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

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had a look at /
dugouts.  They were covered
by fairly new sacking -
& a bag containing empty
bottles, with a label
attached & clear (lately
written) writing on it.
They looked into the
first 2 dugouts and found them
unoccupied.  They went
straight into the cliff.
Abt this time Capt. Rogers
arrived from Bn. to go
with them.  He reached them
at the dugouts.  They
had no bombs, & were
armed only w revolvers.
A bombing squad had bn
placed in waiting at the

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Gunpits.  One Offr ^Bill went
back & brought these down
& they went into all /
dugouts & found some 
recent German papers.
No traps cd be seen at all
(tho ' it ws found later tt
/ place ws ruined).
The party then withdrew
to the Listening Post at /
corner o / roads (a little
trench dug there - they improved
it with German picks & shovels.)
Tt commanded / Sunken
Road.
They left 6 there &
came back to Gun Pits &
sent a message for 

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3 bombing squads to
work down Hilt Trench.
They went on in 3
echelons up / trench
(one moving up, / second
coming to it before it
went on - & so on).
They found Hilt unoccupied.
They occupied Hilt Trench
above Sunken Rd & a
m.g. ws then placed
at the end of Hilt Trench
where it dips into Sunken
Rd.  At the same time
a squad from the Gunpits
Estab.d itself abt halfway
along top of Sunken Rd
to left.  It ws now 5pm

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& getting dark.  The
positn ws consold. by
6p.m. & two posts were
put just beyond junctn
of Lard & Hilt.  It ws
rather misty - half drizzle
- you cd see 600 yds. The
enemy had seen them
moving abt Skyline of
ridge & at abt 6.30 or 7
p.m. he heaviy shelled
Sunken Rd. & ground
from there to Patrol Lane.
There ws only only
one man k.  The Germans
were abt 200 yds up from
Sunken Rd.  The next

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night 12/13 a body
of enemy came down
bayonet trench & threw
some bombs but were
repulsed.