Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/156/1 - March 1917 - Part 3

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23
start moving forwd by
jumps from shell hole
to shell hole moving 
towards the B Coy & C Coy
our L.G. in the
"Pimple" (near junctn
of Emma & Gamp) opened
on them, & the L.Gs.
in the posts and
practically wiped
them out. (The Gs.
cd see Lloyd on
the left - the men were
making signs to them
to come in).
Cherry sd tt they
started off their attack
like a lot of blackfellows
 

36
24

on a corroboree.
Later 101 dead (abt)
were buried here.
[Cherry ws ^born a Victorian
whose people live in
Huon Tasm. He enlisted
in Tasm. He ws wd
5 times in his career.
He came away as a
Sergt. He was 23
when he was k.].
26 Bn ws relieved next day
few days later; afterwards
they took whole front
from left of Malt trench
from 2d at M4C 77 abt 

36
25
to Layton Alley.
They were reld on 3rd
March. On 4th (night)
took over whole front from
of Bde from 28 & 25.
The 26 Bn had one
Coy of 25 Bn in reserve
in Loos Cut & Bank at
Warlencourt; the
26 Bn 350 strong ws
put on outpost in
order to inaugurate
the outpost xxx system.
(an SOS ws sent up
by mistake tt night
- our own ration pty
seen getting back into Malt)
 

26
4 m. cs
& 9 m ms. for
Malt trench.
In Malt. 3 or 4 mgs
4TMs
75 prisoners.
Casualties abt 140.
incl 6 offrs. 

36
27

Lt Ward ws killed this night
- probly a 6in shell of ours
during bombt. of Grevillers
line this night - He ws
out on post.
26 Bn came out
on 6th. It ws to
attack the Grevillers
line on 15th? but
Germans left on 13th.
Followed other Bdes
till March 20. Then
took over outpost line
 

28
Hand drawn diagram - see original document
36
29
26 Bn
Lagnicourt.
March 26.
Pr. Karl's aeroplane ws
wheeled into Vaulx Copse
in / night. It ws carted
away from there - it ws
a green plane w skull
& crossbones, 2 mgs
firing thro / propellor. One
bullet hole thro petrol
tank. It ws a beautiful 
fight betw 5 Germans & 4
of ours - very low few
hundred feet up - like magpies
fighting. Bn H.Q. (26) ws
near the crucifix on Vaulx
Morchies Rd. One of the 

36
30
Germans ws chased by
ours down then up - then
Germ. engine stopped. Our
man nearly collided
w him, then banked
over him & just missed.
The German w Our men underneath cheering ws
w / offrs trying to get them
to keep down. He
planed down. Pr Karl wanted
to give our men some sort
of reward afterwds - 
I'm afraid I've only Germ. money
he sd. 
Before Lagnict. ^on 23/24 a
patrol ws sent out to
 

36
31
proposed Jumping
Off rd - i.e. the X rd
(at Z) where the 9 Bn
HQs afterwds were. 
It ws under Sergt Smith. 
A m.g. opened on them
at abt 10 yds but the

from this corner but they
got back safely. Next
the L.H. went up m f
by day & found this
post unoccupied. (26 Bn
occupied it at once - C.O.
ws up & saw les L.H. go
up ) - with L.G. sectn).
13^th L.H. pushed further
& met trouble in
Lagnicourt Valley. 3 

36
32
troopers & 4 horses were
K. It ws still w m.gs
L.H. returned from here
at night - 26 Bn replaced
them with another L.G.
During the day the
Germans tried to get
back this post, abt
3pm; Smith covered
one of them, with who
got further than / rest,
w his rifle, & a
L.H. man went out
& got him prisoner.
Cpl. Lee, Sergt Robinson
did a fine bit of patrolling.
He got right into / village.
He went out w 10 men

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33

at night. They stopped
abt 200 yds from /
village to support him.
He & another man
crawled forwd to a
hedge, found a long
barn behind behind
it, empty. A German
smoking a cigar
walked across the
outskirts o / village
behind them. Next
day aeroplane photos
showed the hedge, /
bldg, & / track wh /
German walked along.
Sergts Robinson & Hickling (k. later)
located a m.g. on the 

34
^*Sergts Robinson & Hickling went
out ^w 20 men & found these
with dugouts, candle
lit, & m.g. positn but
no Germs. there. They
waited for them till
daylight. 
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35
road behind them^X tt
night, at abt M. There
were 2 dugouts there also.
*Next night (of 24/25) a party ws
sent out to get this
m.g. - it ws not there
in daytime. The pty
went early & stayed
all night, but / gun
ws not there. 
On / night of
attack xx it ws intended
to do / same thing - &
get to this post first. 
XX A part of 28 Bn
ws to do this - but
they found abt midnight