Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/272/1 - 1917 - 1932 - Part 8

47
very close now and at frequent intervals.
Several high explosive shells burst
almost above our heads, & jagged pieces
of metal struck the ground with terrific
force, smoking with white heat from the
explosion. Things were beginning to get
very unhealthy.  A tree was struck near
the base of the trunk.... and snapped like
a sapling. Portions of the hedge went
high into the air & lumps of wood fell
down on top of us. We were afraid of
looking up for fear of getting our
eyes cut by shrapnel pellets. Within
inches of us at times we could hear
these strike the ground like rain drops
before a big storm... In some holes
shells made a direct hit & blew every
man to pieces. It was all from our own
artillery & we were getting what was
meant for the enemy. I have been in
German bombardments often enough
but this eclipses anything we have
known for intensity. It was terrific.
Just now there was an explosion
fairly high overhead & a "swishing"
noise that denoted the approach of
a fragment.  Sooner than it takes to
 

48
relate a nose cap from this shell
struck... Harry Greenaway right on
top of the head. He was sitting next to me
& I looked round to see his head split
in two... It was a fearful spectacle....
With one accord we resolved to take stock of the
situation now & do something before we were all
killed... We all rose up & called out to
comrades. We were in a most serious
situation. Could not move until we received
orders: - One surviving officer now took
charge & seeing that we were in a hopeless
plight, gave orders to retire to the N. Z line.
We just boldly stepped out of our
cover now. Those of our wounded who
showed signs of recovering were carried &
the remainder were left to their fate. I can
never forget the look on their faces. One
man called out "shoot me if you are going
to leave me fall into the hands of the
enemy".  None of them wanted to be left to
such a cruel fate but at the moment it
was a case of self preservation. We had
our own lives to protect and could do nothing
that would delay or impair our removal
to safety. One last look at the number
lying incapacitated in shell holes was
enough. The tears streamed down my
 

49
face when I turned my back on them &
ran with as much speed as strength
would permit towards the NZ line.
No time was to be lost in penetrating
the barrage, which was some depth. It
seemed that we were disgraced & never had
I ever expected that I would be running
away from any anything in such haste.
Only a few hours before we were 
exulting over our brilliant victory &
now, the tables were turned... We
were just a rabble going back, each
man for himself...
I was too exhausted to run after covering
a few yards over broken ground & was only
moving at a slow walk just dragging my feet
along one after the other. Crossing shell holes I
saw revolting sights. The enemy had penetrated
our lines in places during that first c/attack.
.....Only for having a m/gun so close
we might have shared the same fate...
Looking back for an instant was
horrified to see a new German c/attack
developing. They were coming on in hordes
--. We were under the fire of both
artilleries now... German m/guns
also were active....
I was in a jog trot & losing no time.
 

50
We were all scattered everywhere.
Some men were carrying wounded, but it
was as much as I could do to drag myself
along without carrying anyone else....
The officer who gave the last order to retire
fell in a broken mangled heap, being
struck by a shell fragment. Immediately 
in front of me one man was hit squarely
between the shoulders. It was a direct hit....
Had only gone a few yards again when there
was a shriek ... & then a blinding flash.
Instinctively I fell down on the ground.
Was so close to the explosion that I was
covered with dirt. "Whang”  went
something past my head & buried itself
in the ground. Was just rising again
that assumed a stooping posture clutching
my rifle just below the bayonet base,
when here was a second explosion in
exactly the same place.... The rifle
was knocked out of my hand ... a
fragment of steel had struck it .... completely
breaking the bayonet off the rifle ....
Seeing a wounded man in a shell hole with a
rifle beside him, I hastily picked it up. He told me
to make good use of it for he was past using a rifle
again.....
Had retired fully 500 yds & now came upon the
NZ line.... They had been busily engaged
 

