Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/153/1 - April - May 1917 - Part 3

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Awaiting approval
Accession number:
RCDIG1066767
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

22 20.000 Edition 3 n tre troops t am took t this At was 02 O22 D9 Terms The let 560 on me the 127 Ba Of1 abb Left Comi 9.0 23d 23 c. 0.3. to 29 telie whole 4 Bel t al in 3Bn lo tie 0 6o we on 27 2 wi where 7oad. came anto se li t 4 in to
Earl how mow on a resforcement M 30 men (remforets) of officer were just received 3Bn. as carriers to the sent ap did excellently 3 line steadiy. most 7h 7or th an 253 H 312 Drs te in ere pout bu wa T. i 2 At 4.30 the £er attacked down of. 2 on Extren Et left The witn cot Stick born b 0 There We abt Lighten his but we w not dien i at all There w n noticeable 4 before 60 this Light Tae ws eman laken t Estem ti at 30 There tl rifle fere near sh boub a Yopn or an th
day Se lot but for Therwish let A Bno The 2nt had fove on right fim the after oon at 0pm. £ an came fait close ato whole front a rooddeal of fi oce D. The teman ry 254 he rep attack to r waw by parties year fu right tion Onr with Road ferms fot within stick boarb distere there for abt Soman was a lot of bon bay here
15for t o 33 other along the as Denn Lpushe the front were Close te probab ws out si to bow b 20 ye with to see aha we were doing St te To 4 Ston atl new a post at o 6 to This post attacke. pretty ho got with th 3t 200 ran hort th of ombe fell back post e o2 to t others te out the Sap. 151 Bn down to
60 3r0 13 the 2 dere. Th Br was sathentried before it went in. d 30 The laon gar 60 came alo t fe Red. frabber at the poo 240C Mncn who 15 attack brought the abo on the 70a this post had been Establistn abt I 2pm. I the bon They boa b to the roa li 2 a ofM lot lir 9 a bon be bt of Stick D 7 did the t bo OC apt. me born Ed of a
at the th di cli They on. nectd They had Not 70 to the paint Elleot lea to th into reach the ted them to done tell ie the faitys ofhis Br as well as its successis 5. I must be can ec not to let A He for the Se 63 up to le oth were 4 or or or bo Etteol so 5top FSte ti th te tll reorgone them took the lind Ob The 1e C rd to this post it under 1o Moore put apo across the Rd. 6 b E9y al fir on 16 0 bo + at D5 4 32
the X tor of May 6tn R tree to par the Power Coperator she coheas a pto times prestnna But failed to fa t 34 of the the truch 5N bl h 2 put Thes there in an 12 pm between M 45 shelling The between 20 Lt. One tha 10 30 to were 24 got Shell the Pe 70 6 th the 0 0 wer DA By Si Setr there 0a e a t a lot f to to 600 from at by yds
35 in t Fiir 10.15 Con At ght 12 Ma fermans lait bar lie a bombers atacke their to right wh has the rto 70 their from The Ca e ac the too Star at li the 6 by
36 Clo in dro feelt ark fa to our 18 8 & the fer 16 te Drs Suich bn bu 33 tok out 8 2 a t 60 T Our art o S. with our S. 1a 2 att ll this 0 ae X attack lee the A 24 B 4S - X wd) from lined cp nded th ord attack 14 t durin th He 516 sd 3 th t beire rss. 30 broke who ly in night farry
the He l 0y A bu 6 leg 1d tell hole ofour ba Bo Sheli ws th 32 M 80 at 30 prett 39 i Sco for ad see his 54 out tk hiped at him X in X 6rot lo out of at Stell encre fac

22

4 May

on map edition
3  1: 20,000.

33      23
3rd Bn relieved whole
remainder of 6 Bde. by
4 a.m. troops all in - 3Bn
took over.
At this time line held
was . U23D0.0 to
U22D9.3
Germs were on rt
& left. There ws a
stop on left where trench
met the road.
1st Bn came into
O.G. 1 abt same time
& connected up the
left Commn trench in
22d.9.0  to 23c9½
23c.O.3.

 

24

On / morning - early hours -
of May 4 , a reinforcement
officer & 30 men (reinforcts) of
3Bn,  just received, were
sent up as carriers to the
line . They did excellently -
got through most steadily.

May 4.

