Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/159/1 - June 1917 - Part 5

39                                 50

The man blown out of

trench opp. Seaforth Farm

abt noon ^10.30am on June 1 (after

being only man to get in

from Parapet xxx 3.30

am. from Railway Pty)

ws Pte W. Keltie.

He ws blown unconscious

by a bomb - Gu Lay till

mg. - Rifle gaspirator

taken - woke up when

our puddings began to

blow round - sat up

-Next thing blown into

(shorthand) x Our men saw

a man fly up & land

-^got ready to shoot him-

He came towds our line

39                 61

fell - got up - fell agin

A man (Nelson, TMBG) 

ran out & helped him

in. It ws Keltie

he sd "I went over looking

for stoush - & by cripes

I got it."

52 

 

Sketch

 

39                    53

38 Bn folld 40 Bn

& had few objve 3 lines

(Had bridges of own as

well).

 

3 waves : 1^st wave for

Ulcer Reserve, Schnitzel

Farm; Barrage held

there 1 hr & 8 mins.

 

Then 2nd line went forwd

w Barrage thro

Ungodly trench onto

Bethlehem Fam &

Black Line.

39                     54

3rd wave captd

Ungodly trench.

 

On B

Started at once to consoldte

Black line & form Str. py

at Bethlehem.

Part of 1^st & 3rd waves

helped 2nd Wave in

consolidatn.

 

3rd Wave had to form

Str pt at elbow of

Ungodly trench w Ungodly

Ave.

 

1^st wave to form str. pt

at or near Schnitzel.

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The 38 Bn were also

responsible for bed of

La Douse River.

 

Had to hold Black Line

10 hrs. till others (shorthand) moved

thro there for Green Line.

This ws a case of

digging.

 

The Germans were

occupying shellholes in

rear of all lines. Tobacco 

cigars etc food found

in these shell holes showed 

where they had been.

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The 3rd wave got ahead

of 2nd wave & got up

agst m.g. in or near

Ungodly Trench. They

held it w rifle fire

from front - while Capt.

Fairweather & some

men went round & 

shot Germs from back-

one Offr & 1 man captd-

rest killed - m.g. captd

(5 altogether & 277 men).

 

The last German w

one of these guns ran

off & took sights w him

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He ws shot & guns ^sights

taken from him.

 

A very big dump

ws found there with

all sorts of useful

material inc mg.

ammn -(in [[Cranyul?]]

near Bethlehem Farm.

 

The chief losses

occurred in the barrages

afterwds. On June 7th

early Germ planes

came over & fixed

positn; Abt 11am

first morning bombts

began. This kept on

all day. The first

39                  58

night 7/8 the German

heavily barraged these

lines abt 8.45pm-

But any c.  attack never

got thro our barrage.

June 8^th the same

thing happened.

 

7.30pm; & abt 9pm

two very heavy barrages.

The ^38 men were still

holding black line

with outposts & picket

posts - & most of

casualties occurred

then.

 

When the m.g. ws

39                                     59

captd there were

abt 700 rounds in the

belt, wh ws in I gun,

& I Germans were running

away. The gun ws

turned on to them.

 

One m.g. was sent

to Army (a Light gun,

on stand like L.G. but

heavier & clumsier, wh

Army wanted). Other

4 were kept.

 

The job of 38^th Bn

ws to hold to Black line

whatever happened elsewhere.

They held it for by 3 days

till relieved.

60

 

40 s plus

38

37

1 1/2 coys  40

mg.

LTM.

Pioneers 

by mistakes)

 

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No pack animals were

sent up as far as

Bethlehem Farm. Everything

had to be man handled.

There ws no shortage

of rations, & then got

hot tea.

 

38 bn left Brune Gorge

at 11pm. & had to have

their helmets on in

passing the starting point

of brown route (Regina

Farm).

 

It ws a very trying

march. Abt 20 fell out

in first 1/2 mile * abt 30