Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/254/1 - 1917 - 1933 - Part 8
GLP/DC.
VR/1072/A.
Branch Office No. 5 Area,
I.W.G.C. ALBERT.
-------
Lt. Colonel W. Mumford,
Area Superintendent, No. 1 Area,
I.W.G.C., YPRES, Belgique.
My dear Mumford,
I have received a query relating to Australian
isolated burials from the Commonwealth Historian in
Melbourne, the particulars of which are required before
certain military histories can be completed.
The query reads as follows: -
"On the Eastern side of Broodseinds Ridge did you
find any of the 10th Battn. near Celtic Wood? -
100 of them disappeared there or near there in a
raid about 17 Oct. 1917, and we can get no word of
them from German or Australian records."
If you can by any chance furnish me with any
information which will answer the question, I can assure
you that it will be most welcome and appreciated.
I have already had certain data from Browne at
Armentieres, and before writing to Australia I thought
that you may possibly be able to help me in this one
outstanding matter.
Any information contained in your letter will,
of course, be treated as confidential.
With best wishes,
Yours sincerely,
Albert.
12.3.25.
WSB/ASK AR/AS/9/30.
[* 9 1072 *]
Branch Office.
Imperial War Graves Commission.
ARMENTIERES.
Major Phillips,
Area Superintendent,
No. 5 Area. I.W.G.C.
ALBERT.
My Dear Phillips:
I am afraid I cannot give you any information regarding
the Broodseinde Ridge query as this particular
Sector is in No. 1 Area.
In Rue du Bois M.C. there are 12 men of the 10th
Australian Battalion who were killed in June 1916, and
one who was killed in May 1916.
No men of this Battalion are buried in Rue David M.C.,
Rue Petillon M.C. or Y Garm M.C.
Yours very Sincerely,
A S Browne
IMPERIAL WAR GRAVES
COMMISSION.
No. 2 AREA
Armentieres.
No 0-3-25.
Date___
GLP/DC. VR/1072/A.
Branch Office No. 5 Area,
I.W.G.C. ALBERT.
-----------
Major W. S. Browne,
Area Superintendent, No. 2 Area,
ARMENTIERES.
My dear Browne,
Reference your A.R./AS/9/28 of 25.2.25.
In acknowledging this letter I wish to thank you
for the information which Pitman and Kohler were good enough
to obtain for Mr. Bean, and I hasten to assure you that your
letter will be treated as confidential.
Before sending your list to Australia, I would be
pleased if any information could be secured in answer to
Mr. Bean's query which reads as follows:-
"On the Eastern side of Broodseinde Ridge did
you find any of the 10th Battn. near Celtic
Wood? - 100 of them disappeared there or near
there in a raid about 17 Oct. 1917, and we can
get no word of them from German or Australian
records."
On referring to your list I note that the
following cemeteries: -
Rue du Bois M.C.
Rue Petillon M.C.
"Y" Farm M.C.
Rue David M.C.
contain Australian bodies, mostly 51st and 60th Battalions.,
and a number of 1st and 3rd Brigades also. Without putting
you to too much trouble, I wonder whether you could advise
me as to whether any of the 10th Bn. are interred in any of
the 4 Cemeteries mentioned - if so the approximate number
and whether their dates of death are registered in the year 1917.
I am rather of the opinion that a 10th Battalion
body has been buried in Rue David, as an Australian who had
been identified was buried there under my orders at the time
we arranged to inter the Unknown in V.C. Corner who were
found at Fromelles.
I regret having again to suggest further trouble to
your Registration Department and yourself, and especially at
this time when the staff is so small in numbers, but no doubt
you will appreciate the fact that the information is valuable
and much sought after by Mr. Bean.
With best wishes,
Yours very sincerely,
[[?Initial signature]]
Albert.
2.3.25.
GLP/SG. VR/9/F.
Branch Office, No. 5 Area,
Imperial War Graves Commission,
ALBERT. (Somme).
C.E.W. Bean Esq,
Official Historian, Victoria Barracks,
Melbourne, Victoria, Australia.
