Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/165/1 - May - September 1917 - Part 2
10
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Full of dead - one
man alive underneath
all dead.
Finally chucked
out by head & foot.
The S.P. in Glencoe Wood.
45 11
were taken from inside
& 20 outside. 10 Bn
got 3 mgs there. There
were 3 gas or flammerwerfer
implements there, 50 or 60
m.g. belts (Two guns were
lent to 3rd m.g. Coy) Lieut
Lehmann of 3 mg Coy & most
of team ws k; but L/Cpl
who ws w him carried
on exactly like an offr.
It took 5 or 6 mins to
reduce this place & I men
once they got to the
emplacements & opening,
simply filled place w bombs.
The garrison ws actually
coming out of the dugouts
when out men were over
them. The Germ. morale seemed
to be v. good & their ∧ suffering wd were
v plucky.
45 12
The m.g. ws ∧lying on top of the
blockhouse ∧ afterwds - a light gun.
The line had by now
gone on. Neligan got
there after X & Y Coys & before
1 & 2 who were spacing
out getting their distance.
The wave of the 12th
seemed to get too far to
left - something or other went
wrong there; its not clear
what. They were out o
I way & not in their
place.
Cat. G.C. Campbell reorg 10 Bn into
original form X Y, 1 & 2 (1 carrying 22n.o.)
9th & 10th lay ag xx during
hours pause. 9th had
12th & 11th in front of
them, (on left) But 10th
45 13
only had 11 Bn ahead
of them.
Nothing startly between
1st & 2nd objve. 12 Bn
cleared up abt 12 mgs
there later but no fight
there. 2 old field guns
lying there.
_______
The rt half of 2nd objve
ws not held by anyone
so Neligan decided to hold it
w 2 Coys. They knew by the
time, & / barrage where they
were. They were within 40
or 50 yds of barrage (they
were taught to settle their
positn by this).
The men had sandwiches
w them. Paper boys got into
action there - sandbags w
45 14
12 papers in each bag. Some
were issued at this objve
& some at the third objve.
1 & 2 Coys were used on 2nd
objve xx & N. decided to leave
them there & go on w X & Y.
1 & 2 started digging at once,
& were nearly dug in when
lift came. German gradually
brought in his barrage -
he had a fair idea how
he ws losing - onto
strong Pt in Glencoe Wood,
& then in front of Red Line.
The barrage became
xx many times as intense
(from 1 shot per min. to 4 shots
per min. on lifts - this
made them obvious -
men were all warned abt
this).
45 15
To 3rd objve.
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_____________________________
X These were released when 12 Bn organised a pln
S.P. on its rt.
On hearing th 12th had
not reached right positn
N sent to 7 Bn for support.
2 Plus arrived X ; the line
had x bn ordered off at once
but these 2 plus when they
arrived were used as a
sort of stand by as authorities
wanted plenty of troops on
3d objve. The ground ws
marshy in front o 10 Bn -
but posts went out while
protective 4 hr barrage
45 16
ws still in front, & were
dug in by time it lifted.
It ws from ∧ a an advanced
patrol on rt tt they
cd see abt 3.30 Germans
behind the Butte looking ∧ with
off their packs - & then issued
without their packs & were
seen moving to abt J10A 55
where they dispersed &
became lost to view.
The patrols of storm Coys
had small scraps w
German patrols.
There had bn a mg.
at the S.W. end of racecourse.
Whenever it fired 3 of our
guns were wating for
it & got onto it at once
& it ws shut up.
17
2 mgs were captd in 2nd objve, & / mg
ws seized single handed by Lieut Klenner
This ws causing heavy casualties &
momentarily held up / advance.
Shell fire pretty disorgd 12 Bn.
Klenner's gun ws just before
2nd line ∧ reached & N.C.O. & 5 men were
taken there.
45 18
our m.gs. put up (proby
21 m.g. Coy) par a wonderful
barrage, & arty also
in hollows behind edge of
slope. Very few shorts.
Isolated groups were seen
at various times - but
no attack came. Similar
movements were noticed &
smashed by arty abt 7.30pm.
That night ∧ Pte Inwoods
patrol went our, & found
where Germ. patrol ws
working thro Polygon
wood. He went down
rt flank of race course
& settled tt the Germans
were still in their dugouts
in / wood. he cd hear
their transport also moving.
This information prevented
R45/18
45 19
the sending out of
unlimited patrols wh
wd have bn caught.
Next mg. earl he went ∧ with a 7 Bn
man locatd a m.g. & the two went out
out after a m.g. wh
he had spotted in a
shellhole & bombed /
gun & team & brought in
one prisoner who carried /
gun.
The ground ws heavily
shelled at intervals & spaces.
At 7.30pm. 2nd night S.O.S.
went up from 2 Bde & 2 Divn & later
from 3 Bde O.P. Both flanks reported
enemy movement massing for c.att
but 11 Bn saw no one.
The LTM offr & 3 of crew were wd.
But the new offr sent up at Assembly
post did not report during engagement
nor ws gun seen.
45 19
the sending out of
unlimited patrols wh
wd have bn caught.
Next mg. earl he went ^with a 7 Bn
man locatd a m.g. & the two went out
out after a m.g. wh
he had spotted in a
shellhole & bombed I
gun & team & brought in
one prisoner who carried I
gun.
The ground ws heavily
shelled at intervals & spaces.
At 7.30pm. 2nd night S.O.S.
went up from 2 Bde & 2 Divn & later
from 3 Bde O.P. Both flanks reported
enemy movement massing for c.att
but 11 Bn saw no one.
The LTM offr & 3 of crew were wd.
But the new offr sent up at Assembly
post did not report during engagement
nor ws gun seen.
45/18 10th Batt.
C.O. recommends Pte Reginald
Roy Roy Inwood. 506 During operations
19/22 Sept at Polygon Wood, Pte Inwood
displayed exceptional bravery & devotion
to duty.
During advance to 2nd objective, Inwood
moved forward through our barrage alone to a
German strong post& captured it with 9
prisoners, & killed several of enemy.
During evening he volunteered for a
special all night patrol which went out abt
600 yds in front of our line, & there by his
coolness & sound judgement obtained & sent
back very valuable information as to the
enemys movement.
In early morning of 21st Pte
Inwood located a machine gun which
was causing several casualties. He
went out alone and bombed the
gun and team, killing all but one
whom he brought in as prisoner
with the gun.
20
carrying Coys - get disorg. by
shelling & they will fight w
mates. Carrying Bn wd be
better. N. considers storm
troop system worth white (2 coys
in his Bn).
Slow barrage splendid
Camouflage ∧ shd be necessary
for new s. p:
Shell struck actually
in mouth of dressing stn &
k. many of wd. But
Maj. Appleyard RMO
went on w work tho shaken
& constantly went out
to dress wds under v.
heavy shellfire.
45 21
Bullecourt
9 Bn May 7
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The flammerwerfer attack
agst 9 Bn came in abt the
Jn (dotted line) & ws part
of an imd. c.attack made
agst 9 Bn bombing pty in OG1
from directn of OG2 - after our
party made head down
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