Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/154/1 - May 1917 - Part 2

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Awaiting approval
Accession number:
RCDIG1066768
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

on were just outs ie fellows Our start bomt ser fro the + he th th 4 Milts gre sed tae germanypreat Lelthol bock a little Bcit ade de ta diend prar then 027a the 22Bn one ed parte with 4 Each wak dir points bel we out ewad 4 Prsons Of Serft delattend for paid being 60 of shellbote r with Man back lo
2 shellhole where aft 300 rifle fi to bad bu drnk I stayed there till 4 had an every Fifle de & clalm naw eflecty 8e the 9 10al but o Su May e5 his sarties Clae 701 more e themth Sob0 his ties Cabb. per 1Oen each p ging 140 them welngs tor Dt stayed till small 2 52 rele 15 Le 6 Rd. to be he hl
13 his own left oat wd on else and ever the one back 6 Te bld Eecite to k Se He bock ot abt tre oh mostag Rd w 22 mc Bn. to a Capt at TBembant. ordered H back Embant. t with one of back At complete oneyf gun got blown 54 Jis the of 3rd is somewhene in -oud aer one Cot back 6 on The right That with 2 fet
14 of came X Vz 4 cnto acto atonce y stion point on right of Bele Co left of Bal were forman ere hold stil Ne it ber bor Seti en The fan and ith n tX Dave on ixt fit sas t co i aptt strony point were the abt pom Ce abless tan under ra 16 moved back a bit 6 ope tom ned cart it 1 80 to do 560 at pt 34 one Dr 2
off sn put action 8 t bit 50 on base pagment wdntfore 24 Cpt. cn C of yun coll te C 5menus 2 lost can 1of 2 th took to 0 the t Da aC ton te in with 5 Bro 2 be foind We Wa 9 half 16 68 at h 45 16 ft
16 nte his i al yd left It 1 of other £ D the in 5t The St p0 the Clo 52 w5 tler lo tue The the n al or 4 lep corer the lef flank under Coppl. Scholefeld his own be did this On itiative C th tiue after fir a few rds on lep both f 12nd had 8 an left betw two. the 5. 3l orga Roberts 1a
4 i i ofall me h as eft E one On h 2a into procee an Salve dropper Pe do 7 20 ro t ler wI pl Corpt Sholefield i 30 men this the salver 12 carried 20 each 1.C. 12 Cbs 130ll with bag The diveded there C0rds Deach That i 2t as placedunder Sept Witchell this went 6 for Cusi e
this Netchell saw a p betw Bde - bomber both a V troubles He nced a shet on of po l o ran an ere k w or aptd 2 ob C tim tos Excelle o to you C see countey bote 600 the afte th aw. o bave 20 take 49 set at once agst fin rt 8P.2 where there 24 a lot o Trouble aga for S Bde till Suppat of C.R. n alon CK all be do 40 of th after Cet went lo Of2 tok over (ept Witchell posit Millhell we Of to te e o bere af the Abt an as for B do t a Tt d the bete Eften
20 all attacks 21 bey it l 4 find hie de Robertion thro' 7t B4 Catobadb 66 of at of Amain su wealto Of12 t schol fee a bl bosey The t plete C I Out Mia Cueoefer lity 2 in comp o off baffers of taking tops one & path then a lo the other This sere a Colb. AS Sbell with read grooued bands The 106 it Co plet # t one
22 de white 83 t + adie 2a tey all ounder co before fo it 4 show nd The to Ever 3X ythen 65 The then ra 46 the D i 23 [ D o the 20 e prope ot Letty of fus X complete mana the mosta sleod night D o w 4 Bde t 3/4 but the crews F5 Mopta tad be te

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34
in wire & just outside. 
Our fellows started to bomb 
Germans from there & he 
then (they were within 
Mills grenade distance).
Germans pushed our men 
back a little ∧into shellholes out of 
grenade distance.
Lieut Gray then organised 
as many of the 22 Bn 
men as he cd - 3 
parties with L.G. in 
each making 3 str. points 
behind German wire 
out of hand grenade range.
One Sergt ∧Parsons (detached from 
Grays party) being bombed 
out of shellhole moved 
with 1 man back into

 

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shellhole where abt 
300 rifle grenades had 
bn dumped.  They stayed 
there till they had fired 
every rifle grenade - 
& claim to have inflicted 
several casualties, & 
also did a bit of sniping.
Gray w his 3 parties 
claims to have got 
more Germans than they 
got of his parties (abt 
10 in each pty) - as 
Germans were showing 
themselves a lot.
They stayed till they saw 
small pties of 22 Bn 
(1st & 2s) retiring to Sunken 
Rd . & he thought tt he

 

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34
ws left out on his own 
(as did everyone else there) & 
decided to go back to Rd.
He got back to Sunken 
Rd w abt 3 trench mortar 
men & some of 22 Bn.
Sent in a runner to 
Capt Hogg at Rly Embankt.
H. ordered him to 
come bank to Embankt.
He got back with one 
gun complete - one of 
the other guns got blown 
out - 3rd is somewhere in 
German wire - only one 
of crew got back.
The 3 guns on 
right: That with 2nd 
wave got into OG1 at

 

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34
U29 A 9½ 4 & came 
into actn atonce agst
strong point on right
of Bde (& left of 5 Bde)
were Germans were
still holding with mgs
bombers & riflemen
The 2nd gun with 23 Bn 
(5th wave)& on extreme 
rt of 5th wave came 
up agst the Strong point 
from abt the wire, 
under range ∧(i.e at less than range). They 
moved back a bit & 
came into open action.
(w red cartridges minimum 
is 280yds). Agst same strong 
pt. They only got one rd.

 

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34
off & gun ws put 
out of action - hit 
on base by ∧some fragment & 
wdnt fire.  The Cpl. 
in C. of gun collected
crew (5 minus 2 lost, i.e.
3 ,) & carriers (1 left 
only) & got 6 rds of 
ammn each & 
took them forward to 
the gun in O.G.1 wh 
they saw in action.
3rd Jun with 21st 
Bns 5th wave went 
forwd w wave; 
wave seemed to go 
half right (inst. of ahead)

 

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34
& this gun entered 
O.G.1 abt 50 yds to left 
of other. They also 
engaged the same 
str. point. The Str. pt 
ws then blown out.
The second latter gun then 
moved along to left 
& covered the left flank 
- under Corpl. Scholefield
- he did this on his own 
initiative.  By this 
time, after firing a few 
rds on left, both guns 
had 12 rds of ammn 
left betw the two.  Sergt 
Roberts organised a

 

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carrying pty of all /
men he had left exc. 
one on each gun to 
proceed into nomansland & 
Salve ammn dropped
by / carriers.  They 
got 120 rounds (this 
pty ws under Corpl 
Scholefield agn).  3 of 
the men in this salving 
carried 12 rounds 
each - i.e. 128 lbs -(130 lbs 
with bags). They divided 
these, 60 rds to each gun. 
That on rt ws placed under 
L/cpl Mitchell - this went 
forwd into O.G.2, & came

 

18

X During this time 
Mitchell saw a party of 
Germs betw. 2 ptees of 
5 Bde. bombing both ways 
& v. troublesome.  He 
chanced a shot & got one 
right onto them .  2 got 
out & ran away , rest 
disap were k. w. or 
captd.  The observation 
ws excellent for mortars
You cd see / country both 
ways - they fired at things 
they saw & did not have 
to take risks.

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34
actn at once agn 
agst rt in O.G.2 where 
there ws a lot of trouble 
till 5 Bde again got up. X
Gun of left supported 
a bombing attack along 
O.G.1 firing 40 rds.
Gun on left after this 
went into O.G.2 & took 
over L/Cpl Mitchells 
positn.  Mitchell went to 
left of O.G.2 to cover our 
left there.
Abt this time a 
Carrying pty arrvd from 
Brigade H.Q.  The ammn 
ws divided betw the 2 guns

 

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on small German
bomb attacks
Sketch, see original document

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& they fired intermittently 
thro' day.x Mr Lieut Robertson
of the Bty (who had bn 
at Rly (looking after 
ammn supply) went to 
O.G.2 with Scholefield. 
They assembled a 
complete German 
minenwerfer out of 
2 in complete ones 
taking tops off buffers of 
one & putting them onto 
the other.  This fires 
a 10lb. H.E shell with 
ready-grooved bands.
They got it complete 
& put one round in 

 

22

Pioneers arrvd to 
have PL 7 Bde

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34
ranged at maximum 
range. They all got under 
cover before firing it. 
The 1st rd showed tt 
everything ws O.K.
- They then ranged on the 
white C.T in 23D.  They 
got the range properly, 
got setting of fuse 
completed, & then 
manned the mortar 
& stood by.
XX.
During night of 
3/4 the Bde ws relieved 
but the crews of T.Ms 
stood by the German mortar

 

 

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