Dear Mr Bean,
Further to my letter of the 24.4.25 which
was despatched to you with certain information concerning
enquiries made by you during your recent visit to France,
I am now able to inform you that the following bodies
of the 10th Batt. A.I.F. have been found at Map Reference
28 J.9a.4.9.
No. 6088. Pte. H.M. O'born
No. 2803b. Pte. C.T.H. Tidswell.
As both of these bodies have been identified
by means of Discs, I know that the information may possibly
be of importance to you.
The Australian records show that Tidswell
was killed in action in Belgium on 2.10.17, and O'born
on 3.10.17, and that the latter's isolated grave was within
the Far side of Westhoek Ridge.
Any further information that may come to hand
in the future, will be immediately transmitted to you.
I trust that you and Mrs Bean are quite well,
and that you have now completely recovered from your
operation in England.
With best wishes,
Yours sincerely,
Signature
Area Superintendent.
Australian Representative,
Imperial War Graves Commission,
France and Flanders.
Albert.
30.11.25.
[* Sgt SG Shave 9 Bn
Killed in action 9/10/17 *]
After receiving the Official news of the death of Sergt
Shave I wrote to the Officer in Command of his
Company for information as to how and where he
was killed, and he very kindly forwarded to me
the following reply, which is a true copy of that
portion of his letter refering to Sergt Shave's death &c
(Copy)
To M.W. Shave
Dear Sir
Reference your letter dated 25th Oct.
Please accept my apologies for not writing to you
sooner, We have been continuously in & out of the
line of late so I have not had an opportunity of
writing to relatives of my men & & N.C.o's who
were killed in action.
Firstly accept my deepest sympathy in your
recent bereavement x caused by your son's
gallant death, I can assure you dear Sir that
I feel his loss immensely, since he was one of
my most gallant, reliable, and conscientious
sergeants, he played his game right royally.
Reference his C death
After having been in the line at Broodseinde
Ridge for four days, the Battalion was relieved
on the 9' night of the 9th Octr. not a shot was fired
until we were 1.000 yards behind the front line,
(over)
when both sides opened up a barrage
unfortunately Sergt. Shave was killed and
x on the duckboards and four others wounded
He was buried in the valley between Broodseinde
and Augar Ridges. Once again I join in your
bereavement
Your Obedient Servant
Fred. G. Biggs
O.C. A.Coy Lieut.
__________________
P.S. Sergt. Shave was wounded on three separate
occasions before he was killed.
I also give another address for reference for
information -
Address
Mr. Tom English
Frederick Street
Taringa
Brisbane
Queensland
Australia
Yours faithfully
William Shave
_________________
[* Docts of Record *]
FIFTH AUSTRALIAN INFANTRY BRIGADE
----------
Brigade Headquarters,
10th October 1917.
PRELIMINARY REPORT ON OPERATIONS - 9-10-17
At ZERO the battalions moved off getting a good start. The
barrage was good and the men followed well under it. The RED Line was
captured to time and consolidation started. A large number of prisoners
were captured and many killed. When the barrage lifted to the BLUE Line
the 17th Bn followed on and reached the approximate line of the 2nd
objective. Owing to the fact that the left Bn. of the 6th Bde. on our right
flank lost direction it at worked in with the 17th and 20th Bns north of
DAIRY WOOD. Both DAIRY and DAISY WOOds were holding up the 6th Bde. and
considerable trouble was experienced from enemy snipers and machine guns
catching us with reverse fire. At 7-30 am it was considered necessary
to reinforce the left flank. This was done with 1 Company of 19th Bn who took
up a position N. of the railway covering the left flank. About 11 am.
onwards the people on our left started to fall back and took up a
position north of the railway, where our left flank now rests. This
fact and the very severe fire from DAIRY and DAISY Woods and the ridge
in front, caused our advanced troops to fall back to a better defensive
position, which turns out to be approx. on the RED line. The situation
on the right being apparently at a standstill and not improving I
decided to clear up the woods and ordered a Company of 19th Bn to
clear DAIRY WOOD which was carried out at 2-30 p.m. and 15 prisoners
captured. In this man minor operation DAISY WOOD was also gone through
and posts established on east side of it. The capture of DAIRY Wood
was greatly assisted by the use of Stokes Mortar. A reconnaissance of
the front line at 5-10 am. established the line in the Bde. Sector as
follows :- D 17 d 85 20 - D 17 d 85 40 - D 17 b 3 3 where we are in
touch with the people on the left. It was reported at 7 pm. that these
people had fallen back to the original front line. Our front line was
immediately strengthened and touch obtained with the left. I satisfied
myself on the point and then asked decided to ask for the RED protective
barrage as the S.O.S. Line.
