Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/160/1 - June 1917 - Part 3

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from the Strong Pt at 34 Central
along the road hedge SE,
ducking across onto road
parallel w / Support trench
- & our L.Gs did some very
good shooting.  It looked as if
they were getting onto this
road for an attack - going by
2s & 3s & 5s.  Our outposts
reported a lot of activity in the
wood SW. of Gapaard Farm.
The German at abt 9.30
to 9.45 seemed to make
a feeble c.attack.  We put

up an S.O.S. - got an immediate
& spendid barrage - Vickers Guns
opened indirect fire & no
Germs were seen to get thro
it.

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We had an L.G. sniping at 1600 yds
[[shorthand]] drawn on 3 Div.  Knocking
plenty of German.
Out of hedge came 2 Germs
carrying something.  M.g.
put on them.  They ducked
in behind hedge & reappeared
w white flag.  They stopped
firing. Then out dashed 2
German opportunists
with white flag & no stretcher
- they took no chances
this time & bowled over a
couple.
A German ws seen - they
were sure of it - in a 
hollow tree.  Put barrage of rifle grenades
on it

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At this time you wd hear:
"Let the bastards get over,
Bill" - The men were dying for
a fight in the midst of this uproar.
Arty kept up till abt
1 a.m.  Troops stood to & kept
sharp look out till daylight
& then Consold. again.
On afternoon of June 9 - a
patrol (Offr. of 47 Bn Lt Bird, 3 or 4 of
47 Bn.  Sert. xM.P. O'Brien
& 3 or 4 of his choice men -
went out to reconnoitre
near blockhouse by fork of
Andulating trench.  They went
along & saw a German - They
decided to capture him.  They
then saw abt 20 Germans
in the trench. (Undulating
Support).  They fired all their
revolvers, & when Germs

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began to throw bombs they
retired.  Some of 3 Div.
seeing them retiring put
up S.O.S. German put one
up also.  S.O.S. ws then put
up further along line N.
& both artys came down - chiefly
ours.  This wd be abt 7pm.
June 9.
June 9.  One of Stubbacks posts engaged
a machine gun w rifle grenades
this day.  Men used to run across
to there posts & back (as I saw
them).  We had our men sniping
over towards the mounds N. of
the Blaawepoortbeek.
45 Bn sent a bombing pty
this afternoon down Owl trench
where they met oppositn &
temporarily stopped.  As soon as
they stopped up came the Germans
from the Str. pts bombing for all
they knew.  45 threw bombs back
& battle ensued, bombs being
supplied for 48 Bn.
[*?by*]

At least part of this evidently
refers
to night
of 10/11 June
C.ew.B.

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31
Abt ½ hr later word ws
passed from 45 tt the attack
had bn repulsed w slight
casualties.  While attack ws
on Lt Rafferty (48 Bn) did
great work assisting Capt Allen
in getting stores to / attack &
encouraging the men.  The Germs
went back to their Str. pt &
45 held their block.
Abt 8.30 p.m. Adjt of 65 Bn
brought an operatn order to
Allen ordering him to capture
Strong pts & trench to Road by
10 p.m. night of June 9.  At same
time 13 Bde were to advance line
of posts to the road in
front of Despagne Farm.
13 Bde were then to send
patrol forwd to connect w

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Allen & then arrange Zero
time & 13 Bde wd silently
push posts forwd & occupy
Odd trench.  The 13 Bde
patrol struck opposite &
the Offr ws only one who
got thro to 45 Bn.
45 Bn were unable
to get to road tt night -
they weren't in a positn to
make a heavy attack.
June 10 m.g. as you were.
48 Bn reld this morning
at 3 a.m.  (They had an idea
they were likely to come in
agn tt night but werent
sure).  They went to
Subsidiary line.  The 46 Bn

