Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/222/1 - August - September 1918 - Part 9

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Awaiting approval
Accession number:
RCDIG1066681
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

in tis he wsh Ea, batter. by shrepall in head Pascendeelc. entto May 2 He hadbn at Pozieres Bulleel, Paschendacle & ty End. Aug 23/ 1665n Fom Sery Robbins who sei it. Me triches from Madame Wosd were old prassed to No fermans were struck in the C.T. Sery& Robbins ws with LGarrett at first. They went sound to the left at I first turning He first oppositi t as struck as a barricade across I truck. The barricade her on made with tember I Eark. Hhe truck af very 10 deep & the barricade t Lyher
than your hear. They dilnt at this moment know where (ferrs. were A bourb - a stick bamb at this point showed to there wvery ferms. begond barricile when all her got 51 barricads we ptap t have a took - &fom tere cd see I ferms. - the rearest lot witin Sagds just beyond me off Frach peves crosses wh were there you cd see several groups of fermans, & one mg within goyards. This sun ws 0 put up to as almosth Co Enfilate 1 y we were in.
At this point H Garrett Os in lad & sery Robbins behind him. There as a bout filt there tastin an hour quarter. They were tetting very done - Robbins arm ws s teed w tro Millsbout We hat thrown practical all the two tompany's bombs I had to send beck for more. In 1 mcanting Lt farrett had gous or no boupe back W MacCartky sme ap. He asket what ws wron Sr Robbins Explained it to him Isd tey had very few bombe left. He ad there weorly one kay to do - that was 5 charget it. Robbins got all 1 bombsteed ge. He sent his bout arries back to collect ill tecd, + started wit subs in his pocket, 7A MaCarth led the way. He jumped upover
the pargeet & tu over the barricade into te Jerman trench. In Irecan time thy had had 2 men diggng tho I bottow banicade. A MacCarthy Robbins went ahead. followat by I Commies - on Seryt & 2 prevales who were attached to 6 Bn durin Istune (Sec leter) MolR. when they had gone abt togds round I trunch they struck a ferman & a fixed bayone? round a corner. He was just round I corner of a trunch Sh ran into main truch, 4 MacCark hot him a his revolvex before head do anything.
They continued throwny hombs working up Y & met 3 of a crew of a m.g H McCarky fined & shot one, & anoths & Lergs Robbins hombed 1 other werewsay fun shosti downI sep where tey ed see tohe men coming along - Mich came round I cooner on them. they kiled ti 3- & then went ahecd yoin I Saw I ferman Ceptain trying & reorganise his men. My looket down a length of lrnch &ter were I fermans scuffhey in all directis up main trech & a side y2 the officer as waving & giving orders. D McCarthy Shot this
officer - the officer as faci Gernans - Te fire all hoke & made for a havrow trech. They got in tere I threes a few bombs wh they had with them but almost at once got through heir stack We knew german bombs afteen for a whil etea tomt (At start Rotturs hed & e nol. one a s Nrw tem Terms put up a white flag - a head 4. a a lotof bload on it This brench was a dead end. One own people had hp playing over top to tey cdntge away. 23 Serp Robbins Potapon 83 asNn top & waved 1 form 39 365
& tey came roundI Y. there vere abt 40 here. 5 or 20 were K. in the fight. They wereall sent tack into trunch where our men wert. H MacCartry stayed & took charge of prisoners & Seryt Robbins went on w 2 nf ciews & waked up 1 trench to opposite some od german buts & poster them on some saps leading out & there ws a regalar honey coub relwork of Y. Olly 2 farms vere met & they were both ad &2 8 killed (by Killfine). In Ireantind Lieut
farred co see 1 £ Tommies working up 1 other brench He want over I top tooeed them I join up party of ours. They joined us across Itop wit him near the hats. There as pluity of distant mfe fire. Our pty ten wait back to near bamiade where we first aste In Tafter ferms starte abit of Cattack agst Townices. The Commres sent down (truct for some of our men. Capt darous took a pty up t they fired thats w a Shosphons Coub
Before the barriceds we sessed white farrett ws there before MacCaty arrivw tere was a L.9. of 1813n fering over to tox of the barriead mounted on prest of it. This jun's crew bs knockn outby a ferman boart. Anoher L.G. as forig pou point S. of I barricade He ectual crossing of barricale ws done by famping over 1 parcpet & past Iberricade & wts ferme trench [other sill. The m.J. hs firing all time. Htvs afer M.C. O Robbins let fre over t [ Tomnies dug through I barrscade-
s ato otilte te hote at t ws very small. Io ws day by 1 Seryt & 2 tommees. It ws tis before thy had got through later it we enlarged. The tomny Sery & his 2men came up w M/C O Robbins wher tige had Tot I genaus cornered in the sap The barricad had be recently made. T you had to get over parapet to fet into the hollow (E) from which the spoil had bu thrown up over barricade - & it wshere L. Fomny Sery & his 2 men dug by MClarthy's instructions

[*'Poz. Bullct.
Pashendaele
May 2*]
in / line – he ws hit 
by shrapnel in / head
– & ws sent to Aust hospital
He had bn at Pozieres
Bullect, Paschendaele
& May 2nd.
Aug 23/ 16Bn
(From Sergt Robbins
who sent it.)
The trenches from Madame Wood
were old grassed trenches. No
Germans were struck in the
C.T.  Sergt Robbins ws
with Lt Garrett at first.
They went sound to the left
at /  first turning.
The first oppositn tt ws
struck ws a barricade across
/ trench. The barricade had
bn made with timber &
earth.  The trench ws very
deep & the barricade ws higher
82

