Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/252/1 - 1918 - 1935 - Part 9

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open to contributions
Accession number:
RCDIG1066657
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

IX attacking man came running in to say that the Huns were attec Jeyats right advanced post (bent Fenton), and that the post was nearly blown out by shellfire & TMs. J. immediately sent him to warn cay on right. (Capt Fox). Almost immed afterds (pl. Rambow came running in from the post to say that it was woifed out, all the garrison K. or w., & that the Huns had attekd from the right, where they had crawled along the bed of a creek &gained possession of a large factory - a big two storey brick bldg. From this pt. of vantage they had enfiladed the post with mgs, killing or wounding all who kept their heads up. No support had been reed from the post of the coy. on J's right, so J. sent the Cpl. to investigate, and he discovered the garrison returning to their post, from which they had been shelled. Lrent. Murdoch had sent the men back. Joynt thereupon sent of a note to the Colonel telling him how things stood, & then went out to see what was goingon. I found that it was impossible to move abt outside owing to the hostile ingfire. Some men were moving abt, behind acopse between Cay HQ & frent Jowike's post – J. took them for Courte'smen. No runners were in sight. that J. then found his signalling NC.O. - epl. Steward - had obeyed Is earlier instructions, and had collected all the runners, Is batman, & signallers, rushing them to a post 100 yds in advance of Coy H.Q. to stop the enemy breaking through. Seeing a sfbeerer J. ordered him to run out to Yourke & get. B. to send some men to extend to the right in order to cover the break in the line caused by the blotting out of Tentonspost. This message the Ib. successfully carried and guided the men to the place where J. wanted them to go. Without waiting further J. determined to rush out to the new fering line & see for himself how the battle was progressing. He had to run across the open, being shot at by the Germans from abt 100 yds. distance. On the way he met the I/6 (larfrey) returning, & stopped to speak with him. Parfrey stopped running ropened his moith to speak, but immediately collepsed with the words on his lipe uenspoken. J. dropped alongside him only to find the blood cushing from a (on the other Oside the hole was the sze of 6 small apple, an his thoat) biellet hole in his neck, and, as it was impossible to stop the flow, J. left him, and crawled out the remainder of the way (507ds) to the new post that had just been established by te aid of this gallent oft This post was well manned, the men forming it having belonged to McGennspost, which withdrew when it was discovered that Isright flank had
RAI been tuerned. The remainder of Mrc Genn's men were at that moment digging in on our new line McGenn's was a masterly retirement, brought about with only one casualty – that of Set. Short, the best sft in the bnr. It appears that McGinn, seeing the Heins attacking Teaton's post - which was on the other side of a small wood and farmhouse - sent short over to see what was happening, hough hit by a smper short, after satisfying himself that the post on his right had been abandoned, returned and appresed McGeair of the situation. McG. realizing that he would be cut off, then sent short with a few men to make their way 200 yas to the rear and there dig anotherpost behind the copse that they were defending. Short coolly marked out a trench under heavy ing. fire and continued working on it until being hit a second time - by a bullet which shatered his elbow - he was I reluctantly forced to jots the rears (short would have made a splendid officer; & Joynt put in astrong recommendation to the Colonel regarding his fellentry & thought he would get the D.C.M.). McGinn then withdrew his post, man byman, to the newposition. They were hardly there when the Termans overran their old post + commenced working down the copse twds, our new line, Curke's past then had some excellent suiping, & the Huns got it in the neck. J. had sent his corporal clerk down to the Colonel to explain to him the tactical situation; he returned at the same time as J. reed from the Co. a note saying that pent Johnson had been sent with one flatoon to reinforce Is left post (hine Pitt) & that fent Barcy Power with one platoon was to reinforce McGinn's Post, & that Joynt was to hangon at all costs. While Joynt was reading the message, in dashed Power. He had left his platoon back in the hedges & had come on to cay HB. to report & get his instructions. He had been told that the Henn had broken the line & that rearly all were wifed out. It appears that at the same time Johnston seeping arrived, at Pett's post and offered him help. Pitt did not even know there has been a scrap _ as a bighedge & copse obstructed his view. Jothe others were amused at the state of excitement ecisting at Dn H.., and a marce coming in from there soon afterwards explained the reason for it. It seems that a batman, who was on the post that was attacked, panicked and rushed down to bnHQ. He was covered with mnd & water and, as he said that he had seoum down the canal under water & thus excped; that he was
