Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/140/1 - August 1916 - Part 1

AWM38
Official History,
1914-18 War: Records of C E W Bean,
Official Historian.

Diaries and Notebooks

Item number: 3DRL606/140/1

Title: Notebook, August 1916
Includes references to the 13th, 15th and 16th
Battalions and Pozieres.

AWM38-3DRL606/140/1

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140 16^th Bn.
13^th Bn.
POZIERES.

Original Diary No. 140
AWM 38 3DRL 606 ITEM 140[1]

DIARIES AND NOTES OF C. E. W. BEAN
CONCERNING THE WAR OF 1914-1918

The use of these diaries and notes is subject to conditions laid down in the terms of gift to the Australian War Memorial. But, apart from those terms, I wish the following circumstances and considerations to be brought to the notice of every reader and writer who may use them.
These writings represent only what at the moment of making them I believed to be true. The diaries were jotted down almost daily with the object of recording what was then in the writer’s mind. Often he wrote them when very tired and half asleep; also, not infrequently, what he believed to be true was not so – but it does not follow that he always discovered this, or remembered to correct the mistakes when
discovered. Indeed, he could not always remember that he had written them.
 

These records should, therefore, be used with great caution, as relating only what their author, at the time of writing, believed. Further, he cannot, of course, vouch for the accuracy of statements made to him by others and here recorded. But he did try to ensure such accuracy by consulting, as far as possible, those who had seen or otherwise taken part in the events. The constant falsity of second-hand evidence (on which a large proportion of war stories are founded) was impressed
upon him by the second or third day of the Gallipoli campaign, notwithstanding that those who passed on such stories usually themselves believed them to be true. All
second-hand evidence herein should be read with this in mind.
16 Sept., 1946. C.E.W. BEAN
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OPEN

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2
20
140 16^th Bn.
13^th Bn.
POZIERES.
16Bn  [?] 1-42  1-41
15Bn  "    43-4
13Bn       47-93
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1
7/8 8/9
8 Aug. 2 platoons of
16Bn were used on right
& 2 were put into
Kicking of Trench (Brinds Rd)
as Reserve.
British suppd to be abt
50 yds down this trench
but really 250 yds.
(Suffolks) 

60 men k. in circular
trench. 63 prisoners taken.

Suffolk & Norfolk dead lying
- 250 of them there seemed to be 
in front of the semicircular trench
They were too slow after their
barrage.

2
Attack by 16Bn 8/9 9/10 Aug. at
midnight Reached 28. 89.
99. 12.
Aug 9/10 10/11 went on to 28. 61. 13. 43.
(Hand drawn map - see original document) 

M.G. was not under

trees but in trench.

4 m.gs were all taken.

2 stokes mortars

putting bombt

on circular trench

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20                            3

?10/11th

On Aug 29/30 during the night advanced
another 150 yds to a further line
& took a few more prisoners.
Handed over on line 61. 13. 43. to
50^th Bn.
 

They were to have gone on to the
Quarry ^next night (11/12) but in meantime
Germans c. attacked on Ration trench
& the strong points - & this
upset the plan. Col. pulled men
out of 28-78 (where they had
Esp bad time) during this attack.
& put them in Ration trench.

The bombt. for this c. attack lasted
several hours & ws tremendous.
 

The first sign was after bombt started -
movement ws seen in trench from
Mouquet Farm to Point 54,
just S. of Road, & from quarry
from wh Germans afterwds
came. Also tried to get out
from Point 55 to Pt 43.
 

They seem to have succeeded

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Total losses 430 50%
losses in attack abt 60
Rest by bombt. 

20                               5
from Skyline trench into Ration trench.
In greater part  of Ration trench there
ws nobody. The British must
have retired under the very
heavy bombt.
 

We got men out of 28-78
as soon as fight started.
 

Germans used to bombard this
trench. 100yds at a time - we got
used to this & used to withdraw
men at once from heavily
bombarded parts & put them
back when bombt. started 
again.
 

Before the c. attack Germans
bombd heavily from 28 to abt
99, & Ration trench.
 

The Lewis guns got on to them
when they came out. A swift
c. attack wd have given us
Mouquet Farm.
 

Germans came out in succession
of small columns & opened
fanwise. This ws seen during


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20                                     6
the bombt - they lay in shell
holes.

When German bombt lengthened
& they came out
a pigeon message ws sent
& in 17 mins our barrage got
onto them in Nomansland. No
barrage put up before then.
We tried to put Barrage by
rockets - & apparently these were
not seen.
 

In 1 trench up to 55
where they never got out of sight
they did not advance any distance
further or they were out of
sight in the valley until they
got over the trenches S of the
Quarry. The first movement
ws seen ^in later stage of barrage -
but Germans did not show
over edge of hill before
their barrage lengthened.
They were not close up to
their barrage. They probly
thought the men cd not stay

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7
Diagram - see original document Got Victoria Cross

20                                   8
under the barrage. (They
got close eno' to Ration trench
to get our bombs into them).
Pte O'Meara got ^4 times thro the
barrage to bring up bombs & flares
to Ration trench - & on second journey
took up a small party - A very
good living fine type of man.
This was on the 3^rd day of 16 Bns innings.
The night o I next day 50 Bn.
attacked & I think got to Quarry.

                                      
On Second occasion the
[*29/30*] 28/29 Aug the 16 Bn ws practically
divide in two by the stretch
from xxxx 55 to 59 where
tho' trench were built they were 
continually blown out. Germans
were in 48.
They were first bombed out
of 48. We tried to join up 59 to 55

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9
Some of these 
dugouts were
reached
Diagram - see original document
Complicated Objve

20                          10
along their old trench but we were
blown out.
13 Bn. on right. {One coy each of
14.15 in support}
29 Aug heavy rain set in.
 

St Linus - scout officer (M. C.
first show, bar to it 2nd show) 
placed tapes along starting
live abt 3/4 way across
nomansland, parallel to
objve.
 

(The first time we used
Electric torch lights on left &
right( red blue & white for
diff. coys))

Lights cdnt be used as we
were behind Germans on left.
    
We failed in 54
Took Mouquet F.
Took trench on Rt of Mouquet.

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11
M. gs opened on 
them ^from behind after they got
thro farm.
One m. g. came up
apparently on a pulley
with man on platform
Maj. Black shot the man.

20                          12

A Coy under Capt Harwood
being out on rt of Mouquet
when rest of bn & 13Bn had 
been withdrawn. He ws prac.
surrounded - & had been given
up for lost when he decided
to abandon his prisoners &
clear. He had losses in
coming in.

The B &C. Coy both got to 
Farm. B lost all its officers.
They went right thro' the Farm &
sent back to say they had got it.
Germans put down heavy
Barrage S of Farm. Bomb
officer had armed his men
w stokes bombs as hand grenades
for dugouts on Farm. Each
man in bombing platoon had one.
The objve ws to get beyond the
Farm. They got there- & people
began to emerge behind them &


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