Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/136/1 - 1916 - Part 2

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open for review
Accession number:
RCDIG1066635
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

the Aoasin 20 the where trech b British crosse & Co e C por It barr The there ve bea wth down ad walk t over ver terribly At Gero ten i back that me were the fin most of rev our to Starte C 2 12 wa hel Septina a i othir a up 2d a
Iuscration deserves a statue e at Posieres & is Murdock Wish Mackan Mackay ws a steblorn opiniona Gestlesh Hustrates .Hes frequcull had waron arguments with his brigadies (gettibran abt court martials & disaperaary o Smith his Colonel Cld soits of law be wondered if he wal ane at ret of him. Busde at not have new be wo aman kept o character - it be Murdoch sd he wods a thing Wish Mays he ad do it. tt be Gelle toto on of Macko we becit alay whete dige advertion 26 out t may Melb. Cawyer roctt a Young just before hes bett Co 2i Matthews he pise it was up tealbut was Md say who 5tis decision caae before anyoing I have e Dcall a wea send Matthews it tank made the attack ub Ol. Smeth tells me to Matthews o y up there specially to sart them - & failed. see id not to start them. Machay took it out of his hands ACo CE baves de teo be the T. 45 9 At Mack w4 T. 0. it or h th allack p at l. Id to about were mitutes ste ti th d Il H took 14 2 till h an d not leter 0 ate He fo 6 20 or 5 be t what
stat tie of at th I dont know rage were there at a all. Mackon ao reoponsible for getting fit fins £ Sinns 8 Valle i Mash te tate w0 write it as 651 388 Den omession 6 Gen. Falon an order each of orders O a 26 Bn. C Col. Smith tells we th Rodoas me is wrong. The signal light th the trench hadby taken went up & ws -Bn HtQ. at 9.40. This Sackm entedg. on left from defeating as 15 16 d bits &B. Coys were tere (Capt Elmigir had C He lid thim himself out Shaught 15 ydo 1 with he Not thro 6 when perin. the heart by in. g which was in about 34 4.1 nashell in h front 1h C the advance. enpilade The men got Staught away - Macka hat S. Bitchard (whoseeme to have by shot besidt him Hf Thowas & Capt. Elanger were both tere & 2H Scauton - 29 of ws killed in who
pobt after att 40 assen b 36ws very soon bit the 18 they Cob to When O Feti wt Thomar two offis. there the o Dd4 waves The or fomen) went abt over together att 9.45 from Cemetery Thery were feld apab to mins tn Assenble to reorganess The 1t wave had out gone off a few minutes Capt Elenger we on the parapes him to calln out to Covid The M.G. from lep flank fire heavy. very
I waves When t the Went MJ. fire the out & ballets was heavy be Doverhead. faca St Ent waves The lee ahead be d bombing in wI there 1 Ot 4t The dves hopy X the 1 Let parspet But was shoutin tl were t all right the there still fighte a 3r4waves in went over to
20 9 good a 95 dugonts deep with support a 2 we deouts no wik it hard S to as wha wasnt. A The Tho bed ere bar the cadication port was men We the aheat sen were number 2 60th w a p over ondr of dead J. wet tiv w but en there one depatched ox were Cli quic
21 opposite came from The 0 Deumun the (alony road) from lef Ther to there bomber some to there youeth to who fum were Jchaw dut a fight the put Terman There ere Maching Juns but hrove C cn one bett hade tit the bullets reven of this Col. Smith Ftares were come from left flank up
22 in front from oers were pat obser ap bot ways a poasiter wt the onfuses. Tere the two th 6 boel E O en touch in Tey were On with Jn Bde regd flank. There had by a Co tm 20B there. At do day deeri Later in mow a request Came from an ap onW.C. N
23 an 7Bde Lewn them fficer the sn 6 the 2 £0 w oners P nt the on on er this pressis Day shelling night we not e fom t erans from but fon Shelling 50 he least behind a on officer that bit we 45 34 have (Deepo been Ab casnalties 30 B0 this Th resty
24 e a X con across at t 8 Aft 120 th wth a apt. non A r Lanyon (O. Con. It were theref, Scamwell 24AW tate E Kelle WYeadon MaKay Edeed atternos H.E.B. th H Rodda The fom had 2/26 their X tard ith h X a bat Y0 ls hat. b Kellewa it

12
16
The Crossing point was
where the trench held
by British crossed K
trench & crossing ws
managed by concertina 
process. There ws a
heavy barrage on K trench.
The losses there were
very heavy - the men
went down wd - others
walking over them - a
very terrible mix up.