51.
building earthworks & now had a formidable
entrenchment constructed.... I just fell to the
ground utterly exhausted.... I could not muster
enough strength to keep a cat at bay. Breathing was
difficult and I really thought... I would die of
exhaustion.
Other men were "standing to".... I felt a weakling.
The expected attack did not develop however. Our
artillery had broken that up long ago. Not a German
could be seen ... I laid down in the trench for 
fully half an hour & came back.. to normal again...
Looking round I heard voices of Australians they
were cheering each other up & I heard men say "We 
must regain that ground at all costs before morning".
.....
I stood up ... Realised what a different thing it was
to be on the aggressive to the defensive. In the latter the
morale of the troops is invariably completely shattered
It is no wonder we found our enemies in such a
deplorable plight today when we all had him on the
run.....
Darkness came on now very suddenly. Many
German flares commenced to illuminate the sky...
The NZs were very busy digging a trench & strengthening
their defences....  At the same time Maori troops were
feverishly constructing a sap from front to rear.....
Observing a number of our men moving towards
the rear I thought I had better follow & see if I could
find the battalion. The few men about here appeared to be
stragglers only....  Had not gone far when before I
heard a loud "tattoo" from m/guns somewhere
close in front .... Only by the flares & star shells
could I find my way along & occasionally met men
walking either to or from the firing line. Frequently
stumbled over dead or wounded... After a
little time came upon a nest of German m/gs
 

52.
Vickers m/guns. A whole battery was in action
here doing concentrated fire at long range. The
noise was deafening.... After a laborious
walk came to a sap... I traversed a few hundred
yards of this & was obliged on several occasions to fall
down flat on the bottom from shells coming close. They
burst on the parapet sending down a heap of earth
that nearly buried me.... It became course the farther
I went, & meeting some diggers coming towards the front
line they told me it was a veritable hell farther on, &
I would do well to get out & walk along the top of the
ground.....Taking sound advice I soon got out
of the sap & walked along the open ground. --
Came upon a network of entrenchments all badly
battered. They seem to have been the old German
front line. The 18 pdr batteries were situated here
& all were now in action....  Crowds of troops,
English, NZ & Aust were moving about on various
duties....
....Ran into a stream of wounded coming from the
front line. There were hundreds of walking cases, &
s/bs were also in the throng.... I enquired from these
men of any battalion & was overjoyed when I located
some of them ..... The casualty clearing station
was situated in a dugout in our old trenches.
Hundreds of men were awaiting treatment.....
It was no use me waiting about here any longer.
The night was fast passing & I wanted rest badly.
...I was informed that if I went a little way
farther out of the line I would come to an old front
line trench in which were many dugouts.....
Was most fortunate now to pick up three men from
my battalion. They had become isolated.... We
would take cover until daylight when we may find
our battalion if it still existed.
 

53.
....We laid down on the duckboards & went fast
asleep..... The next thing I remember was being awakened
by a comrade & told we had a certain time to make
headway for the line.... It was much easier making
our way back than coming out last night. Lines of communication
had been prepared during the night & saps constructed.
A constant line of runners, s/bearers, etc were passing to
& fro continually. We got into the traffic stream & then
it was straight going..... Passing through

the guns we had a better opportunity to witness
the wholesale destruction that was wrought during
the night......In a hole there was a large
howitzer. The gun crew... asked for some little
assistance which was only too readily given them....
They asked to have some breakfast. There was nothing
to eat but a Dixie of hot coffee worked miracles in
our bodies....
Traversed a sap now that had been dug during the
night by Maori troops.... They were still toiling & in
places we had to get out & walk along the top....
We pushed on as far as the NZ line.....  This was a
well fortified trench now with m/gun emplacements & all
conveniences for defending an attack. There were a few
Australians about & we enquired about our battalion.
They each directed us to different places....
Being told the position of the battalion we now set out over
open ground.... Noticed that all the dead had been
buried, for the previous day every shell hole contained
two or three bodies. Advanced a few hundred yards
....Had no idea how far ahead the enemy was
situated but was given to understand that our front
line was being held by Australian troops. Came to
the place at which we had been directed. Lying
scattered about in shell holes were a few stragglers
from my battalion. They had spent the night here
& now like ourselves were looking for the main body.
 

