Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/150/1 - April 1917 - Part 5

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Awaiting approval
Accession number:
RCDIG1066651
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

ser At hille a lot o1 troops thinking abt it. Three (Parsons. Stewart, at Swih) made upthe me Jot C Wille& Eai Escape if At Marqueon they sterly plan toad it to gl Job who Te They told Alic. Gloncesten agreed readity Busselton, W.A.) & publican from fom tim8 save took some addresses case the their addre
apt teady were A 13Bn man colepw & los cupld. The guard wo then doubted (marguion) where at Waacourt Farm first dentw 7 were kept. They found The to get out thro Ilatring. They watched tride stand Se look out son teir chance - alw One night -0 dark. a wet night + at back 2 Parsons, notice
other sentr his mate talkin to doing 1 1 00 6l on other toto his w Sand He wif some were Lets. cab I were w the de from he hat taken catters. De & planted in abteen days before Where they all thre slept togety Stiaw to take it be turns to took Thery lice H for wire catters at I det in a hole & took them back found ther
in abop to firewood. It ws abt idnight on My Sunday night last (May 20/217 They had to one fence - the cat tho a others they crawler tro. The sentries were still quiet. Stewart we last to close up the hole be hung some ot paits over it t ail they get back
There as a hedgs there high End for cover. They got thro within he. They sent out I at a time Ye found up poy do fom wire- Got across te warsh - Steerte I noone moving so far. village out top of hill they saws eane movn I distance no danger had taken then 30
directo by t vearest balloon by I way dimp at shelled. He flares always seem to recede they reached a wood at down An arty camp wt there oone man close by let his pipe Abt dayligh thy ran into a guair be hind a wood - where a lot of fermans were in bottom of quarry & transport, very busy. t et of
baiag ish Ex Herews lett of his on (wood li not where ia dunk 6y1a X is were (This mast have bu the quarry at back of 1boisde Loison). They hed all monday laybeb for a Gylon 3d. natives & 2 cyar brills t had pike up & they cat for 1 day- their bread there). A wathe part 2 yos aay out idehedfe - but tey were well his in bustes - green leaves They lift there st abt te e
tnearest flare. a de for id to pass some juns, & They y dugants in a sunber men difs complete t with ease d 103 ay on the para As they were. passed on t s partie 0 of there 2 one par 1f100 cark but 7 Ht must have seen tooke wwere prety boyio lares the
ty stood still i flres After tt bay saw keenct without knothing it. They steere clear of Riencourt & hend a lot of transport there on the road. They got kunet a little beheed him & abt 5007 ds awa & there lost Job & Smck. They ha passed thoo some brokend own were (by shells) before Parsons & Stewart
The ground ws very stell pitted and it as thro young over I shell hobs we bot thim. They had arranged tt at this time it ao everyone for self. Tast then they law 2 men coming down a Sunken Rd w Dut be Stampy trees the then sure if these 5 is. them you Fa thought the they

30
At Lille a lot o / troops  were
thinking abt it. Three (Parsons. Stewart,
& Smith) made up their minds at
Lille to escape if got chance.
At Marquion they started planning
& mentioned it to Cpl Job who
agreed readily. They told Alec. Gloucester
(publican from Busselton W.A.) &
took some addresses from him & gave
him their addresses in case they
39 

 

30
were not heard of agn.
A 13 Bn man escaped & ws
captd. The guard ws then doubled
at Wancourt Farm (Marquion) where
they were kept. They first decided
to get out thro / latrine. They found
/ guard standing outside. They watched
their chance - always on look out.
- a wet night & very dark. One night
Parsons noticed / guard at / back
40

 

30
talking to his mate, & / other sentry
on / other end o / bldg doing /
same. He nipped in & told his
mates. cut / wire w some wire
cutters he had taken from the dump
abt ten days before & planted under
straw Where they all three slept together
They need to take it by turns to look
for wire cutters at / dump - &
found these in a hole & took them back
41

 

30
in a bag of firewood. It ws abt
midnight on May Sunday night
last (May 20/21) They had to
cut thro only one fence - the
others they crawled thro. The
sentries were still quiet - Stewart
we last to close up the hole -
be hung some old  pants over it
in case they had to get back
42 

 

30
There ws a hedge there high
eno' for cover. They got thro within
¼ hr. They went out 2 at a time
joined up100 yds from wire - Got
across the marsh - Skirted /
village - no one moving so far.
On / top o / hill they saw
someone moving in / distance -
no danger. They had taken their
43

 

30
directn by / nearest balloon
& by / I way / dump ws shelled.
The flares always seem to recede.
They reached a wood at dawn -
An arty camp ws there & one
man close by lit his pipe.
Abt daylight they ran into a quarry
behind a wood - where a lot
of Germans were in / bottom o / quarry
& transport, very busy, to / rt of it.
44 

 

There ws an English barrage
on / wood to / left of this
& by / ammn dump - not where
they were - 5 Germ. guns fired.
 30
(This must have bn the quarry at /
back of / Bois de Loison X). They
lay behind / hedge all monday
they had 4 ^(for a Gylon 3d) matches & 2 cigar butts
for / day - picked up - & they eat
their bread there). A German
walked past 2 yds away on /
outside o / hedge - but they were
well hid in bushes - green leaves
over. They left there at abt 11 pm
45

 

30
& made for / nearest flare.
They had to pass some guns, &
men digging dugouts in a sunken
rd - 3 complete trenches with easy
wire. As they lay on the parados
3 ^small parties of Germans passed on the
parapet of one of these trenches.
It ws very dark but if they
had looked they must have seen
them. flares were pretty bright
46

 

30
They stood still in flares.
After tt they saw Reinct.
without knowing it. They steered
clear of Riencourt & heard a
lot of transport there on the road.
They got Reinct a little
behind them & abt 500 yds away -
& there lost Job & Smith. They had
passed thro some broken down wire
(by shells) before Parsons & Stewart.
47 

 

 30
The ground ws very shell pitted
and it ws thro going over / shell
holes we lost them. They had arranged
tt at this time it ws everyone for
self. Just then they saw 2 men
coming down a Sunken Rd w
stumpy trees - they cd nt be
sure if these were Germs. Then
they thought they saw them agn.
48 

 

 

Last edited by:
Deb ParkinsonDeb Parkinson
Last edited on:

Last updated: