Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/46/1 - June 1916 - Part 2

※
14
8
"struck by lightning
Spy story .- girls w guns.
36 guns 5000 rds.
others  [shorthand] 5000 rds rt & left & covering
Awful N.Z. trenches.
Kitchener
Naval battle.
Brooks.
Notices over N.Z. lines : Saxons wait
to see true news.
Ryan 4 our lines.
Raids. 2 days.
Tel. detectors.
Survey Balloons no use to us.
Battle (shorthand)  125 H.P in (shorthand)
 

36
Southland
boat will do overturned. 
men beneath boat all
struggling. All but 2 got on to her.
flat bottom. Didn't dare to move
- wdnt let anyone even shout
tt boat ws ship ws in sight for
fear of someone jumping & upsetting

her. One small boats of 9 wont
come near them to tow. Wanted to
get away from sinking ship so used
leggings hands rudder - afterwds
oar picked up & hands used as
rowlocks. [shorthand] didn't pick them up
as 5 transports astern but went
14   1
after submarine. Transpt lowered
boat to pick them up but ws warned off
by destroyer. (Signaller on boat w
read signals to proceed
at once) However 
transport waited for
boat. Same At first (on 
boat) gloomy. Then sang onwd
Xtian soldiers. Then
comic songs. Finally
3 cheers for Marconi
when ships
came up.
 

Collapsible boat let go at
one end - 2 of crew jumped into
her 14 ft above water. Fall at one
end let go all 30 tipped out.
[Hand drawn sketch, see original document]
Got into boat ½ full of water. [[?]] 
her she suddenly ws waterlogged

Allan Barton - stayed to 
the last party on Gallipoli:
Glasfurd also in last boat
says
undoubtedly
big stuff
thrown into
Anzac 
on last day,
smashed up 
our 
deep dugouts
at D.H.Q. & fitted 
Martins sap..
 

[*A Coy 27^th Bn
9.30
26 Bn
[[?]]
& Q.M. Staff 17.*]

Southland:
2 Coys of 23rd on Southlands
as well as 21st. A few N.Z.
& British.
Whistle blown - water splashed in thro
ports on clerks who were doing up
15 page orders for Mudros.
 

2
15/16 June 1916.
One N. Zealander missing
yesty.
NZ
Hand drawn diagram, see original document

14
3
Troops in front of N.Zs
Prisoner of 133rd Regt 24 Divn captured 
of 15/16 June 1916 at Pont Ballot
by N.Z. Divn.
Germs ddidnt know what troops were in front
of them. They believe they are Indians (prob. Maoris)
were sent out (2 sergts 3 men) to examine our wire
& discover -
He is Prussian from Berlin. 133 I.R.
belongs to XIX Corps (Saxon)

          }     { 139^th Regt  }
          }     {                        }24 Divns
NZ    }      { 133 6              }
          }----{Prob 36 6.2yd. 2½.O.
          }      { 179 6
         
 

14
4
5 Coys holding front line, 3 in
support. 2nd Bn resting.
(8 Coys)   (4 Coys)
2nd Bn resting in Lompret &
Verlingheim. Rest billets of Regt
are in Roubaix.
When we open fire on [[G?]] line
men go to dugouts; if fire
too intense, garrison retires
to trenches on flanks.
Shortage of sandbags. Breaches
in parapets are repaired by
rails covered w tufts of grass.
Prisoner thought German our
trenches were better than enemy's.
his own. Dugouts in front &
 

14
5
support line - but those
in Suppt. line not concreted.
In front line covered w
3 in concrete - Iron rails
over tt; corrugated iron &
Earth, but not in sandbags,
over tt.
apptly a sufficient
- 2 Dugouts in front line
to each group (8 men)
Alarm by ringing bell.
No gas seen.
Prisoner had examined air
photos before going out on
patrol.
No steel helmets.
Sniping genly over parapet.
[we saw ^today a sniper thro ^sham sandbag
 

14
6
made of brown paper -
wh ws partly blown away
by his rifle).
In Coy of 210 - abr 105 are
active, 10 volunteers 35
reservists, 25-30 [[Landwehr,?]]
25 men of 1916.
1917 class training but not 
yet in field.
14 days in front line,
in support, 14 days in billets
(evidently differs)
XIX Corps 24 Divn 47 Bde.
L^t Gen. Krug von Nidda.
133 Regt Commanded by Col. Kullman
Some 75. mm. Belgian guns
 

14
7
behind line rear Le Temple.
yestdys Recent prisoners sd tt
Australians were first
recognised by their hats).
Thought they were [shorthand]. Abt
as much recognition as
if we "thought they were
Silesians " or "Saxons."
77 F.A Regt.
24^th Flight. (w 24 Divn)
Labour Bn gone some time
ago. Mining sectn disbanded
& absorbed in Regt.
M.g.s operated by 13^th Jaeger.
__________________
Prisoners of 119^th Grenadier Rgt
125, 120^th Regts at Ypres (13^th Corps)
show tt moral (as always in tt Corps)
 

14
8
is good. They dont complain of
food or anything. Only officers
state tt attack of 2nd ws a
futile mistake due to von
Watters ambitions.
50% Active & Reserve (mostly 1914 1915 classes)
40% { [[?]] Landsturm,
         { Ersatz Reserve
          {Landwehr
10 % 1916 class.
M.G.Coys average 125 men.
Each has 6 guns & 1 spare gun
(2 coys - i.e. 14 guns to regt).
(We have 12 I think)
Telephones in German lines now in
metallic circuits in 
steel conduits - sd to be v.g.
 

14
9
There seems to have bn a
Recent attempt to organise
a strike at Armentieres.
9 men are not to be re employed.
Paris traveller of name Weissmann
not alld to enter Army zone.
5 Comm. travellers turned back
by Rly control at Hazebrouck
End of ※
____________________
o / whole Germ. Army.
Bac. 10%  261 Bns
Saxony 7 %  181 Bns
Wurtenb. 4% 102 Bns
abt proportion of population
 

10
Hand drawn diagram, see original document
 2nd phase

14 
11
Minor Enterprise of 18/19 July June 
N.Z. attack Gas. Men  [shorthand] gassed
Hand drawn diagram, see original document
Ist phase 

3rd phase same as 1. exc. No T.M.
13 Bty   18 Bty