Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/217/1 - August 1918 - Part 4

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open for review
Accession number:
RCDIG1066675
Difficulty:
5

Page 1 / 10

ws coming from the Quarry & the moant & Pleana Y. When &Lerman the rt flank had to come back onto] Sunken Rd from Varna 2 his fire became leavy and kept them pretty well glued to bank. As thy cdat get forward or back they sterted to make a defensive posite of it. Te ferms at this time were certiinly as far as the high ground in 27 Centrel. A for Srd Dion sien were seen on 2 the Wide 27 Hill making down towards I trenches in te vally (Scuteri Y]. They had not got this tbefore 24 Bu made
cts afternoon atrack. anest o There we am. 95 abt the fanction of Treme & Schtari T wh ws firi all to day & all Inext night, & guas from Hrule Allaies, t They werestill in this posite at 8030 Lpo. They knew nothing of atteck at this time. There we ao barrage on this left pout no orders reacher them, Baldock Sterted w B lon behind I Coy from Cottliek As they got to I villee a gun att xrds which had been passed over by 1st wave c in a dijont or souetin got up & held whols of the
postion Of suppts whas facingl villy. when the got to road key found a few odd men also dt there were abt a Dozen out in port but they disit know where & Baldach & his pty coad seethen fom Ird cum to pusis. B Cot his crowd reorganised & went ooer as far as I creek. trom there they went on fom shell hole to Shelbole to bank under wh (from 1 creek) they cd see a handful ofmen. (Te creetws out a trickle) In coming from 1 Creek to I bank they all were fire topped by v. deadg
Exc. Baldock & a couple O runners & 2or3 L guns wh gotap on bank They occupies by shell holes To or 60 yds behind 1 bank waiting for I pposite on I hill to be finish For there they jamped up -& gradually went on by dribblets T bent As thy went thes (the (t ware)germs went cuts degonts on this rd- most of him got ups walker back to our tives - dropping their Arms. There must heal bu 20 of them. (Proble to wef. as e of them). They Id have go the Ez men offis abled a lot o trouble These fers putup no fight but are not- recorded as errising ach
Afternoon alack Ledwvick Abt 1 pm. & fo gor orders pou Hgis (with 20 or. then) to bomb up Varna T & continue up 17 N. of villy & cliar all 1 E in the Sector and. NEY mt StO. Berrage went down at 1.30 & Low & pt started A Coy 21 Bn (unde tept Sullivan) on right to Setswick Char Ivillae. worked atony Verna G. Halfway along it as blown in by a y & a ferman ing. in I ceneter was firig on tim as me crossed this bit. They put & rible penades into him & the myg. didnt E trouble tim aou
They moved fourd & pot just byond the cumetery when & ferman Super were found behie a block. They bonbed lese killing 2 & wonoding 2. Boyds fartur a ferman in post& gan & crew were ceptuin They saw as cominy & trew, up ther hands- only post wh didht fight. On the creat of the mourd where 1 Y joins everal thel which juaction there I right us a german pst of Abt 8. They opened w stick bombs as ply came up truck. They never bit Anyore. Light bys & one heaoy were in this same post. Sty had to sust them - only abt 3 got away. 4
of Sermis This pty we vany its bombs only, Sedgwick worked haffryt down Ty then, clearing them right tro. Abt 10c 1.2 ts A stroy post of 2 light &2 This cot rushst heavy guns. Seyt Johnson an ACO; & Gmen of 248 Dcb. Smen of 215t, captarn gaas until all view ase After clearing these they took up their posile in 12wt circlis to N E 9SQ. Sedwick, Sery1 Johnson &3 Os. arrived there - allrest were wd or k. The 21st on their right (A Coy) were in a part of t abt I same time as 24 yot there Another bombi pt. under H Smythe & Lt courtney - 2 ncos
& to nen followed Sedgwick at 200 yds. These were organised as you as attpa orders came. Thy followed to the J.P.B te wound & continued on to left at the & junctor there & got int Plevna G. Att 50 ferms had gone down there. Tey k abt 10 & got abt 30 prisoners & were Eventual linked up to left of 24 Bn wh potinto same Ex. In the Quarry by 1 Cencter wh as just below Y there were att 50 prisoners taken. (C Coy. of 21 Bu were involved in this co 33 On the left the first to ws known of attack was seeing the parties
overy forward on I hill As tie parties went forward a nember of (ferns were seen breaking away into Gally. They were engaged. someof them at 150 yds to rooyds, & 75 per cent of him were knocked probt Pouere kiled & another 40050 ad of 2me red two small perties were sent out from the left to reconnotre Pleane G. Col Dart DCM NM. a on 1lep. They got into Pleona abt half way down I hill & worked right left down I truck towds tortille. They metd pty of 40 germs or so coming 2 down & CI Dart got thot one & took 5 wcl. on officer &
the restmust have or back to tootille There as a loy of 2Brin this trench ct 1 time. They had be seer 1 Quarry & in 1E round abt the NE corner of te Mt. These prisoners were handed over to them. (Stuart) D Coy, left in ones & 25 Wiitear &Book & avombirg ply went at I same time; jamped into Pleona & moved up to left. B. Coy (Baldak wtee fored up & followed them. After getting into Plevna, Dboy 21Bn sent in abt 20 men as a bombirg party under L Cope, to bomb to 1et in tortille BrDof 24n adde a party wh we to bout down to left. to

