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 Raiding 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

Nomansland. Our men saw

a man fly up & land

- ^got ready to shoot him -

He came towds our line

39       51

fell - got up - fell agn

A man (Nelson, TM Bty) 

ran out & helped him

in. It ws Keltie.

He sd. "I went over looking

for stoush - & by cripes

I got it."

52 

Diagram - see original document

39       53

38 Bn folld 40 Bn

& had few objve 3 lines.

(Had bridges down 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 Fm. &

Black Line.

39        54

3rd wave captd.

Ungodly trench.

On B

Started at once to consoldte

Black line & form Str. pt

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.

39    55

The 38 Bn were also

responsible for bed of

La Douve River.

Had to hold Black Line

10 hrs. till other [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 bn.

39      56

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 & 2 77mm).

The last German w

one of these guns ran

off & took sights w him

39      57

He ws shot & guns ^sights

taken from him.

A very big dump

ws found there with

all sorts of useful

material incl m.g.

ammn - (in triangul

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.

7.30 pm, & abt 9 pm

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 / gun,

& / 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 abt 3 days

till relieved.

60

⇡

40 5 plns

38

37

1½ coys  40

mg.

LTM.

(& odd
Pioneers 

by mistake)

39       61

No pack animals were

sent up as far as

Bethlehem Farm. Everything

had to be manhandled.

There ws no shortage

of rations, & then got

hot tea.

38 Bn left Brune Gorge

at 11 p.m. & 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 ½ mile & abt 30