Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/145/1 - 1916 - 1917 - Part 7

79

Feb 21.]

I think 6Bde ws ordered to
Estab. these posts but ^sd it cd not
do so owing to the relief.

25    80
wire broken sufficiently
to enter Malt trench
(Probly not on right trench)
Bde ws relieved tt night
by 7th Bde.
While relief ws in
progress patrol worked
along Gamp trench to Sunken
Rd & ws fired on by
M.G. at junction of Gamp &
Malt.
4 a.m. Information.
Owing to m.g. fire &
Malt trench being held in
Strength  27 & 28 Bns
were unable to Estab. 

81

6th Bde had sd}
tt owing to relief }
it cd not do this.}

25   82
posts at junction of
Gamp & Malt trenches, & Malt
trench & Loupart Rd as
ordered.
————
The 6th Bde afterwds on March 2/3
relieved 5 Bde on 
right sector imd put
out an advanced
line of posts.
————
The advanced line of
posts put out by them was
M5 B 5.5. – M.6a. 2.6.
This is being kept as a
line of posts – 9 men strong
with 3 L.Gs in line of 7 posts.
In touch on rt with 1st Bde. 

25    83
Gen. Lesslies report:
On night of March 1/2 the 1st
Bde front had bn plac estab
near Trip trench at N1 B 8.4
to M6 A 30.35 (as instr^d)
No existing trenches on this line. Line
of posts ws dug – to be connected
later.
5.30 enemy put down barrage
behind posts till 6.45.
After this, ^in the fairly thick fog,
Germs. attacked. in 4 parties.
(a) Party 80 strong came along Bap Rd.
& moved South from abt N 1 a 2.4.
(b) Party 25 strong moved from
North agst M 6 B 1.4.
(c) Pty 25 strong agst M 6 a 7.4
(d) Pty 25 strong agst M 6 A 5.4. 

25    84
1st Pty (a) divided.  One part passed
betw. 2 of our posts & reached
Coy H.Q. at NI C 1.9.  Sentry
at entr ance to dugout gave alarm
& ws shot immed. after.  L.G.
at entrance ws damaged by
a bomb & captured.  Raiders
bombed dugout & Lieut L.M.Lane,
4 Bn, ws killed, 2 offrs & 5 o.r.
were wd., & some prisoners
taken.
By this time the alarm ws
raised, enemy were c.attd.
by a pty of 4Bn. from support
position, & by remaining men
in dugout, & by left post
of 3Bn.  Few, if any, escaped.
4 of our men, prisoners, were 

25    85
killed by our fire.  Broken L.G.
ws dropped by enemy & recovered
by 3Bn.  The other part of this pty
attacked our post at NIA04.
L.G. fired on them.  2 were k;
rest disappeard in fog.

(b) & (c) each attacked.  Of
the post att^d by (b) 5 men & L.G.
are missing , & others casualties.
Of post attd by (c) 4 men
are missing.

(d) Pty sent forwd screen of 5
riflemen - These were fired on
w rifles.  Main pty coming
up were fired on by L.M.g.
8 were k & rest driven off. This 

86

Diagram - see original document

25    87
post had bn relieved earlier, but
owing to fog the offr in command ^Lt. Brown
decided to retain both reliefs.
He had 18 men w him &
ws able to hold out when
the two posts on his lef right
were wiped out, & 2 posts of
Bn on his left were withdrawn.

By 8.30 our line had bn
re estab. & strengthened &
fog had lifted.
A dusk on same day
our Right post in Trip Trench
(12 men with L.G.) ws found
deserted.  It had bn captd
during mornings action –
but, as it cd not be approached 

25    88
by day , this ws not discovered.

The left post of. 2nd Bde
suffered same fate.
Our casualties were: –
                    k.           w.           m.

3Bn  off      –            –               –
          or.     4             6              15
4^thBn off   1             3               –
            or    9            13.              6     
           _______          ____           ___      Total.
        1 off. 13 or.    3 off 19 or.   21 or.  4 off. 53 or.

The enemy lost. Dead on ground: 44
Prisoners : 16.
At least one 77 gun ws firing down
Bapaume Rd from a positn
on the road near Bapaume. 
Wire ws put out next night & positn
improved.  

Diagram - see original document

25    89
5Bde. (See also Precis typewritten)
Night 23/4 Pabr towards
dawn patrols noticed silence
especially near Butte.
Assembly trenches were
being dug taped near Le Sars for
attack on Butte (near Good stn).

Diagram - see original document  Support
ws being dugout.
Situation was normal
till midnight.  midnight
onwards.
[The dugouts had bn
raided on 29/30 Jan &
were burning for 24 hrs afterwds) 

25    90
our men noticing quietness put
up Dummies in places 
where usually shot at. No shots came.
______
During 24 strong patrols
were detailed (4 pties
of 20 each w L.G.
with orders to penetrate
the positn & clear it
up.
By midnight 24th  24/25 5 Bde
was on line Gird - Galwitz
By dawn 24. 25 Feb. they
had Barque Switch.
Along Bap. Rd oppositn
ws met with all the
way.
From there started to 

25    91
move across for Le
Coupe Geule trench &
Malt trench.
So far Adv. by
night.  Now by day
(25 Feb).
The adv. ws held up
along Warlencourt Rd 
S. of Coupe Geule &
along line of Thames Ditch
by m g. from abt
intersection of
Malt trench & Loos Cut
& along Malt to right,
LeB., & Battery Copse
Junction of Malt trench &
Bap Rd ws a  
v. strong point.