Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/159/1 - June 1917 - Part 3

39
24

they came out. It made

no difference in / end.

They came back onto

the black line. Storey

rang Bdier & sd they

wd resume their positn

on green line if barrage

wd lengthen & 47Bn

come up on left. (The

barrage ws behind green

line). Bdier had barrage

put in front of green line;

at 2.30 word came tt

new bn (44) ws passing

thro' 37 Bn, & 48 Bn

taking place of 47 Bn.
From this time on

47th ws in black line.

On night of 8/9 the

25

Hand drawn diagram - see original

 

39
26

37 relieved in front line

for 2 or 3 hours. This ws

due to a mess up of

instructions.
During June 8 morning &

esp. aftn. they were

heavily shelled esp. near

Bethlehem Wood & Farm,

- Storeys H.Qs in shell

hole then. No enemy

noticed by Storey there.
A plane came over

abt 7.20 & asked with

[[C. horn?]] for flares. Noise 

ws so great tt Storey

had to send a runner

up thro the barrage

to warn front line.

By tt night the 44 Bn

27

C.Coy:

Lt Robertson k. going in.

Wd: Capt Grieve.

A Lt Little{ 1st gassed-Then
 wd. in knee in advance to Uncanny
Lt McDougall - wd in arm 
compd fracture-
 in same advance.
Lt King Hit in foot just
 when got to Green line.
B. Lt Kellway - hit in assembly trench

Lt Roadknight (abovementd)
C. Lt Stubbs. shot at Green Line
 soon after arrival
D. Lt Aitken hit soon after arriving
 at green-wd in back.

Lt Hamilton badly wd by shell
 2hrs after reaching green line
D 40Bn. Capt Giblin Lt Moon & anor 
wd.

 

39
28

had an excellent breast high

trench- Ordish put a m.g.

on road.
37 Bn withdrawn

after daylight on June 9.
A couple of casualties

coming out.
Went in 630 strong all incl.

Casualties over 400.

Cas. K. W. M.

Offrs

or.

Total

39
29

C & A Coy.

From Black line onwds held

up by mgs & snipers -

not much shelling. Men

were being hit.

They kept on going till

reached Uncanny trench

& Junctn with Undulating

No difty in wire.

2 plns on rt of C Coy

were prac. wiped out;

2 on left got there with

abt 65 men. There

were no Germans in

Uncanny - they had

already gone back.

A Coy then passed

thro C (being 2nd wave -

Hand drawn diagram - see original

 

39
30

abt 50 yds behind ) &

advanced to far end of

wood - there ws mg fire

& sniping wh caused all

/ casualties. There ws

abt 100 yds gap.

possibly caused by

trench being undug.
There ws a m.g or sniper

at Z in wire. & in wood

at V appeared to

be several, some sd

8.

A Vickers (alt. D Coy) ws also on

Southern block to

cover gaps.
They held this trench

until arty shortened

onto them.

There ws a definite

39
31

shortening of arty onto this

line. A Coy had got

back to Uncanny trench

& they held a pretty

strong positn.

Hand drawn diagram - see original
Just as arty further

shortened onto C they

got order to withdraw.

& had to make way

back thro their own

32

x Prob. in Uncanny

trench by this time.
x On left of Murdoch

in Uncanny trench.

 

39
33

18 [[pdr?]] barrage & had

no casualties. From

there A & C came

back to blackline.
At 8.5 Collis A Coy

reported enemy barrage

heavy - many shouts

from our own arty.
At 840 pm Roadknight

Reported: ^X D Coy on

rt, of 47 Bn on xxx left,

have gone & our own

shells landing behind

us on right & left.

What will we do?

Murdoch added.

Do you know what

this barrage is for?

39
34

Our men were driven

out as far as I can

see by our own arty

fire.
In answer to this

M. got a verbal message

by same runner to

withdraw.
On reaching Uncanny trench

a m.g. in Septenue Barn

(in A big stone emplacem^t) ws

giving a lot of trouble -

Enfilading A C & even D Coy.

2 men went forwd w

bombs towds emplacent.

39
35

One ws hit at once in /

leg (prob. Whitehead).

The other McCarthy went

on - worked his way,

running behind what cover

he cd get, behind back 

of barn & threw a bomb

in at ^hole on left side of emplacemt.

In space of 1 min. the

m.g. resumed. McC.

worked his way to

front & threw a second

bomb in thro the loophole

The m.g. ws from tt

time silent. Crew being hit.
The tanks were further

away on left altogether.

M didnt see them.

39
36

40 Bn. June 7.

Marched from Regina

Camp near Romarin -

Leaving at 11.40 marching

by plns, interval 25 yds.

Abt 250 yds from camp

marched into gas - the pat

of gas shell just started as

left gate.
Went by Brown Route.

Same Route as 37Bn.

but ahead of it.
Masks put on near

camp as soon as gas entered.

Many gas shells fell by

column - several men were