33      25
3 Bn HQrs in dugout where
buzzer was, in O.G.2.
At 4.30 the Germs attacked
down O.G.2  on extreme rt
& left. They got within
stick bomb range. There
ws abt ½ hrs fighting but
we were not driven in
at all. There ws no
noticeable bombt before
this fight.  One prisoner ws
taken & ^German k. estimated
at 30.  There ws v. little
rifle fire - nearly all
bombing.
At 10 p.m. Germans attd
again - There had bn a 

 

33      26
lot of sniping but day
fairly quiet otherwise.
The 2nd & 4th Bns
had gone in on right
during afternoon.
At 10 p.m. German
came fairly close along
whole front - a good deal
of firing occurred. The
German ws not in
regular attacking
waves but in parties
on right near junction
with Road Germs got
within stick bomb distance
& for abt 30 mins there
was a lot of bombing here.

 

27

Diagram - see original document

33      28
The other Germans along
the front were not pushed
close - he probably ws out
to see if he cd get
within bombing range -
or to see what we were
doing.
At the same time he
strongly attd. a new
post at U22D 6.3.
This post ws attacked.
Germs got pretty well
round them. They ran
short of bombs - & the
post fell back - some
to the original stop, others
to 1st Bn down the Sap.

 

29

3rd Bn lost a Lewis
gun here. The
Bn was rather tried
before it went in.

33      30
The garrison who came
along the sunken Rd
grabbed 2 prisoners
at the post (2 AMC
men who were in the
German attack) & brought
them in along the road.
[This post o had
been established abt
2 p.m. tt afternoon.
They bombed along
the road, meeting a
lot of m.g. fire & a
lot of stick bombs -
D Coy did the bombing
under Capt Elliott. O.C. "D" Coy. The bombing 

 

31

XThis is where the men
were rather disinclined
to go on. They needed
leading. They had
not got to the point Elliott
wanted them to reach
so he led them himself.
(Moore tells me the failings
of his Bn as well as its
successes - & so I must
be careful not to let it
suffer for this).

33      32
Sergt of Bn, who went
up to lend a hand &
several other NCOs
were k. or w. mostly
by m.g. or bombs.
Elliott found they had
stoppedx & started to dig
so he led them on
- reorganised them -
(he & took them on to
the objective. (o.U22 D6.3)]
The Germs cd. get up
rd to this post & bomb
it under cover; so
Moore put a post
across the Rd at X

 

33

On morning of May 6th the
Germans tried to jam
the Power Buzzer (Operator
sd he cd hear someone
playing tunes, presumably
the Germans) But failed to jam it.

33      34
-the trench N of this rd
ws very much blown
in.  This ws put there
between 12pm & 2am.
May 4/5.
The shelling had bn
heavy between 9.30 &
10.30 that night.  One
shell got the earth wires
of the Power Buzzer &
for the only time they
were out of Commn.
By  midnight 4/5
"situatn" ws quiet agn.
On May 5 there ws
a lot of arty activity &
sniping at from 300 to 600
yds by our men -^at Germs

Ther 

33      35
moving in and around
Riencourt.
At 10.15pm (on night of
May 5th) Germans laid
a barrage on our lines
& their bombers attacked
A Coy (right Coy) who had
their rt on the road.
They came across from
the Star X road

Diagram - see original document

There were germans
along this rd all the
way but it was only

 

36

X This ^field arty barrage ws v. good -
close to our trenches ^& thick - at first but
in a few minutes they
dropped 18 pdrs in our
trenches & a few 8 inch.

33      37
where marked tt they
came out.  They got
- a few of them - within
bomb range. They were
seen coming across.
Our own arty replied
to our S.O.S. within 30
secs.x after flare went up
& this apparently broke
the attack elsewhere.
A 24th Bn man who
ws got in next morning
(wd) from X sd tt /
Germans lined up in
attack order 3 times
during the 5th May & night
of 5/6.  He sd our barrage

 

38

5/6

33      39
sent them scooting for cover.
(He ws seen waving his
hand on morning of 6th.
2 men walked out.
They were sniped at -
but they brought him in -
his leg ws broken - he
had crawled into a
shell hole out of way
of our barrage).
For rest of night
shelling ws heavier
than usual.
On May 6 abt 1 am to
4.30 a.m. shelling increased
& at 4.30 am it ws a
pretty heavy barrage.

 

 

 

 

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