Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/140/1 - August 1916 - Part 5

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open for review
Accession number:
RCDIG1066640
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

69 moment by 3n on the spot 4 to Bn close in cont l bar w Howr b 130 an The bombt lifte by stages There ws ancertainty the barra this tho all fightin consequence 4 ws ws high 113 t did not heave trinches, until the barrage started because This a precausion, necessaar bee. of uncertant. where barrig wd be. As soon as the 15t shell fell & it we seen to ty were not on us, the ling started waves. Bt waveo one platoon Bo 2nd wave B3 Coy. 1St wanc abt 100 stron second 80
62 From monent left the the 27 there ws heavy a righ i e hoth fir 4 even on Tenmihy sa Capt Ma firmans The d ble banker t retief ocr So 4 on ght te (e they macte attact an a 20 they sli Wek 13/3 took op beyond &abt tC 07t 0 l 500 4 truch. gennaus The were Cl C.G. when 00 pot you first them. lae we She cony steaditup during barry taking advantage of all sover i sellholes keepin good Whe touch leading i
63 att Sery us 1 from the en t pers sta to botd to whole tie Catle man followed siit our Fline abonce rushed them bt Wel were 4 hip scramble ont the o 2 There D a dea witout to we in 4 sot in ws thell 4 8 a hole ab 20yd b Dernsh wire (wec this from rear but th 6 of one ferndin breach 4 2 were sun crew of 15 thats & the remaining I were made prsoners & laken bach line ats G. Smith& B. Patrick.
64 who starte 30 Sergt may. Hardy with there two sot 9 bullets tho the left thigh etc & is still alive may get back. They saw this gun shooting from of paripit in one of the little advance 64 them saps wh are cut for I went for it. y bom 94 fighting 34 at 24 hear strength Sir up th truck we at the sot the places over in the al i rul top pa pet Ther ws a deer not mugh knecked abt by henvic with dejours all d sor t cleaned out wh were. the bon boubs & bayonets by There were a few Sections ad- but the ferman br have £87 seem did
wase ou aftr cam afr he tered 14 Enfilade X th f righ or ove attacke 28 on 6 a been sec apptt getting e out adva at twcked boubt Ex1 heances. couple 8 The fer ap woill d 1560 the Those Sot over Seldon 0 4 away M t0 20 on tou within Cepo 10 mus be place blocks aback boud heavy to It it on began th bratin back Cae a at it whole We held to ser w 3 itten 10 attack i 6 ter ible had 40 or b ti reste By H this sodiction tt fone 6F 66
80 beent. He with 32 wth 2 back as t taf ti ow sato Ken R a ean £rom Capt Pal w0 0 3 the to tl the back allac leand from ater both 614 94 4 l on d tine ofn across the true put in truck 95 side (so 25t in S 98 aner O.C. tlle had sn Horsesh a either lose then
69 e truck in The ld few posts 0 inliie Thi swals in this attect Co up 2 then moon walking ver open. by were not ce they whs a were 0 ds we by tas them. in chall at once o i 2 to t them sot to b at once To Our sup bo fett abe me E4 attact bet t after mesy back t o
70 by 8 what had happend+ ou to withoraw his mey por much except H the at Fnear 13y thi tlack ie wok place we ouly had Threw Abt 20 bombs 2. 56 ou thei bombo. De or ston tr s4 Stranghs Hout the 92 Apt l come on ap time S and way. we This lit 50 those who were comn y come round their travers up the 8 tay of Canad had no boms themto to Not fd
23 Otter 8 73 were the when Yan hath way up it. So Thes attack we opened at abt 504ds. After this we were searching all men for bombs, & bad nove. (It was realy then the incident of the in the X took placiat our block They thought are had retures. The checked 20 min we X for them had not another bomb th own at us. the Tust after thes nel runver came back to S1Bn had deprited 4 failed. It ws abt Sam wd Darry all this time were
Still hes att. al ten open thio/the & witedraw line () time at line (4) there i wd evacuated in trench to be to be held agst w leavy t following down the tie we had att 5 bounb had bu carefully preserved 24 tep 75 farther sent being back oc now ordrend wd to be carried 6 our hoppin out 2under Sergt Kay! at this time only one officer we left th there our own art might as men. put up ba 6 tny therefore the enacuate The Jeray ver t attacking agn w bombs. i riftes down y from close on caten side of it. Also acrial toppedoes from our right These banged same of to our plt out pasity wa acrite-& anxious. our riflis were holding tim threw our last 6 bombo. this coment & take chanced fighten retirny acrossI

20
60

moment by 13Bn on the spot.

The 51 Bn ws to close in

in conformity.

Hour for barrage ws 9.30

Bombt for 3 mins. The

bombt lifted by stages.

There ws uncertainty in

the barrage thro all this

fighting' consequence ws it

ws high. 8 13th did not

leave trenches until the

barrage started because This

ws a precaution necessary

bec. of uncertainty where barrage

wd be. As soon as the 1st

shell fell, & it ws seen tt

they were not on us, the

line started (2 waves,

1st wave A & one platoon CB Coy.

2nd wave B Coy. 1st wave

abt 100 strong - second wave 80)

 

61

Hand drawn diagram – see original

 

20
62

From moment they left the

trench there ws a v. heavy

rifle & m.g. fire -"the hottest

I ws ever saw even on Peninsula"

Capt Murray says. The Germans

were double banked in trenches

owing to a relief going

on. (We thought they had

mustered for an attack as

they were so strong).

