Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/145/1 - 1916 - 1917 - Part 9

106

Hand drawn diagram – see original

25     
106                                                              
Some of Germans were

getting out over top abt

80 yds ahead.

L.G. ws put onto them

& rifles.

Block ws estab. at

250 yds.   There were

men wd. or k. in

every dugout - only

one man came up

out of a dugout alive.

At 6 a.m. Germans

c. attacked along the

old front to left of

entrance of Boomerang.

They came thro' fog &

were right on us before

they were seen. They put

108

Abt 40 Germans got behind

us between Sunray & Monsoon,
either crossed trench
or else came in
from right.

Diagram, see original

Some held up hands -

but when Lt Whitelaw went

to take surrender, they fired on him - were

all shot down.

An inverted bullet ws

found on a German N.C.O.

(I have seen it).   There were

plentyof  saw edged bayonets

in / trench.

[They were heard from

Saphead making a great

noise - it ws not clear

who they were.] some went

 

25                                                               
109

down no barrage & SOS

signal ws not put up.

The trench was ready manned

in case of c. attack &

he ran into rifle & L.G.

fire waiting for him.

He cd be seen at abt 100

yds & got no closer

than 50.  It looked like

one line. There were 6 L.Gs

on tt sector.

There were wd in

front afterwds.

At 6.40 the Germans

began to shell Sunray

on extreme right  right sector heavily

with 9.2s. but without

inflicting heavy damage.

110

Hand drawn diagram – see original 
French call these pigeons.

25                                                                     
111 

our c. batteries ^soon dealt w

this. Germans kept

up bombt with pigeons  minenwerfers

& pineapples.

2 L.Gs of 32 Bn

were pushed to new

sector.  That gave us

in all 9 L.Gs.

The dugouts were

not used - being cleaned

up, during bombt.

Bombt by minenwerfers
went on all day.

About 7.45p.m. minnenwerf.

increased.  German

put up a barrage of

pineapples & arty barrage.

112

^xSo much depends 

on a firework. 

25                                                                      
113 

A few mins. afterwds he

attacked newly won

part of Sunray, from

Atom.

He seemed to attack

in one heavy wave -

no longer foggy.   We

did not see 2nd wave.

S.O.S. went up.    A

splendid barrage, very

heavy & accurate, fell

on Germans.   The barrage

cant have taken more 

than 20 secs.   Before the

signal cd be repeated 

(it ws a rifle grenade & went

off all right^x) & German

attack melted away at once.

25      

114                                                            
Imd. after it ws beaten

we took another 30 yds

of Sunray trench wh. brought

us to the end of Sunray 

- another block ws established

there.  By 10.30 this ws

finished - bombed the two

deep dugouts there in

morning x

For whole of March

3rd 29 Bn ws shelled

heavily ^with heavy stuff - relieved by

32 Bn on night of 3/4.

Total casualties abt

60.   Estimate tt they killed

at least 250.

25      

115                                                                                                                               
Fromelles.     July 19.

1 Coy of 29 Bn ws

put in to reinforce left

early in morning & /

Coy ws put in to help

carrying.    29 Bn ws divl reserve.

When fight ws over

29 Bn held the line.
_____

A & D Coys were sent

into line abt 5.30 to

hold line.

These 2 Coys were

use. called on during

evening - abt to assist

carrying.  They were

taken to help in fighting.

25                                                                   
116 

Part were on left part

in centre of 5th Bde.

D Coy on rt &  A on left.

The furthest trench ws still

held at this time but things

were bad.

B & C. were then

sent up to carry ammn.

& they carried it into /

German lines.

Whole Bn ws taken

to hold our front line.

In broad daylight

troop s.bs & squads were

sent into nomansland to pick

up wd.   The Saxons were

opposite & they treated

them very decently.

117

※Maj. Macarthur told me

tt he wd rather not tell me

the truth as to this episode which

was not to the credit of our

authorities - I think he meant

of Genl. M.Cay. He said:

Maj. Murdoch, who is not a 

permanent soldier may tell

you perhaps - I cannot.

25                                                                   
118

On 2nd day we were

still carrying in wd.

when a German offr.

told sbs. tt they wd

have to come to some

arrangement.  He stood

behind parapet head & shldrs

over & told them tt he

wd have to refer /

matter to his divl.

commdr.※  Soon after he

came up agn & told

us tt we cd not be

alld to remove any

more wd. but parties

still took the chance -  

They fired at them but

not to hit. (The Germans

119

Abt. 11 p.m. on July 19

the word arrived tt

Germans were attacking.

Every member of of Bn

H.Q. details sent up

including Pioneers, batman,

Signallers, to help to

hold line - 

25      

120                                                               

sd they cdnt recognise

even a white flag).

It ws 4 days before

a member of 32 Bn

who had supplied himself

with by water by digging a hole

in ground & from dead

men's waterbottles.

They salved a great

deal of stuff from nomansland.

Ammunition boxes, rifles,

tools, bombs etc. along

the sap.  This sap

ws shallow but ws

joined completely up.

29 Bn ws in for 8 days

rebuilding parapet - out

for 12 days - then in for abt

25                                                                  
121 

6 weeks.   Then up to

Armentieres.

[The wd cd be seen

& heard during day
- those who were too 

far out cd were marked 

down & fetched during

night. Many of dead

were buried (brought in)

also.]

The Germans opp. this

part played the game.
________

During period in line

29 Bn wh ws trifle new

at first learnt to play