laid off a
quadrangle in the sky.
The Germans were firing thro it
from rear or from the flank - The Germans in the
transverse trench ducked & got away - the
& [The pioneers went up with instrns to make
a commn trench on right thro 34a. Majr.
Rafferty switched them off onto O.G.1 to
clear it (in 34a)]
The trees in the copse behind
O.G.I were at this time standing trunks.
 
R9
2
12 Bn 12Bn Sat Aft. Aug 19 1916. B & C Coys
12Bn went in & relieved 4Bn in. Transverse
OG.1 in front of Mouquet, Left
Diagram - see original document
was on the trees, rt abt some way ^abt 150 yds to rt.
of dugout, as marker.
2 Coys went over at 6 p.m.
A & D coys. They crossed Courcelette
Rd - well to left of waggon, & just rt of
farm: The Germans retreated, but there
ws heavy rifle fire. ^shell hit Newton Capt Love &
Lt Hearns were hit. A bomb platoon
led by Copl R H E Lord got into the
Farm up the line of trees. They got bombed
into one ^ 6 dugouts along trees near 55
got into Farm. They bombed a dugout
in the farm.  Germans twice c.attd

3
Diagram - see original document
R9
4
one bombing attack on rt ws beaten
back from bombing post at junction of
O.G.I & rear
Diagram - see original document
The 12 Bn ws practically holding a rectangle
out ahead of the line.
From 6pm until 5 am. there was
one on rt of 12Bn. & O.G.I had to
be manned as a firing line.
After this 11 Bn came up & started
to dig on a line to the rt of 12th.
The 12th had drawn to left to let 11Bn
in & 11Bn did not come.
The 12 Bn started to dig forwd
parallel & Road on left & a little E of it.
opposition ws met from under the trees
altho' this had been cleared once. The
trench dug back from front line came
at an angle to meet this & it ws wonderfully
dug- They joined up. & avoided the strong point 

R9
5
on whatever it ws. there.
The Germans cd not well locate the
new line & were shelling nearer to the
junction of the fork of O.G.1 in 34 a.
The time taken was from OG wire on right
along front of road to within 30 or 40 yds
of Mouquet, & back a long new comm trench
to point 55 

6
X There ws no opposition met with
here or on Battery Copse, so far as
I ca hear.
R9
7
12 Bn took over on cog. afternoon of 25 Feb.
A & B were ^put in support in gird support;
Dusan D & C were in Wheat trench
9 Bn were on right & 18 Bn on left -.
there ws a big gap on the left.
D Coy were on left & C Coy rt. C Coys
Rt on Blue cut & left; D Coys rt ws
on wooden tramline. 18 Bn were on 
the Bapaume Rd. Left abt the Divl boundary
Relieved 10 Bn by 9 p.m.
They were to go over on Mond.
morning but wire ws reported ]an
front of Malt trench & it was 16.00 when
after arty bombt. A patrol went out
& occupied Malt. to E M 12 central. Any
Germans who were in Malt cleared into
the Le Barque trees & retreated on left to
Battery Copse. Malt tey ws a very
shallow trench & ws occupied by a weak
platoon of C.Coy. 

8
It ws breaking
day at the time
of this show.

R9
9 
Att 9 am in Tues Feb On night of
Feb 26 ^two patrols of 12Bn, ^(N.C.Os, 6 men) went out thro
Le Barque up Blue cut -
& one moved across as far as yellow cut -
These were being thrown from Lignay
but not Le Barque.
At daylight on Feb 27 they moved
through Le Barque abt 5 am. - an hour
before daylight.
A Coy found a strong post at
junction of Marlincourt Rd & Misty Way.
When A was going thro' the village from
about 12 D 8-8 to 12 B 8.2 when
as they were going there the undergrowth
opened, (when ^A Coy 12 Bn ws abt at
mound marked 12 B 82), a couple
of men were hit, no one killed. They
knew it ws on the road. They were
behind stunted willows on the road
bank. Capt Newlands Lt L Butler were
on right in small field surrounded by
Diagram - see original document

10
Abt 9 am this day
Lt. Heritage connected op
with the 17 Bn in M.12 A 9.6.
not Matt trench - but the trench wh went
directly to / Rly line. I7th had
a party just clearing it.

R9
11
hedge. There mg. ws going for abt 2
mins & then ^ Germans started to bomb from
behind hedge. There were abt 8
or 9 there not more than 10 to 20
yds from Germans. They gave a few
bombs back & then rushed strong
post. Killed 3 in post (in Hollow Rd)
& L.M.G got 8 or 10 as they ran, ^uphill just S. of Misty Way. A Coy then
occupied. stds Bank trench. a hare
got up between the bombers as they
had bn bombing & got away. It is
very doubtful if the mg. got away,
Nore of them carried a gun. Bomb ws
thrown into a crater tho' there were
not many big craters abt
Bank trench ws a shallow
bad trench with no dugouts. The
Germans were not using Bank trench but
the edge of the Bank of the road.
A. Coy with scraps of others

R9
13
went occupied up Bank trench to Red
Cut. The posts were well organised
by abt 7 am. The heavies were
a bit uncertain & shells fell
in some cases 200 to 300
yds behind our men.
There as a L.M.g. & infantry
post in M6D (abt) 7.4.
At same time as the advance
ws being made on Bank trench C & D
coys were on right clearing other part
of village.  (see Gould)
Abt 5 p.m. the 17 Bn informed
12Bn t ty were putting a post at
junction of Rly & misty way. A patrol
ws going out to get touch when the
coy ws relieved by 4 Bn (Eng of Feb. 27)
During relief the Germans shelled Bank trench
with 4.2 I T.E. universal.
Germans shelled Le Barque during