Numbers of prisoners and casualties unknown, but both large.
A fuller report follows.
Brig-General,
Commanding 5th Aust. Inf. Bde.
EIGHTEENTH AUSTRALIAN INFANTRY BATTALION.
Battalion Headquarters,
17th October 1917.
-------------
SPECIAL INTELLIGENCE REPORT.
Following are reports from patrols last night (6/7th.) regarding
small garrisons opposite our front. I took advantage of artillery shoot
at 6'15 a.m. this morning to endeavour to mop up a few of these parties
and gain identification.
Two parties of volunteers went out under two officers. "A" Company
Lieut. K.G. Connelly and 20 O.R. moved out in four parties of five each, on
a 75 yards front; the right flank of the party moving from D.29.b.05.50.
and moved towards D.29.b.20.70. . This party encountered no opposition for
about 100 yards and then came under machine gun fire from D.29.b.25.80.
Lieut. Connelly estimates the number of the enemy seen by the men to be
about 25. One party rushed the position at D.29.b.18.80. The remainder of party were hung up on line of hedge which is wired. The enemy is in a narrow trench immediately
on Hedge line. Bombs were thrown into the trench and then they commenced to
make their way back, cleaning up the ground between the Hedge and our own
line. One N.C.O. (Sgt. Rouse) ) carrying in a captured machine gun. This
N.C.O. was still missing at 10 a.m. Unconfirmed reports state that he was
killed by shell. Lieut. Connelly's party returned to the starting point.
On the left, Lieut. H.H. Thompson and party of 25 O.R. went out along
sap running forward from D.23.c.80.50. and on reaching remains of old house
at D.23.c.10.50. extended to the right from C.T. They immediately came under
machine gun fire from the left flank and in front, and approached to within
25 yards of the line running from D.23.d.00. to D.23.d.35.45. The men
dropped into shell holes and engaged the enemy with rifle fire. The officer
estimates that the enemy strength in front of this party is placed at 30.
The 19th. Battalion opened fire on the enemy machine guns on their front an
to our left flank. A party of the enemy 25 to 30 strong tried to work round
the left flank. These were fired on by Lewis guns from our front line, and
dispersed. Ten or twelve were seen to fall. Our party then came back covering
the withdrawal of the right party with prisoners. Prisoners brought in belong
to the J.R.450. They relieved the Bavarians last night. An enemy plane also
fired on our men during the stunt. Thirteen prisoners were brought in and two
passed through the 11th. Battalion lines. Hun stretcher bearers have been
seen evacuating wounded. Their casualties are estimated at 25 to 30 killed
and wounded. The enemy has rushed up fresh garrisons.
Capt Bean.
With compliments.
8 am
7/10/17
[[?]] J Murphy Lt-Col.,
Commanding 18th. Battalion, A.I.F.
[*R46/2*]
[* Regimental Records.
18 Bn. Oct. 9. 1917. *]
18th Battalion raided an annoying German sniping post
under a practice barrage. The Germans did not know they were'
coming till they had gone 150 yards. Captured 15 men and
machine gun; Sergt. who got machine gun was sniped dead coming
back. The date was Sunday, 6th Oct. at 6.15 a.m. behind
a practice barrage - quite impromptu. (Our people standing
up [*Evening before*] on parapet had not been sniped.) Germans tried to cut
the raiders off on the left; about 30 came out, but the 19th
Battalion cut them up.
As we were getting back the Germans came up to the place
our men attacked. The Germans came up from China Wood. We
went back at them and killed some. Germans opened up with
a machine gun on the right flank, which caused most casualties
18th Battn. was relieved on the night of 7/8, and came back
to the Gasometer in Zonnebeke.