 

ws coming from the Quarry
& the mount & Plevna trench.
When Once / Quarry ws taken
& / German the rt flank
had to come back onto /
Sunken Rd (from Varna trench)
this fire became heavy and
kept them pretty well glued to
/ bank.
As they cdnt get forward or
back they started to make a
defensive positn of it.
The Germs at this time
were certainly as far as the
high ground in 27 Central. A
few 3rd Divn men were seen on
the W. slo 27 Hill making
down towards / trenches in the
valley (Scutari trench). They had
not got this trench before 24 Bn made
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its afternoon attack.
There ws ^a nest of m.gs abt
the junction of Fiume &
Scutari trenches wh ws firing
all tt day & all / next
night, & guns from
Haute Allaines. Whe
They were still in this
positn at 2.30 1 p.m.
They knew nothing o / attack
at this time. There ws no
barrage on this left front &
no orders reached them.
Baldock started w B Coy
behind D Coy; from Gottlieb.
As they got to / village a
gun at / X rds which had
been passed over by 1st wave
(in a dugout or something
got up & held / whole of the
30
 

 

 

portion o / suppts wh ws
facing / village.
When they got to / road
they found a few odd men who
sd tt there were abt a dozen
out in front but they didnt
know where - & Baldock &
his pty cdnt see them from
/ rd even w glasses. B got
his crowd reorganised &
went over as far as / creek.
From there they went on from
shell hole to shell hole to
/ bank under wh (from /
creek) they cd see a handful
of men. (The creek ws only
a trickle).
In coming from / creek
to / bank they all were
stopped by v. deadly fire
31
 

 

 

exc. Baldock & a couple
of runners & 2 or 3 L guns
wh got up on / bank.
They occupied big shell holes
50 or 60 yds behind /
bank waiting for /
oppositn on / hill to be finished.
From there they jumped up - &
gradually went on by dribblets
to / road bank.
As they went thro (the
1st wave) / Germs went into
dugouts on this rd - most
of them got up & walked back
to our lines - dropping their
arms. There must have bn
20 of them. (Probly tt m.g. ws
one of them). They cd have gn the 8
men & offrs ahead a lot of trouble.
These Germs put up no
fight but are not recorded as arriving
back.
32
 

 

 

Afternoon attack.
Abt 1. p.m. & Lt Gow ^Sedgwick got
orders fromHqrs (with 20 o.r.
there) to bomb up Varna
trench & continue up / trench
N. of / village & clear all /
trenches in the Sector imd. NE of
Mt St Q.
Barrage went down at
1.30 & Gow & pty started.
A Coy 21 Bn (under
Capt Sullivan) ws on right to
clear / village. Gow Sedgwick worked
along Varna trench. Halfway
along it ws blown in by a trench
& a German m.g. in / cemetery
was firing on them as they crossed
this bit. They put 4 rifle grenades
into him & the m.g. didnt
trouble them again.
33
 

 

 

They moved forwd & got just
beyond the cemetery when
4 German snipers were found
behind a block. They bombed
these killing 2 & wounding 2.
100 yds further ^ws a German mg.
post & gun & crew were captured
They saw us coming & threw up
their hands - / only post wh
didn't fight. On the crest of
the mound where / trench joins
the ^several trenches which junction there to
/ right ws aGerman post of
abt 8. They opened w stick
bombs as pty came up /
trench. They never hit
anyone. 2 Heav Light mgs
& one heavy were in this
same post. Pty had to rush
them - only abt 3 got away.
34

 

 

 

This pty ^of Germs ws using its bombs only.
Sedgwick worked half right
down / trench then, clearing them
right thro. Abt 10 c 1. 2 ws
a strong post of 2 light & 2
heavy guns. This ws rushed
an NCO ^Sergt Johnson & 3 men of 24 &
NCO Sergt. & 3 men of 21 st, capturing
/ guns until all / crew ws k.
After clearing these they took
up their positn in 1 / trench wh
circles to N E of St Q.
Sedgwick, Sergt Johnson & 3 o.r.
arrived there - all / rest
were wd or k. The 21st on
their right (A Coy) were in tt
part o / trench abt / same time
as 24 got there.
Another bombing pty under
Lt Smythe & Lt Courtney - 2 ncos

35
 

 

 

& 20 men followed Sedgwick
at 200 yds. These were organised
abt 1 p.m. when as soon as / orders came.
They followed to the S.P. by the
mound & continued on to /
left at the Y junction there,
& got into Plevna trench. Abt
50 Germs had gone down there.
They k abt 10 & got abt 30
prisoners & were eventually
linked up w / left of 24 Bn
wh got into / same trench.
In the Quarry by /
Cemetery wh ws just below
/ trench there were abt 50
prisoners taken. (C Coy. of
21 Bn were involved in this)
On the left the first tt ws known
o / attack was seeing the parties
36
 

 

 

moving forward on / hill.
As these parties went forward
a number of / Germs were seen
breaking away into / gully. They
were engaged, some of them at
150 yds to 200 yds, & 75 per
cent of them were knocked -
probly 80 were killed & another
40 or 50 wd.
Two small parties ^of 2 men each were sent
out from the left to reconnoitre
Plevna trench.
Cpl Dart DCM. M.M. ws on
/ left. They got into Plevna abt
half way down / hill & worked
right left down / trench
towds Tortille. They met a
pty of 40 germs or so coming
down & CpI Dart got shot one
& took 5 incl. an officer, &
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the rest must have gone back
to Tortille.
There ws a Coy of 21 Bn in
this trench at / time. They had
bn near / Quarry & in / trenches
round abt the NE corner of the
Mt. These prisoners were
handed over to them.
(Stuart) D Coy, left in ones & 2s
Baldock. (Lts Whitear & Book)
& a bombing pty went at / same
time; jumped into Plevna &
moved up to / left. B. Coy (Baldock)
Whitear
formed up & followed them.
After getting into Plevna, D Coy
21 Bn sent in abt 20 men
as a bombing party under Lt
Cope, & Br to bomb to / rt in
Tortille; & B & D of 24 Bn added
a party wh ws to bomb down
to / left.
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