Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/135/1 - 1915 - 1916 - Part 11

126
B Coy 1 plat.
Bn HQ
Rest of B Coy.
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127
Turks seemed to have
a m.g. forward in our
retreat.
Rose ws one o / machinemen
Sent out w Wallington
to N.Z.
Remember tt men were
in a bad physical conditn
in Aug & few hrs sleep.
On Aug6/7  2.30a.m.
Maj. Overton met
Cannan (w 2 Greeks)
(cont be found for a
time) in Taylors
Gap. (Tempy Bde H.Q.)
200 yds across open
fire ws opend from
gully parallel to front.
assaulted w bayonet
& taken ( no shots to be fired)
Turk telephone wire
here picked up & demolished

128
Started at
From 10. to
Had to sit down
for an hour getting
mixed w Indians
& British.
2.30 didn't leave
much time.

15
129
(Our dead were afterwds
found with cut-offs closed)
walked straight onto Turkish.
we then crossed open
under fire from both flanks.
Whole adv. ge had to be
deployed & D Coy sent
fwd to support B.
A Coy then sent on to
rt to protect advance.
At 3a.m.  Cannan again
saw Overton & asked
him to point out roughly
directn of 200 metre
contour of Abdel R,
He questioned guides
closely & then pointed
in a certain directn
— Guide sd it ws ¼ hr away.
Bn reorganised as men
were scattered. (Got all
men back alright)

15
130
B agn in advance
D.A.C. supporting.
Asked for 16 Bn to keep
close –
Began to work up
heights on both sides of
Australia Valley – flat
cd be well covered & seen –
We went up ridges -
Turks were fighting –
scattered fighting from behind
bushes – He wdnt stand
but ws v. stubborn as
he went.  It ws hard
& dangerous work for
NCOs & Offrs to keep
men from getting scattered.
They were inclined to get
down ( as they cd see
targets now ) & make
a fire fight.  Had to be 

131
15
Kept up to advance ^all the time — &
superintended
Most stubborn resistance
on hill 92 U4.  Just at
daylight we had this.
There were Ts everywhere
dead – all both old & young
men – & all w several
bullets.  One dying T. officer
wd not take the officer from
water offered him but
Others came along & 
—— dashed it away. 
saw him. "Poor Bugger –
He's done" they sd — &
knelt quietly down &
slit off his buttons as souvenirs
with their knives a knife — a
sort of half - reverence mixed
up w their manner in some
strange complexity of their composition.
[The Russian had two
Turks lying by him with
bayonet wounds from wh
they had died.  He ws shot.
He had the paper in his hand.]
Shot thro the body.
2 Signallers sent to see who
troops were (abt day light troops
were seen on hill on left – looking

15
132
like blades of grass
moving along).  2 Signallers
sent to see who they were
as it ws most imp. to
know if they were T. or Engl.
Messengers came back w
2 [[shorthand]].  Sent off agn.
Came back w 3 big prisoners
Learned tt these were
the 13th & 14 Bns.
15th then cleaned
up ^one of small gullys beyond.
Aust. Gully -
16Bn had come up on
rt —— & with 1 coy of
15Bn assaulted ridge to
right of 13 & 14 Bn.
Turk & Australian each
down on knee with dozens to 20
of spectators (Col. Pope & others)
& shot at one another – abt
20 yds away - Exchanged abt
6 shots & Turk up & ran.

15
133
Bn had to put abt 100 yds
into state of defence.  This
ws done w Commn trenches etc:
At 7.45 pm went to Bde for
ordrs.
7 Offrs. w.
Abt 30 o.r. k.
75 w.
[took abt 40 prisoners x]
[k. 100 & abt 100 wd]
8 am.  Starting pt passed at
3.10 in Sq. 92 U
near 2nd A in Asma Dere.
Down steep slope NE
Reconnaisance on crossing
Asma Dere for ascent.
B Coy 1 plat. leading
1 plat. detached to rt. ——
[*Going NE*]  Reached N end of ridge
near 93 L midway betw 4
& 7

134
Diagram - see original 

15
135
Adv. gd platoon sent
into Valley towds S9
93L7 to protect left &
adv continued E
Platoons on rt
recalled.  Skirted N end of
spur ( behind hedge) Left
flanking platoon also
called in after 500 yds.
Only 1 plat. now, adv. gd.
Objective now A in A bdel
Continued 600 yds (xxxxxx)
crossed) to slope w dense
undergrowth (thorny) where
fire opened by patrol outpost.
(Rest as written
above)
2 messengers were
sent to 14 Bn to get
them to left front — but

136
{B leading. under Capt. Moran ( d of w.)
{A und. Maj. Cannan
(Supporting B.) w. & m(K)
{C under ^Lt Youden
{D — Maj. Snowden.
supporting, & put in 2nd time.

15 Bn. Cas.
                          Offrs     o.r.
k                         —         100
M. (since           7           95
decl. k)      
(incl. Youden)
W.                         3        185

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137
head of Bn had gone on
to rt & only certain
no. came back to left
front.
D Coy & 2 pl. of A Co were
already on rt front
& doubtful if 14 needed
there.
16th were found to
have followed 14th
(naturally, keeping touch)
& were along S. Side
of platoon ridge to rt
rear of 14 Bn

15
138
Photos taken with
Brooks. Oct 11th 1916.
1  old Trench at Poz _
2. Guns ____________
3  Guns 
Guns
Craters.
O.. G 2 Trench
Rifles in O G2 –
O. G.2 Trench (windm)
_ Windmill
Windmill nearer.
Desolatn in O.G 2.
Mouquet
Mouquet
Scene of Fight of 21 Bn. W of
Mouquet
(Point 54)

R15/2
Adv. General Headquarters,
British Armies in France,
5th October, 1916.

Dear Bean,
Your letter of the 30th September.
Come down here whenever you like, and I
will arrange for one of the photographers to go
out with you.  You might send a wire the day before
to say you are coming.
The weather is not very good for photography
just at present.
Your sincerely,
Ajt Hutton Wilson

C. E. W. Bean Esq.,
1st Anzac Corps,
B. E. F.