Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/91/1 - October 1917 - Part 5

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Awaiting approval
Accession number:
RCDIG1066659
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

ad De depont. 40 further tower, tyond + a stope 4 t tsked me tan 4 untry I mud 4 the 184 hand stope of the woke o lantscape far ourr to be it aught as weits but A count made on id Co teon i 6 2o piety sine tho t Evi were took don the beginntiy ofth the Pol nbect ito Rentelbeek valley
stender Stermp 41 £6 50 56 motice. h4 at 5.W of jus. due Shytime band was a 2 5tey stretge aome yall ow silf Lifton a l like douds 2 m plation againnst pame hhis of Brilish soldiers en it fil. sithonettg Pol.-Wood Witk Hats D. st bar fir now Presently waching yun We wondered began to pos
42 ours or fetman 1 Serth 4 de of us. was flick of bukets Swieh The bete little stumpo the Fol wood roun t sa undutal hell Of crater settle soon few mce 10 The to com were up whe de track our own hon $6 of bnto 12 diverty right Sa time 5k Tt 5 1X The iappeare 45 our cl do
Etq 43 that I tay as flat £e as I could behit andy cretubrin advise wethins 5 to [aue we dodgedon few yards in a a interoal & I got outo the Shattowcrater mostly full of firty water - ones tench ws inwater & I trad on my over coat in getting up again & floudent ratio messal but still the butlets were w hepng 5ed crali con d we & X it 3r te p00 tom
fror 4 have i1 in 64 They i dne South. i from alme or ssrw pyds 1200 perhaps Polderhack away or Just beh 54 was it Bu X flad to e one ws it for showed ineed exper out practical in the 5 difficulties position work of our the Rentelbeck Germand were The stelling straight ahead with one bu shill & presently others The path we went in petired out entired water fittes shellhole
the not Far 5our very left must have bee Black watch corner (where there 20 fittle you poof as a atter of fact) struck to fright towards te the Worthern edgh of the Colygo Veld way onik of the o salve of E shells was beginning which to close on fall regulart Pregentl our left front. Honne Boaschen 5mps appeared over the Edge Close as to a blockhouse & about depression with o 4 cont b
we overtook till of easy N5 46 Chambers. a ten men were about 24 the place on top tooked heavity &recently sheltes. We Struck furthe right Wonn BoSchen, Vall sive no bally ten thw a time of men teft approaching ovr duck bo I was ds me dead it was ti Dalvation to find those duckbou 8 t then thought 41 ad rater th 10 bar the te set of thee to aboud it Otan The Al the
4 rel had turned onto te tar Chatean 4 End we de it Wood hollow below tis in duek boards an Eed straight t witig down tene. We edsee hit 0 Edge from y board wind duck there Cow
48 Subalte 7 En 6 4 Dend astring of mey 4 agroas past us w cuttyn further tach told do it wt the South betters 4 much way t 4 w fothe e track this 8 di ance teat no Caie on d Whill up wpddy firs few Read fer 4a plank e 2 then definited planked at las nered the Hled over crest. still a the 9 right to little
542 Planks last. 94 w5 road made Engineer by dus sconeers Chatean tro wood 2 3 2o 76 wth tok ti the e oct can & Iput off the Spanner lang and some 8 boot in my ove pockets. coat But that barrage wh pretty heavy w8 wh had bn well road right 81 to creeping w lf As we woke doe Ihill wh al

old dugout frame
medical dugout
'Drawing - see original document'

D41    40
beyond & a further, lower,
slope
'Drawing - see original document'
Wilkins asked me if this
ws our country.  I must
say the right hand slope of the
far landscape looked to me
as if it ought to be our
country but a moments
consideration made one
pretty sure tt it ws not.
We were evidently looking 
down the beginning of the
Polygonbeek into the
Reutelbeek Valley.  X

 

D41    41
About / same moment
I noticed a string of
men coming along the
skyline due S.W of us.
There was a band of
chrome yellow sky stretched
like a silk ribbon under
/ evening clouds - &
against this came a platoon
of British soldiers in
single file, silhouetted.
'Drawing - see original document'
Slender Tim stumps of Pol. Wood
I sd to Wilkins - Hallo - 
now for the barrage -
Presently a machine gun
began to pop.  We wondered

 

D41    42
if it were ours or German,
it was due south of us.
The swish & flick of bullets
between the little stumps
of Polygon wood &
round the sandy
undulations of shell
craters soon settled /
question.  The ^few Tommies
who were coming up
our own track made
off into / bush on /
right - diverted their
line, tt is to say.
The string on / skyline
disappeared.  The things
were so close to our

 

D41    43
feet that I lay as flat
as I could behind a
sandy crater brim -
& advised Wilkins to do
/ same.  We dodged on
a few yards in an
interval & I got into the
^edge of a shallow crater mostly full of
dirty water - ones knee
ws in / water & I trod
on my overcoat in getting
up again & floundered
rather miserably - but still
the bullets were whipping
in to / crater sides
around us;  a second
& possibly a 3rd mg. joined

 

D41    44
in.  They must have bn
from almost due South -
perhaps 1200 or 1500 yds
away - Polderhoek
or just behind it, I shd
say.  But it was a
thing one ws glad to have
experienced for it showed
in the most practical
way / difficulties of
our position North of
the Reutelbeek.
The Germans were
shelling straight ahead with
one big shell & presently others
from / left.  The path we went by
petered out entirely in
water filled shellholes -

 

D41    45
- not very far to our
left must have been
Black Watch Corner - (where
there is a little round pool,
as a matter of fact).
We struck half right towards
the Northern edge of the Polygon
veld - out of the way of
a salvo of 4.2 shells
which was beginning to
fall regularly & close on
our left front.  Presently
the Nonne Bosschen stumps
appeared over the edge.
Close to us was a
depression with ^a blockhouse of about
4 continuous big dugouts

 

D41    46
chambers.  A few
men were about it -
the place on top worked
heavily & recently shelled.
We struck further right
till we overlooked Nonne & then Bosschen Valley ^wh gave no
hope of easy walking.  Then we saw a line of men
approaching over to our left
over duckboards.  I was
nearly dead - & it 
was like salvation to
find those duckboards.
I thought just then I
wd rather go thro' a
barrage than get off them
to avoid it.
The German, I 
think because he saw the

 

D41    47
relief, had turned
a barrage onto the
Northern end of Chateau
Wood - we cd see it
in / hollow below us;
& our duckboards -
Wilkins knew - led straight
down there.  We cd see
from / edge o / hill
/ duckboard winding
down there
'Drawing - see original document'

 

D41    48
An English sublaltern
at / head of a string of men
ws cutting across, past us,
from some track further
South.  He told us it ws
much better tt way
round - so we
followed his track &
at no great distance
up / hill came on a
road ^-first muddy - then for a few
yards was planked;
then more mud;  &
at last definitely planked.
It led over the back rear end
of the crest, still a
little to / right o /

 

D41    49
summit.  Planks at
last.  It ws / road
made by our engineers &
pioneers thro Chateau
Wood!
I was exceedingly
tired - Wilkins took the 
oil can off me & I put
the spanner & lanyard &
some o / loot in my overcoat 
pockets.
But that barrage,
wh ws pretty heavy -
& wh had bn left well
to / right o / road,
ws creeping left.  As we
looked down / hill which

 

 

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