Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/158/1 - Notebook - Part 5

38
52

Our men were beginning to

be driven out of their posts
- these were found & straightened

out & occupied shellholes

behind Odour trench till shelling

ceased.
A went on to 3rd Borders.

H.Q. & 52 H.Q. Then returning

to 3rd Borders H.Q. he

heard order to load -

fire - see them on / right

there. Col. (of Borders?) sd

tt the line had fallen

back & ws directing fire

on to men who cd be

seen falling back -

A patrol ws sent out when

next flare had gone up

& these men were found

to be 13 mg an English

m.g. Coy looking about for

53

take 1st nights c.attack abt 11am a

few germs. hopped into Odour

trench near Polka Estaminet-

a patrol went along & they

wdnt wait.

 

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54

a new position.

A found 2 Lieut. Coys

lying near 27 Central (about

where they ought to be) &

told them to find HQrs.

One ws sent up by HQs at

once & took over (as in report)

inshellholes in front of

Odour - Odious trench. The

2nd coy & a coy of

Borderers were formed

by their H.Qrs into a

defensive flank back on

the hills as they did not

think the front line ws

holding.
[*?This is not guaranteed.*]
When the left post ws established

in Odour trench a patrol

ws sent 400 yds along

/ trench without finding anyone

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55

in the trench but they found

some? Glosters back near the

55 contours. An offr ws

sent to get them to come

up on flankinto the

trench but they formed

a defensive flank where

they were. They were

probly outposts of the

1st attack (red dotted line)

& had instrns to defend

Black & red dotted line.

On 2nd morning a column

of troops came up to Polka

Estaminent in 43 &

were waiting there & it

ws arranged tt they

shd put posts between the

2 trenches there & to right. They

rooted out some germs in

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56

doing so, who probly retired

on Van Hove Fm which

had bn vacated evg before,

by our post after during

shelling. A man going

forward to snipe one of

these ran into shellholes

then at full of Germans

& inf (abt 100, he sd) -

& the O.C. of the troops on

the left sd be saw some

Germans there - &

arranged a counter.

A stint with 25 men

from either side. ↓

to bay the lot. ↑
Before Daylight (8th) lines & 52

had reoccupied posts

near Joye Fm. (not

those in Wambeck).

57

Capt Anderson 7th June (some of B d

Riverina) hit in front of

Odious trench - d of w.

putting out a post.

Lt Tarr, hit 7 June.

d of w.

Capt. Blakeney hit when moving

back at 9 pm night of

8th June.

2/Lt Chalmers k. on June 7 in

posts towds Joye Fm.

Lt 2/lt Stephenson k. on evg 1st day

 

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58

The lines were being shot

in the back from these germs.

2/Lt Boase took his 20 men out

from Odour trench straight

over the top. They

out threw the guns by

abt 20yds. Germs

bombed back a bit then

bolted - a shellhole full wd

get up & run - & then

disappear - all our

L go on there.
In / aftn. our men

saw a few wd men out

there - they went out to

get some of our own wd

there (3 k.4 wd) we got

40 wd Germs during

aftn & 60-80 Germ

dead were seen -

due to this attack one

wd German sd his

59

The tanks, were A Coy 

of Tank Section.
All aftn the arty ws

firing well over - we

asked for an intermittent

barrage on the Germs 

in the Beck.

 

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60

whole Coy were there & none

left. 3 were seen to get

away. The guns were

never got down onto

them - our men used partly

German bombs. 3 men

were picking up German

bombs - & later we

restocked w / Germ.

bombs from these shell

holes.
At 8.30 p.m. barrage

ws put down by both

sides.

Troops were ordered

out by 9. Left front line

abt 10.30 when things

were quieter & relieving

troops reassured.

61

2/Lt R. Barton (Q.) hit this night.
Lt Keats (Tasm. Hob) k.

11 p.m. on 10th coy being

lost, moving up.
2/Lt Clive Pearce (Hobart) ws

k. at the wire in the

attack, night of 10th.
A & B Coys
C & D were led by 

their guides onto 

another tape.

 

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62

52 Bn

They went in by Despaque

Fm, into support. The

men had to dig in in

shell holes - 8 got some

sleep during day of 9th.
They moved back to 

Boyle Fm night 9/10. got

there early mg.

Stayed there day of

10th. Moved up night

of June 10.
Capt Stubbings (Tas). ws

hit abt 9p.m. going up

to 2nd attack.

Lt Mendoza (adjt) ws

killed abt 6 p.m. 11th.

(15 offrs)  
k.7   w8
or

k. 59  w. 255 m 8