Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/160/1 - June 1917 - Part 6

40      67
by accident when first
going up. A shower of
shrap. fell on HQrs. Some
got behind trees. Others nipped
into shell hole & found the
Sig. Stn there. Herrings
HQ. at first ws an open
trench afterwds a Hun
grenade store of wood.
The German end of
the 47 2nd HQrs  (where Leane ws)
ws hit by abt 40 3 shells & finally 
broken by 3 in same place.
8 men were killed there
(2 Ambce men & wd men) in this.
It ws clearly a deliberate
German target. It has bn
a Bn HQrs of the Enger
Battalion. (OHo Bn ws on
his rt & Barman in his rear) 

68
(? the shell we heard
of in winter wh 
wd kill at 
1000 yds).
40    69
The night of 9/10 46 BN came
in and took over 1/3 of ^Bde sector
45 Bn ws relieved.
June 10. German aeroplane
came over flying low. Heavy
shelling all day. Many
casualties.
This night 10/11 at 4am.
47 Bn ws reld. & moved into
old British frontline wh
ws pretty warm. Some were
k. here. The German ws
using a shell w an instantaneous
fuse and wh ws at / same time
a gas shell.
47 Bn had 4 Tanks - 
HMLS Lucifer, Our Emma, Rumblebelly
& 2005.  2005 stuck
below Messines after the fight. 

40    70
An Australian named
Ley (from 6 L.H.R) ran
Lucifer; 3 Scotsman -
Williamson, Agnew (Rumblebelly)
Our Emma
& Brockwell (2005).
They got up. Rumblebelly
got down Huns walk to our
trench x Lucifer & Our Emma 
went to Oxygen.
2005 followed Rumblebelly
but he became lost in the 
trees by [[Lencanny?]] & got
lost to view - & when next
seen ws coming back.
Our men had an 
idea tt / Tanks wd rout
the Germans out, & if they
got near them they wd
catch & bayonet them. 

71
47 Bn had 10 offrs k & 8 or 9 wd.
Capt. Davy k. at jump off waiting
to start
Capt. Miller k in wood on patrol.
Lt. Goode} just after starting under
Lt. Dixon } our barrage
2/Lt. Walker ...missing but
(Brisb.) body found.
near Owl trench
Lt. Scott. a v fine offr. going across
Ipswich Q. to 45 the when first they
got in to see what matter
was. He ws with in/c of the
forward Bn Command Post.
(past the blackline).
Temp.
Capt. Salmon k by shell in Owl
trench 3rd day.
Lt Campbell. K 1st day near Owl trench
getting into it.

McKeon }hit but remained on duty.
Williams}
40  72
Rumblebelly caught fire
on Hun walk. An offr.
got out with his Pyrene
extinguisher & sat on top 
& extinguished it - our men
standing looking on in wonder
at his gallantry - only not
thinking of their being under
/ same m.gs.
All these 4 tanks
came back, just seeing
the troops into the trenches.
The only complaint tanks
had ws tt / men got into
their way. 

73
Diagram - see original document
Pte. Shang
40  74
found a signal camp in
the cement cottage at
Huns walk, set up the
camp on top of it exposed
to everything, worked it
from there by daylight
& dark (by daylight
running messages).
He went out on patrol
after snipers & got thro'
without a scratch.
Every time he came to
Bn HQ he carried some
informatn, disc, or 
paybook. Every time he
went back he carried
water or ammn. & sniped
in the intervals.

The Co. roused on
him with his tongue in his
 

40   75
cheek "You dont appear
to be doing much" he sd.
"Oh well - I'm in a bit
new to this" he sd " this
is only my second stint."
What were you in.
Only Bullecourt -
Oh is that all.
He ws in the 2nd line
at Bullecourt.
[Recommendations in
this Bn were left largely
to the men - informally
asked. 2 offrs were recommended 
by the N.C.OS.]
47 Bn for / gun 77. between
Zanuba & White Spot Cottage.
The 47 Bn sent a team to get
it out (transport horses) But
some austr  N.Z. gunners were 

76
47 Bn Casualties 

Gassed 2
Total 459
Went in 783 inc. carrying
pties, details
at dump etc
Fighting units abt 580 about 220
came out

40     77
there using it. It ws in
a leanto at the rear of
a concrete emplacement.
(Prob. anti-tank - Nahkampf
batteris). Captd by 15 Pln D Coy
47 Bn.
Four carrying pties.
see Bn Report.
carrying Yukon packs.
Previously 3 men cd carry 2 boxes.
With  Yukon pack the weakest
man cd carry / Box -
Finlay carried 3. Strong men
cd carry 2 & run with /.
5 were carrying a shell
get them k. abt 12 at
the start going up from the
forming up place in nomansland.