the only man left; that two of our posts had been weped out; and that Joynt had sent him, the Colonel naturally believed him. This information had of course to be reported to WeHQat once, with the result that 2 cays of the 6th Bir, who were in reserve to Joynt's bu, moved up to gattack, and dugin in front of H.l. Lrent. Temple, the J.O. came along soon apods & wasted to know if the line still held – and all the time J. & his men were in our gory, except that J. was worrying over Featon whom he had given up for lost. Suddenly a Tominy came Trunning in, with a bandage round his head from a billlet wound, & said that quitesafe he had left Tenton + another tommy, out in a Sellhole, While I was wondering how to gt him in, Tenton appeared running across the 100 yds of open ground - shot at by all the Heens who could bring their rifles to bear on him. Running & ducking he managed to reach the Setter of Jo faunhouse, accompanied by his faithful lommy. J. ran towds him and "gripped his hand in wild delight. J. told Power that he could not do better tan to keep his men where they were untiedard, when J. would bring them up & post them near McGui J. then crawled out to Mc Genn to see if he was all right, & found him in great spirits - His platoon had only suffered pasualties, all wounded, He said I was lucky to have got out to his post as German smipers were only 50 yds away in broat, in a small copie. When night came J. got Power & his plation & took them out to place them in position. On te way he found 2 men from his left post who had heard nothing of McGean having withdrawn (they were too far away to see). They had called ier, on their way down to CoyHQ, to see their mates in McGennspost and to their utter surprise found it deserted. Making no exdeavour to keep quiet, they looked around and, finding no one, had made over to the next fost Courte's) to tell him of their discovery. On hearing this story Jugut determined to send Power with his plation to Lize the bridgehead over the canal leading to this post, and then to let the Colonel know at once in case he contemplated Cfataching to regain the two lost posts. So J. took the plation out himself & posted the oen over the brishhend. As there was no sign of any Fernans Jaynt immediately returned & sent of a runner to the Co. telling him what had been done & asking for instructions. Rord came back that there was to be no gfatack, so J. went out to withdraw
Power's men. On reaching the brisgehead he found them all asleep they were so overtered with all their travelling & marching that they could not lie down without falling off to sleep. Each man J went to was lying in the in order to jabe tem same position: face dowonward with rifle out in front; and he had to go along & slap every man t they then withdrew to our line & were placed in positions where they could give a good Ofe of themselves should the eveny attack. by the time J. had done this dawn was just breaking and he only had time to get back to the farm without being observed by the eneny, Teaton was lying on a bed fast asleep - dead to the world after his exciting and nerve breaking experiences of the previousday, The Co. had asked the artillery to blow the factory right off the map which the liaison officer had promised to do - so they waited expectantly for our ginns to ofen up. It was 11 oclock, however, before they commenced shooting. I was so tired that after breakfast, he took of his boots & turned in - nice feather bed with snow white sheets overything was quiet, not a shot being fired by either sie. "I could not determine in my tried mind, writes Joynt in his diary whether it was the previous night or two night ago that the Tommies had been overrunning my comfortable NQ. I remember one scene abt midnight, when I had several commanding officers with their followers, officers & men in my dining room all saated round the fire on chairs, lamenting the loss of then battalions + the Beastly show they had put up. - and I, a subaltern, was triumphant, receiving & issuing orders like a Coohs Bunist Agent. My batman reminded me that I had had nothing to eat since lunch, & laid