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relieved & took over
part of central front between
45 Bn & 47 Bn.
48 Bn ws having a
sleep in Subsid. Line this
day.
That night at 10.30
45 Bn attacked w abt 50
men under Lt —
They got on - had a no of
casualties - offr k. &
driven back to their
original Stop.
At 10.30 11 pm 48 Bn
moved off & took over
line thro' a fair amt of shell
fire - abt 2a.m.  The
46 Bn moved rt & took
47 Bn area; 47 came out.
48 came up & with 3 Coys

34
to road in O34 central as bde on left reported
that Germs had retired.
He found Str. pt where ^Second 77 was
unoccupied - breech blocks gone.
He then pushed on & patrolled all
Owl Support & Owl trench to the Rd
S of stream being sniped at all
the time.  He came back to the
block where his Coy was.
Supplied Coy with digging tools &
extended them down to the road
& set to work to consolidate.
The other 48 Bn Coys in Owl trench
gave him all available men to
help consolidatn.  Abt this time
Lt Stubback went to see how things
were going, ½ Coy being at rest, other
½ carrying.  He brought resting ½ Coy up
& assisted consolidatn.  By 4 pm
whole line had bn consolidated x
& Good fire trench organised.  As soon
as this ws done posts were pushed
out on extreme left to Owl Support,
& in Centre to just in front o /
Central Blockhouse.  O'Brien ws k.
just abt this time in front of this
blockhouse.
Abt 6 p.m. report came thro'
tt cavalry had gone thro on the
left (forward) →
[*At 9.15 reported in touch with 13 Bde.*]

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took over to 45th block -
keeping A coy in support in
Oxygen trench.  Imd. after
taking over Capt. Mayersbeth
in C/ of left Coy went to
personally reconnoitre the
positn below the block,
as there ws a strange enemy inactivity.
He got into the blockhouse.
(first beyond block) where
77 gun was.  There were
only dead Germs in it -
apptly it had been used
as a dressing Stn.  He
found tt / line ws unoccupied.
& got touch with 52nd bn.
Then w a xx covered by 2 L. Gunners,
& taking a couple of runners
x he went on to patrol
ground betw Owl trench &
Support - an order having bn
sent by CO. abt 6 a.m. to patrol
towards Gapaard Farm

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[OBrien & anor. asked Cumming
if we wd like a drink.  He sd
he didnt mind.  They went
down a bit of a Sap & down
a gutter they had cut into
a shell hole.  There they had a
couple of blankets, & McConaghy,
& a bottle of rum & water wh
they had bn salving.  They wd
get x every now & then xxxx:
"Well - we'll go off & look for
another m.g."  They salvaged
a couple & wd fire 400 or 500
rds to make sure (they were in
order.

The 12 TM Stokes Gun under
2/Lt Coward came up first
to Oxygen trench, then Owl trench
firing onto the Str. pt in the
hedge & the Str. pt where
the gun ws (2 duds were
found under the 77 gun).
Vickers Guns ws also covering
left flank firing down valley]

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At 9.15 pm.  4 dismounted
L.H. & one offr reached Owl
trench (Cummings) & got no further.
The cavalry went up
the Douve Valley - & 10ft
& 20 men w Hotckiss gun
were near Potteries with
16 Bn all night.
But those who went
along Huns Walk cd not
get on - it ws too hot.

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(Cavalry) & 48^xBn ws ordered
to send a strong fighting patrol
to keep touch.  These patrols
pushed out from near the 1st 77 gun
under Lt Pavy & 2/Lt Mitchell.
They went thro Owl Support till
they came under m.g. fire
from Gapaard Fm.
By this time remainder of
Lt Stubbacks Coy had come up
& taken over Owl Supp Trench.
Vigorous patrols were sent out from
all parts o / line chiefly to
ascertain whether / posts cd be
pushed into Owl Suppt tt night
The wood in wh the blockhouse was
ws bristling w m.gs & snipers
& / posts cd not be further
advanced.  (Early next mg these cleared)
At 3 a.m. the 48 Bn ws

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relieved by 14 & 15 Bns.
After getting back to Black
Line.  Mayersbeth ws k by
a shell abt 9 a.m. June 12.