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

12

25 & 27 Bn. 7^th Bde.
to leave trench at I.15 d.6.2½
enter enemys trench at I 22 a 5½ 8½
________
Arty to [[?]] opp. Pridoux Salient

at 12. midnight.
At same time will bombard
enemys trenches opp I. 16 c/½ [[?]]
for abt 700 yds for 17 mins
Wire to be cut by TMs
opp I 22 a.5¼ 8½ & I22 a¾ 8½
(2 gaps)
At 12.18 Tms left.
By 12.19 will have lifted
& made barrage.
Special attention to Commn trenches
from I 22 a 2¾ 6½ & I 22 a 8½ 9½
2 mins after inf. leave trenches arty
to shorten again. 

14
13
xxx
11.15. Scouts report all O.K.
11.22. party all out.
11.40 [[?]] reached junction of [[?]]
11.55 in seconds , heavies shd begin to fire
(They didnt.
11.59 Guns shd fire in 5 secs
12.05 Arty opens. First 1 then 1 then 2
4 red lights o 1 6 .62   T Ms like rockets
12.12 First shells back
Little Salient getting it.
12.15 Retaliating on trench mortars 400 yds
12.19 They shd be in  reported by reserve Bn.
12.20 Gas
12.22 2 red rockets just to left o point of entry
12.23 Cease fire from A.K.
From Nix - Paterson has asked to cease fire
12.25 to 10^th & 19^th batteries cease fire
 

14
O.C. Attack
Cpt J.E.Nix 25 Bn
O.C. Assault Capt B Paterson 27 Bn
O.C. Covering [[?]]
Capt H.H. Page 25 Bn
O.C. Scouts Lt Southon 27 Bn
O.C. Rt Bombs [[?]]
Lt Julge. 27 Bn
O.C. Left Bombs [[?]]
Lt Stuart 25 Bn
M.Gs on Commn Trench
on flank.
Scouts 1 officer 6 o.r.
Covering [[?]] 1 officer 12 o.r.
Rt Bombs [[?]] 1 officer 7 o.r.
Left    "          "    1 officer 7 o.r.
Rt. 13 [[?]] Pty  4 or
Left    "       "   4 or
Rt Parapet Pty 3 or
Left   "           "     3 or.
Runners          2 or
Telephonist &
 linesmen     3 or
Intelligence men 2 or
Engrs ^__________ 2 or
S.Bs ^____________ 4 or 4 [[?]]
[[?]] ^__________4  Stretchers

Reserves 3 runners
3 cyclists 6 spare men
1 med officer 6 stretchers
12 s.b.s
To remain in our
trenches for [[?]]

[Division advises tt gas gongs have bn heard N of
Armentieres)
14
Probly wire is not cut & they cant get in.
15
Asked them why they called cease fir.
Shd be back at 60 x 65 when tt message comes
12.30 guns ceasing fire
[[?]] guns practically finished
12.33 2 m.g.s  [[?]]
12.34 mgs again
Nix lost touch with Patterson. Thinks they are winding 
up & coming in
(Hare got ceasefire at 12.22)
"Will get P. to speak when he comes in. We may get
you to start again. You can turn on phase 2 cant you?
The 1st offr returning - Patterson will prob, be the last
Youve fired all ammn down there Clowes? Yes.
12.38 N. thinks he can see them coming in.
Ring up Bde H Q to tell [[?]] It looks as if they didnt
enter the trench
 

16
Examined at Ferme du Briz
to make sure tt there are no means
whereby enemy might discover wh
unit they belong to;
 

14
17
12.47 Lt Page. Never got in. O.C.Assault gave orders to
cease fire. No gun fire on them.
Paterson rings up to say tt m.g. fire prevented
him from reaching the trenches
1.30 ?To be a minute's bombardment.
///rounds into wire in 15 minutes. Casualty to one gun
24 rds in 18 mins each from 4 guns
Tell Capt. Hore to play on their wire to prevent them
rewiring before daylight.
 

Saturday June. 17^th. The
heavy firing last night was
due to a German gas
attack North of us. I cd
have sworn the firing ws
 

{Eastwood 2 xxxxx
{Evans 1
14
18
from the South. [[Hsa?]]
 

Germs. bombed them 5600 x 2
Others were killed (30) by
went along trenches Order ws gn to return
One man wd in the arm.
Insisted on going back with? without? the s/bs
Hit again by 6 bullets
13 prisoners taken.
 

82
14
24
Rt & left supporting & Reserve
Raid to take 12 minutes

 

81
 

84

14
23
5^th
. Left at 9.30 pm. to Twin Willos
. 11.30 pm when gave up.
. 10.15 assault party went
. out & got back
. abt 12.30 they got back.

xxxx Argyle 6 N 6 b 9½ 5 -
[[?]] 3 6 o 1 a 1½ 6½
10 to 1 fire opened
at 1o'  xxxx fire lifted
Helped by / baty 18 prs
/ -- 4.5 How
/ med. T.M. battry
No heavies
B [[?]] 16 [[?]] 45 . to be left at 12.30
83

86
14
22
2.55 pm - 3.45 pm.
[[???????????????????????]]

85
 

20

another
88
14
21
A typical air observers report. June 1916
Lt Buck
Capt W H Walker

[[????????????????????????????]]

Lt Shepherd
Capt Walker W H  [[?????]]

87
 

2 xx books [[?]] for
Col [[Foot?]]
__________________
20 [[Bks?]] for Butler
___________________

8./2/6
 

90

 

19
A Note on Helles. (N.Z.)
14
at Helles.   [[Pb?]]
men lie in silence
Temperley's night patrol
Malone's discretion - didn't advance
at all - rang up to say
news [[?]]
[[Quick?]] [[????]]
splendidly in rallying men
(hit in back)
___________________________
Nothing known abt ^the story of machine
guns w brushwood
But they were v. close to the front
of / troops.
________________________________
Order came from H. Weston abt 3. or
later for N Z to adv by itself
Johnston took it literally but
they rang up abt 4.30 & Hamilton
ws there (they didnt know
tt he ws) & they were told
you neednt
(From Temperley)
89
Malone who had adv in / morning
took it tt he had discretion in / matter of
advancing in / afternoon & did not move. He
rang up to say he had advanced enough".
 

At B (o C)
Metcalf & Macfarlane
C. Milner
Shelling Divn [[?]]
on left.
One c/
[[?]] 60 lb.
[[???]]

9th Bn had arranged to send
up Coy6[[?]] to allow
& sent up bombers
Macfarland to counter attack

Big smoke shell burst
high - sig. to start
Phosphorous shells
lay abt alight
when hit ground.
Minenwerfers.

92
rockets (green etc) 
were sent up & they [[?]]. & put up m. g. fire
[[?]] ws to red. [[????]] 

.8.10        }
to 21.30  } hard
________
21.40 silence
[[????????]]
[[?]] SoS.
_____________
B & C Coys sig. [[?]]
were [[?]]

score to [[?]]
in [[?]] post
8 killed
to report [[?]] shot
to [[?]] 2 wd.. reported
(X 120. 40 .60 )
m              Or  K      W
{6 [[?]] / dead  36    59
{                          59      2
{                                    11

91