Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/91/1 - October 1917 - Part 6

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open for review
Accession number:
RCDIG1066659
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

80 Lcendin we wered th shell 9.0 foremast possible Se kept on fathing 10 or 15 yards every time 4 more 1 3 The pearer et drop anconfortabl were shetts close when we 100 were within 2ooyds th clearly have wtthin 30yds pads to bthe less) of them or off to our cat towards. Ctaphann te yu ation the highes sout on ridge 94 pretty at dark DS.
54 ald sa it bo to our left font and it wilhins as 2 ne. 54owe in a hote the tarious capola position een toped of wt he had taken a photo Dn Sept 20 island 41 e i 84 ara We pass lay In close o fight Stirtin o another poin castle 1 hill of the neer end lept. i ex on to
52 a t0 2 Str e 29 to tew Hit once the tin M Rd ls ibt i me de tt fil stir up black M 67 th the mnd because to it 12a to it welk through stop sel the chase re pict w H aper out of Com Serue were des in the le. d 0f road. side tunnetwt we the
or Ex t t D d betweve d not and bee 24 sous 56 te think th 8 it. tut doubt Stretch t aton nowt id a e Rly 2y but with only wiih du foottrick niced otime. black
54 dow it w dea were th 5 the at side 25 and degonts were tunnel walk ws with a Derbysh 24 40 8 423 Soldier fall who ad hethad as they were out sick tine noad thought an ta se wind 34 planks & the 1 l 6 eds.
55 at te H6 C known ell fe H R8 tey 8 most ta morve o1 torris ws ever tied IX dropped been wh Bodds into de Ca is ist to M three e Canadian do the weet Steenorn were well po ap Eeliene Dct1 to the Lnd Angac on O Murdack ct16 on th of
56 Kensit. femerats ear Fee t t to to bug H ws much He by Kendit impressed w. a there He 3d to when 8o bar s on eing (the Coss 5 de dat the we an plane. se when passed over) & the Lanadian Kenset rocom. to off Stay shd they to it But read? it as take Isiste on sony on shellpole in ty eit a & taken front ling at look loug good Bedevie ch sansed or alt troubl
5 N There tatandus. brown bant thick das a t4 pont were offuncut 3d Murdock if wabe after tna wave of the N Gealanders X had reached it Some he there du it fit th10 true under crawle ore kitted 620 wes refle Your own Grenades on parapet. The W. Di to have made preficit attempt M 2
on found the when we got back we Oc 15 hady Een ipdrawn to purpatrols, followed Sper 107 o 0 Octof1 Depn Shmans tk de asshiled Ften wise area behind wood. They had prom their they wd 224 as soon as1 His do men Heather return at able ti lay our olicet gad e tear ustirg com down Mence ed into valey 59 withd to 12 7 by oide th 1end Oc.16 Ad da wrote a letter Evg pape The day W0. five for October& 4 fes todndeed to tam about Hm e 44 fom acroplam as rands but it is aniscrable t up char pood th i d per X night this our artitler a the as shetein 16 casnathers. t cleared of allm correspondence.
60 a letter wrote at mo papers to 4 The be tifull be we but it abt be th 3 2a an from as On not night must te wanted tent miserable a Ikeep It ws warmer. warm writing w a petiol tin of hot water under my feet OC Wrold a good part of this diary it 1s as a seograppy tt one wantsit eopapty of battlefild

 

D41 50
we were descending, the
foremost shell - 5.9 or
possibly 8 in - kept on
falling 10 or 15 yards
more to / left every time 
it dropped. The nearer
shells were uncomfortably
close too. When we
were within 200 yds
& they wd clearly have
to pass within 30 yds
(or less) of them, xxxx
xx we cut off to our
left towards Clapham
Junction, the highest
point on / ridge. It
ws getting pretty dark,
 

 

 

D41 51
but we could see it
to our left front, and
as we neared it Wilkins
showed me, in a hole,
the curious cupola
topped gun position
[Hand drawn sketch - see original document]
of wh he
had taken
a photo
on Sept 20.
It had been in Nomansland.
To our We passed
Clapham Jn close on
our right. Stirling
Castle - another point ,
of the rear end o / hill,
ws lower on our left.
 

