Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/135/1 - 1915 - 1916 - Part 4

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Awaiting approval
Accession number:
RCDIG1066634
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

39 aneous attack fom Munste alby after 6th had be in for Edays St n relieve them. Bennett we still C.C. Casualtis of 6 Bn. in Inde canings abt 220 (incl. 5 or 6 Opicers All D Coys. oficers seemedto Soerein first day & so were not Sent out todis. Scouts did good work in getting information. The Du out in O.J.I was used as a report centre Roges as tere & so informt largely from woundial men etc. Short relays war a great advantage Benaett had relany from front line to duout in O.J.)
40 Thence to Bn. Thence to Sanken Rod sequal office; thene to Bde forward H0 (sunberkd). Thence to Ble Tis involed (peading runnces short distances (E diveted telephon repairs Ielephone a pashed out to tday out in OS The shore ws cat in o every truee Many Tospho us shells were put onto Bn H.G. &letfine to bood vor & debris:
41 4 tara a5 72 812 Wight ly Lot upon uis traia on night of attack cametten N. B. 23 ne 20 25 orde Battly 28 waves 0or Bn had to In posite at 11. 1875. (on. Wam fux Attack we at 12 Objic O8. 1052or Pasien Ridge 5 waves. R5 Coy wet Leavy fire 2n from wendwell directon hav diffya were in front of 89.. Other 3 coys had no def 1st line with no were 20 M.SS There 15 donbt abt No the It wd not His held 8
46 4th Waves went over b O.P. towards O It wo after leaving O6to the fire wt (50 heavy. crty wo opened up here ferman opened up with gug o true on 154 objod. on reaching end o9. there was were a pont & cogs had suffered too much a sefin. Some ticed to cal tho were but were cut down y Lint of Swith falleed warry men id pard of enuig wire. a small party of con actiatly enteres o O8 line 650 Laps car in the wire Boys Capt. W we hit by piece of shell s knocky Eqnipment bit him A
8 C 2otine now bi Erg. t went stet to th Murro at Co Joton tro Tobn in his viz W 3 44 into shell bole. He lay out there all dae Xed see ferman D.b oat (Farons, attack night of Iids came on on Sunday. The men who got acts Of. withdrew as soon (as the saw to Prest were you back & fell back onto as From there were not gwo me Aft to hold Op11 ten we orderedto withdran. Jerma two officers were seen fall Re. MacIntyre bayonety officer himself. an we had 4 offis 28 t W 29 4 75 pn 1 332 Lt Macentyre missay is prob X Smelh pot prisoney. Bn was taken back to Tara
Abt 700 strory on 156 occasion in bie 45 161 remfts taken in atter 65 fedt to moved 10 Of Sang again heved 20 P2. famp That night doe 15 from t at to the Bep. Rd. 1p2n & day 2509ot 2 487 6 5 deep & fudr at 3am on Aa & Inproved fi 2 commn 141 Tere Dean wes skell aree on duy en Capt Wed of Engis a as there tracing That nights camethis 2offrs O015 4 or wd 42 buried, shellyoa or. 2 off 15 24c
46 A shill all En 4 da Owr art bombar &5 7 04 0 1 2 ap Leavily 9:15 10 Filus 9 4 waves H.VD. (1st 2waves 2plate of each Coy in Ench wave cinclare 5p is 3 A s wer ed 3 for were up in 12 26Bn werein The Sept 25 Bn Daves distance exceeding well 50 paces Tampe off at 157- art openin up o 0
47 t. B mc ot close sporsitl banage as 15 End waves 9.18 S. barraz going on Loyds No resistance 0 but only afer germans 6 prisoners inaC. 3 red & were from Kere at 920 Barray lifted another 500 waee further over O without I hat at 92 bar coant on another 0 50 3rd wave foled by went our & lostO. Lad barrage betew. Ehem Br O3. Fam 0 7 1 Conso l. Stagh awa oe had loot toots but this we done w cabrensy to
bell 20 7 bomber dejont. tooks etc. Good ano terman dead in CJ. 2. Severalfermans were in 6S.2 in duy outs 2 am. on 5th down from Carroge came snemy shelling on to O.G.1&2. many of them were o2 shells. We tra to get R.E. stores to Of lies but prac impossible. to do this. 4 am. Evenig. C. attacked agst O.G.3 & were beatin attack. It ws getting daylight. Abl 5 a.m. first nessayl came down. Col. Walker we betw. Of.1 V.2. He says thatoar waves moved forwo in perfect order & pats, His down to I way offis &mcos 49
2a hed them men. we had mgs in pont of our line to night Reley. mjunner ws out an ont d ferig on prisoners occurrence) On M. gunner came back for reserve Lewis fun abt 2.30 a.m. Took gan back t several mags. foet in ture to meet C. attact & had gan up & operated it himself. (Fte Adams It we in this Cattack to Foss, hearing of cattack took up abt 10 men straight away -without orders - beyan Dundwill Qud H. Healy ws the ouh oflest in O.S.E.O5 He wor panised the live & hel 50

15
39
-aneous attack from Munster
Alley.
After 6th had been in for 6 days 5th Bn relieved
them.  Bennett was still C.O.  Casualties of 6 Bn in 2ndx.
innings: about 220 (incl. 5 or 6 officers).
All D Coys officers seemed to go. They (D) were in O.G.1 
first day & so were not sent out to dig. Scouts did good work
in getting information. The Dugout in O.G.1 was used as a report centre. Rogers was there & so information largely from wounded
men etc.  Short relays were a great advantage.
Bennett had relay from front line to dugout in O.G.1 

 

15
40
Thence to Bn.  Thence to
Sunken Rd signal office;
thence to Bde forward HQ.
(Sunken Rd). Thence to Bde.
This involved (1) sending runners short distances
 (2) limited telephone repairs.
Telephone was pushed
out to xx dug out in OG1.
The phone was cut in OG1
every time.
Many Phosphorus
shells were put onto Bn
H.Q. & set fire to wood work
& debris.

