Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/145/1 - 1916 - 1917 - Part 3

25  24
past up the stairs -
too fast to be bombed.
(after the Bn came over
Sergt Bentley when they
were looking for souvenirs
got another start from the
same cat).
They turned back from
point of Maze & up round
Chord. There they heard
someone say - " Theres
no — here" & recognised
the good Australian of
the other party. The
Maze looked as if it
had bn evacuated fully
24 hrs. Some of their
own shells seemed to 

 25  25
have got into the
point of the V. No
dugouts seemed to have
bn destroyed in the Maze.
The 9 Bn found
no traps at all.
They returned at 7 p.m.
reported "Bon, Bon.
Tres Bon" - thro' the
telephone - which was
the sign for No Germans
there."
Corpl. Molloy ^with the 3 who were w Sergt Malins ws out the
night before to try & get
a m.g. in Nomansland
wh had bn active on
previous night. The night 

25  26
of 22nd had bn rather lively.
Molloy reported tt it ws
very quiet; no flares
going up; flares going up
in rear of German line.
This m.g. opposite Yarra
Bend used to move out
into Nomansland at night. It
ws not there this night.
From 6 p.m. to 2 a.m.
the Germans shelled the
Maze & Hook Sap -
& it looked as if they
had withdrawn their
men temporarily to
range on their own
trenches in antic ipatn
of an attack. 

25  27
Capt Knightley. Took over in
Cat Lane on Feb 25.
The advance into Rye Trench ws
on Feb. 26. LeB. had bn
shelled for 2hrs.
The officer ^(Lt Shrewsbury) detached for
the right party (Rye Trench)
left his party in yet Ginger Cut
& went on with one man up
Yellow Cut into Rye Trench.
He went down a little way,
looked into several dugouts
& saw not knowing trench ws
occupied, & saw 7
Coats & a German.  He
hastened back to his party
in Ginger Cut.  Sent a 

25  28
post post to end of Ginger
Cut, went back to
Capt Knightley for instrns.
K. gave him another
bombing team & another
officer, Lt Scrivener, to
go up & bomb ^Rye Trench from Yellow
Cut end.
They bombed up
as marked &
got touch with
7 Bn about
1000 yds

Diagram - see original document

down Rye Trench.
There ws v. little opposition.
The 7 Germans had gone
in a hurry in meantime

25  29
Post (bombing post with
L.G. team we put where
marked) & rest of pty
ws in Rye Trench behind them.
Rye Trench to right we held
with linking up patrols to
Black St.
There were snipers.
in the village but not
in the trees & a m.g. in
right; enfilading southern
approaches to Le Barque.
This ws how the trenches were
held till 9 Bn ws
relieved. The 9 Bn had
a bombing team in trench
to left of N end of Blue 

25  30
Cut (end of Malt Trench).
They had no oppositn.
They were relieved by
12 Bn.
————
On 25th C. Coy ws to have followed
Capt. Knightly over to Oat
Lane as sort of 2nd wave.
He had gone on to find
Bank Trench.  When They
missed him & were led
in file down Blue Cut
into Oat Lane, missing
the shellfire. (K. had
only got his order to
push forward with
Capt Collin when he ws
up reconnoitring to find 

25  31
Bank Trench).
The dugouts in the
Maze & Chord wd
hold up to 500 men.
The Oat Lane dugouts
were very new - green
timber & rather flimsy.
———— 

25  32
9 Bn Pozieres.

1st wave.
Went off from J. off.
Trench. Till they struck 1st
trench they met no Germans.
But forming up in Nomansland
they had bn seen from
O.G. 1 & m.gs began to
play. This was while
they were lying down.
White ws in centre of
wave, didn't hear challenge.
The first trench - Poz. Trench -
was a shallow [[unrevelled]]
German trench. There were
Germans in it - soon
killed - They were 

25  33
Air barrage ws very
heavy.
The Germans seemed
to open their barrage
immediately after ours.
It ws hard to tell wh
ws Brit. & wh ws German -
Germs. were using shrapnel.
White did not stop in
1st Trench at all. He called on
those who were to follow
to follow - & they came
on - more than were
intended.
The 2nd Objve ws
the tramline. They made
a quarter left incline
taking tt as the directn -