 

than your hear. They
didnt at this moment
know where / Germs. were
A bomb – a stick bomb
at this point showed tt
there were Germs. beyond
/ barricade.
When we had got to /
barricade we got up to have
a look – & from there cd
see / Germs. – the nearest lot
within 30 yds just beyond
some old French graves – 3
crosses wh were there.
You cd see several groups
of Germans, & one m.g. within
40 yards. This gun ws
put up so as almost to
enfilade / trench we were in.
83

 

Diagram - see original document
At this point
Lt Garrett ws in
/ lead & Sergt
Robbins behind him. There ws
a bomb fight there lasting
an hour & a quarter. They were
getting very done – Robbins arm ws v tired w throwing
Mills bomb. We had thrown practically all the
two company's bombs & had
to send back for more. In /
meantime Lt Garrett had gone
back ^for more bombs & Lt MacCarthy came up.
He asked what ws wrong.
Sergt Robbins explained it to him
& sd they  had very few bombs
left. He sd there ws only one
thing to do – that was to charge
it. Robbins got all / bombs he cd get.
He sent his bomb carrier back to collect all he cd, & started with
8 bombs ea in his pocket, & Lt MacCarthy
led the way. He jumped up over
 84

 

the parapet & then over
the barricade into the
German trench. In / mean
time they had had 2 men
digging thro / bottom o /
barricade.  Lt MacCarthy &
Robbins went ahead. followed
by 3 Tommies – on Sergt 1 & 2
privates who were attached to
16 Bn during / stunt. (See later)
When ^McC & R they had gone abt
10yds round / trench they
struck a German w a fixed
bayonet round a corner. He
was just round / corner of
a trench wh ran into /
main trench. Lt MacCarthy
shot him w his revolver
before he cd do anything.
85

 

They continued throwing bombs
working up / trench & met
3 of a crew of a m.g.
Lt McCarthy fired & shot one, & another
& Sergt Robbins bombed / other.
They were using / gun shooting 
down / sap where they cd see
/ other men coming along – McC
came round / corner on them.
They killed the 3 – &
then went ahead again &
saw / German Captain trying
& reorganise his men. They
looked down a length of trench
& there  were / Germans
scuttling in all directns up /
main trench & a side trench &
the officer ws waving & giving
orders. Lt McCarthy shot this
86 

 

officer – the officer ws
facing / Germans – The Germs
all broke & made for a
narrow trench. They got in
there & threw a few bombs
wh they had with them
but almost at once
got through their stock

[*hand drawn diagram- see original document.*]
We threw German bombs at them for a while
While ^(At / start Robbins had 8 ^men McC one) abt ^In this fight Robbins threw 
[* stick bombs (there were plenty of them) McC ws
leading w his revolver & R.  bombing 
after him all / way. It was Cpl Paynes
Platoon wh went to / right wh got
the German [[McC?]] officer.  McC was in/c
of the Coy tt day. (It ws Capt Lynast.*]
& then / Germs put up
a white flag – a handkf.
w a lot of blood on it This
trench was a dead end.
Our own people had mgs
playing over / top so they
cdnt get away.
Sergt Robbins got up onto 
top & waved / Germans
87 

 

& they came round /
trench.  There were abt 40
there.  5 or 20 were k.
in the fight.  They were all
sent back into / trench
where our men were.
Lt MacCarthy stayed & took
charge of prisoners &
Sergt Robbins went on w
2 m.g. crews & worked up
/ trench to opposite some
old German huts & posted
them on some saps leading
out. There ws a regular
honeycomb network of trenches.
Only 2 Germs were met
& they were both wd & 2
killed (by shellfire).
In / meantime Lieut
88

 

Garrett cd see / S Tommies
working up / other trench.
He went over / top to meet
them & join up / party of
ours. They joined us across
/ top with him near the
huts. There ws plenty of
distant m.g. fire.
Our pty then went
back to near / barricade
where we first started.
In / aftn / Germs
started a bit of c/attack agst
/ Tommies. The Tommies
sent down / trench  for
some of our men. Capt
Aarons took a pty up &
they fired / huts w a
phosphorus bomb.
89 

 

Before the barricade ws
passed while Garrett ws
there before MacCathy arrived
there was a L.G. of 10 Bn
firing over the top of the barricade
– mounted on part of it. This
gun's crew ws  knocked
out by a German bomb.
Another L.G. ws firing from a
point S. of / barricade.
The actual crossing o /
barricade ws done by
jumping over / parapet into
& past / barricade & into /
trench / other side. The ^German m.g.
ws firing all / time.
It ws after M/C & Robbins
had gone over tt / Tommies
dug through / barricade –
90 

 

Diagram - see original document
The hole at F ws very small. It ws dug
by / ^Tommy Sergt & 2 Tommies. It ws
¼ hr before they had got through –
later it ws enlarged. The Tommy
Sergt & his 2 men came up w
M/C & Robbins when they had
got / Germans cornered in
the sap.
The barricade had bn
recently made. There You had to
get over / parapet to get into
the hollow (F.) from which the
spoil had bn thrown up over
/ barricade – & it ws here tt
/ Tommy Sergt & his 2 men dug
by MCarthy's instructions
 91

 
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