Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/90/1 - October 1917 - Part 10

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Awaiting approval
Accession number:
RCDIG1066658
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 6

94 because 50 25 et opin to Paschenbite completey When we ot o th bottom the of the however slope very diffecult going because he s a the 34 Teries of bi The Whotes stream which the turnin there 16 Eun used into the rit on Marih t through a rachan the low a Embank on this Jerme which the with a Stetting were stell every to hizybong incaute felt et or So near a waterlogged Hlock
55 ta 5t Ths h in the ret te where 2 th calhlitian some 20 or stream tonce cro had a tipe line was 8 the it betonged e pre CD 6 TN 4 warched 4 one for Oct I upt 92 7/4 fearfuth hes was cou cras it wen to te Wething ly side other travelle experience an his way far te ou than there better of stells sheaf Frushed
50 the overtead well fle at smghe dank places at once or ti fore stope of Hill 35 the blockhouses instanteneoust 60 at once follo 8 0 & mfore attane prattcil kept it wdn £e up the 4 bombardand a perfect teer his gune werc Founde like the of te bombardment for a raid It wa congenter a thoot area this on up hill wen t it 81 catting te to
at 4ey 9 Easchdat be now out of wen Lumuiet rising before with as Hambury Ceoug 17 XIII B4 Sagar- cube square two blockfouses summet on 50 me We for ti C uped here, Sitt Shellholes emprovi them 4 cat pits catrnng by square Dches tr Tey were little or 35 B3 two of the I took who secnte to 6 ts on Spicat possie. Four a in be
53 were seated. officers Young The askw. together there thee 4s 4 td be photos of the storious anzacs I suppor as another the papers Id it glorious victor Hays 3 one cauld have shown ohat tat the one for two thug. Gorions 40 there set one of them down cynicat left t pointin Iyout here tothn been have sherow yo day Ed we things they one dont put r in paper they referred to he I think 10t Bele's retirement anyway to a Battation with belong they
83 nst 6 told t abt frout ting 00 yards 1 on over crest as we tatheing trm Several were Tepman pleae first flew oues one about 1000 feet up. The grong of officers saw him coming & Hatto t hese pitz -bette 50 down; I supposewe olalbbo sat down. & kept quiet. only two men who were coming up shill hom rear- kept on movny. pathie This Thewhole business has one at wntagl, then sd he artitlerty cat dto you much daale because at hardly knows where (to soot A little tater 5 perm. planes came over & saplet arount Hett 35 way, wery spe a poo sn His such for its 60 & batations which make then sort of accusations 2a 7 (o 9Bde they did not have suptade fire from Bellevue The persran bombardment for it was a boubl wt. fairt rty cattn heavy on BBroodseente ridge JusS. on it Wd Shortening the on he the tope bekind as down comeon indeed ve had wh we tearing in amongst willows r deserted epression 6 botho mover on past. We the oadind sanken a with fo in support troops

D40  94
because it is so
completely open to Paschendaele
When we got to the bottom
of the slope, however, the
going became very difficult
& heavy. There ws a
series of big shellholes
turning the stream, which
used to run there, into
a marsh; on the right
the railway ran through
this on a low embankment
which the Germans
were shelling with a
whizzbang shell every
minute or so - it fell
near a waterlogged blockhouse 

 


D40  95
in the marsh.  Through
the marsh - possibly where
some road or cattle track
had once crossed / stream
was a tape line; I
presume it belonged to the
66th Divn & may have
bn one tt they marched
up by on Oct. 8/9.  It
was fearfully heavy going
crossing it.
As we went up /
other side - Wilkins, who is
an experienced traveller
-picking out his way far
better than I - there
rushed a sheaf of shells 

 

 

D40  96
well overhead; & the
earth & smoke flew up
in 6 or 7 places at once
on the fore slope of Hill 35
near some block houses —
6 or 7 at once, instantaneously,
& 8 or 10 more following
practically simultaneously;
The Germans kept it up
in a perfect bombardment
– we cd hear his guns
& they sounded like the
bombardment for a raid.
It was a concentrated
shoot on this area.
We went up / hill,
to / left o / rly cutting, 

 

 

D40  97
Paschendaele being now
out of view & / summit
rising before us with
(Hand drawn diagram - see original)
two square sugar-cube
blockhouses on / summit.
We found some men
camped here, sitting in
shellholes & improving them
by cutting neat square pits
or little trenches.  They were
of the 35th Bn.  I took two
photos of one who seemed to
be in a typical "possie." Four 

 


D40  98
young officers were seated
together there.  He asked
us if these wd be photos of
the "Glorious Anzacs".  "I suppose
the papers sd it ws another
glorious victory of Haig's",
one sd.
"If you had seen what  "We could have shown
you one or two glorious things
down there!" sd one of them
cynically pointing to / left.
"If you'd been here / other
day we cd have shown you
one or two ∧o' things they dont put
in / paper".
I think they referred to the
10th Bde's retirement - anyway,
they belong to a Battalion with 

 

99
X They told us tt /
front line ws abt 500
yards on — just over
/ crest
As we were talking to them several
German planes flew over: - first-
one, about 1000 feet up.  The
group of officers saw him coming &
sd "Hallo - here's Fritz - better keep
down I suppose." We xxxxxxx xx
xxxxxx  sat down & kept quiet.
Only two men who were coming up
/ hill from / rear kept on moving.
"This ∧scattered shellhole business has one
advantage," they sd - "his artillery cant do
you much damage because it
hardly knows where to shoot."
A little later 5 Germ. planes came
over & sailed around Hill 35 way,

 

D40  100
a very poor specimen
for its C.O., & it is such
battalions which make these
sort of accusations easiest.
They (of 9Bde) did not have / enfilade
fire from Bellevue. X
The German bombardment
- for it was a bombt - ws,
fairly heavy in / rly cutting, &
on / ∧Broodseinde ridge just S. of / Rly;
& it ws shortening on the
hillslope behind us down
wh we had come - indeed
ws tearing in amongst /
deserted willows try in /
bottom o / depression.
We moved on past
the a sunken road lined
with full of troops in support 

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