Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/134/1 - November 1916 - Part 2

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Awaiting approval
Accession number:
RCDIG1066633
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

1 Imoned after dark Indean fashion craw on stomach they got out toward theepoal hav refter bayouet shellhote 011600 li an dug wh hat taken offa deed Jervan in on one thelts Bomb. T 8 of him 2h an for as Repial t got into a by shellhole & had one Daterpr of sheet Amrst8 It ws ran the disasad what to do eans were abl
12 away Tt d 150 diictin in afh Ett flares a she were t when our tel Sp foit the a before th starts agn. Th were undecided still & O7 then met Freeman The rest adn atter X fer across tives OI Freec il 10 cl ct attempt on th to own. By dayligh then the men (wh aft the in other platoons ere a att 20 9do in front
13 e 0 ttie after lines or 4 cranted 8 the 12 ed 12 till The first dugonts one had in bug it n0 ere 2o as th ere Cook ex pa 9 rades a passed from to andthr dugoted one wacter till these had el gu ove g00 across front ling bt fairt 9h en thick with Th c Se
14 side& ferma o 10on ohn cor bt 5 ydlso a big shell hadma de crety a by the line ahea them It was breaking dawn Cermans were shelling but a lttle we not Orcemdn all at O7 Hole 3of over shell this to 0 keep low abo 20ydo ii fom sent Ane shots several th So appte They th in waited shell hole d all nother cr d to eat t
15 but buit a little dupont ti ee 4 thall hote with dagger agst Shedry on g0 side That shellhole lark night alt Soon red hu ferman men cam the shell hole Fom Domanstan to take cover One put Bremain on his hand clearer foot whil the were there Feem 5d. Fitzeo Theyre There row on a trench The live 4 stell hole. Freeman sot alea C they meased
one a 54 of the ti a at dawn free for O7 en were $ distan brow then t treet b ave packets Off send fre O0 2 Ws 16 tree an 2 40 am 20 on Xt Ite Wm at tie the Te 8004 bt as a will betw a C l rations t brocm them to there Sti of D does him with
down & hi BD et Dt the the as stel cd getawash te feed. The were behind Ovelliers out Ws tthe ton the had on Dat mor early were in pout. l co Nch Cot. Sunday all day o in mon ly at (Had left Sam 12pr night) 200 Aeeman ot 77 Rest Can together to sonneville ad Fryon
18 to N00 Teran Pe fe e pt 807ds 2884 ds Fefre 2 to Jermans were right to Coo0men) left of E Yorks 28 Buhad abt 100 men on Dright 92d Th cont. tion Turk Alber to till the imansblew
Nov out cl on 16 abt Bombt Star to met shallow a Thereos mutt tengt of be Diw 0 boobs port on right Scout off HR. Brown went down it t by daylight morng of 1 on permaas a post on abt there royds We the On por pa e ti Bro n pested tI 1o abo HE 8S w this te 2 tt S o7 peek to Sect on N 60 b o this
20 hade bn wd Steeck top satig It fied 54 Br0 dnt be accupied sang Eedozen cruran were Sever Taere deat tin Lahery the 3loys of 28n onder Apt. A Brown took on Nov. 15/16 at and night He E. Yorks tot over fo North F.s at Same tie c Everyt quie till midda On 16 wthen the Servians Slarty fairly tio shelling with 93 ther ou supports & Comma2 36 seem hore 6

14 
11                           
Immed. after dark,
Indian fashion crawling
on stomachs they got
out toward Thiepval
leaving rifle & bayonet in
shell hole. OT had a
German dagger wh 
he had taken off a dead
German in morning &
one Mills Bomb.
There were 8 of them.
They got as far as Thiepval
& got into a big shell hole
& had one waterproof sheet
amongst 8. It ws raining.
They discussed what to
do. Germans were abt

 

14
12                                     
150 yds away. They
cd tell by ^direction in wh Flares were shot
where our lines were.
They fell to sleep for it
ws 3 a.m. before they
started agn. They were
still undecided & O.T.
then met Freeman.
The rest cdnt attempt
going across / German lines
so Freeman & OT. decided 
to attempt it in their 
own.
By daylight they had
left the other men (who were
of other platoons) & were
abt 20 yds in front of

 

14 
13                             
German front line after
passing over 3 lines
of G. trenches. They crawled
till they met the trenches.
The first one had dugouts
in it but no Germans
were seen.
2nd one as they
were looking over parador
2 Germans passed from
one dugout to another;
waited till these had
gone & got quietly
across. 
The front line ws fairly
thick with men. They cd see

 

14  
14                                
8 Germans on one side &
10 on other covering abt
25 yds of trench - A big
shell had made a crater
in the line ahead of them 
- It was breaking dawn.
Germans were shelling
a little but we not
at all. O.T. & Freeman
got over this shell hole
keeping low & got to
abt 20 yds in front of
line. Germans sent
several rifle shots -
so apptly saw them -
They waited in this
shell hole all day -
nothing to eat or drink -

 

14
15                               
but built a little dugout
in edge of shell hole with
dagger agst our
shelling on German side
of shellhole. That
night soon after dark
two German red X
men came into the
shell hole from Nomansland,
to take cover. One put
his hand on Freeman's
foot & immed. cleared.
Freeman sd. ^While they were there "They're Fritzes".
There ws a row in /
trench. The two left /
shell hole. Freeman got
ahead of O.T. & they missed

 

14 
16                              
one another. Freeman
got into the Tommy's
lines at 11 pm. & OT.
at dawn next morning.
Freeman ws waiting
for OT. in the line. The
trenches were abt 800 yds
distant & there ws a 
brow of a hill betw.
them. The Tommies
treated them well,
gave them rations &
packets of biscuits &
offr. sent them to
dressing stn. Got there
& OT ws dressed &
F ws sent with him

 

14
17                                
& the Dr put him down
as shellshock so tt he
cd get a wash & a 
feed. They were
behind Ovilliers
& the Bn ( ws out.
They had charged on
Sat morng early; were
in front of Fritzes lines
all day Sunday & got
in Mond. morning.
(Had left Sausage Gully at
12 pm Frid night).
Freeman & OT. went
together to Divl Rest Camp
& F. rejoined at Bonneville

 

14 
18                                        
16th Nov.


Germans were right up to
left of E. Yorks. (100 men).
28 Bn had abt 100 men on
right of [[rd?]].
The continuation of
Turk Alley ws a good
trench till the Germans blew

 

14
19                      
it out on Nov.16.
Bombt started abt
midday.
There ws a shallow muddy
length of trench beyond our
bombs post on right.
Lt R. Brown (scout offr) went down it
by daylight on morng of 16th
& 3 Germans in a post
there got up abt 20 yds
on front & went for their
lives. Brown suggested
tt they shd go abt 40 yds
down this trench tt night
& put in strong point &
connect later.
Men bombing down the

 

14
20                               
wd have bn stuck -
Brown ws satisfied it
cd not be simply occupied -
There were several 1/2 dozen German
dead in it (where the m.g.
got them).
3 Coys of 28 Bn under
Capt. A Brown took over on
Nov. 15/16 at midnght.
The E. Yorks took over from
North F.s at same time.
Everything was quiet
till midday on 16 when the
Germans started fairly heavy
shelling with 5.9s & whizzbangs
on Supports & Commn trench.
There seemed to be more 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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