Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/13/1 - August 1915 - Part 2

Regm. Sergt M Homans
W S W Gordon  [[?]]
________________________
2 Bn
9
of No 5 Not a man [[?]]
[[???]
other sapping x Mckay [[?]]
[[?]] at 5.30x
S. Portion of L. Pine - L. 120 yds
[[?]] 50-60
2. 
Mines [[?????????????????????]]
The 2 telephone wires in 30 pieces by?
6.40 Bn H.Q. went
[[?]]
They have a [[?]] gun for [[?]]
Had one m.g. of 6 L H on left flank.
Casualties 450 (?437)
K.6.44.  W.14.248.  m.l.137.
 

Not Ireland Litt D Trin Dub.
[[?]] Latouche - Priest of C.E. desired
to come as Chaplain - [[?]] he joined
ranks at Kenington 2 Bn. Rejected for
[[?]] but came [[?]] 13 Bn
[[?]] he was [[?]]
[[?]] Diocesan [[?]]
& Lecturer [[?]] Well know
[[?]] & Rationalist Debates.
____________

He was [[?]] from 13 Bn to [[?]] for 1st
Bde. Got back [[?]] here.
__________
He was hit [[?]] on Parapet
& ws [[?]]
[[?]]
________________________

10
L^t Digges
Latouche [[?]]
2a.m. on 6th [[?]]
& at 5.30 pm [[?]]
ws hit right [[?]]
Capt. Fullerton A.M.C. & 2 AMC [[?]]
[[????????]]. Attended to 
[[?]].
_____________
Scene in Sap -

Scobie getting into [[?]]
to [[?????????]]
[[????????]]
_____________
 

220 Front to be attacked.
we [[?]] overs / cover [[?]]
Front [[?]]

[[?]] to increase cover.
_______________
Each Bn had / Coy [[?]]
1 Bn of 2 & 3 Bds also [[?]]
2 Bn into [[?]] a little later than [[?]]
Got as far [[E?]] as RS.

xx 7.5 pm [[?]] attack from Nrs.
7^th 1.30 am on 7th[[?]] attack to 8.40 am
Part of [[?]] had to be [[?]]
1.23 p.m C. attack till 5 pm.
8th. 0 am [[?]] Counter attack
2 Bn suffered [[?]]
8. 5 am another C. attack E & SE. after
first (fire) from N. Lasted till 7.45
We meant C. attack but [[?]] occur.
Bombing & sniping lasted till 12 Aug.
We had now ASCI & army & if
bomb supply = [[?]] enemys, cd keep him down

11
1st Aust Div
47 [[?]]
13^th [[?]]
Prelim. Bombt. 4.5.6. Aug.
4.30 Aug 6. Intense Bombt 4.30 - 5.30
K. or W. abt ½ [[?]] actually in by when it [[?]]
Barbed wire ws destroyed but overhead covers

pract. intact
One 18 pr, place on Artly Rd in exposed [[?]]
direct fire at point blank range - gun served
try [[?]] Lt Gatliffe
18 pdr similarly [[?]] ws v. slow
being delayed nearly 1/2 hr. until officers ws induced
to remove some sandbags. Had this gun bn more effective
m.g. fire from J.Jolly wd been less dangerous.
Howitzer fire on J.Jolly ws shot, many
burst near over    . S half of J.Jolly
a bit knocked . N half intact
8 Batty fired fast agst enemy gun (known)
but howitzer shooting was not continuous.
Enemy's guns unaffected. 75 m/m & 6th How
bombardment our trenches heavily.
Enemys guns [[?]] very quickly served, though few.
Went for our trenches - Fear of enfilading own line.
5.6. Believe / Bde reports all [[?]] in position ready
5.30 Attack begins. T. Artillery v. quickly onto
parapet over wh Infy. advanced. - from
Turks Hump, Sandpit, C, & Scrubby Knoll
(unlocated) Not least excitement amongst
reserves or men going [[?]].
Serious check at enemy [[?]] line owing to
overhead cover. Had to lie down bind sandbags.
5.40. Large [[?]] enemy reported retiring
from L. Pine.

