Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/133/1 - 1916 - Part 2

11
At 6.15  the contact
plane came over to the
minute - & _∧ the observer hung over 
/ side & waved his arm
at them. 
 

13
12
on our original
line. Flares were
going up for some hrs
in broad daylight  - 
red & green from
Farm.  Whxxx The fact of / line
ws going down the slope 
showed S. tt they had
gone too far.
He set the men
down thro' 77 towards 
the NW. edge of the mound.
of the farm. On the 
left he linked up w /
22nd who were
supporting & trying to  

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13
Estab. a line from
77 to 54. (This
must have bn one
o the 4 platoons wh
were to be echeloned
on / flank). He
knew of no other troops
to left.
The Germans dont
seem to have noticed
this group. The line
on / right had gone
down /  forwd slope
& disappeared. S.
never saw them agn.
But wounded were

13 
14
trickling in 2 or
3 here & there all
/ morning. They
gave him a hazy
idea tt they had
reached a strong
trench wh ws heavily
manned. Germs.
were in it when
they got there. A 
few got into / trench
but there ws heavy
bombing  -  the few
were bombed out
& stayed in shell holes. 

14a
Diagram - see original document

13
15
(The zigzag line had
certainly bn held by
Gs. & seemed strong.
They had bn sniping
there all / day 
before. They did not 
resist from it during 
attack - & made
no attack up it.)
The first thing obvious
ws tt 54 ws v. strongly
held & had not been
taken. Germans in
A were bombing our
men in B. This ws
abt 1/2 hr after attack

13
16
had started  -  it
ws light then.
There had been
very vigorous bombing
& shooting from 54
before but it ws too
dark to see.
(Jones' fight
ws over before S. noticed
54).
S. recognised at
once by / intersectn
o / roads tt this
ws 54. Our men
were hidden from 77.
But S cd see the G.s in

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17
77 & they cd see
two German mg. s
w / whole crew
above the parapet
breast high - They
were shot -  others came
& got away w / guns.
These m.gs. were shooting
across the NW front
of 77 towards 29 or 12
They had clearly seen 
our men there, & they
had a good target xxx
- they went on even
after 77 had opened
on them.
S. had 1 Lewis gun
w him & any quantity

13
18
of ammn. The gunner
ws found on Ss right
flank. No ammn
ws procuable afterwds -
but the Section ws
carrying it. Each
man ws carrying abt
8 discs  (32 x 47).
ie  abt 1500 rds
S. turned his attention
to 54 first. S 54
ws quietened.
The _∧ German m. guns were mounted
& dismounted several
times - (They started abt
10. so our men were
out by 29 at this time)
& were cleared by abt 

13
19
11. Abt an hrs compartive
quiet. Abt midday Germs.
were seen, in trench betw.
27 & 47 thickly
manned & pushing
down towards 77.
S. sent back for T.Ms.
& message got thro'
(2 original runners
never heard of agn.
Then went in himself.
Going in he ws not
fired at but coming out
the m.gs were going
& the right gun got
onto him. The only
thing ws to run like 

13 
20
hell. (S ws winged
in the arm abt 3
minutes after the
original attack — m.g.
got a group of them
one k., one thro' Ear,
S thro' arm. & another
hit.)
Sale saw the chap.
who ws coming in
wounded & waving
white rag  —apparently
delirious. Gs didnt
fire but beckoned
& whistled to him.
Our men near 81
whistled too & he got 

21
X
abt 10
Back abt 10.45 
 

13 
22
in to them. He
seemed to be abt S.W
of 54. Sale ^X got in
abt ½ way betw
81 & quarry. He came
in & out agn abt 4
in afternoon same
way & got thro!)
The runner (only
one who got thro)
got TM onto Germans
& the gun (Stokes)
got  at once onto
Germans (under the
shaft of figure 4 in 47)