Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/161/1 - 1916 - 1917 - Part 2

12

Capt. Arthur Maxwell

of Hobart ws in/c of the 

advanced line, on the

junction with the Tommies

on left. His CO. (Pope) &

2 in/c. (Stubbings)) were both

hit.  If he were not so 

junior they wd make him

Colonel.

Duncan ws recommended

by Glasgow as A.D.C. to

Haig & is now ADC to

Holmes - since Ferguson

ws sniped in an outpost

w Holmes near Lagnicourt.

Holmes left F. to get back

after dark & a shell came

in meantime & smashed

up all with F. except himself.

Fergusons Brother ws k. at Fleur[[baix?]]

wh is why F. ws made ADC. to be

out of harms way.

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13 

The left of 13th Bde 52nd Bn. 

Cd see the Tommies before it

started but ws not in touch with

any.  There were Tommies some

way to its left, going NE, →

The bend of the hill makes

you naturally incline to follow

tt deviation, & no amount of

shouting at / men can quite

prevent it.
The 49 Bn were in touch

on the right, but they too swerved

to their left to keep in touch with 52nd.

As they advanced they captd.

(Arthurs Coy) from 80 to 100 Germs.

They got in just at where the
Wambeck crosses the [[Oostavern]]
line.  In this line they bombed
Northwards to just S. of Mabieu
Fm.  They took a smaller part
of Owl Support (or rather Odour -
Support) trench & echeloned a
line of posts across to Odour trench
on left & right.

14
— — 1st Positin
2 2 2  2nd positn.

Diagram - see original

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15
Diagram - see original

41
16
That night our own arty -
heavies on left, & 18 pdrs on
right, - shelled them out.
They fell back & formed on
line marked 2 2 2.
That night after falling back
they cd see a line of Germans
without much arty support
coming forward to attack
them after dark.  Rifle &
m.g. fire was put on this
line - It came within bombg
distance & then ran.
Next morning some
Abt 3a.m. some of the
Lincolns came up.  Arthur
put them in between Australians
as he wanted to make
sure of them - where marked
LLL.
Next morning abt 100 of the
Germans were reported to

17

X

Arthur put this S.O.S. in morning
of 8th, but it ws not answered.  He then
went back & got onto the telephone
& got the arty to fire.  The Germs
ran away, but came back later.
They were very persistent & brave.
but their preparation ws smashed 3 times
1. by rifles  2. by bombs  2. by artillery.
& no attack eventuated.

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18
Arthur ^Maxwell as being ahead of them.
The Germs were clearly
trying to get some foothold for
a c.attack - HQ didn't think
there were likely to be 100 - figures
are always exaggerated -
So he sent out an offr. & 20
men w bombs.  The Germans
bombed back - but ran
& our fire chased them.
Still they kept creeping
parties over / hill trying
to build up a firing line
- They were over the dip
where rifle fire cdnt well
get at them so Arthur
put up an SOS & arty
got onto the Germs & [[?]] saw
them run again.^x
In / aftn (? before or after
arty beat back Germs) the 52nd
went out & got 40 wd. prisoners
& 60 to 80 dead.  One Prisoner
sd his whole Coy ws either

41
19
killed or captd.  But Arthur
says at least 3 of them got
away.
That night (June 8) there ws the very
hell of a straf but there were no
Germans to be seen.  The Germans
put a heavy  barrage on the
Tommies in the Second line (behind
the 52nd) & these Tommies put
up the SOS.  There ws no
SOS put up by 52nd.  Our
barrage came down in reply.
& there ws a tremendous
noise but no fighting w
infantry.
On the night of June ?8th 9th
the 52nd withdrew.  Orders were
sent to them tt they were to come
out at 9 p.m. whether Tommies
came in or not.  There were holding
25 Divns line.  Arthur's men
were relieved by 25 Divn - but
he wd not withdraw them for

41
20
an hour after ordered.  The
Tommies & their officers were
very nervous of the tremendous
straf wh ws flying overhead
& when they saw the Australians
marching out they were saying
"The Anzacs are retiring!"
They were so unsettled that
Arthur kept his men in
for another hour until things
were a little quieter.
[I believe 25 Divn at
this time wanted to bring back
their barrage, & also reported
tt the NZs & Aust. were retiring
in a shaken conditn into the
black line.].

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21
The 52 Bn ws sent in
again on evening of 10th, with 50 Bn.
to take portion of line not
taken on 7th by 49 Bn
[Paul wounded].  Pope had also
bn wd.  Anderson k. Clive
Pearce k.
The hour ws too early.
- 1 hour too soon.
The 50th ws on left, 52nd
on right.  The hour ws too
early, & the offr of 50th
^Lt Rogers - who ws laying out / tape
ws wd.  Arthur Maxwell
crept out (leaving it as late
as he cd) & laid the tape -
crawling - a m.g. getting
onto him 3 times in / process.
under flares of Germans.

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22
2 Coys of 5 2nd were wrongly
guided in & were not in time.
Only 2 got off the tape.
They found the wire ws
practically uncut where
Arthurs lot were.  Arthur ws
now C.O. & had his H.Qs a little
in rear.  The German barrage
got down absolutely at /
same moment as ours
- 10.30 - & tho' most of 50 Bn
got thro the 52 were caught
a bit.  The Germans met them
on the wire with bombs.  A
few men got into / trench
but most apptly were either k.
captd. or got out again.
But the 50 Bn got in on
/ left & the 52 Bn drifted its

23
Arthur Maxwell & Jacka.
(from Duncan Maxwell)

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24
men in through them.
Arthurs men went out to
{Detonink Fm.  When Jacka
{& Delporte
Lt. Col. Gates 33 Bde & ^Lt Col. Mathers
6 Lincolns
relieved him & he asked J to
take over the posts there J
sd they were too far from the
Supports & wdnt do so.
Arthur reported to Salisbury &
S. told J. he wd not accept
relief until the posts were
taken over.  Arthur asked
J. to come with him to the place
but J stopped w / patrol part
o / way out.  Arthur called
for volunteers & 2 of J's men
xx came w him to Gapxxxx Delporte
They took J. then to Gapxxxx Delporte
& Arthur went right down
to the road & bombed a
cement place there.
J. took over & at once

25
reported tt he had captured
Gapaard Delporte Farm & that
he considered posts might
well be pushed down to /
road.  For this he & 14 Bn
are at once being gn the
credit.  As a matter of
fact Arthur Maxwell & 52 Bn did
it.
Jacka is (sort of chap who
wd probly hang back, while
Arthur ws there, in order to
get / credit for himself
& 14 Bn by going out later.
Lt Col. Gates (6 Lincolns)
& Lt Col. Mathers mentioned
Arthur so often in their
despatches tt the G.O.C.
33rd Bde wrote to Glasgow
telling him & adding tt he
did not know tt they
wd have bn able to