[* This is hardly fair - Head cover ws too low &
gun cdnt be raised to clear parapet.*]
 

By holding their rifles as below
some of our men had an advantage in working
along [[?]]Enemy [[?]] not surprised, but surprised
by moment of attack.
_____________________


12
5.43 Report: 4 & 4 bns well into centre of positn.
6.4 . Report: 2 bn lining parados of enemy
positn.
6.10 . Report. 3 bn reached S. end of reentrant.
Reserve from 4. Bn well in trenches.
Bayonets visible 30 yds in.
2 Bn over parados abt its centre.
Enemys Arty now very severe [[?]]
scrub being fired - Teleph. [[?]] neverless.
Reserve troops moved up to Bq.
6.19 Message. Fire short & to left - on J. Jolly.
Enemy massing w fixed bayonets.
Esp. in [[?]] traversing Owen's Gully.
xxxx O.C. m.g. detachment ws notified
& heavy fire brought to bear
6.24.  Message. Whole of / Bn sent in in
reply to request from L. Pine
8th Batty firing on C. good rate of fire.
6.35  Report "attack appears [[?]]"x Ammn &
water from crater had to cross open
zone, abt 40 yds. Bombs reported to be
not working well.
6.40 . Report Owens Gully enemy massing
6.47  Pine Ridge reinforced from Ridge - 600 Ts.
Prob. whole of reserve troops in Jolly
 

13
sector were brought up & moved thro'
Owens Gully.
6.55. All reserves exc. 120 reinfs, 1 Bn. forward
6.57. 2 Bde to sen bn to Gun Lane.
7.2 Enemy pressing in Right. Maj McKay
Reinfs asked. Arty asked [[?]] fire on S. slopes
of Lone Pine
7.6 Messages tt enemy massing in Owens Gully
not confirmed.
7.20 - 8.45 . Enemys fire on Pimple heavy.
8.59 . Everything safe.
10.  Reports "All Safe".
W. & prisoners grandly brought thro
B9. 119 prisoners sent to Anzac
Aug 7  2 m.gs captured & used.
1.56 am Col McNaughton - "All going well".
___________________
3 Bns 47. 3 Bns 13 in front of Lone Pine.
Comms thro' by early morning.
Ammn, water, bombs, flares had to pas up
one narrow tunnel & over open & w./ pris.
returning. Engrs. going from crater.
No serious c-attack. Whole of 1st Bde ws
now in Pine, 12 Bn in support
 

14
Aug 7
3rd Bde tried to keep enemy pinned to his [[?]]
by frequent rapid fr.
5" Hows. (69 Bde) landed several shells
in trenches of 5 Bn.
 

11.30 Evening bombing. Our bomb supply
intermittent. This gt anxiety. T. supply
inexhaustible. 4 m.gs [[?]] captured
12.25  7 m.gs now totalled. Trenche
enfiladed from other T [[?]]
1-2 p.m. Enemy [[?]] massing for c. attack
1 Bn (wh taken out) sent back.
2.30  Enemy coming up Commn trench. En's arty
firing.
2.56 Both flanks hard pressed. Attackentirely bombs)
3.50 Attack eases. But still intense.
4.53 Attack on left seemed to h. failed.
Ships fire valuable.
5.25  J.Jolly [[?]] full. Enemy [[?]] brought
up whole of 13 Regt as well as 47.
Connaught Rangers brought up in reserve.
(v. fine bn. physically. mostly ex-service men)
Slackening in attack; then new bomb attack
at 7 p.m.
8 p.m. Questn of bomb supply from Anzac
serious.
 

15
8 Aug.  Bombing [[?]] night - still L at 5 a.m.
We had vacated one position of 30 yds & another
of 10 yds.
5.50 - 6.50 attack constant. Enemy shelling
line N & S of L. Pine.
8.32  Further T. in Legge Valley attack 4 Bn.
temporarily took one trench but thrown out [[?]]
9.15  7 Bn put in. Dead still in [[?]] [[?]]
but men steady.
10.25 Partial lull. More Turks moved up.
N Z Arty did good work.
Clearing of trenches begun.
7.15 p.m. 3 Bn attacked part of enemys [[?]]
carried it by 8. linking up w 4 Bn.
11  Situation fairly quiet.

