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 demonstrate opp. Bridoux Salient
at 12. midnight.
At same time will bombard
enemys trenches opp. I. 16 C 1½ 6
for abt 700 yds for 17 mins
Wire to be cut by TMs
opp I 22 a-5¼ 8½ & I 22a 5¾ 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
3rd.
11.15. Scouts reports all OK.
11.22. party all out.
11.40 B.P. reached junction of disbes
11.55 "in 15 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. 0 x x  ^01 61 62.   TMs like rockets.
12.12. First shells back.
Little Salient getting it.
12.15 Retaliating on trench mortars 400 yds 
on left
12.19 They shd be in
12.20. Gas reported by reserve Bn, 2nd NZ Bde.
12.22. 2 red rockets just to left of 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
Capt J.E. Nix 25 Bn
O.C. Assault Capt B Paterson 27 Bn
O.C. Covering party Capt H.H. Page 25 Bn
O.C. Scouts Lt Southon 27 Bn.
O.C. Rt Bombg party  Lt Julge. 27 Bn
O.C. Left Bombg party Lt Stuart 25 Bn.
M.gs. on Commn Trench
on flank.
Scouts 1 officer 6 o.r.
Covering party  1 officer 12 o.r.
Rt Bombg party 1 officer 7 o.r.
Left    "          "       1 officer 7 or
Rt. Blockg Pty  4 or    Telephonist & 
Left    "          "     4 or    Linesmen          3 or
Rt Parapet Pty  3 or    Intelligce men 2 or
Left   "           "      3 or.   Engrs ^__________2 or
Runners              2 or    S.Bs ^____________    4 w 4 stretchers
Guides ^__________ 4  
[*Reserves 3 runners
3 cyclists 6 spare men
1 med officer 6 stretchers
12 s.b.s
To remain in our
trenches for another period *]
14      15
[Division advises tt gas gongs have bn heard N of
Armentieres)
Probly wire is not cut & they cant get in.
Asked them why they called cease fire.
(Shd be back at 60 x 65 when tt message comes)
12.30 guns ceasing fire
It is through there. Guns practically finished.
12.33. 2 m.g.s rushed round
[*[shorthand]*]
12.34 2 mgs guns again
Nix lost touch with Patterson. Thinks they are winding 
up & coming in.
(Hore got cease fire 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 - ^xPatterson 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 Swinn It looks as if they didnt
enter the trench.

16
Examined at Ferme du Biez
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 order to
cease fire. No gun fire on them.
Patterson rings up to say tt m.g. fire prevented
him from reaching the trenches and on his own
1.30 ? To be a minute's bombardment.
111  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 [[shorthand]]
{Evans 1.
14  18
from the South. As a
Some Germs. bombed them. 5600 x 2
Others were killed (30) by 
bombt.
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 trench party, Supporting party & Reserve party
Raid to take 12 minutes
81

84

14       23
5^th
. Left trenches at 9.30 pm. to Twin Willows
. 11.30 pm when gave up.
. 10.15 assault party went
. out & got back.
. abt 12.30 they got back.
Argle Argyle 3 6 N 6 b 9½ 5 —
Lozenge 3 6 0 1 a 1½ 6½
10 to 1 fire opened.
at 1 o'c  part of  fire lifted
Helped by 1 bty 18 prs. )
1 — 4.5 Hows                   )
1 med. T.M. battry.          )
No heavies.                      )
Bury 16 trench 45 . to be left at 12.30
83

86
14     22
2.55 pm - 3.45 pm.
N. F. O 7. D 7.9.[shorthand] Not registered as battery
without [shorthand] the code. [shorthand]. Launched
at O. 15 C 6.9.  [shorthand] after waiting 35 minutes
battery fire. [shorthand] position with H.E.
Launch of shrapnel. Got OK. Flash seen at
1 O 15 C 6.9. which may have been the 
guns firing at H22 4 16. 4 squadron
[shorthand] heard it H 16. B.4.4. Two mortar
squadrons ready outside squadrons [shorthand]. Very noticeable at all
heights (by observer)
85

20
A typical report
Another:

88
14      21 
A typical air observers report. June 1916.
Lt Buck Pilot
Capt W H Walker Observer
Artillery observation
105 [shorthand] battery 10 40 am
5th brigade 2nd division to 12.5 pm.
Small flash seen at I. 33. A 8.6.
sent down N. [shorthand] The 5th [[shorthand]was OK gave
battery fire M OK. Men were seen
running on to the road to the left and more men
were seen running into what looked like
drain or that trench to the left. Sent down to change
all shrapnel By Observer.
Lt Shepherd Pilot                   ) Artillery Observation
Capt Walker W H Observer ) 2^nd Division Artillery 6^th brigade 
87

2 8 anz. Books plates for
Col Footts.
20 Bps for Butler
8./2/6
90 

14     19
A Note on Helles: (N.Z.)
At Helles.   Pbe
Temperley's night patrol.
[*men taking in 
silence*]
Malone's discretion - didn't advance at all - rang up to say
he ws far eno'.
Auck went up Plugge working
splendidly in rallying men
(hit in back)
Nothing known abt ^the story of machine
guns covered 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)
[*Malone who had advd in / morning
took it tt he had discretion in / matter of
advancing in / aftn & did not move. He
rang up to say he "had advanced enough".*]
89

A & B (& C)
Metcalf & Macfarlane
C. Milner.
Shelling Droon Ave
on left.
9th Bn had
arranged to send
up Coy. ^from rt. to allow
Macfarlane to counter attack & send up bombers
Big smoke shell burst
high - sig. to start.
Phosphorous shells
lay abt alight
when hit ground.
Minenwerfers.
[*One c/
occ 2 60 lb.
bombs over a [shorthand]
brigade back 250*]
[*rockets (green etc) 
were sent up & they lengthened. & put up m.g. fire
m.g. ws driving men to parapets. It was too high.*]
92
.8.10.       }
to 21.30  } hard.
21.40 silence [shorthand]
close by artillery firing. There were sufficient
[shorthand]  to [shorthand] our batteries by SoS.
B & C Coys sig. [shorthand]
were smashed by a [shorthand] which got by the men.
10 battalion  scouts 
in Condominium Post
took out. 8 killed [shorthand] by shell
Orders to report 28 shot
to Col 2. wd. reported.
( m.                    Or.  k      w
( 6 bel.\dead .      36       59.
(                             59          2
[*(x 120. 40 .60 )
91