the take I invited the English officers to four me only one, a Majir availed himself.. Somehow one by one they disappeared off into space until by morning only one of them was left & he was fast asleep. I then recogniad (him) as the Io. of the bt faneashire Tuseliers, 29th Div. He was a real soldier, one of the good ones of the old school J. was wahened abt 2 in the aftroon by the heavyarty whose shells were bursting close handy. They were trying to blow down the factory but were making very bad shooting of it. The heavies had commenced shooting at 11 am and had dropped some very short - close to jo foremost posts. The liaison officers & peilt Sevenson had spent the whole of the time at the phone ringing
up the arty. to increase then range At four oclock J. weat out to see what damage had been done to the factory & found that the arty had just secured their first hit and were busyfoiending it to pieces. Termans were running in all directions from te place which soon caught fire. The church at Vieux Berquin was also being shelled as the Huns were using the steeple as an Ol. & ing. post; 18pdr. shells had secured direct hits time after time on the face of the clock & soon a heavy gun completed the demolition of the tower by placing a sheel right at the base of the steepe It was terrible to watch the destruction of this pretty little village church by our own guurs, but it was a military necessity for the Germans were looking down on us from a splendid vantage point, and in addition they were using the square (in which the church was situated) as an assembly point. When the steeple at last collapsed our men were so glad that they could hardly restrain a cheer At this moment a man reported that McGenir had been wounded by one of our shells. I sent him back to ascertain if it was absolutely necessary to have McF. removed at once by 8/6s. - if so, he was to wave. The messenger ran out again to the post across the hundred ye of open field, supedat but not but; he shook his head to signify that there was no need for 3/60. It turned out that a bigpiece of earth had hit McGinn on the side of the head, turning up his hard stiel helmet on one side, like an Australian felt hat _ but doing no more harm than badly bruising his face gneed. soon afterwas the Adjutant (Captlodge) called and was very satisfied with all that he saw & seemed quite pleased with the position, I took the oppty. of letting him know hew absolutely done the men were & how batly they reeded a rest. J. also related an experience of the night before, or rather about in the morning. His right past heard a man riding a breycle come ratling down the road from the rear of our lines. They called out to him to halt but the man increased his pace & made a bolt for it. He ran into the barricade of old farm wagious across the road, dismounted, and, throwing the bike over, scrambled after it. The fewis Tun opened fire on him but without effect and ascuredly this opy, for such he was, got away seot free. He must have been one drened es tefigels of the many Termans, J. thinks, who came through our lines during the retreet. J. sawseveral of these fellows himself actually entering our lines under shellfire from the Germans, and at the time pitied them. J. himself took the responsibilie for letting this nan exape & would not charge his sentries with carelessness, as he knew how absolutely dogtered & coom out they all were.
Just as he was about to set out on his rounds after dark, the Co. rang up and asked J. Low his defences were and if he needed further help to repel a threatered ereangattack. J. mentioned his right frank whereupon the Co. offered him another plation, which he accepted. This platoon reported under fent Dowling about 11 pen & by daylight had dug itself in on the inside of a hedge - with a Jewes gun covering I's right flank. The Co. also sent another plation, with 2 [57s, under fet Johnson, to dig in on a line between Joynt's two left posts - covering a possible crossing in the caual which rann across his company sector front. After this J. felt quite sure of his abilety to withstand any Aun attack. The night passed quietly 16 April 1918. Morgan, the spearer, went out early in the morning to look for dead Germans lying out in front in order to search them for papers, as He wanted identifications. Morgan returned in abt an hour's time with a mass of maps and papers that he had secured. There were forthwith sent down to BrHtQ. The day passed in absolute quietness In the afternoon Woodhouse came up to have a look round, or the C0. had decided to split Is sector into two. He & J. reshuffled the platoons as soon as darkness came down – all of A Coycame to the right, & D. to the left. Joynt then handed over his comfortable farmhouse to Woathousex with driew. While J. was attending to the relief he had sent Sevenion & the St Major, to make their way over to the left of the Bn area & choose another (oy HQ. When he left at 1olock he was so tired that he could hardly dray his legs along. 