Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/164/1 - September - October 1917 - Part 2

Conflict:

First World War, 1914–18

Subject:

Documents and letters

Status:

Awaiting approval

Accession number:

RCDIG1066779

Difficulty:

clear. These were back before the barrage

restarted.

The Germ. Barrage consisted

mostly of field guns early; (also heavy

shells – but ws never intense.

The 8th Devons were on our

right & 8th Bn A I F on left.

3Bn joined with them at 7.10 am on

the objective. There ws indirect mg.

fire on rt of line from S E.

3Bn H.Q. & 1st Bn H.Q. moved into

the Molenareslsthoek dugouts at

J 4 B 8.6.

In the 4Bn H.Q. the C.O. (Col. Mackay)

found a number of Germans who

surrendered.

5 Oct Morning v. quiet.

6.30 pm. 10Bn relieved. Germs

put down a heavy barrage wh

delayed it but relief completed

at 10.30.

3rdBn moved out to

Anzac Ridge. Going ws v. heavy

& tracks very difficult. It ws as

black as pitch & very hard to find

the position.

6th 7th & 8th were spent at

Anzac, salvage & carrying

parties. On Oct 8 They were

burying cable for next days fight.

Oct 8. 10.30 pm reld by 4 Bn &

went to Dickebusch.

Offrs K.

Lt H J F Watson killed during the

advance, by a shell, near the

Molenarelsthoek P/Bs.

Capt. A.L. Hewish (who won the Dist.

Coy. Competition ws K. next day (5) Cohen

on his way out after his coy, by shrapnel

– a pellet thro heart from a distant shell.

Capt R.I. Moore M.C., D.C.M.

who had bn in charge of the tunnelling

by 3Bn at Anzac in making the forwd

line wh ws never used. He had

lately returned to / Bn. He ws watching

a meal being distributed on Anzac

Ridge on 7 Oct., a quiet day, when

an isolated shell got him.

Lt Clark. (as mentioned)

Wd.

2/Lt A N Buckley, during the advance,

near the P/Boxes.

2/Lt W.F.Elliott during advance.

Lieut. G.R. MacDougal wd during advance

" R.B. Allport wd during advance

2nd Lt A E. Smith, hit after consolidatnRemained on duty & ws hit again.

2nd Lt F.G. Fitzpatrick (brother of the Dr)

hit after consolidation on 4th

& went away later.

Lt A.G. Cormack, hit after consolidatn

2/Lt T.S. Redkin hit in fight near

the P/Bs. shot in mouth.

2/Lt G.B. Christoe hit in the

advance but held on till 6Oct.

Lt .L.F.Kemmis – wd by the same shell

which killed Moore on Anzac Ridge.

o/r

k.	w.	m.
51	170	10
8d/w	4 ordly
59	174	10

Prisoners taken abt 83 200

(receipt for 83).

M.gs. 21. (20 left in Pill box, marked)

T.Ms. 4

Flammewerprs 2.

3 Bn went in again to support

on 5 Novr. Took over from 2Bn on

left of 1st Bde front on night of 8/9 Novr.

The Canadians were on the left.

3rdBde had taken Tiber &

Tiber Copse over from Canadians.

The Support Coy at this time

ws in trench behind Decline Copse.

The Support Coy area ws heavily

shelled on Nov. 10 when Canadians

attacked – just as 2nd Bn

had been shelled on Nov 6th.

This was the backwash of the

Canadian attack, our arty

opening on this front also.

The German ws a long

way away & there ws not

much sniping from there.

When Bn went in the

positn of German ws not

certain tho' we knew a

number of places where he

was not. A big working

pty ws seen on defences

at D 18 B 8.1. – and D 18 B 9/6

– an officers patrol located these

at night – our patrol ws in

front of Assyria (wh ws

unoccupied – Detect Xing also

unoccupied) - Germs were

seen on / hill above working,

but no movemt ws seen

there by day. Germs. seemed

to be a long way away.

The Germ. guns seemed to be

behind the Moorslade Ridge.

The German aircraft constantly

flew in formation over our

line – one flew up the

cutting so low tt / men

reckoned they cd have hit

him w a stone.

There ws gas shelling around

Bn H.Q but chiefly lacrymatory.

at Seine x

There were no casualties

from gas.

The Canadians on our

immediate flank did not have

to attack on Nov.10.

The night the 3Bn ws relieved

(10/11) Lt^ C.O.Clark ws by himself in front

of ^one of the posts just on rt of Rly N.

of Assyria when two Germans

confronted him & put up their

rifles w fixed bayonets. He

had a revolver in his holster, &

had no time to pull it out; so he

lifted his stick & hit the nearest

German on the head ^with his stick. They dropped

their rifles & he brought both in

prisoners. (Clark ws out w /

posts in connectn w / relief).

The Germs were probly covering a

working pty.

Offrs wd.

Lt E.R. Shelley M.C. (Hermies) –

in supports.

2/Lt G.0. Fitzpatrick in supports

both by shells.

	k.	w.
o.r.	13	40
	4 dofw.

Bn ws carrying most of time.

A German one night walked into

a post. He ws challenged, ran, &

ws shot dead. They got his papers.

He ws a man in/c of working

party on Keiberg, his notebook

showed / work they were doing.

The weather ws v. showery

with bright intervals & cold.

It ws not as bad as Flers.

The ground ws not so bad, work not

so hard, & accommodation better

in support.

6th Bn. Ypres.

Oct 4th.

Bn spent previous night

2/3 at Westhoek. It ws quiet.

Started up at 10pm. Oct 3rd.

Pitch black & raining – the Bn went

up track past Anzac – duckboarded

a good part of way. The rest ws

heavy going, 6 Bn follow 8 & 7

Bns. They were on a rise with

Germans throwing flares & golden

showers on front & both sides

(on left from lower ground) & so had

to go very carefully.

Just as Bn got up the Germs.

began to throw a few shells in rear

of the Bn along the road.

The Bn closed up onto 8 Bn

to avoid the barrage in front

of its tapes. H.Q. at 5 Bn Coy

H Qrs in front line, wh ws just

[*Molenarealsthoek*]

diagram see original

in front o / rd.

At 5.15 the 5th Bn

patrol brought in 6 German

prisoners. They seemed to be

very anxious to get back;

& by dint of cross questioning

they got / informatn tt /

Germans were going to lay down

a barrage at 5.31. This ws

at 5.20. They did not mention

the attack. Capt Lillie gave the

escort a message to HQ to this

effect.

At 5.30 down came the

Last edited by:

Loretta Corbett

Last edited on:

15 October 2024, 6:24 pm

Last updated: 15 October 2024