9 Aug.
4.15  Ts began again - heavy [[?]]
from J.Jolly. & bombs thrown but situation
easier.
Few T.s got in at S. end.
7.12 Bns brought up (7 on right) 7 suffered
heavily.
6.39. 4^th Bn reported we had gained upper
hand in bombing.
6.42  Reported Ts losing heavily
 

16
7.37  as enemy seemed demoralised & our men's
spirits good  1st Bn ws sent in to [[?]]
w view to c. attack.
8.45  5 Bn sent 2 Coys to L. Pine
3 Bn taken out.
9.40  Small parties of Ts seen retreating
from L.P.
11.28  Part of 1 Bn under Capt Sasse surrounded
& K. 20 Ts who attacked S.W. angle
11.56 . Easier but out of bombs.
12.25  Turks still near S.W, angle.
12.35  Bombs recd. 7 Bn holding on
but suffering [[?]]
4.19  1 Bn capt. 40 yds of Comm [[?]] leading
to Owens Valley. Capt Sasse &
[[Short?]] w 8 men killing 8 Ts.
4.55 Sq. of L.H. from 2 L H B sent to
L.P.
6.3  Enemy ceased shelling positn

10 Aug.  Attacks irregular - T.artillery fire on L.P. frequent
Counter attacks continuous from 6 am on
Aug 7 to 12 pm on Aug 9. (72 hrs)
T. losses v. severe.
 

17
T. losses.
31 July    Leane's Trench     over 300
4 Aug.    Bombardment              400
5     ___________________________ 600                                         
6   _________Leanes Post ______400
6 }
7 }
8 }    Lone Pine  2 cos in attack   600

9 }                         5000 men c. att. 2600

10}                                    say 2000
Bombardments
G O T.
J. Jolley.                                              600
                                                          ________
                                                            4,900
                                                           ________
 

17a
7 Bn [[?]] miday \ Mond night
[[?]] 360 - 70 [[?]]
From Bennett (I am fairly sure this was
his account). E.W.B. 18.1.24.
G.O.T. 6 Bns Orders
100 agst snipers post on rt.
300 agst G.O.T.
Forward line 50 covering force.
50 to block destroy &
bomb [[?]]
with special bomb shields
200 agst G.O.T.
Covering [[?]] ws to go over top & hold
back c.attack over top (as [[?]] undetected)
(must [[?]]  at sides & 2 [[?]]
[[?]] (both w overhead cover).
2 parties to look for [[?]] communicating
w snipers post on Courtneys.
There ws a rehearsal tt day - abt 10 minutes
to get in.
Shells had burst in [[?]] Block on [[?]]
Mines at
11 .(supposed to be big one 200 lbs.)
did [[?]]
11.15.  11.30.
last minute 11.40. Men [[?]]
in [[?]] last mine finished. Explosions
[[?]]   main trenches. This shook
in tunnels [[?]] waited [[?]]
[[?]] 12.45 - 8.45. wounded [[?]] into tunnels

G.O.T. 7 Aug
12.45 am. O.C. 2 Bde [[?]] w 6 Bn
broken but O.C. 8 Bn reports attack [[?]]
cause unknown. Men ready in [[?]]
1. am. G O C orders 6 Bn. to move at once
1.16 Reported xxxx delay due to blocking
[[?]] Tunnels blocked by enemys gun fire.
Exit impossible.
2 Bde ordered to reorganise & attack
pronptly.
2.20 Orders sent for [[?]] of 100 men to be folld by
second & if [[?]] G.O.T.
3.50 Lt Col Brunnell [[?]] compliance [[?]]
4.10. Report from 2 Bde Attack on G O T failed
again
4.23  [[?]] to 2 Bde to [[?]] another [[?]] promptly.
4.50 Cancelled. Withdraw 6 Bn &
[[?]]
[[?]]
8.25. Orders to 6 Bn to continue reorganisation
9.34  [[?]]
[[?

[[?]] recommend 7 for G O T
_________________________________________
Jackson (L^t) on left - got wounded in second rush
walking up & down beckoning men [[?]]
Prisk, best man chosen, ws first out & back w.
within 30 seconds. Casualties abt 150.
[*Jackson hit first by bullet - cheering men on - then hit in leg w bomb
& ^terribly smashed - carried in & put thro' tunnel. M.G fire from J.Jolly & Quinns.