17 Aprie 1918. It was nearly dawn by the time Js lay He was established in the new farm to which the Co. had ordered it to go. As it was in a lot of trees and bedges, 600yds behind the front line, I was quite out of touch with his posts and, as he could see none of them, had to do without a coy. Of. About 9 oclock the Germans put over an intense 59 barrage on our support lines, concentrating on B Coys H.B. and support posts, but missing Js HQ. The sheels on arriving burst in dozens on either side leaving a sep of 100 ys. The men had chosen the best places they could find & gone off to sleep, so J. got them up & mde them catter about + lie down. (pl Hee was wounded in the back ley a shell spliater -he was standing up at the time and the fragment came from a shell which exploded nearly 100 yds away. The telephone were was cut so a signaller was sent along to find the breek & mend it. After half an hour had passed and he had not returned, two others were sent out. A few minutes later they returned with a man of BCay, badly wounded in the head. The signallers
166 reforted the line badly broken in dizens of places where it crossed the road so attempts to mend it were given up. J went out shortly aftods, to have a look round, and found Capt. Jovett of B Coy with a bandage on his saw - a prece of sheel had knocked out his front teeth. He told J. that he had retained Js signaller in his trenches. Tas sheels were falling in the vicinity & I got a mouthful before he ed get his belanet on. About midday the bombat cased off & gradually died out. Is coay, had only siffered the one casualty (Hice) & the shelling had not touched his font posto, Blay however had caught it puetty hot. Sgt Gunn D.C.M. of Bloy, who had been with in the fighting at Blygon Wood + froodscince the previous year, was kelled O was to have relieved Joyt that night, butowing to the loss of its (Q& to the heavy asualties it sustained, J. had to hangon for another night When night came J. hastened up to the front line to inquire how his posts had survived the ordeal, & was gratified to discover that they had only suffered two men kelled, both on Pitt's post. He get Teaton to relieve McFinn so that the latter could have a few hours sleep at Cay Hl, before leaving he got McG. to send out a patrol in front to try and find out the position of the enemy posts in his immediate front. The patrol rete at 1230 am. reporting that it had found no Huns this side of the small canal. J. then went along to ACoys HR. - his old home - & got a lot of blankets overcoats, con sacks etc forhourher post. The cold was intense & the men were suffering terribly. When he returned to his Hh. J. found an officer & SWCOs of the Cuhn, who had come up with word that their ber, was going to relieve him the fellg night, & in cnsquence the NEO'swere to spend a dayon the posts beforehand. There was just sufficient time to send them out with the breakfast rations before morning broke Owing to the many changes & the different platoons I. had had under his aall command the rations had not been, satisfactory, for there was generally a shortage each morning. But for the food they were able to salvage, they would have been in a bad way. (28) Aprie 1988. About midday I received the operation oder for the relief between 8pen & midnight. At 4 the adjutant phoned that the O.O. had been cancelled, & soon attods a runner arrod with the new that as an enemy attack was expected duering the next 24 hrs the 8th had to stay in, and the officirs & HBs of the 6th were to report back to their bn. later on word was reed, that news of the impending attack had been given to the 7th Bn by a prisoner. J. sent an additional two
15 boxs of S.A.A. & two of rifle grenades to all his posts, and at midnight visited the line to see if all orders were understood by his plation commes. Lint Evans, a boy who had come to the Sth from the 6oPioneers only a few months ago, was cheeing and arcious for a fight. I was accompanied by his bugler and a Sbearer (Morgan), the former carrying a basin of hot stew for Boans men, who cwing to a blunder had not received their hot rations. Morgan carried a couple ofboxes of rifle grenades, while J. himself brought an armful of flares for obtg contact with acroplanes and some Very lights. Aftods J. went along to the left and had a yain with the Coy. commander of the Iretn. While he was here a message arrived to the effect that the intended