11.30 a.m. on 7th. The Germans seemed to have to have brought up
more guns, and put up a barrage when we put one up. Rain
came. We came in. Something like Flers - a lot of
incipient trench feet - men got about in socks and couldn't get boots
on again. About 123 evacuated - out of about 350. The German
fire was very incessant. Of course he was expecting an
attack. Men were on dumps and duckboards under observation-
dumping duckboards and off for all they were worth - 5th Div.
yesterday would do the same - make one wild rush for the last
100 yards and get for all they were worth. One prisoner
thought that all men with Iron Crosses were shot.
The duckboards were up to Tokio, near Zonnebeke Church.
(The Germans brought Zonnebeke Church Tower down on top of
the cooks yesterday. One of the cooks said it was the first
time he had been to church for 27 years, and then they throw
it down on top of us.) One German artilleryman said "you've got us
beaten. He wrote to his people:- I'm right up near the
infantry now - next time I'll write from England.
18th and 19th were to attack first. The relief of the
18th and 19th was hung up till day, 24 hours before the attack
- they could not be got out by day, so the 17th and 20th
wereg given the attack. The 17th and 20th jumped off - the
20th for red, 17h for blue. About 2 hours later the 18th
and 19th, who had been sent to the front line, were pushed
up. Dairy Wood had held them up, and both flanks were in
the air.
The barrage was good, but not so good as before. The
ground was not so sloppy as behind the lines. On the left
the Germans were just over the ridge in posts entrenched with
machine guns. Our barrage had been on him, for many were
killed. On the left of the railway line was a strong post
with 40 or 50 Germans in amongst a dump of sorts a little
North of the cutting. The Tommies were not up. "C" Coy.
saw the Germans sniping them from there and came back and
dealt with it, and captured the Germans. Used for supports
all day, the 20th were ahead further.
At Decline Copse railway cutting we were on the left
side of the cutting as well as the right. We captured 5
machine guns in the cutting beside the Copse and cleared it.
The Germans were getting into us from the right, a blockhouse
near Decoy Wood. We were at Decline Copse three
quarterss of an hour. The Germans saw we were farther
right - a gap between. . (Decline Copse is on the left of
the cutting whose bank goes into it.) Our men had to come
back to Defy Crossing, where the first strong point had been,
where 50 were captured. The 5th Brigade line was just N.W.
of Dairy Wood to Rhine House. The 6th Brigade, instead of
going through Dairy Wood, went round the North of it after
the 5th Brigade - machine guns were active there. At 4 p.m.
Capt. Taylor's Coy. of 19th Bn. attacked Dairy Wood from the
north, and established posts on the south and east side of
it, capturing 15 Germans and 1 machine gun. The 6th Brigade
were then mixed with the 19th Bn. in posts North of the Wood
and a post south of the Rhine.
[*R46/2.*]
(2)
A post of the 17th Bn. existed between Assyria and Rhine
House. They got up behind the barrage and were in Assyria
House - a big red house near the crossroads which we take
for Assyria. They were there all day about 300 yards back
from Assyria - 15 men and Lieut. Allen, 17th Bn. . He managed
to get a message back to the 20th Bn. near Rhine House
(N.W. of it) to say he would retire at dusk - The Germans
knew where he was. He had just come wjen the Germans came
out, and our barrage came down fair on the spot where his
post had been. He wento on the left of the 20th Bn., 18 c 1.7
or possibly on
5 waves of Germans were seen to come across in this attack.
North of Assyria a Commissioned Officer., Lt. Lyons,
M.M., was left with some men, and also some at Decline Copse.
The dugouts are on the North side of the cutting near Decline
Copse. Before then it was an embankment. The Germansw
were in a trench from Decline Copse Defy Crossing southwards beyond the
road, and this was where a good many machine guns came from.
Many Germans were killed there by our barrage - no resistance.
Our people on the right were caught by German machine guns
from British territory on the left. Also from Busy Wood,
which caused surprisingly few casualties.
The 45th Bn. has a post just S.E. of K in Kerselaarhoek,
North of Defy Crossing. Germans could be seen in the front
line carrying, plenty of them. The forming of a defensive
flank by dropping posts (without much warning) was very difficult
to men who were apt to go on. Allen made the 6th
Brigade do this (as the 5th Brigade had not) when the 6th
Brigade came through.
Fromour old position in 17 c 8.3. we were completely to
enfilade and worry the Germans who were opposite the 6th
Brigade on the right 900 yards away.
____________________________
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