Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/149/1 - March - April 1917 - Part 7

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Awaiting approval
Accession number:
RCDIG1066649
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

1 70 kin red Se the seende bour 60 to So sar t extreme asst used ne wS H 2 not we Abt ga le to positer woky deperate h 600 6 own asky his done were we ed see At 50 ador Abt 16 e sent a support art to w Dur 1 all tro last 6 o entover acrople a 18 10 Belivcen 10
7 Capo parous wind back to mesy pr seact delails with H.O. hour to taking over an posit get back - sayi yeste we hopeless to the arty bar by thes before Por villo ge the be een the thro Ceo were wart here posity 2 29.684 Eite Thereors be 56 pit or Cant Th as trinche. trap in e Some Pintentin ent over c of seeng of shell eo bet be duy
9 72 toles out of bout range. The shell holes were not very deep. These were disht return only of them. The prmans were held ap for a bit be boads. When it as Seen I posite wa hopeless abt 11.80 there we a generel retirement thro very heavy fire en1 The wire gob way of a good many thes tried to pick toer pots before going over. Some stayed behind to
73 from prevent Jermans 90 wounding defoutd did at any ate t cs to The brave to this have the ferman ri. und i few Gob De officers Bu 2t Te 59 offrs 60 8/ Bde 70 to 67 ri a te gut of men on edge ot treach firy at 1 germs for One man want playing a wonth organ
74 the The bombery pties on blown tanks as they were out tepfatiu or wounds te men were waite en down cith next to turn ther heae to were 9 X reo 5.65 warked F o on were fir were shor w 2 En 6 Efforts down on down wol. a bd At 4 Pm top. sent of Sb sa RetX Hlap out with let to lat Ser th
75 t hir sut wd. 8 the on to 2ton with Tulam he fored large party on Bt parte 170 to aewere tol their were were repair ightly to Eemor a ette pers wd l Ser to take the casco. cod lost art a 12 Tis fir ppot on erm thn were when S went outat do light gew
76 were from taken dl. l d alt de led 2 very to on at night whe 6e probl did this went out. Et members of 6 made a bote carry wll theve in. go with They mounted ters Rd on the Sunken taken Their guns were whi th from they their office lote e be 2 acove t the were the te t shell K.b ta Cott had atreat of the One
old a Ek prospect D cite t west thoo t el the ilgarn to 5 Klondyky a ch W when a ws Sfepl. He No1 on the t he May He in ava N 2 5 4cays on the the wit goidd 17 of this e incula Section (were killed. Hatcher ae worlds record for time in holds into action is 4B4 borm Sporto Bi00 adows DrC dur the light ad ofro in Black Major D. ws defuerre 6 the apet 8 the oh tree th0 D Walson b took part on 60 the bourd blocks cdag Set as a by 4 acro i this dva to reconnoitie bt gettin tro w unded 5 78 bought private 9 De t second at he e wocut C Laneis &a 21 our
atte up it to by bont He 50 you to be boy. Heres worn abl me without fire abt En i you o Elles re One say me sent of w t obsie had fot tey back came gat tro mevey is front
W11 5 68 N 62d

29                        70
on the Sunken Rd
near Sans Souci
so as to bomb our
extreme rt, if necessary.
It ws never used as it
ws not necy.
Abt 9a.m. the
positn looked hopeless
& desperate. By our
using his own bombs he
cd see we were done.
Abt 10am.
Abt a dozen SOS
were sent up, & there
ws no arty support x
all through.  During
/ morning a contact
aeroplane went over.
Between 10 & 10.15 a

 

29                                  71
Capt Aarons
messenger went back to
H.Q. with exact details
- taking over an hour to
get back - saying positn
ws hopeless, & suggested a 
big arty barrage onto the
village.  But before this cd
be secured the right
men were leaving thro the
m.g. positn where marked
in 29 A84
(There ws either a
tank pit or some cavalry
trap in / trenches elsewhere)
Some men were
sent over w / intention
of seeing if a line cd
be dug between shell

 

29                                   72
holes out of bomb
range - The shell holes
were not very deep -
These men didnt return
- only 2 of them.  The
Germans were held
up for a bit by
bombs.  When it ws
seen / positn ws hopeless
- abt 11.30 there ws
a general retirement
thro very heavy fire.
The wire got in /
way of a good many -
They tried to pick their
spots before going over.
Some stayd behind to

 

? bombing the 
wounded in

29                           73
prevent Germans from
wounding dugouts. one
man at any rate did 
this.  The brave thing ws to
run.  The German can have
got very few unwounded
officers.
The Bn lost 596 men
& 13 offrs.
Bde 70 offrs 1960 men.
Germans lost a lot
of men - our men kneeling
on / edge o / trench &
firing at / germs running.
One man went forwd
playing a mouth organ.

 

29                          74
The bombing pties on the
flanks as they were blown
out by fatigue or wounds
- the men were waiting in /
next traverse sitting down
to take their turn.
As soon as trenches were
reached s.bs worked &
were fired on by Germs -
& many men were shot
down in efforts to bring
down wd. men lying on
top.  At 4pm a trial
party of s.bs ws sent
out with 2 Red X flags.
Germs let them get to

 

29                         75
wd. & himself put
men on / wire. 
(Lt Julan of 52 Bn with
large party went forwd,
& on 1st party's return
we were told tt / Germs
were repairing their wire
& removing out lightly
wd & permitting us
to take the seriously
wd  cases.
This lost our arty the
opportunity of firing on 
Germans in their wire.
When S.bs went out at
daylight Germs had

 

 29                         76
taken in from wire
all / dead & wd.
Very few men crawled
in at night - they 
probly did this when sbs
went out.
2 members of mg Coy
made a bolt carrying
their m.gs with them.
They mounted their guns
on the Sunken Rd.
Their guns were taken
from them - when they
were told by their officer
tt they cd remove
the guns they were
both k. by a shell -
One of them had already

 

77

Black ws an old
Western Aust. prospector
well known thro' west 
from Yilgarn to the
Murchison-Klondyke.
He ws a L/Cpl. when
he landed, & No 1 on the
gun & Harry Murray
was the No 2.
Within the 1st 4 days on the
Peninsula 9 out of 17 of this
m.g Section were killed. Hatcher
holds worlds record for time in
bringing his gun into action in 4 Bds
sports Broadmeadows in Dec. 1914

29                           78
during the fight brought
in 2 wd offrs & a private.
Major Black D.S.O., DCM.
Croix de Guerre, ws k. on 
the parapet of the second 
trench. X
Lt Watson tho' wounded
took part in bombing at
the bombing blocks - he
cdnt get away at / end.
A Cavalry Offr went
across w / infy in
this advance - 17th Lancers
- to reconnoitre & arrange
abt getting thro, & ws
wounded.  One of our

 

29                            79
boys went up to attend
to him - He sd "Dont you
worry abt me, my boy. There's
eno' fire abt without my
bringing it on you."
One runner Ellis - 
sent off w message to say
they had got objve -
got thro ' - came back
to front - & is missing.

 

R29

 

 

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