 

 

D41 52
We struck across
leftwards & almost at
once hit the remains 
of the Menin Rd.
it was indescribably 
filthy - deep in mud,
black mud, stirred up
by / mules. I chose
the thinnest mud because
it was / easiest to
slop through. Wilkins
having more self 
respect chose the
thicker. A few men
were coming out of some
hole deep in the left
hand side o / road.
it was the tunnel wh
 

 

 

D41 53
/ Germans dug under
/ Menin Rd. (I believe
we have not yet
explored it to / end -
they say there have been
3 queer explosions
there lately, & some
people think they are
mines but I doubt it.)
All along tt stretch of
filthy road - not so 
much shelled as /
Roulers Rly Embankt,
but still with only
a winding foottrack
of slimey black mud
 

 

 

D41 54
wandering down it -
there were deep holes
at / side, where the
entrances to / German
tunnel and dugouts were.
Wilkins ws walking
w a young Derbyshire
soldier of the 23rd Divn
who sd he had fallen
out sick as they were
going into / line. I
thought / road wd
never come to an end.
But at last we came
to the planks - &
down them, past /
edge of our old
 

 

 

D41 55
crater & HQrs at
Hooge to / well known
Menin Rd.
It ws too late for most
o / lorries. I ws almost more
tired than I have ever
been when I dropped
into / seat of Boddys
car just inside /
Menin Gate.

Since then three or four
quiet days; the Canadians
were well up past Steenvorde
on Oct 15 - to relieve
the 2nd Anzac Corps.
On Oct. 16 Murdoch
went w one of their
 

 

 

D41 56
Generals, Kensit,
to see front line near
Hamburg. He was much 
impressed by Kensit.
He sd tt there ws a
barrage on when they got
to Seine (the Cross Rd where
we saw the 9th Bde men
when / German 'plane
passed over) & the Canadian
staff offr w Kensit recommended
tt they shd
"take it as read." But
K. insisted on going on,
lying in a shellhole in
/ front-line & taking a
long good look at
Bellevue wh caused
all / trouble for /
 

 

 

D41 57
N. Zealanders. There
was a thick brown band
of uncut wire in front
of it, Murdoch sd.
xxxx Wave after 
wave of the N. Zealanders
had reached it, &
dug in there. Some had
tried to get thro' it;
one crawled under
it & ws killed by one
of our own rifle 

grenades on / German
parapet.
The N.Z. Divn
seems to have made a
magnificent attempt
at it.
 

 

 

On Oct 15 when we got back we
found / enemy had withdrawn to /
Keiberg Spur. Our patrols followed 
& took [shorthand].
58 X On Oct 14/15
Germans heavily
gas shelled our back
area behind Glencorse
Wood. They had promised
their men they wd
do this as soon as /
weather ws xxxxx .
suitable, in return 
for our gas shellings
We noticed / gas
(mustard & tear) coming
down / Menin Rd.
 

D41 59
They were withdrawn
[*into the valley*] in / end by order. X
[Oct. 16 xxx Next day I wrote
a letter to / Evg papers.
The day ws fine for
October x. but the night
wet Indeed it came
up at on to rain about
3 p.m. The rain saves
us from aeroplane
raids but it is
miserable for /
poor chaps up in /
line.
I think it ws
this night tt / Germans
gave our artillery a
heavy gas shelling & 
got 116 casualties.
Cleared off all my
correspondence.
 

 

 

D41 60
Oct 17. Wrote a letter
to / morning papers
(M.49).
The day began
beautifully fine, but
became wet abt
3 p.m. This saves
us from air raids at
night but is not what 
is wanted, & must be 
miserable up / line.
It ws warmer. I keep
warm writing w a petrol tin
of hot water under my feet.
Oct 18. Wrote a good
part of this diary -
it is as a geography tt
one wants it - a
geography o / battlefield.
 

 

 

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