Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/135/1 - 1915 - 1916 - Part 9

98
[Hand drawn sketch - see original]
34 Germans next morning
marched down w stretchers
& red X flag to 54 next morning
& 32 to Mouquet Farm.
We did not fire on them.

15
99
77 but they manged to
hang on - & broke up
c/attack with bombs.
We brought back Coy. Commdrs
Orderly from Mouquet F.
He gave a lot of valuable information.
The trench behind 54 ws v. deep
& the place ws full of dug out.
We brought back every
dead & w. man exc. one.
w. Hayes Deans.  46 o.r.
k. 3  o.r.
Later.  24 .
Total. 3. k.  2 offrs. 70 o.r. w.
Jackas brother wd next night.
On Aug 28. Bdier had a
conference & wanted 14 Bn
to take Farm.  O.C. 14 refused.

15
100
16 Bn & 2 Coys. of 14 Bn.
were put in on Coy night
of 29/13 -  A Coy as reserve
to 16 Bn , B Coy as Bde
reserve.  They went to Quarry
Brockmans had sent : men
got back.  A. Co ws sent
from Tom's cut to Quarry
to put in but Bdier stopped
operatns & they came back -
This line ws handed over
to 13^th Bde.
16^th Bn. relieved 14^th at
midnight Aug. 28/29.

100A
I think this is all
McSharry's acct.
with some of his offrs.
(seen in camp near
Ypres, Sept 1916.)
 

15
101
15 Bn.
Went in night of Aug 5
Barrage at Gib. so heavy
tt only 2 platoons & m.gs
passed thro - losing a lot
of men.  Heaviest barrage
the Bn ever saw.  This eased
at daylight & rest of Bn
went thro.  / observatn then
from Thiepval.
Aug 6 in.  R33 D 85 to R34 G 12
to R 34 B60 in front line.
Supports R34 C 12 to
R34 d 09 & R34 a91
to R34 D 77 & R34 C 20.
to R33 D 85. Day improving trenches
& digging Brinds Rd trench.
Aug 7. Enemy attacked at 4.30.
agst 14th & 48th.
Grenadiers (Bo
Bombers & one platoon of

15
102
C Coy. under Lt Dunworth
advd. & attacked enemy's
rt flank.
Dunworth got out before
any one else & gave his
men "half right."
Dunworth brought 20 Germans
in.
Enemy seemed to be
coming straight for right
centre of 15 Bn at first
but our slow barrage wh
was protecting digging on
Northern side & O.G.1 caused
him to swerve to his left.
M.gs got on to enemy
& must have caused a
lot of damage.
The Germans were in close
formation.
Vickers & L. gun & rifles
firing until they got to Vic.
2nd line.  They didnt fire
back.  There ws no oppositn
in front. They just threw

15
103
a bomb when they got to
O.G.1 & went straight on.
Abt a dozen Victorians
attacked to right of 15th in O.G.2
but very knocked abt.
Germans were getting badly
knocked abt - took no
notice of 15th.
As they got to O.G.1
small bodies of Victorians
got out & came at them
w / bayonet.  The
Germans got in to O.G.2 -
but when Victorians
got mixed w them the
15th had to stop firing.
Some fell back as soon
as Victorians got onto
them.  15th fired at these
Then swung round onto
their flank & they surrendered.
They dont think that they got

15
104
away with any prisoners.
Because they were diving
from shell hole to shell hole.
One big chap ws chased
w m.g. for ½ m. but got
away waving his hand.

Aug. 8. Heavy shelling.
K. a number of own prisoners.
15th to take R33 d 89 to
R34 a 53 to R34 a45.
One Coy 16 Bn in support.
16 Bn on left.
Suffolks to cooperate
& take R33 d 86 to 96
& R33 d 26, 78, & 89,
& R33 d 86 to 78.
Attacked at 9.20.
3 waves, 2 platoons of each
Coy. in 1st wave, one each
in 2nd & 3rd waves.

15
105
1st wave had L. guns.
Scouts ahead to say when
barrage had lifted with torches
screened with tin & covered
with red & green (diff. [shorthand - signals])
First two waves were in
Nomansland before bombt
in strt line at abt yards
interval.
At 10.30 Left. (D Coy) & Rt (C Coy)
reported they were in &
digging.
A Coy lost directn & went
over too far.  Some got to
flank of C. Coy; some to
D. Coy. B. Coy also split -
Some got in with C Coy.
Germans ran. But not
from 89.
C. Coy ws p either to 95
probly in 53 — 74 (check
this by photos ??) 13 Bn aftwds

106

There ws a liaison
officer of ours w /
Suffolks - our runners
were taking the messages
to the Suffolk line -
from the Suffolk H.Q.
 

15
107
reported this as 34 — 65 — 96.
Commn trenches were dug
R34 B12 - a 95
A.91 - a53, c48 - a12.
Barrage had started close
in front of our trench &
lifted -  it ws ^ a very clear
cut barrage & easy to follow.
& Germans cleared out
in front of C Coy before
it arrived.  A few dead
in trench.
M.g. which caused losses
on left did not affect
the right. (It was seen next
day under trees on road.)
20 men of 16th under
Lt Wadge went out to
Moore & some of them got
there.

15
108
15 Bn
At 5, news tt Suffolks
hadn't made good. They
made a frontal attack
with 2 Coys. There ws
a m.g. on the parapet &
they wdnt go over.
Some went over but
it looked a very half
hearted attack. They had
to fire in morning (when
our men retired) at
the m.g. - & were almost
too done - had to be
waked up to it.
Brettingham Moore retired
shortly after daylight.
C Coy. retired ws to
throw back flank along
rd.  Hadn't begun this
when our arty began
to burst along front line 

15
109
53 — 74 — 95.  Men
had to keep down &
were withdrawn after midday
down O.G.1 to Jumping Off
 trench.
23 [prisoners - shorthand]  brought in.
Hung on to a bit of
forwd Commn trenches during
day - German cdnt
occupy trenches we withdrew
from.  The trench captd
night before ws reoccupied
without fighting at 11pm
on night of Aug 9.
(when 16th attd).
August 9/10  16th attacked
78, 89, ^ 99 & 12 & little semicircular
[[?]] trench N of 85-95. This
was blown to bits & not
occupied.