Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/159/1 - June 1917 - Part 7

78 

Dump (only 2 shovels w lot at

Str. Pt. - got 100 shovels, wire etc.)

From abt 8 or 9 our shelling

began - It ws particly heavy

on aftn of 8^th & night of 8^th.

A plane flew over abt 8 or 9am

on 7^th (before then he ws

shelling Ungodly Trench & Road)

 

Most of casualties (70 per c.)

were due to shelling. Some shells

fell fair into trench.

 

When shelling became very

heavy they were shifted to flanks

& into shellholes - not may

hits to men going overland.

 

Relieved on m.g. of June 10.

Some of slightly gassed men

came along 36 hrs later. Most

went to hospital - It ws I

weight carrying wh blew men out.

Both T.M. teams were blown out

w gas who were to have bn

for 2 str. pts.

39                     81

captd line to take up

fresh positn for barrage.

 

2nd Positn ws on

ridge S of Messines

abt 300 yds from River

abt U2D85.08.

 

At the start original 

position of guns ws

4 gun Bty. U7c75 10.

und. Lt Bizack

8 gun Bty U 13B70 15

under Lt. Mackay

 

In second positn the 8

gun batty remained till

relieved (from +140).

Their duty after +140 ws

to wait for SOS. Then

fire at fastest rate for

10 mins; then at

39                         82

50 rounds per min for

20 mins. (300 is fastest

rate- gun can fire 500

but cant keep it up).

 

SOS ws to be in front of

Black line first.

 

Then when green line

advance came off,

barrage had to be put up

lifting w arty barrage

till correct distance

in front of green line-

Then remain steady

for SOS.

 

This ws done at

3.5 in the afternoon.

 

They opened w I arty.

A 20 mins bombt.

83

Grieve ws

Grieve ws shot by sniper-

Batman pulled out

rev. & shot him.

 

39                               84

No call for SOS on black 

line.

 

One green line 2 calls for

S.O.S. - one each evening-

 

First ws at dusk

first evg. second same

time next evg. Second time

it ws kept going as long

as Arty ws going.

As long as German

barrage going they kept

going.

 

Whe Only one man

ws shell shocked near

Dead Cow Farm. They werent

in trench but behind hedge.

 

On Messines

Ridge German scattered

shelling found some Engl.

m.gs in front but never

85 

First ^ Barrage on 9 Bde front

2nd    __________    10 ______

 

39                     86

the 8 gun bty wh ws in

open between trenches-

Guns went thro in small

1 gun columns in single file.

Shortly after they got over

he started on his old front

line.

_____________________

8 guns of 11 Arty Coy

8  "          "  207 Mg Coy

                    (British)

were ^ barraging in front of this Bde also.

_________________________

Guns w Infy.

Lt Youlden's team with

38 Bn got bady gassed going

up & much disabled.

Only 3 of this team got to

Black lime with gun &

87

A circular curved trench

-not continuous.

out from

Schnitzel toward 

Dump - abt E of

Farm.

 

39                              88

Sergt Taylors gun. got

up with full team w 38 &

were placed in Str pt at

Schnitzel Fm by Maj.

Maudsley (abt 100 yds ^E SW

from actual Farm) on C in Schnitzel.. This

ws made as soon as they

arrived under 2 Sprs of 

Engrs. Gun ws covering

river directn, w a good 

field. The other gun ws

in the Black line - near

Bethlehem Farm in a 

strong Pt. Not much seen

of Gs. there either.

 

These two guns were

never needed - the Germs

were not showing. The

Germans were sniping

39                          89

from Messines Ridge

further E. This ws where

fire betw 7-8am ws 

coming from.

 

The guns w 37 Bn

Lt Fraser, Sergt Smith, Cpl. Adams.

Cpl Adams ws hit ^killed going over

& gun got into actn w 3

men. They got into green

line. Were ordered by 37 to

withdraw to Black Line abt 8pm.

(after ^before dark). Went back to green

line agn. slightly after midnight

after ^to be with 44 Bn. had gone up.

Capt Ordish went up himself

on night of 8/9 to get there

guns up -but the teams

were constantly being

smashed.

39                         90

Segt Smith ws wd.

Fraser took on this gun

& tripod till he ws hit.

He went on firing till

carried away. The 

run o I gun has bn lost

but Germs never got there

agn & gun ws damaged

by same shot. It ws a

shell wh hit him.

 

The 4 guns wh were

sent up under Tyzack

lost some men going across

(shorthand). They went straight

up in teams in file towds

the wood E of Schnitzel.

Tyzack ws there. They

put 2 guns N of Schnitzel

91

i.e. 2 guns had offensive

work to do - Frasers

gun & the one wh got

to green line.

 

39                     92

both with field of fire

on ridge on left round

to front of strong Pt at

Schnitzel. They were

dug into brim of shellholes

& shelters in shellholes

for teams. No firing ws

done from there.

 

Of other 2 guns

one ws taken to a positn

in row of willows NE of

Schnitzel in front of

Strong Point. This afterwds

went on to Black Line next day.

The other ws in positn on

right of wood south of

Bethlehem Fm. Neither

of these guns got a target.

93

 

Sketch

 

39                    94

All these 4 guns went

from there to Green line

betw, 4 & 5 p.m. first day

(June 7).

 

There is no doubt

that the barrage behind

the Green line was a definite

barrage of our ^field gun.

 

Them.gs got back

all right to the black line.

 

The infy on extreme

left of Divn were holding

a hedge leading to Septeine

Barn & they got pretty

badly hit by our barrage

as they came back late.

 

Only one gun has bn

lost, one completely smashed