enemy attack would take place at 5 in the morning. Cheerio to 58c became is fareweel to his platoon commrs as he weat the rounds. The men were aager for a fight "all the posts were cremaed Whatless and witout a reppirator with boxes of SH.A. Five oclock found ), out on te road leading from Coy Hel. to the outpost line, which he overlooked from a high piece of ground. At 4.50 ourarty. opened on the Terman trenches, along the whole line. The hour came and passed. snow had fallen dining the carey houns of the morning, the white ground showingup the sightest movenent – an ideal morning to resist an attack. I was rever so confident, says J. in his deary, that we would give a good account of ourselves. I felt the drawback of being a company commander, here was I sitting back with nothing to do but to wait and watch. At that moment I would much sooner have taken my place as a plation commander in one of the outpoots, and taken my chance. As he looked across the open fatcountry he could see nearly all the front line, but, so well camonflaged were they by the snow, he could not pich out any of te posts. Away to the right was CCysarca. Not a movement could be seen any where over to wide expance of country. Away on the right a man suddenly appeared, walking from a farmhouse behind (Cy's A8, & deliberately went out 100yds to the HA post, where he jumped in + disappd from sight. A dogen Terman observers must have seen this foolish movement & ths been able to teel of the otherwise hiddenfat. As no attach eventuated our Arty gradually sickened its fire until it ceased altogether; and J. retd to his farmhoure quite disapptd. beturned in and slept until the CS.M. wakened him to say that an officer of the 3/5t Dis. was there to see him. This div. had been reorganized & brought up to drength by new drafts of youngster from England, & new officers, & were takingove gave him all the information he wanted. the line from us that night.
about holding the line, arrgts. for rations, dispositions & orders in case of attack -and wrote out his (Js) defence sheoe for him, and then turned in again to be wakened at 3oclock by another officer, a captain. He told J. that his coy was going to relieve Is that night, his division having altered the previous angts. Two bus. were going to relieve our one. So J. had to set to again & go though te whole business of handing over a sector. of the defence line to a new unit. J easily setisfied this captain who, from his questions & manner, appeared never to have been in the line before. He did not even know how to fire the SO.S. rchet Jo promised to show him, but forgot, & was glad afteds for forgetting. It was a shame to put officers of this sort in charge of 200 lives. At 8.30 the first of the relieving plations turned up & were led by the writing guides out to the positions. The new Coy. He staff took over satisfactorily & I thereupon left to report at On HQ, carrying out himself the old gramophone and its five records which he had selvaged. On the road was Paddy Bourke with his plation, all lating hot potitoes, which J. had ordered to be cooked and placed in dixies along the road so that every man comingout could get some as well as a tin of bullybeef. At BnHd 9. met the Major with whom he had had the argument rallying over to map when he was resign the demoralized Tommies on the afternoon of the B3th. They had a good laugh over the incident of the shot that wasfired at them, & which kelled the calf in rear. Evenyone was in a jolly mood & tey all shook hands & left the best offriends. From the line they marched to Bovie lcts abt 7 Klos. away. After resting there for two days the Bn. got orders to go into support to the Sth & 6th Bns who were holding the line.
bxtracts from deary of Rte H.G Hartnett 26r 1918. March 25. Heard today of the German offensive on the Somine but do not know what has actually happened flighty leave cancelled March 27. leart that the Germans are back in Pozieres and Albert again. March 29. Muster parade & general inspection of clothes and equipment. Not bath and clean underclohing afterwards. Remowrs that we are soon going back to the Somme front March 31 Movingorders late at night, April 15. Easter Monday. Marched out of Seddon Cmp at 11.30 & extrained on light railway at Redgewood Siding, going down to a siding near Reninghelst + then marched on to Devoushere Cmp near Brisseboom. Cmp in filthy state. Went to seea football natch afterwards & on seeing a Pomany tied up doing field punishment they set him loose April Sth Left amp about 1.30 par in full marching order. Marched about nine meles to a billet not far from Abeele April 6 Reveille at 5.30 am and marched out at Tgay to a station about a mele away where we

