Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/158/1 - Notebook - Part 4

38  40
The Germans used to shell the 
Douve very heavily with
5.9s & the flank of 11 & 
10 Bde used to be driven forced 
out but touch ws always 
kept. The Germs shelled 
Grey farm & their old 
trench heavily - The best 
place to be ws always 
as far forward as you cd get. 
The German had brought no TM.
fire back on us. 
On June 9^th 25 men from
C & 25 from A Coy w an 
officer in/c went out to 
estab. posts in Uncertain 
trench. Divn had intended
to take it with a Bn of 
11 Bde but this had to be

41
This ws a "silent stunt" 
by daylight. 
^xLt Jeffries

38  42
used elsewhere. The work 
of putting a post there ws
therefore gn to the 34 Bn -
in daylight & without arty.
The _∧ Bn operatn sd tt scouts 
were to be sent as far 
as possible (to draw fire 
& see what ws there) & then 
if possible to approach w
2 patrols of 25 men each 
& get into the trench system.
The scouts reached within 
100 yds of the Polteries Fm
(uncertain trench) under fire,
& the patrols left the trench.^x
They had no sooner left it 
than they came under pretty 
heavy fire m.g. & rifle.
The offr ^x ws wd &
6 men - scouts located 3
m.gs. They were in the 
 

38  43
same dugout in uncertain trench
The patrol ws to put its post 
in Uncertain Support.
Scouts went 10 mins early.
Patrol went in 2 pties. 
The Polteries Fm system 
ws clearly strongly held,
& these patrols were 
therefore not gone on with.
The 36 Bn afterwds 
sent 2 Coys agst this 
Polteries system. the 
The 34 Bn ws relieved 
on B night (June 9^th) by
the 36 Bn. who on night
of June 10 sent 2 coys under 
artillery bombt agst the 
Polteries.
 

38  44
(52 Bn. continued 
from black notebook)
Moved from near Neuve Eglise 
starting 7.40 Had bn quite 
clear of gas up there.
Came on X country route 
to Wulverghem thence N. of 
Messines Rd in plns in file 
at 50 yds interval (came whole 
way in file, breaking into 
single file behind our own 
old line. (Boyles Fm).
There ws no shelling. Place 
ws taped. They got their 
directn & lay down in 
shell holes behind road running 
from Fm de l'hospice to 
Birthday Fm. an odd shell 
or two came over, but they 
were on reverse slope.

45
Diagram - see original document 

38 46
There were British troops about 
mainly going up & down -
& near mule track.
Exactly at time _∧11.40 when 
they were to move the order 
for New Zero came.- this 
ws / first they heard tt it 
ws put back. They were just 
getting ready to move.
They were in trench W49.
York ws wd when 
coming ^NSW. Bondi back from laying out the 
tape. Men went onto tapes 
at 1.40. Before they got to the 
Crest Road the Germans,
perhaps saw them & they 
were heavily crumped on 
right. Here  Just after this 
just before road Col. Pope 
ws hit ^by splinters (femur broken). & then Capt.
Christophers ( O.C".C."Coy)
through arm^S. Aust..

38   47
The Bn moved through the
Cheshires who were on 
black line in front of 27 
central in _∧scattered posts -
There ws no continuous 
black line - & Arthur same noticed 
no Tommies at all (tho' 
they were certainly there).
The barrage when it came 
down ws just ahead of 
them. There had bn a slow 
barrage before then (causing dust screen)
The dust now acted as 
a screen. 
As no Lincs. turned up 
& the few Germans met 
with in front of 27 cent.
proved very tame (after 
a bit of sniping) D Coy
was swung around onto 
left of B Coy. This
ws done with a whistle &

38  48
the men answered it imd. 
Those who saw men near Arthur 
swinging swing with them &
whole coy acted as intended.
Men were perfectly flexible.
Germans were in all 
dugouts. There were dugouts 
behind many of the hedges -
big concrete places du
a few dug down but mostly 
regular blockhouses. They
were shelters for gun crews.
The men wd root the Gs. 
out of them & send them 
straight back.
Capt Stubbings ws then 
in/c.. He ws at 27C.4.9.
Line ws at once placed as
marked. Later tt night the
posts on the odour support 
line were shelled out by our
arty

38  49
Both Odour & Odour Support 
trench were in parts hardly 
damaged. in other parts 
undug, in parts shell holed. 
Abt 5 pm first afternoon 
2 coys of Border Regt were 
found - they had wandered up 
there - & they asked where 
they were. They were under 
their adjt & one other offr,
all others having bn hit.
There ws a lot of m.g.
fire further north & SOS signals 
there during 1st night. But
Goslaverne ws out of sight
tho not far away. They were 
told to dig in Diagram - see original document. 
as marked on 
the maps, 
on either side of finger.
They were later caught heavily 
by our arty soon after 8.

38  50
Before dark ^8, 2 plns of British,
1 Glos. 1 Worcest. were found lying
down by the rly (as marked) 
& one of them agreed to go with
 a Tank to Van Hove Fm from
wh there ws a lot of sniping.
The mule track fired a few 
6 pdr shots to scare the Boche 
& the 2nd Tank then went 
forward & they occupied the 
Fm.
When shelling got heavy after
starting tanks A. buzzed back 
to Bn H.Q. after giving an 
artillery man the exact references
of our front line & telling him 
to wire it - it never got
thro !
(The other two tanks went
down at once on request
to where rly line crossed
Odour trench. There one broke

38  51
its traveller & the other got 
bogged. Of 2 on left one
(the female) was there all next
day & they dismounted 
their guns & put them 
in the trench as they cd do 
better work there. The
Tank ws camouflaged & 
became a mound.
- very good imitation.
Int offr of 33 Bde sd 
he knew where troops cd 
be found. Some were near
rly line behind where tanks 
had bn but it cd not be 
arranged for them to 
come up. So they went 
over to the Lincolns HQ
- all their coys were lost.
they promised to send troops 
as soon as they cd.