Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/144/1 - 1916 - 1917 - Part 2

11
Diagram – see original document

24      12
whole party less 2 men
(25 men & an offr in each
party).  These were all
captured ^ incl. offr wd, except those who 
were k.
In front of Tick trench
at 6.20 a.m. a patrol of 
2 men ws captd.
They were making
from Till to Ligny & 
had bn sent out to find
where our posts were.
Night of March 2/3 handed
over to 8th Bn.
{ Capt. Taylor. 6 Bn.
{ Lieut. Hay 5 Bn.
{ Maj. Luxton C.O.

From Taylor:
24      13

6 Bn. A Coy ws in Pork
trench abt N I4 c. 80 to rt

(E) of Luisenhof Rd.  This
ws support line. There
ws abt 60 yds betw.

posts.   The bombt at
5.30 got onto this trench.

Abt 6.30 a.m. some

of 3 men in post w. L. G. (barrage

had stopped & only m.g.)
saw some people advancing

thro fog.  Recognised

the German iron helmet.

There were 4 Germans 

in front folld by 17 or 18 

Germans & several 

Australians.  The 

rear party had some

24      14
Australians from one 

of front posts.

Our men opened fire

& k. one German & 

mortally wd. another -

Germans turned about

& fled.  The Australians

yelled out - "dont fire,”

& yelled "friend."

The Australians jumped 

into our trench & Germans

went off in fog.

Imd. a runner

ws sent from post to 

Capt Taylor at Coy.

H.Q. - a verbal 

message.

Taylor got message

abt 5 mins after 

Germans had bn fired

24     15
on - went up trench 

(same trench abt 200 yds

away) towards one

of other offrs -

took 2 posts abt

6 or 8 men & 2 ncos. -
Another offr ^ Forbes took a 

post on the left, & a

xxxx L.M.G. - they

formed up in a rough

line & went in directn

in wh Germs disappeared.

4 of them in advance 

came on Germs in a

bunch abt 150 yds

from front line trench -

cd just see them

thro' the fog.  As.

4 was not sufficient

24     16

we gave orders for

flanking men to work 

round.  The Germans

heard shout & 

turned round - threw

up their hands.

Several others had 

turned up & they

rushed the Germans -

made them toss off

equipment & leave

rifles in one heap 

& get out of way

- this putting several

men on rifles.  Formed

them up - & marched

them through 2 men 

who searched them & 

took bombs off them.

17

Our whole party totalled

14 they captd 20 xx & k. 2 

(2 of the 20 were wd).

They took off their

helmets & put on

caps at once.

24     18
They had one offr ^ wd & 

an under offr. with 

them.  They seemed 

very satisfied at 

being captured.

One of the men

who ws killed had

an iron X (the one 

who ws mortally wd.

It was a 59 Bn post 

they captured.

They must have 

crossed Barley trench

between posts without

being seen.  They 

were 93^rd R.I.R.

19

Diagram – see original document
The willows were just

opp. the Listening Post.

Garrison used to get into gun

Pits By day, & Goodwins Post &

Gun Pits covered the place.  By

night posts were held. 

24       20

It was Sergt. Clarke of 

6^th Bn. who led the

bombing attack on Fritz

Folly in November by 6 Bn.

12 December:  1916 Fritz Folly.

A Coy 6 Bn was in Petrol

lane & had 3 posts there;

also gun pits & Hilt trench at

Junctn w Petrol Lane.

Junctn of Hilt & Whale

had bn found held by

Germans on reconnaissance

2 nights earlier.

The man who ws 

lost w / barrage maps

had come up Petrol Lane,

down Sunken Rd past

Gun Pits, not noticing

R24
21
Disposition of "A" Coy 11.12.1916.
Diagram – see original document
C. A. Taylor Capt.

24     21

them & was captd.

by Germans at their 
barrier.

Bde had idea tt 

F. Folly ws not v. strongly

held; tt ws why patrol 

of Dec. 10 ws sent out.

C.O came to trenches next

morning & looked at

positn from junctn of

Hilt & Petrol. & suggested

tt it wd be a good thing 

if 6 Bn cd capture it

(morning of 11^th). Taylor

suggested tt perh. place

was held only by night.

C.O. sd he wd leave

matter in T.'s hands

to reconnoitre place & tell

him what ws found out.

24     22

C.O went back to Bn.

T. sent him a message

in code tt he intended

to reconnoitre positn

personally tt day at

14.00 (2pm).

T. got another offr. Capt.

Lieut. Bill, walked down /

Sunken Rd towards Folly 

from Gun Pits.  He placed

a L.G. in lowest Gun pit

to cover them.  They 

walked down / road & 

got into the strong point

beyond the Listening Post 

at Corner.  There ws

no one there.  There was a 

trench running across the road

at the angle.  At They 

went to the Sunken Rd &
Diagram – see original document