Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/145/1 - 1916 - 1917 - Part 5

25      46
on the far side.  This
ws done w patrols
in front as protectors.
On the whole it ws a
pretty impertinent move
as Germans were
practically looking on.
There were no
casualties near White.
The Germans had begun
to shell Pozieres.  No. c. attack
By morning they were
under cover. The
trench ws not far
from the red house, just
/ other side of it probably.

47

Lieut. Ross 11 Bn ws on
W.s left & Lieut Gandy on
right. Capt Varles ^A dark offr w clear skin ws in/c
of 12 Bn on left.

This offr. of 12Bn.
ws Lieut. Gandy.

A Major of Engrs. (who ws aft.
wounded) ws digging the
Commn Trench up to Whites
Sectn behind the Strong post
he had formed on his
left flank.

25     48
On Monday at 11 a.m.
White recd orders from
Bn H.Q. to report back
with what men he had
to their 1st objective &
arrange with 12 Bn
to occupy his part of
trench.  He also arranged
for those of 1st Bde who
were w him to report
back to their units.
He reached the 1st objve
& reported to Capt Chambers
(aftwds k). & from there
to Bn H.Q.

25     49
German Attack.
Night of March 1/2
The 93 Regt I-R.
& the 5 Gd. Grenadiers,
5 Foot Gds., 93rd RIR,
& also 64^th RIR
of then in Malt Trench were
to make reconnaissances
- abt 60 to 70 men under
an offr in each party;
with Company ^party abt same strength behind them
whose duty is not very
clear.  Either they were

25     50
to reinforce or estab.
posts again in the
LeB. Switch.
The day before (March 1)
the 1st Gd Reserve Regt in
Malt Trench, ^just W of Bap. Rd, (between
the two)
had been ordered to support
them with m.g. fire &
s. bs.
They were also given
a password because
these patrols were
going to retire thro
them.
(The orders may
probably have been
later changed & one

51

2 Coys 64.   1½ 1st Gd Reserve.

25     52
issued by wh ^Le B. Switch line ws
to be taken.)
The posts of the 64^th Regt
had been reinforced in
relieved in Malt Trench
by a stronger party:
The 1st Gd Reserve Regt &
64th had previously
held Malt Trench with
posts as far as Bap. Rd.
These were now relieved
by 3½ Coys, each having
at least 2 m.g.s. (at least
7 in all).  The order
ws to hold the trench at
all costs.  (The previous
order had bn to retire
on Loupart Trench if

53

Get copy of MacCallums
summary 2/3 March.
__________

Attack on
Malt Trench:

25     54
attacked in force).
The 1st Gd Res. had a
large supply of bombs
(at least 800 or 900).  One
of our guns detonated
several hundred.  We
also got a direct hit
on a m.g. - both of
these things at / beginning
of the fight.
They did not expect
one attack on Malt Trench.
They were struck by
the efficient way our
men handled their
Lewis Guns (one ^Lecturer of. of
Philosophie at Berlin
sd this - & protested

55

Diagram - see original document

1 L. Reserve Shelling I
            "                "        II
Haplincourt
Beugny.
?Hindenburg.
Siegfreid - sd to be
concrete, with wire from 100 to
600 yds wide.  The wire in front of
this is sd to be enormously strong -*

25     56
agst being put w /
privates - He ws a
corporal - he sd he supposed
it ws done to reduce
his dignity).

The Germans in the
1st Gd Reserve & 64^th RIR
seem to have heard nothing
of the retirement but think
tt the Germans were
simply retiring to Bapaume.
Others South of the
Bap. Rd. certainly thought they
were retiring.  The former

*Prisoners say they marched through
lines of it for ¼ hr.

25     57
agst being put w / privates
-he ws a Corporal).
may have bn trying to
deceive.  The sd they had
been guns brought up -
not taken back - to
Bapaume.  They were
only letting us have the
mud - wh they admit
is v. bad.

58

Diagram - see original document

27 Bn ws coming down Malt Trench (in this part
an empty trench) with stick ^German rifle grenades going.
5 Bde saw these coming nearer to it
27 Bn shd not have bombed with German
grenades in an empty trench

25     59
6th Bde.
Holding front line in
M  15 B  16A from near
junction of Warlencourt
Lesars Rd to Quar Chalk
Pit & back to Farmer Rd
in M 14 D.
Diagram - see original document 
were patrolling for 7 Bde
which ws to have raided.
5 Bde were patrolling Butte
for 21 Bn Raid.
Bdier of right 5th Bde sd they
had noticed unusual quietness
round the Butte.  On afternoon
of 24th.  Warning ws recd from

60  25

1 offr & 12 men}
1 offr & 10 men}

[Forbes Acting Bdier at this
time thought tt things were not
going as quickly as they ought
- he went up himself at
abt ?2.30  3.30 to see why they were
not getting on.  Gellibrand
was pressing from Divn. Sal
ws in charge of 21 Bn & he ws
trying to get news back also. There*

61
*was certainly some slowness in getting to work
here. Also the offr higher officers all clearly think tt some
prisoners ought to have bn cut off & taken).

1st Divn also during afternoon
tt enemy might be evacuating.
(Nothing had bn heard of thr
signal message till midnight)
At 5.30 p.m. 21st & 22nd
sent out ^X strong fighting patrols
to reconnoitre Gallwitz Trench.
At 7.53 informatn
came from rt abt gird
being evacuated.
No information came back
from patrols. ^x
At 9.40 three posts on
each Bn sector were
moved up in support
of patrols.  German
was throwing flares from
Gallwitz & there ws a