man came running in to say that the Huns were attack attacking

[[Jayat's]] right advanced post (Lieut Fenton), and that the

post was nearly blown out by shell fire & TM's J immediately

sent him to warn coy on right (Capt. Fox). Almost immed aftwds

Cpl Rainbow came running in from the post to say that it was

wiped out, all the garrison k. or w., & that the Huns had attcked from

the right, where they had crawled along the bed of a creek & gained

possession of a large factory - a big two-story brick bldg.

From this pt. of vantage they had enfiladed the post with m.g.s, killing or

 wounded all who kept their heads up. No support had been need from

the post of the coy. on J's right, so I sent the Cpl to investigate, and he

discovered the garrison returning to their post from which they had been

shelled. Lieut Murdoch had sent the men back. [[Jayat?]] therefore sent off

a note to the Colonel telling him how things stood, & then went out to see what was going on. J found that it was impossible to move abt outside owing to the hostile m.g. fire. Some men were moving abt behind a copse

between Coy HQ & Lieut Bourke's post - J took them for Bourke's men. No runners were in sight. J then found that his signalling N.C.O.- Hepe Steward

had obeyed J's earlier instructions, and had collected all the runners, J's batman, & signallers, rushing them to a post 100 yds in advance of Coy H.Q.

to stop the enemy breaking through. Seeing a s/bearer J ordered him to run out to Bourke & get. B. to send some men to extend to the right in order to cover the break in the line caused by the [[?]] out of Fenton's post. This

message the s/b. successfully carried and guided xxxx the men to the place where I. wanted them to go. Without waiting further J determined to rush

out to the new firing line & see for himself how the battle was progressing.

He had to run across the open, being shot at by the Germans from abt 100 yds distance. On the way he met the s/b (Parfrey) returning, & stopped to

speak with him. Parfrey stopped running & opened his mouth to speak, but immediately collapsed with the words on his [[?]] unspoken> J dropped alongside him only to find the blood gushing from a bullet hole in his neck

(on the other side the hole was the size of a small apple so his throat)

and, as it was impossible to stop the flow., J left him,

and [[?]] out the remainder of the way (50 yds) to the new post that had

just been established by the aid of tis gallant s/b.

This post was well manned, the men forming it having belonged to

McGinn's post, which withdrew when it was discovered that J's right flank had.

 

been turned. The remainder of McGinn's men were at that moment

digging in on our new line.

McGinn's was a masterly retirement, brought about with only one

casualty - that of Sgt. Short, the best Sgt in the Bn. It appears that

McGinn, seeing the Huns attacking Fenton's post - which was on the 

other side of a small wood and farmhouse - sent Short over to see what

was happening. Though hit by a sniper Short, after satisfying himself that the [[first?]] on his right had been abandoned, returned and appraised

McGinn of the situation. McG. realizing that he would be cut off, then sent Short with a few men to make their way 200 yds to the rear and there dig 

another post behind the copse that they were defending. Short coolly marked out a trench under heavy mg. fire and continued working on it until being hit a second time - by a bullet which shattered his elbow - he was xx

reluctantly forced to go to the rear (Short would have made a splendid officer; x [[?]] xx put in a strong recommendation to the Colonel regarding his gallantry & thought he would get the D.M.C.). McGinn then withdrew his post, man by man, to the new position. They were hardly there when the

Germans overran their old post & commenced working down the copse twds our new line. Borke's post then had some excellent sniping, the Huns got it in the neck. J. Had sent his corporal clerk down to the Colonel to explain to him the tactical situation; he returned at the same time as J. recd. from the C.O. a note saying that  Lieut Johnson had been sent with one platoon to reinforce McGinn's Post, & that [[?]] was to hang on at all costs.

While [[?]] was reading the message, in dashed Power, He had

left his platoon had in the hedges & had come on to coy H.Q. to report & get

his instructions. He had been told that the Hun had broken the line & that

nearly all were wiped out. It appears that at the same time [[Johnston?]]

arrived [[?]] at Pitt's post and offered him help. Pitt did not know there

had been a scrap - as a big hedge & copse obstructed his view. [[?]]

others were amused at the state of excitement existing at Bn H.Q., and a

runner coming in from there soon afterwards explained the reason for it. 