At Zero time word
came back that only
70 men were up in
the C Jumping off trench.
Most of remainder - when
our barrage started were
in commn trench & K trench
 

 

13
If any Australian deserves a statue
at Pozieres it is Murdoch Nish Mackay.
Mackay ws a stubborn opinionated
∧ young Scotsman  ∧Scottish Australian. He frequently had 
warm
arguments with his brigadier (Gellibrand)
abt court martials, & disciplinary
points of law - & Smith his Colonel told
me tt sometimes he wondered if he wd
not have to get rid of him. But he
kept him on as he knew he was a man
of character - if he
sd he wd do a thing
he wd do it.
Gelly told me tt he
ws hesitating whether
to give him his
majority - but for
exactly the
same reason,
just before
this battle
he gave
 it to
 him
- a week before.
"I have
 never
 bn so
 thankful" 
Gelly sd.
_____________________________

Murdoch Nish Mackay(Son of Mack of 
Bendigo advertisin
A Young Melb. lawyer)
Matthews,. 2/in Comd,
was up there alright, but it
was Mackay who
came to this decision 
- practically took assumed it
out of Matthews hands
& made the attack.
Col. Smith tells me tt Matthews ws
up there specially to start them - & failed.
He decided not to start them. Mackay
took it out of his hands.

14
16
 C & A Coy (3rd &
4th waves) did not
leave the J.O. trench till
9.45.
At 9.15 Maj M.N. 
Mackay was in
J.O. trench & it devolved
on him to say whether 
the attack shd take
place at all. He
jumped out in front
& sd "Come on boys"
(They were  a minute about  20 or 25 
or two  minutes late then - he had
had a terrible time in
K. trench running up &
down collecting his men).
He took charge of what

 

15
at the time of  start 
barrage I don't know
if any were there at
all. Mackay is
responsible for getting
them together.
(I must find out 
how the Mash Valley
route was taken by
7 Bde. Was it an
omission by 2 Divn; or
an order by Gen Paton;
or a breach of orders
by L5 or 26 Bn. C.O?)
Col. Smith tells me tt Roddas
time is wrong. The signal light tt the
trench had bn taken went up & ws
seen from Bn H.Q. at 9.40.. This
attack prevented m.g. on left from defeating us.

 

16
16
bits of D & B Coys.
were there (Capt Elmiger
had B Coy). He led them
straight out, himself, to 
within 15 yds of O.G. 1 
when he ws shot thro
the heart by ∧ German m.g. which
was in about 34 A 4.1
in a shell hole in
front of O.G. 1 - this
enfiladed the advance.
The men got in 
straightaway - Mackay 
had Lt Pritchard (who seems
to have bn shot beside
him). Lt Thomas & 
Capt Elmiger were both
there with 2/Lt Scanlon - L.G offr.
who was killed in nomansland.
 

 

17
El. was abt 5 yds
outside assembly
trench then. El. ws
probly hit very soon
 after this
 

18
16
When they got to O.G.1
Thomas & Elmiger were was
the only two offrs. there.
The 3rd & 4th waves
(abt 50 or 60 men) went
over together abt 9.45
from Cemetery. They were
held up abt 4 mins
 in Assembly trench to
reorganise. The 1st 
wave had only gone off
a few minutes - Capt
Elmiger ws on the parapet
calling out to them to
come on. The m.g.
fire from left flank
was very heavy -

 

 

19
16
When the 3 & 4th waves
went out the m.g. fire
was heavy & bullets
cd be heard overhead.
The 1st & 2nd waves
cd be seen ahead -
there ws bombing in
O.G.1.
The 3rd & 4th
waves hopped over the
parapet - the 1st & 
2nd waves shouting
tt they were all right
tho' there ws still fighting
in trench & ∧3 & 4 waves went over
to O.G.2. 

 

20
16
O.G.1 ws a good trench
with deep dugouts.
O.G.2 ws  a support
trench with no dugouts
& it ws hard to
say what was trench 
& what wasnt. The
barbed wire in 
front was the indication
they went by - men
were sent ahead in
both ways. A number
of dead Germans were
met - but what live
ones were there
were despatched very
quickly.
 

 

 21
16
The oppositn came from
the Commn trench on
left (along road) from
O.G.1 to O.G.2. There
ws some bombing there
& bayonetting - there
were Germans who
cdn't getaway, &
they put up a fight.
There were 3 ∧German machine
guns in O.G.1 butnone in OG2 (one
had a belt with the
bullets reserved - 
Col. Smith saw this).
Flares were coming
up from left flank &
 

 

22
16
from in front -
observers were put
up both ways as
the positn ws so
confused.
There were only
4 shovels in the two
coys in O.G.2.
They were in touch
with 7th Bde on
right flank. There
 had bn a Captain of
 26 Bn there. At do
(Later in day during
morning a request
came up from an
N.C.O. on the W.O.

 

23
16
of 7 Bde for an
officer to go down then
as the men thought
they were being
surrounded. (Some
G. Prisoners coming
in on rt. gave them
this impression).
During night shelling
ws not heavy from
Germans but from
some shelling from
behind - at least
an officer ws hit that 
way - It might 
have been Thiepval
Abt 30 casualties
from this. The rest of 
 

 

 24
16
3rd & 4th waves
had bn coming across
as they arrived at
J.O. trench. Abt 120
men were in O.G.2.
Capt Curnow (A Coy)
& Lt Lanyon (C. Coy)
were there., 2/Lt Scammell, 2/Lt A W Yates,
2/Lt Kelleway 2/Lt Yeadon,
Lt E.B. McKay (died afterwards)
& Lt Rodda.  (The three 
four 2 Lts had recd their
stars tt day).
Within an hour -
Yates had bn badly
 hit - Kelleway & 

 




  

 







 


  

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Janene RandallJanene Randall
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