54
....it appears that our battalion is in the
frontline now. It meant we had about 400 yards
to go over the most difficult ground. This advance had
to be made in short rushes..... Whizzbangs were
falling fairly frequently.... Machine gun bullets were
just skimming over the ground too....
When we safely reached the front line trench, we
dropped into it as quickly as possible..... We were
disappointed for the 44th Infantry held this position.
Some of the 47th were here though.... There was a very nice
officer here & I reported to him.... He told me to attach myself
to that unit & they would be glad of every man they could get
as they had only just come into action & were doing a
"hop over" again.....
A temporary trench only had been constructed
here by linking up shell holes. It afforded sufficient
cover for the time being. It was remarkably quiet in
front. Artillery had ceased save for a few stray shells,
....It was a beautiful bright morning & inclined
to be hot as the day went on...
Without any artillery preparation we were to make
the advance. Our objective was a German trench abt 200
yds distant. From all appearances now there did not
seem to be much kind of life there. . The order
was passed along to "stand to" preparatory to going
over..... Nobody seemed unduly excited.
We were quite calm when the order came round to advance
We now moved round in two waves as quietly as
possible to the German trench. I was in the first wave
& instead of being met with violent rifle fire the
moment we stepped over the parapet, it was like as
though we were moving along the parade ground.
Were not running although doing a fast walk
........

 

55.
Scanning the ground ahead eagerly for signs of the
enemy, we could not see a man. Everything was so
still it seemed an ill-omen..... Each yard brought
no further result & it seemed they were waiting to launch
a volley as soon as we got within a few yards.
.....The last few yards were the most critical. Slowly
we advanced to the parapet with bayonets fixed ready
to meet them..... In breathless suspense now, paused
on the parapet & looked down. To our intense surprise the
trench was unoccupied.... Without a moment's
hesitation, now we jumped down into it to take cover 
......A number of Germans dead & a few
Australians lined the bottom of the trench. These was
hastily thrown out.....
.....of this trench there was practically nothing
left it having been blown to pieces in places....
we prepared to consolidate it. Only a limited number
of picks & shovels were here so the remainder of us got
out our entrenching tools & commenced to dig in. It
really meant linking up all the shell holes.....
The earth was quite soft ^(from continued shelling) & it was only a matter of scraping
it away to construct our trench....... It was
surprising the progress we made in a short time & it was not
long before we were below ground. Burrowed from one
hole to another. Used the sandbags we carried now
for constructing a parapet.
Just a little to our left was as German ^.... pillbox.
The enemy... suddenly commenced to shell it.... one
landed in a shell hole ... wounding three men. This bombardment
was continued for sometime & we all had to lie still during
its progress in the bottom of the trench, which was now
about five feet deep.....
At regular intervals during the day we were
subjected to a violent bombardment. It happened to be the
 

56.
trench we had vacated that was really being bombarded
& we received many short shells .... Each time a
bombardment was in progress it meant lying down flat in
the bottom (of the trench) with the stomach pressed against
the wall of the trench.... The noise of bursting
shells was so great that one could not hear oneself speak.
...During a lull at one time we heard the sound of
an aeroplane engine.... Looking over we saw a large
black cross which denoted a German aeroplane. It was
flying dangerously low & no doubt reconnoitering our
position. A number of rifles & m/guns were directed
towards it but without any apparent result. In a few
minutes there were a few loud explosions as several
bombs... hit the ground. They went wide of the trench
& did no damage. He now turned & flew right along the
top of the trench with a swoop like a hawk, enfilading it
with m/gun fire as he passed.... We were all in
hiding .. when some of our aeroplanes came over,
the German made off towards his own lines....
Right up until night time the intermittent bombdt
continued & we laid low. Suffered a number of casualties
& it was no uncommon thing to excavate & unearth men
who had been buried.  Some spoke of the likelihood of
being relieved tonight. ... Was beginning to feel
the pangs of hunger but.... could not enjoy food at the present
moment.
As the darkness of another night approached, thousand
of German flares pierced the sky.... We had scouts out in
front forming outposts....  It was just after dark when we
received word of a new German c/attack developing immediately
in our front.. All hands had orders to stand to arms.
Peering into the darkness we tried to discern the approaching
enemy but could not see a sign. His flares had ceased....
& it was only an occasional star shell from our lines that
revealed the landscape but not disclosing a German
soldier.....  It was only a few minutes since we got