It seems that a batman, who was on the post that was attached, "panicked"

and rushed down to Bn H.Q. He was covered with mud & water and, as he said that he had [[?]] down the canal under water & thus escaped; that he was

 

the only man left; that two of our post had been wiped out; and the

Joynt? had sent him, the Colonel naturally believed him. This information

had of course to be reported to Bde H.Q. xx at once, with the result that 2

coys of the 6th Bn, who were in reserve to Joynt's bn , moved up to

c/attack, and "dug in" in front of Bn H.Q. Lieut Temple, the J.O.,

came along soon aftwds & wanted to k ow if the line "still Held" - and

all the time J. & his men were "in our Glory", except that J was worrying

over Fenton when he had given up for lost. Suddenly a Tommy came

running, in, with a bandage round his head from a bullet wound, & said that

he had left Fenton & another Tommy quite safe out in a shellhole. While J.

was wondering how to get him in, Fenton appeared running across the 100

yds of open ground - shot at by all the Huns who could bring their rifles to

bear on him. Running & ducking he managed to reach the shelter of J's

farmhouse, accompanied by bis faithful Tommy. J. ran towds him and 

"gripped his hand in wild delight".

J. told Power that he could not do better than to keep his men where 

they were until dark, when J. would bring them up & post them near McGinn. J. then crawled out to McGinn to see if he was all right, found him

in great spirits - His platoon had only suffered 7 casualties, all wounded, He said J. was lucky to have got out to his post as German snipers were only

50 yds away in front, in a small copse.

when night came J. got Power & his platoon & took then out to place them

in position. On the way he found 2 men from his left post who had heard nothing of McGinn having withdrawn (they were too far away to see).

They had called in, on their way down to Coy H.Q., to see their mates in 

McGinn's post and to their utter surprise found it deserted. Making no

endeavour to keep quiet, they looked around and, finding no one, had made over to the next post.

(Bourke's) to tell him of their discovery. On hearing this story Joynt

determined to send Power with his platoon to size the bridgehead over

the canal leading to this post, and then to let the ([[?]] know at once

in case he contemplated c/attacking to regain the two lost posts. So J. took

the platoon out himself & posted the men over the bridgehead. as there was no sign of any Germans Joynt immediately returned & sent a runner to

the C.O. telling him what had been down & asking for instructions. Word

came back that there was to be no c/attack, so J. went out to withdraw

 

Power's men. On reaching the bridgehead he found them all asleep -

they were so overtired with all their travelling & marching that they would

not lie down without falling off to sleep. Each man J. went was lying in the

same position: face downward with rifle out in front; and in order to wake them he had to go along & slap every man xxxxxx They then withdraw to our line & were placed in positions where they could give a good a/c of themselves should the enemy attack.

By the time J. Had done this dawn just breaking and he

only had time to get back to the farm without being observed by the enemy. xxxxx Fenton was lying on a bed fast asleep - dead to the world

after is exciting and nerve breaking experiences of the previous day.

The C.O. had asked the artillery to blow the factory right off the map -

which the liaison officer had promised to do - so they waited

expectantly for our guns to open up.,, before It was 11 o'clock, however

they commenced shooting. J. was so tired that After breakfast, he took

off his boots & turned in - nice feather bed with snow white sheets.

Everything was quiet, not a shot being fired by either side.

"I could not determine in my tired mind", write Joynt in his diary

"whether it was the previous night or two night ago that the Tommies had been overrunning my comfortable H.Q. I remember one scene abt midnight, when I had several commanding officers with their followers, officers & men in my dinning 

room all seated round the fire on chairs. lamenting the loss of their

battalions & the beastly show hey had put up. - and I a [[?]], was

triumphant, receiving & issuing orders like a Cooks [[?]] Agent. My

batman reminded me that I had had nothing to eat since lunch, & laid the

table. . . . . . . .  I invited the English officers to join me. . . . . .  only one a major

availed himself. . . . Somehow one by one they disappeared off into space until by morning only one of them was left & he was fast asleep. . . . .  I then

recognised (him) as the I.O. of the Lancashire [[?]], 29th Div. He was a real

soldier, one of the good ones of the old school. . . . . . 

J was wakened abt 2 in the afternoon by the heavy arty whose shells were bursting close [[handy?]]. They were trying to blow down the factory but were [[?]] very bad shooting of it. The heavies had commenced shooting at

11 a.m. and had dropped some very short-close to J's foremost posts. The 

liaison officers & Lieut Stevenson had spent the whole of the time [[?]]

the phone ringing

 

up the arty to increase their range. At four o'clock J. went out to see what

damage had been done

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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