 

15
41
25 Bn.
Night of 28th July went Left Tara at 7.30pm
Up to Tramway trench about 11 p.m.
on night of attack.
H.Q.rs is near Cemetery.
Hand drawn diagram - see original document
Bn had to go out in 5 waves.
In position at 11.55. (on tram line)
Attack was at 12.
Objve. O.G. 1   OG 2 on Pozieres Ridge.
5 waves.
Rt Coy met heavy m.g. fire    from windmill direction & had
diffy with wire in front of O.G. 1.
Other 3 Coys had no difficulty
with 1st line — no wire & no m.gs.
There is no doubt about this.
It ws not strongly held. 3rd &

 

15
42
4th waves went over
1st Obj O.G.1 towards OG2.
It was after leaving O.G. 1 that this
the fire was so heavy.
Arty was opened up here.
Germans opened up with guns
& t.m's on 1st objve.
On reaching 2nd objective. there
was wire in front & Coys
had suffered too much to
get in.  Some tried to cut
thro wire but were cut down
by m.gs.
Lieuts Warry & Smith rallied
men in front of enemy's
wire.  A small part of "C"
Coy actually entered in
O.G. 2  line thro gaps cut
in the wire.
Capt. W. G. Boys was
hit by piece of shell which knocked
equipment off & hit him

 

43
Part of C. Coy got
into 2nd line. 
Murray (now in Eng. w
shell shock) went
thro' both attacks.
Nix Johnston & Foxton
were all in this. 

15
44
into shell hole.  He lay
out there all day - & cd
see German S.bs out. (Saxons)
Attack night of Friday - &
came in on Sunday.  The
men who got into O.G.2.
withdrew as soon as they
saw tt / rest were going
back - & fell back onto O.G. 1.
& from as there were not eno men
left to hold O.G. 1 they were
ordered to withdraw.
Two ∧German officers were seen to
fall.  Lt. MacIntyre bayoneted
an officer himself.
           We had 4 offrs       28 men  k.
                           3      "        129          w
                           4      "        175         m.
                          ____         ____

                         11              332

                        ____         ____
Lt MacIntyre missing is prob. k.
Smith prob. prisoner.
Bn was taken back to Tara. 

 

15
45
Abt 700 strong on 1st occasion in line 
161 reinfts taken in after 1st fight.
On 3 Aug moved up to Poz.
again & relieved 20 Bn.
That night dug jumping off
trench from R 34 d 6.2.
to the Bap. Rd. Started at
11 p.m. & dug 250 yds of trench
4'6" to 5' deep & finished
at 3a.m. on Aug 4.
Improved fire trench & communication
 trench.  There was heavy shelling
on troops area dug in.
Capt Webb of Engrs was
up there tracing trench.
That nights casualties
o.r. 13 k .; 2 offrs  42 or wd.
2 offrs. 15 o.r. buried, shellshock
etc. 

 

15
46
Aug 4.  Enemy shelled all
day.
Our Arty bombarded
O.G. 1 & 2 up to 9.10 p.m.
heavily.  9.10 to 9.15 silence
4 waves A & D 1st 2 waves.
2 plats. of each Coy in
each wave
B. &. C. similarly
3rd & 4th waves.
A & D Coys were in jumping
off trench.
B & C were formed up
in Tramway trench.
26 Bn were in trench.
The 25 Bn waves kept
distance exceedingly well -
50 paces.  Jumped off at
 9.15 - our arty opening
 up on O.G. 1 & O.G. 2.

 

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47
& men got as close as possible
to barrage.
At 9.18 1st & 2nd waves
rushed O.G. 1 barrage
going on 50 yds.  No resistance
in O.G. 1 but only a few
Germans - 6 prisoners incl.
3 red X were from there.
At 9.20 Barrage
lifted another 50 yds &
3rd & 4th waves went
further over O.G. 1 (prac.
without a halt).
At 9.25 Barrage
went on another 50 yds.
3rd wave folld by 4th
 went on & took O.G.2.
 Enemy had barrage betw.
 O.G. 1 & Bn H.Q.rs (Tramway
 trench).  Consold. trenches straight
away - many had lost tools
but this was done with entrenching

 

48  
Hand drawn diagram - see original 
Lt Campbell of 27 bombed dugouts.
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49
tools etc. Good many
German dead in O.G. 2.
Several Germans were in
O.G. 2 in dugouts
2 a.m. on 5th down
came enemy shelling ∧ (from barrage) on to
O.G .1 & 2.  Many of them
were 9.2 shells.  We tried
to get R.E. stores to O.G.
lines but prac. impossible
to do this -
4 a.m. Enemy c. attacked
agst O.G. 2 & were beaten
attack.  It was getting daylight.
Abt 5 a.m. first message
came down.
Col. Walker was betw.
O.G. 1 & 2.  He says that our
waves moved forward in
perfect order & puts this
down to / way offrs & ncos

 

15
50                                                    
led their men.
We had m.gs in front
of our line that night.
(Riley. m.gunner was out in
front during firing on prisoners
occurrence).
One m. gunner came back
for reserve Lewis gun abt
2.30 a.m. Took gun back
with several mags. just in
time to meet c. attack.
& had gun up & operated
it himself. (Pte Adams).
It ws in this c. attack
that Foss, hearing of c.attack took
up abt 10 men straight away
- without orders - beyond
windmill.
2nd Lt. Healy was the
only offr. left in O.G. 2. &.O.G.1.
He reorganised the line & held 

 
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