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

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16
Scammell both wd.)

Just on dawn the
Germans launched a
c/attack. There had bn
only the intermittent
shelling. A line ws
seen coming up the
hill in extended order-

abt 150 on this sector
from valley into wh this
trench looked.
There were no
firesteps  & so most
of our men hopped
onto the parapet & started
shooting with L.G. & rifles.
But Germans had put
 

26
16
snipers into shellholes
abt 40 yds in front of
our trench. All our eyes
were on the attacking
wave in the gully.
When men began to be
killed it ws not known
where these snipers
were. On the left
portion of the front the
Germans bombed the
trench from shell holes
E of it. They scattered
some of the men digging
there. Pte G.J. O'Neil
organised the men in
tt corner & got them
bombing onto these Germans
 

27
16
& got the D.C.M.
The Germans did not come
from the left flank at this
time. While Germans were
coming up a sniper
hit Capt hit Pte. E Vienna
(of Geelong - a well known
character & football supporter)
& killed him. Capt
H.F. Curnow sd: I'll
get the chap who did
that - & was drawing
his revolver on him
when he ws hit thro
the heart. The men
took his death very
larxx hard - a
very fine popular officer.
 

28
16
The rifle & m.g. fire
broke this attack up
200 yds away (in
the dim light). They
rushed back (it was
a clear morning, not
misty) & evidently
someone over the
edge of the valley
turned them back.
They came on again
a short distance &
then clearly got
into shell holes.
A few kept crawling
abt in front - our
men were picking
 

29
16
them off. A few
(one man helping
another, wounded)
drifted in to the
7^th Bde - but
none in to 22nd
Bn front.
After this c/attack
had cleared, going
along the line Rodda
found Yeoden missing,
Curnow k, McKay
hit w bomb over left
eye. He didnt want to
go away, but he
had it dressed at
 

30

After this
attack there were
abt 50 effectives
in O.G. 2 (of 22 Bn)

31
16
dressing stn, & died
from it afterwds.
Yates had bn carried
back wd. to O.G.2 1 into
a dugout; Lanyon
had bn buried by a
shell & was out to
it;
In O.G. 1 Thomas
had been killed digging
back towards 24 Bn.
Patrols had bn sent
out in front, but
the barrage wd not
let them go any distance.
L.G. on left had bn
 

32
X  & gun blown out

33
16
blown out - & the rt gun
ws sent for. A private
named xxxx Lyall
ws the only man left on
its crew - he came
with it to left flank
& ws killed ^X almost
at once. Germans
were getting onto the
trench xxx with their
shells now - occasionally
right in to it.
A gun & team from
O.G. 1 were sent up
to replace the one
on left. L.G. in centre was also
blown up - & of crew
 

34
16
of 3, 2 were k & 1
w. by the one shell.
They were replaced by
ordinary riflemen (they
had some sort of
instruction) - gun was
usable.
By midday the
no. of effectives xxxx
ws 2 offrs ^Lanyon & Rodda & abt
30 men in front
line.
At 4.30 xxx
Steve Smith came up
Lt Hogarth came
up to give Rodda & Lanyon a spell.
The trench was
chocked with wd -
 

35
 

As men were standing
round cooker in
Sausage Gully after
coming out from first
4 days in Pozieres -
a big shell dropped onto
the cooker. Sergt Peart E.M.
orderly room sergt - a
splendid chap - ws mortally
wounded while he ws
getting parties for a casualty
return. One shell blew up cooker.
Through Ear drum &
out at back of neck
(he has since bn back
on duty)

36
16
some crying to have an
end put to them.
What ws possible
ws done in way of
Morphia etc. It ws
impossible to get wd.
away if they were
badly wd. Walking 
cases cd help one
another.
After Hogarth had
bn in an hour he
ws wd thro' the
head. Lt Skene Smith
took his place.
Abt 6.30 two
 

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16
platoons of 24 Bn
came up & relieved.
The commn trench ws little
more than a series
of shell holes - & full
of dead & wd.
The officer of 24^th wanted
to know where the
dugout for H.Q. was
& ws told H.Q. ws there
where he stood.
A German xxxxx
Red X man ws in
O.G. 1 in a dugout &
did fine work amongst
Aust. & wd Germans.
There ws provisions &
water in the dugout &
he did all he cd with