Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/135/1 - 1915 - 1916 - Part 7

15     71
The front lines were left 
to T.Ms wh did this best.
----
Exp. of German IV corps in July. (Pub. 22/8/16)
M.g.s usually have to be
brought up over open ground
under a heavy barrage.
The gt weight o / gun has
again proved to be a serious
disadvantage under these
conditions. Even if / gun
is dismounted it is very
difficult to drag up /
heavy sledge over ground wh
is under fire. All regiments
are unanimous in recommending
the introduction of a lighter
form of gun carriage, modelled
on tt of / improvised gun
carriage used by the m.g.
marksman sections.
----
The hand grenade ws / most
important infantry weapon both

15      72
in attack & defence. It is
is universally suggested tt
/ supply of hand grenades shd
be increased. If it is possible
to ∧ensure a supply of different kinds of
hand grenades, the genl opinion
is in favour of the use of "Ball"
& "Egg" grenades for attack,
despite their small effect, in
preference to cylindrical grenades
with handles, as a larger
supply o / two former can be
taken into action; .... but
as the cylindrical grenade w
handle is on / whole / most
effective, it is recommended
tt this pattern shd be universally
adopted.
Germans had no ∧(cloth) breech
covers for rifles

15     73
"One field arty regt recommends
the adoptn of the new pattern
sword bayonet with saw
edge, wh has already
bn experimentally adopted for
mounted troops."
"Automatic rifles (Musketeer)
are stated to be useful weapons
for trench warfare"
----
German detraining points
have to be 13 kilometres back
in order not to be shelled.
At beginning of battle Bapaume
Stn came under fire & trains
cd only be run there during /
night.
(Our aeroplanes have bombed
trains near Lille & then shot at the
men running away from them).
It says tt Dugout; commn trenches; &
entanglements - shd be built in
important switch lines etc even before

74
directn o / enemys arty fire
& bomb dropping.

15       75
the firing trench wh is itself
easily & quickly dug.
In same way, w batteries
put down your commn trenches, xx∧O.Ps
& cables etc first
----
Runners advised in relays
of not more than 100 metres.
"The casualties were comparatively
slight."
---
"It is advisable tt wireless
stations shd be allotted to /
staffs of infantry Regts & Bns."
---
Light signals used but not eno'
of them.
----
"The commn betw the front
line & the arty for the directn
of barrage fire ws entirely
confined to light-pistol signals."
----
The numerical superiority o /
enemy's airmen & also / fact tt their
machines were better, were made 
disagreeably apparent to us particly in the

76
Diagram - see original scan
?right of 26^th shd have
rested on T head.
As it ws 26^th ws
crowding trench wh ws
broken down & unfinished
So 25^th was unable
to move out into positn
(This ws just before arty
opened).
Capt Fletcher was hit bringing A Coy
up to dig "Jumping off" trench. Shot in knee.

15        77
25 Bn Aug 4/5
Lt. Alec Stewart ws with D coy
in front.
Healy & Capt Boys with A Coy
just behind (. Boys had bn
away & Healy ws brought
from "B" Co to take
over. Boys turn ws sent
for just before attack).
Lt Steele ws in c. of "B" coy.
Lt Corney  "   "   "       "C" -
----
Men were sitting on bottom
of Sydney St waiting for arty
when time arrd for arty
Mr Stewart, Healy & Boys
decided to go take men
over the side o / trench
to the N. Stewart jumped
out - last Healy saw of
him. There ws a lot of

15       78
artillery ∧shelling on the ground
& the formation under
the cirss. ws naturally loose.
Got into O.G.1;  H ws very
much knocked abt. There
were a few dead about.
Started bombing dug outs
straight away. There ws
some hand to hand fighting.
as they ∧Germs came out of dugouts - 
some shooting, but mostly
bombing.
Where H. was there were
2 deep dug outs. In one of
these the inside practically
collapsed with two or three
Mills bombs. It was
impossible to dig this out
during the night tho' they
reached the bottom o / 
stairs. The other ws easily

15      79
prepared for an aid post.
There were 5 dead German
on the stairs & one badly
wd man lying afterwds w our
own wd at the bottom. One
Officer ws bayoneted here -
probly at entrance of dug
out.
Healy had to remain in
O.G.1 ∧& hold it Capt Boys ws to
go on to O.G.2.
1st & 2nd waves took O.G.1
3rd & 4th went on to O.G.2. They
went on prac. without stopping.
[Capt. Boys ws shot in the
head & died of wds. - not
clear where he ws shot].
Cornie (C. Coy) ws in O.G.1 &
O.G.
ws wd - stayed as long as he

80
Dug Jumping off trench of 3/4.
Attack                                       4/5
C. attack morning of             5th.

15               81
cd ∧for some hours directing operations.
He ws hit on the hand. There ws
no officer left in the Bn
in OG. 2 - message got
back somehow & Lt Holsgen,
ws send transport offr., ws
sent up as an emergency.
He ws hit by a m.g. in
the arm - probly in the
early hours.
H. found they were short
of everything in O.G.1
- sandbags, s.bs., tools etc.
They were sent up but it
ws the afternoon before
they got there. The Germs.
bombarded O.G.1 heavily
both before during night & day.
Abt 5 p.m. on 5^th Aug a

15       82
Abt 7 prisoners were sent back from
OG.1 from dugouts, etc.
Abt daybreak on 5^th the
enemy c. attacked. This
ws mostly on flanks of
this sector. Men observing
reported them - Cd hear
m.gs going. They Germans
were seemed to be coming from windmill
way mostly. On rt of 25^th
there were abt 200 prisoners
taken - no. uncertain - men
did not take this seriously.
Thinking there might be some ∧Germs still in shell holes
Sergt Harrison (now 2/Lt H.)
went out with H & made
a reconnaissance, but found
none ∧in front of their sector - went nearly to O.G.2.
All day O.G.1 heavily
shelled - the shells were
all round the dugouts all
day. The A lot of work ws
done before light - but ws

15    83
knocked in again by heavy
stuff. C.S.M Thompson ws
there too.
In afternoon hearing
from front line tt there ws
no officer there, H. was
Mr Healy wrote to Capt Davies
Adjt. where the tt he ws
going to O.G.2 to take
charge & leaving C.S.M.
Thompson in charge of 25^th details
sector he had in O.G.1.
All run Only one runner
Pte O'Connell, got thro ∧& back w
messages up to afternoon
of 5th. He went at least
once there & back.
H. went up to O.G.2
& got the 25^th there together.
26^th were on their left.
Capt. Bond ws on left of H.