Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/153/1 - April - May 1917 - Part 4

33
40
At 5.15 a.m. Germans
attacked 11th Bn (on
right of 3 Bn).  Coming
down Ostrich Avenue &
apptly in old trenches to the
East of it - only
visible Shoulder high
anyway.  He got in
to the 11 Bn - & worked
along the trench.
bombed out the right
Coy of 3 Bn at the
road. (at this time 3 Bn
had men on rt of
road).  The Germans
threw some bombs
& then went off before
11 Bn who were coming

33
41
back with 1st Bn
(who led them back)
The 11 Bn ^had come across
to O.G.1, & to Road
where 1st Bn were.
^Capt. Mackenzie ws then
Commanding 1st Bn
& ws doing magnificent
work.  The first sent them
back & went with them
bombing.  (3 Bn had
a big front & ws weak
- besides wh they were
in O.G.2).
This action ws very
prompt & good.

33
42
Moore got 1½ Coys of
4 Bn; & sent them
into 11 Bn trenches to support
11 Bn.  They extended
along a good part of
11 Bn front & strengthened
them.  10 Bn relieved
4 Bn.
3 Bn ws not
attacked on lef in this
attack.  All the Vickers &
Lewis guns, esp. those on
3 Bn left near Rd  Diagram. See original document
brought fire onto Germs
in front of 11 Bn.  They
had a good view, being
pretty high.

33
43
2 L.Gs from A Coy (rt)
went forward into
shell holes, one of
them 40 yds, to left
of 29 Road ; L/Cpl
Bonney's gun got
fine targets in front of
11 Bn.
At 7. a.m.  The Germans
were observed in front
(seen betw. U 23. c. 7.6 &
U 23 D 7.8) but arty
ws got on, & m.g. fire
& they were dispersed.
(They were near the bushes
- apptly forming up - a
good many).

33
44
3 Bn reld by 8 p.m.
on May 6th by 2nd
Bn.
The relief ws by
driblets during / afternoon
6 ^or so at a time.  V. few .
Casualties.
(There ws genly a
bit of sniping at
men in the Sap on.
29 Rd.)
During this tour the
3 Bn shot at a party
abt the middle of the
Star X Rd  Diagram. See original document &
hit a man with a

33
45
flammenwerfer
tin on his back.  He
fell with it & it cd
be seen on him.
__________
From May 2.  8p.m.
3Bn ws under 7 Bde
(around Vault).
They sent 1 Coy to
Noreuil tt night, &
1 at Zero on 3rd may,
Rest went to Noreuil
abt 7 a.m.  Still under
7 Bde till 8 pm may 3
when came under
6 Bde.  They were in

33
46
road & round Noreuil
all day May 3 -
supplying carriers etc
to front.  Casualties
to 4 a.m. on may 4
(when 3rd took over)
were 12 offrs (shell fire out of line) 100 o.r. before
they went into the line.
Our shellling.
[The men were shelling
on occasions under
Parados of trench though
Germs. were shelling.
This ws reported to arty
but continued till
they left.]
C.O. picked up 8 18 pdr
shell cases in the trench on
mg of May 6.

33
47
Casualties.
k.           w.
2 offrs.  2 offrs.
56 o.r.   245 w.  8.m.
4 offrs. 309.
Strength at start
17 offrs.  543 o.r.
(excl. 2 offrs 77 or.
an arty escort &
proportion of offrs.
left behind)

At 6 a.m. on May 4.
16 offrs.  486 or.
________

48
This is fully written in
the Operations Summary.
(of which I have a copy.)
The throwers, carriers,
bayonet men as they
dropped out were far
from rear.
Every man had bn
trained to bomb.
_____
10 offr. 186 o.r. casualties
in first Show.
Just over 100 in other fight.
________
The fight ws first to have bn bombs without
arty.  Then it ws stopped till arty
arranged for; Then they were
told to go ahead without waiting
for arty until they met oppositn.
They ^many got to 30 & 36 when oppositn
was met - & it always came from
Commn trench from Riencourt, from first.

33
49
2 Bn.  May 3.
Lt Campbell intell. offr
went up with Coys
& sent cheery messages
all / time - he ws
constantly fighting:  He ws
hit in / shoulder at / end.
Lt May came down hit
in the knee - a couple
of hours after he ws
hit - he fought all /
time.
Lt. O'Connell ws hit in
/ hand - & may lost ^2 of his
fingers but contd to
carry on.
The S.bs. were magnificent
Milligan himself saw
2 Sbs. go out from 29 Road
to a man waving a white flag
in the wire abt 4 a.m. on
[*This had
to be
bombed
up &
blocked.
Then they
went on with arty; but the Arty barrage ws not close
enough. It went on too fast - & even so ^our shells began to
fall amongst our men - A few odd ones.
The bomb fight ws v. hot.*]

50
[The 2 & 4 Battalions never got
both ends of the C.T. in 30 A 0.6
to 30 A 1.9. . They got part way
up the C.T from O.G. 1, &
near the top end of trench.
But there ws very strong
resistance ; & they had
especial opposition from
the C.T. from right of Riencourt.]
xxxx
x & the bullets were
pecking / dust all round
them - aimed m.g.
I

Pte Ringland.}
Pte. Johnson S.b.} 2Bn
Pte Carlson s.b.}

33
51
4th May.  Two men
(s.bs) went out to him
to The ^man turned out to be
German.  The two s.b.s
got to him - picked him
up under direct mg
fire from abt 300 yds
- All men lining road,
& the C.O. could see this^x.
(& it did them a great
deal of good).
They w  After getting /
German on the stretcher
they were coming in when
one man ws hit.  They
He dropped dead^x.  The
other^x went round / stretcher
to have a look if he
cd do anything.  It
ws then another s.b.^x