Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/152/1 - April - May 1917 - Part 2

6/7
7/8
10
3
actually left dead in our 
ground. If 1st Bn
had given way 3rd
Bn wd have bn
surrounded & trenches lost.
C.O. had to use bombs
himself.
Same night 1st Bn were
relieved by 4 Bn & came
to Rly.
To Vaulx - reld by 8 Bn.
Bde were excellent in
keeping carrying pties
going & setting up rifle
grenades especially.
The High Power Buzzer
was not very much use.
There was no time on

11
3     
The action on morning of
6 May had to be on
local initiative owing
to suddenness & position.
Casualties:
            k.      w.       m.
Offrs.   5 ^x    8^x
o.r.     44   232      29

3 L.G. destroyed.
^xWest d.of.w.
Little Howell Price was
hit by a shell on May 4th.
The enemy must have lost
as many as 1^st Bn in
his attacks on them.

12
3
The trenches were badly knocked
abt by both sides before
1st Bn went in.
Bde H.Qrs at the
Embankment, & 3^rd
Bn, both watched the 
attack on morning of 
6^th. The shelling was
particularly heavy just 
before / attack.

13
(Diagram - see original document)
14
3
12 Bn
H Qrs in Sunken Rd in
C 5b 2.7
From Noreuil - Loungette Rd
relieved 2 Bn in front
line right of 29 Rd on
night 4/5 May — from
left of C.T. at 30 to
abt 30 yds right of 60 
close up to Rd
A Coy was placed
across ground between
OG 1 & 2 in a
scratched out trench
between shell holes probly
made by Germs.
(not shown on my map)

15
D Coy in support by
Bn HQrs. A lot of
casualties - 4 offrs wd by enfilade
arty fire from Queant)
(No reference to 
war diary - check 
these times).
Early Sat mg.
May 8.

16
3
moved abt 9 p.m.
Completed relief 12.15 am.
Fairly normal for ¾ hrs
shelling, not over heavy —
1 a.m. Enemy attacked
w bombs up O.G. 2.
The twd killed Lt Youl
& k 2. & w 3. o.r. They
did not get past our
stop tho' they got their
bombs past it. Youl 
ws in/c of right there.
That lasted abt ½hr
Both ar
During whole of Saty.
the 12 Bn ws carrying on
2 Bns work. Lt E. R. 
Heurtley (since reverted to
his correct name Reed.
He got a M.C. here).

17
X During the Bns tour
in trenches a big heavy
gun firing at abt 5 min,
interval ws continually
shooting xxx behind our trench
into C.T. & some near
pt 30 just in front of 
O.G. 2.
And the corner near 
60 ws regularly barraged
by us
(Diagram - see original document)

18
3     
He got started at daylight
in compliance w definite
orders to get beyond the 
rd - when 11 Bn were to 
carry on. During / early
hours he got 50 yds beyond
/ road.
^x Our own heavies shelling
this part o / trench drove
them back to / original
position - by breakfast time.
In one of these bombing 
attacks a dugout E of 
pt 60 ws set alight (just
inside our bomb stop) with 
a bomb store inside it.
Quiet day.
Orders tt night for 
12 Bn' to relieve 11 Bn
to 29 Rd; 11 Bn to move

19
Night 5/6.
May 6
D Coy ws brought up for this ^x
 

20
3 

to rt & concentrate
on pushing down O.G. 2
beyond road.
A heavy barrage
came down after dark
(abt 10 p.m.) & disorganised 
matters & then change
over did not take
place.
Abt midnight German
barrage had started.
The 12 Bn (C. B. & D^x)
made 3 bombers attempts during
night to get in touch 
with A Coy who were
sd to be in C. T.
on further just on this side of Rd.
The Germans used to 
come round the old 
Tank wh ws near the 

road - and pushed us 

21

3

back from _∧near rd. Each

time after we had nearly

reached / rd.

After these 3 attempts

we held the trench a little

past 60.

Betw 12 & 1 the Germ

heavies started. It ws

not so heavy on the right,

but very heavy on 12 Bn

near pt 30 & on 11 Bn 

& C.T. to Embankt.

This barrage kept

on until after day light.

It ws quite bright when

it lengthened when Germs

attack from betw O.G. 1 & 2

across Rd. & drove 
in A Coy in O.G.1.

They also attd. down 

O.G.2. carried the stop -

22
The Germs seem to have 
tried to make us think
an attack ws coming from 
C.T. to Reincourt in 23 D.
X ? How did this _^T.M. get on.

23
3
abt as far as ∧ pt. 30. the Coy 
HQrs. 12 Bn c-attacked
with some of C.Coys bombers
in O.G.2. across the road
& a long way beyond - abt
50 yds. (The Germans had 
flammenwerfer at intervals -
the smoke & flame cd be seen
over / trench - egg bombs first,
the flammenwerfer & stick
bombs. One of our Stokes 
mortars ws doing good work
from abt 29 B. 7. 9. ^x)
This C-attack _∧under Fletcher saw the 
Germans whoxx xxx were
retreating ahead of them also
getting round left towards
road in 29 B. N. of O.G.2.
This seemed to place them
in risk of being cut off.
They were recalled.

(Check the times by
war diary)
24
3
F. saw 2 Flammenwerfer
to his right - there ws no 
Flammenwerfer in attack up
O.G.2.
In O.G.2 the Germans 
only got 30 yds past bombs
stop.
In O.G.1. they reached
a point in rear of point 30.
In rear of O.G.1 they got 
through almost to 29 
road.
A Coys remnants & some
of 11 Bn. c-attacked from
the Sunken Road. B & C. & D
attacked down C.T. from 60
towards O.G.1.
With few bursts of m.g.
fire the Germans retired 
right back — abt 7 am.