Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/165/1 - May - September 1917 - Part 5

45
43

2.45. p.m. 33 Div. reports
left Bde seen approaching
old original front line
betw. Reutelbeek & Pol. Wood.
Rt Bde. 33 Divn report one Bn
N of Menin Rd pushed back
100 yds on 300 yds front.
Remainder believed to be
in original positn but
situatn obscure.
3.20. 58 Bn reports "98 Bde making good progress.
Am endeavouring to link up ".
5.8. 5 Div Liaison offr w 33 Div. reports:
33 Div units on original front line.
14 Bde reports Positn on rt
of 15 Bde reestablished.
15 Bde casualties :
58 Bn more than ½
60 bn probly heavy.
(2 Coys 60 Bn carrying had
a bad time. 60 Bn probly
want help for big attack.)
 

45
44
5.40 p.m. 15 Bde report enemy
massing in large numbers
near Cameron H. Arty Barrage
needed at once along 15 Bde
front & left of 98 Bde front.
Arty informed.
7 p.m. Gen Hobbs reports

6.38 pm. 15 Bde forwds report
from 98 Bde (6.15 pm) as folls :-
situatn on our front obscure.
Our troops are holding N & S
lines through 3rd E in Verbeek
Farm & No further East.
At 5 pm. 33rd Divn reported :
98^th Bde reports tt 2^nd A & S.
Hldrs x 1^st Mx Regt were back
on our original front line at 3.10 pm
as result of c. attack in conjunction
with 15 Aus Inf Bde.
S. of Reutelbeek our
original front line is held exc.

45
45
for 200 yds imd N. of Menin Rd
where we hold line abt 70
yds behind original front lines

[2nd army says in evg. one c.attack
at 6 a.m. 2nd heavy c.attack
12 noon on same front.
Queens, NLI, Worcs, King Mx,
A & SH., & Austlns took part.]

7 p.m. Gen Hobbs reports _^∧ on telephone. Situatn
serious. 58 & 60 Bns
both severely punished. One
Coy 57^th put in. Col Stewart
going up w all troops available
in Bde. 98^th Bde has not
reestablished itself but. is on
line thro 3rd E in Verbeek Fm.
15 Bde is outflanked & in
gt difficulty. Barrage in
Glencore wood so hot Col

45
46
Marshall doubts possibility
to get men thro. Gen Hobbs
expects to have to refuse
rt flank. Gen Elliott thinks
tomorrow mgs attack out of
questn unless 8 Bde can be
put in.

7.40. p.m. Phone message from
Gen Hobbs. "33 Div now
confirm our opinion as
folls : 98 Bde has right
in original front line, left
back to Verbeek Fm w
a few men in front.
33rd Div are now sending
up 2 Bns to reestab.
line & get touch w rt
of 15 A I Bde.
Then Whites talk with Hobbs.

45
47
8.44 pm.
15 Bde repts: Enemy
heavily c. attacking out rt flank.
O C. Coy states he is
withdrawing. C.O. 60 Bn
has ordered him to hold
on & is reinforcing. Am
sending 57 Bn to support
60 Bn. (15 Aust Div)
9.35. Conversatn. Osborne w 10 Corps.
(from 33 Div 8.30.)
98 Bde repts tt only rt of
his line is in original positn
on green line. Thence his
line pushes back to Verbeek
close in front of wh he has some
posts.

All efforts will be made 
to restore situatn & assist Austlns
by filling gap in the line.

45
48
26 Sept After writing [[out?]]
2 cables came up with
Gullett to Lille Gate in new
car. And at Lloyds HQrs
abt 2. Slept in a chair.
At abt 3.45 there seemed to
be a practice barrage. At
5.45 the bombt broke out.
Reports from Liaison Offr.
6-7 am. Up to present no
retaliation on our sector.
6.40 pm. Prisoners coming in 6.35 am
7 am. Strong point J 3 B 33
captured. 2 mgs, number
prisoners - Everything O.K.

45
49
7.10 am. Prisoners still
arriving.
7.40. Bde on our right in
red line are in touch
on their rt flank but
not with us.
We hear the Butte has
been taken.
7.50 Red Line now in our hands.
Tokio in our hands, Also
Ridge O 28 A. Casualties light

45
50
9.25 a.m. Men can be seen
moving abt beyond the
Butte (5 Divl sector)
Touch v. good on left.
9.40. 5^th Corps report they
have Zonnebeke Church,
Windmill Hill, and
Zonnebeke Stn bldgs.
_______
11. a.m. Saw Genl Elliott at Hooge
who sd tt the 59 Bn & 30 & 29 Bns
had gone forwd to Red Line but
31^x  30^x & 29 had stayed there w
59 & refused flank. He wanted
31 30 & 29 to get ahead but they
had replied only tt there ws
no one on their right at
all. The British were then

51
Bdes
4 Aust          13  |
Div                 4   |
                    ___________                     
5 Aust         14    |
DIv               15    |
                   ____________
33                  98   |
Div              100   |
 

45
52
Abt 400 yds ahead of Verbeek
Farm, behind / old front line.

Abt. 2 p.m. Butler told me tt the
S O S had gone up from the
BUTTE. (This c-attack easily
repulsed by 14 Bde) at 1.14 pm)
3 pm.
A prisoner told 100 Inf Bde tt
4^th Gd Divn wd c-attack
this afternoon from SE. Their
Signal to be slackening of
barrage folld by increased
intensity.

3.30 Pm. Plane reports British
getting ahead on both sides
of Reutelbeek in J 15 B & D
but isolated pties of enemy
still in E of these squares.

45
53
3.10 p.m. Bggs 10 Corps tells
White tt 33rd Div now
holds red line w troops in
hand & will probly get
blue line.

2 Coys of Arg. & S.
Highlanders had bn found in
original front line [(Our
barrage had gone over them
again) much exhausted,
being withdrawn]
[* 20 [[?]]
558 or.
100 wd. *]
Jut Fm & Cameron
House held by 33 Divn.
________
Sitⁿ 98 Bde
Remnants of
1st Mx at
Clapham Jn.
A & SH being
collected
98     ( Cam H,  | 3/6 Scottish Rifles    
Bde  ( Jut Fm   | 1/4 Suffolk.
----
4 Liverpools (100 Bde to find if they are up)