Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/157/1 - May 1917 - Part 2

37
11
Things got quieter
- there were a number
of Germs in trench dead -
one junior officer ^dead w stick, gloves,
& ^box spurs, one wd. officer.
That night a wiring
pty of Engrs went out &
54 Bn gave them a covering
party^.wh got this officer.  [They got 2 wd.
German officers - The others
died].
Our rations got up
just at this time & /
Germans were astonished
to see them arrive.  One
German Corpl. had his
leave pass to Berlin on

12

When Germs. came
on, one man advanced
with a big white disk
which he dumped in
a shell hole - probly as
a guide or to indicate
a dump.

37
13
him. ^As soon as they began to retreat. Our men were
on the parapet hats off
laughing & shooting.
Maj. Leckie, Lieut. Duffy,
C.E.Deakin & 2 others were
hit wd by a pineapple at this
stage, when / Germs. were
going back & Capt Young
took command.
During day trenches
were cleared.

Prisoners sd attack had bn
made by 2nd & 3rd Bns
of Lehr Regt, supported by
Stoss Trupp.  It had bn
very carefully planned -
practised 4 times on

37
14
dummy trenches dug from
aeroplane photos - both
night & day practice.
The Lehr Regt ws to hand
over to 91st RIR as
soon as it ws successful.
Prisoners say our
resistance ws unexpected.
They were surrounded by
our fire & severely handled.
Betw. 100 & 300 Germans
must have got in -
[The Lehr Regt ws sd by
prisoners to have lost
fully 50 % of its effectives
These prisoners were
taken by the wiring party.

37
15
The London Regt. came
up & manned some of
our posts after we had bn
weakened.
Bde ws notified &
sent up / Coy of 55^th
wh arrived at 11 a.m.
wh ws used as garrison
after the fight.
The fight ws carried
out by 54^th with V.M.Gs.
& L.T.Ms.

16

Only 17 of C Coy left
wh manned O.G. 2
block & part of front lines.
There are posts along
the C.T. 60-66.
The gap ws at
time of attack covered
by LGs in O.G. 1 & 2.

37
17
The German party in
O.G. 1 didnt get in at all.
They got to within 20 or 30
yds to a ridge & kept
throwing bombs  for 1½ hrs.
The O.G. 1 block was manned
all thro' the bombt. wh
came over their heads.
First Young heard knew of attack
ws bombt. Then Signallers
(who had telephone commn
w front line) gave word
tt attack had begun.
Probly the crowd garrison at 60
were wiped out where
They got in.
The men had bn
standing by since 2 a.m.

37
18
owing to shelling.  2 offrs
were standing to with the
bombing post & L.G. in
O.G.2.  Almost as soon
as the barrage lifted the
Germans were seen in
O.G.1.  Skyline there is
20 yds away & they
appeared over it throwing
bombs.  There were ^with D Coy 3 L.Gs
& one in Reserve. One
of these guns at once got
onto the Germs. in O.G.1
& they went to ground at
once.  A second L.G. of D Coy
caught them as they came
over O.G.2 at abt 89
Looking over from OG1
they cd see men coming up
& dropping into trench in

19
[I got this acct from Young in the
Hindenbg trench on May 18.  Hunt
came up during it - with 3 days
black stubble; but fit as a lark].
Hunts messages.
Lookout, we cd all drink a gallon of
beer if we had it.  I will keep
you advised as much as I can but have
been kept fairly busy.  Good luck
old pal.
[Another abt "Men as fit as cucumbers"
Young wdnt show me that one, I noticed]
"5.40 AM. OC D Company.
Things are quiet now.  Fritz still
active on the right.  2 L.Gs now in
good order.  I have no fear of this end.
if Have posted men at end of Sap on our
front in case of an attack from tt quarter. Lets
have plenty of bombs & we ^are good......

37
20
O.G.2 near 60.
On the left where Germs
had to come over level
ground they did not
get in - but on rt the
horizon ws very close.
The Germs were mixed
up with our men [[shorthand]]
Supports cd not fire.
There ws rifle firing going
on.
Messages continually
arrived from Lt Hunt on
rt.
... Have had 4 men killed here....

A 3.20 am. O.C. D Coy ^had got message:
"Word passed from C
Coy, enemy moving on
right - T. Morley Lt."

21

Diagram - see original document

Germans first got in at
the arrow mark & word.
reached the officers of the
right Coy (only 17 of wh
were left) from a post
there wh ws reached -
2 k. & rest ran & brought
news.

37
22
3 L.Gs were out of
action after abt ¾ hr
from attack. but were
got going again & D Coy finished
action with one gun.
2 were upset with mud &
dust thrown up by preliminary
barrage.

Capt Young & D Coy watched
fight in front & presently
saw Germans running back
in front of a counter attack
in the front line - mean
D Coy got onto Germans
then & sniped some (they
were running back over
Nomansland)
D Coy only had abt
12 to 15 men left over lining
the bank. So these
had to be retained
to support the party

37
23
in O.G. 1 if necessary.
After Germans had gone
back there & firing became
a bit desultory Leckie
sent for Capt Young.
Y. went over & they told
him tt / Germans had
entered / trench on / right.
The Germans had abt ½
the C.T. 60-66 & had mountd
a m.g. near O.G.2.
(They tried to mount it first
on the 90 contour but were
sniped).
Leckie sd he wd
attack up / front line
at same time as they
did up sap.  Lt.Morley took
a party of rifle grenadiers
bombers & 1 L.G.

24

Stokes mortar ws in the
Sap by road in 29
& with arty put barrage
behind German attack.

37
25
He ws held up in the Sap -
abt ½ way - but got rifle
grenades going. The m.g.
near the bombs top got
two of his men.  He fired
the grenades & worked
wh shifted the m.g. &
the L.G. got onto them.
He advanced right up to the
Bombing post & shortly after
Lieut Small w party from
front line joined him up
/ front line.
In the first attack Hunt
thinks that of the Germans
who crossed to his left
they & front the L.G. accounted for 200
at tt time. (This is probly
the total around trenches.)