 

13 Bn took up to 73

& abt 40 yds beyond;

01 to 03; & abt to

24 - 500 yds of trench.

The Germans were in O.G.

when our men first got on

to them. The line ws going

steadily up, during barrage,

taking advantage of all cover

in shell holes & keeping good

touch. When leading men

 

20
63

abt 15 yds from Germans

the Germ. m.gunners started

to bolt & whole line of rifle

men followed suit. Our

line at once rushed them

from abt 30yds. Men were

shooting / Germans from the

hip as they started to scramble

out o / back & their trenches.

There ws not 2 yards of trench

without a dead [{?]]x

We got 4 m.gs in tt

trench & / ws in a shell hole

abt 20 yds back in German

wire (we came at their trenches

from rear). A bomb hit the

breach o / gun. of one German

gun crew of 13 ws - 2 were

shot, & the remaining 11 were

made prisoners & taken back

to our line by 2 L/Cpls.

G. Smith & B.Patrick.

 

20
64

Sergt Maj. Hardy, who started

with these two, got 9 bullets thro

the left thigh etc & is still alive, & 

may get back. They saw this

gun shooting from top of parapet

in one of the little advance 6ft

saps wh are cut for them,

& went for it.

There ws heavy bomb

fighting at 73. etc. The

Germans were in heavy strength.

We got at them up the trench

& in some places over the

top - rushing along the

parapet. This ws a deep trench

with good dugouts ^not much knocked abt by heavies - all of

wh were cleaned out w

bombs & bayonets by the bomb

sections. There were a few

German wd - but they

did not seem to have bn

 

65

The 2nd wave ws supposed to be

3 mins after 1st. It came abt

1 min after we reached the trench.

It had suffered fairly heavily

by German enfilade M.G. fire

on the right from the trench the 51

were to have attacked. 51

had got out a bit early &

had been seen, applty,

getting out - & made no

advance.

 

20
66

touched by bombt. exc. a

couple of heavies. The

Germans mostly ran up

the trench. Those who got

over / top seldom got

away.

M. found no touch on

left or rt. & within 10

mins of blocks being placed

a heavy bomb attack

began on rt. It ws

beaten back & they came

at it agn.

We held whole of the trench to

left (Germans worked up

to within 30 yds in c. attack

but had no visible trench there),

By this time M realised

tt something had gone wrong

 

67

Hand drawn diagrams – see original

 

20
68

with 51 Bn. He sent

back a runner with for

informatn. Just as runner

reached our hopping off trench

(by Sunken Rd) he met

a runner from O.C. D Coy,

Capt. Pulling, who ws O.C.

of 13th in front line, telling

M. tt the 51 Bn had

failed. Before the runner

got back the Germans

c.attacked heavily in Horseshoe

formatn from both sides

o I trench. They were seen

some distance off & a

T shaped line ws thrown

in open across the trench; &

put L.Gs in trench shooting on either

side (so as not to lose them)

 

20
69

The trench in rear

ws held by a few

posts at 50 yds intervals.

 

The Germans in this attack

were seen coming up by a

thin moon - walking over open.

We were not certain who they

were, but at 50 yds we

challenged them. They fired

at once. Our L.Gs imd,

got onto them & they started

to go back at once.

 

Our bomb supply

ws already getting short,

& our men were very

few.

After the attack, before I

messages got back, [[McC?]]

 

70  

Hand drawn diagram – see original

Moon.

& some mist.

 

20
71

What had happened & began

to withdraw his men from

the trench except at tt T

head near 73.

By time this attack

took place we only had

abt 20 bombs. Threw

them v. slowly & some 

G. bombs. The only stop

ws a traverse w a straight

bit of trench in front.

Abt ½hr later the

germans came on agn in

the same way. This time we

let some of those who were

coming up / trench come round

their traverse up the straight

trench (as we had no bombs)

& fire got into them w a

 

72

Hand drawn diagram – see original

2nd attack.

 

20
73

L. Gun when they were

half way up it.

In this attack we opened at

abt 50 yds.

After this we were searching

all men for bombs, & had

prac. none. (It was really

then tt the incident of the

L.G in the trench took place at

our block. ) They thought we

had retired. This checked

them & for 20 mins we

had not another bomb

thrown at us ).

 

Just after this one the

runner came back w news

tt 51 Bn had definitely

failed. It was abt 3 a.m.

During all this time wd were

 

74

Hand drawn diagram – see original

 

The method of retirement was to

form short lines in open (1); &

withdraw posts thro them; Then

form line (2) & withdraw line (1) &

on - 5 times. At line (4) there were

still wd. to be evacuated in trench. So

this had to be held agst v. heavy bomb

attacks; - Germans following down the trench

all the time. We had abt 6 bombs left

wh had ben carefully preserved. The

positn ws acute - & anxious - our rifles

were holding them. We were to wa throw our last 6 bombs.

At this moment  & take chances  fighting

& retiring across nomansland, when 
 

20

75

being sent ^further back. OC. now

ordered wd to be carried to

our hopping out trench under

Sergt Kay. At this time

only one officer ws left

in these trenches.

Our own arty might

any min. put up a barrage;

o  therefore decided to

evacuate the trench. The

Germans were now attacking agn

w bombs m.g. & rifles

down trench & from close on either

side of it. Also aerial

torpedoes from our right. These

banged some of our ports

right out.

 

 

Last edited by:
Ray WilsonRay Wilson
Last edited on:

Last updated: