Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/154/1 - May 1917 - Part 4

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

Page 1 / 10

88 the Sear hedge from rd then across left i up paas The to just shell hol pont 2 Desmon hedge went up on left towds reconnaitie 2nt Roat to down Bright of the the gvs back. 30 moved back the across ad be up hedge then to Eoad from the Har Here wd I fi time ll this sapin 7
Reencourt cheef from abt from but one fan 4 2 had a Road The seale oul one baikon abt Buches WE Sids high The traiw blown all seemed to be ber tw to pieces t6 0 ked i it. lying abt. e a places 30 The on 2d whert it one 4 a ba tn be day o hole day it for the in t 2 The lest cover awost cos on bank outb blow over at
46 Riencourt tn fro et + way Gun 50 to we y6 t its take posite h we better The bfe rifle little hadday h V pits the other homare to dive infant were The road. l in thes right w f. lef 2 fanly 10 fun were oul ald an in p0 two ones 1 one were leir bnd t t0 lit if we bie nt andligt.
37 44 fir Seen be ed The i the bren ony do boube 23 ca you B D a allack by thee two dugant wh in at abt or th The fer bombs O. F. the from ou half hearte men puta San barricado somewhe about 2 D 2 fir alo cry went The daps Sa Th A posit Langing were just the ra from 34 t tar. the to
42 oe Th ryt ni at 2 d tee The they se it appeared te over X of the cre Reencour pickers fetonle wh fun & tn them Feathe secued the fit into 7C thro trench 3B were bed 6a bebud 8.30 heavy Aboa adm Shells started to fall had 5acroply Fermans hid over abcfon Deir fit road The all Shelling continue time Cot they road right cute the
43 oed te There w e thee cause of camatte the ourown B am Abs shells begnto fall back wordwe sent the on he phone but rade wt not fire to thought then t have must these Sheds from Duea th but y director son recognised our own il Cay 18 A telle after had Deent Deswond etler beh. 10 by He had be down Capt. talking to 28
44 Lasfield had t w back walked X be standin Hell a et beside the Drn our o one was of 5h lander shells eght tren 1 in him beside pb or 4 0 funs ad 4 Echers dowa with 8 maxfreld C H.E. Shel t Jerman a pise. to cons instar with t kill w Maxfield this also in one only with the X To Sengt. besid the tle 10 man, abt 6 sent te wd 6td
B t retir to cover to WCO ry X apparent tie be this Cf a scked out 1 29Br ler ple charge. an be 46 Whelp ind away man a The he two belper ere 4 wd hen two sot in ther the Set Ab lter fil c Mn Donalds Den be t piece he TH.E. starle to ovy it back behind as he hedge. the reached hed or font the 2 bullets ere pet tis Sergt Mr the fun shell a went hole into out of fun lock took lef brought lock fan spare paits back had desided The 1ppantry to of these to retire a swall boubs had 4
all but one 2t pt form 8 ar sor their anit. wh a X 24B of D m0 & 10 the with 2 Juno in o ity ty camneths were one all Ex Serpt. M.D. 17 Daffy (who one runner Ey one other admen- took One of these 18 also lost but with gu Centre tur in carris on there tee 48 Shellhob thes pa in 29 Ro a 3 where up the protected from they were M.J. fir from right ExC. in intended cuf gaps The way this to work back to the M.D got across an to + then road Emb back kt at att noon The cental Fran to Earle went with 5 wave of 2 4 Pon (lefthal Co Early just before we wd snteri 7 Sergt Hitchcoek & after bonb. carried on fyhtin le the 5 1 6
wt objec at in They got listening 2 Sap 91 in had they waies hist for ie success abt signals at 3.6 in wire. The m. 9 at 2 0 cdprob see them by flares + firig all time Angtaw fan in Riencourt S also sweeping evers the They waited signal for flares till day light terig were still Senday flares so our white fare 10secs repeater every Jea we not obvious lote by flares o be augh. did or At da as right 6

34 38
hedge, from the Star, &
then across rd to
left
[Hand drawn diagram- see original document ]
The guns moved up to
2 shell holes ^just in front
o / hedge, & Desmond
went up on left towds
2nd Road to reconnoitre
& then down to right &
so back. The guns
then moved back,
across rd, up behind
hedge, & thence into
road from the Star.
There ws m.g. fire
& sniping all this time
 

 

34 39
chiefly from Riencourt,
but one gun from abt
23 B 5. 4.
The Road had a 
bank one one side only
(NE side) abt 18 inches
high - The tramway
seemed to be blown all
to pieces, only timber
lying abt marked it.
The 2 guns were placed
on rd, rt one where
bank began, in a bit
of a hole dug for it
(the infy had dug it for
cover). The left gun
on bank ws almost
at once blown out by
 

 

34 40
m.g. from Riencourt
way - & so rt gun
ws brought up to
take its positn wh
ws better. The Infy
had dug little rifle
pits & you had to
dive from one to the other.
The infantry were
in this same road,
left & right, w / guns
gun . No infantry were
in front - only an odd
one or two got over /
top but they were killed
as soon as they
moved - it ws bright
day light.
 

 

34 41
The Germans cd be seen
going down the trench in
23 B & D carrying bombs
for c.attack, & also
entering two or three
big white dugout mounds
at abt 23 B 4.5 or 6.
The Germans threw
bombs from their C.T.
half heartedly our
men put a sand bag
barricade somewhere
about 23 D 82.
The cry went along for
sandbags. 
The positn then ws tt
they were just hanging
on in rd from 23 A 3½ 2
to the Star.
 

 

34 42
The L. gunners were
sniping at everything
they cd see. The Germans
appeared mostly over
the crest N of Riencourt -
When Vickers gun got onto
them they scattered &
seemed to get into the
trench thro 1 7 c & 2 3 B
behind / barbed wire.
About ^8.30 - 9 a.m. heavy
shells started to fall -
the Germans had 5 aeroplanes
over ^just before our men
got into / road. The
shelling continued all /
time - they got some
right into the road.
 

 

34 43
These heavies were
the chief cause of casualties.
Abt 10 a.m. our own
shells began to fall.
Word ws sent back
on the phone but the
fire ws not raised.
It ws then thought tt
these must have bn
Shells from Queant
directn but they
recognised some of
our own 18 pds cases.
A little after 11 a.m.
Lieut Desmond had
bn killed betw. 9 & 10
a.m. He had been down
to rt talking to Capt.
 

 

34 44
Maxfield, & had
walked back & ws
k. by a shell, standing
beside the gun - it
was one of our own
shells wh landed
right in / trench
beside him.
The Cpl. O'Gorman of
Vickers Guns ws k.
down with Capt Maxfield
by a German H.E. shell
with instantaneous fuse.
Maxfield ws killed by
this also.
Only one man
remained with the Gun
beside the Sergt. This
man abt 10 mins later
ws told by Sergt to
 

 

45
to cover retirement of
remainder.
Every Offr & every NCO
ws by this time apparently
knocked out, & a
pte of D Coy ^24 Bn seemed to
be in charge.
24 & 23
Bns were there.
 

34 46
help a wd man away
- he helped two. The
two wd men were k.
& the other got in.
Abt 10 mins later Sergt
McDonald's gun ws hit
by a piece of H.E. & he
started to bring it back
behind the hedge. X As he
reached the front o / hedge
2 m.g. bullets were put thro
the Gun. Sergt. McD.
went into a shell hole,
took lock out of gun,
left gun & brought lock
& spare parts back.
The infantry had decided
to retire in twos & threes.
We had small bombs
 

 

47
all but one of rt pty of
carriers (18 men) got to forward positn -
where they rejoined their unit.
(24 Bn).
Of ^Offr 2 N.C.Os & 10 men with the
2 guns in rt pty. the casualties
were all exc. one gu Sergt. McD.
one runner, (Ey) - Daffy (who
took off 2 wd men - & one other.
One of these also ws lost but
turned up in Centre with gun
team & carried on there.
 

34 48
parties in shellholes
up to 29 Road, where
they were protected from
m.g. fire from right exc. in
gaps - The infy intended
to work back this way.
M.D got across to the
road & then down ^under the
Embankt. & got back
at abt noon.
The central team
(Lt Earle). went with 2nd
wave of 24 Bn (left half Coy).
Earle ws wd just before
entering trench. Sergt Hitchcock
carried on - & after bomb
fighting by the team - got to
 

 

 

34 49
objve. They got in at
listening sap in 29 A 2. 6.
They ^had waited for first line
success signals at abt
3.6 in wire - The m.g. at.
23 C ½ 0 cd probly see
them by flares - & ws
firing all / time. Another
gun in Riencourt ws
also sweeping the wire.
They waited for signal
flares till day light -
Germs were still sending
flares so our white flare
repeated every 10 secs.
ws not obvious - German
flares cd be told by angle.
At daylight as didnt know
 

 

 

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Robyn GRobyn G
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