Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/165/1 - May - September 1917 - Part 7

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10 Corps
Air observers reports
8-45 — 9.35 am at 900 ft.
Our Infy at J 26 B 85 .65 -
J 21 C. 60 . 40 - J 21 B 25.00
in the [[Veldhoek?]] trench, J 15 D 60.70
(large party) J. 15 B 35. 00.
Small pties of enemy in shell
holes at J C . 58 .20 & in
Joist Trench.   Enemy machine
at J 10 C 25 05.
5th Corps says 3rd Divn will
complete capture of Blue
line at an early date &
59 Divn will cooperate from
directn of Dochy Fm.
18 Corps & 1st Anz Corps to be
asked to cooperate

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12.4 p.m.  Enemy dribbling
up in batches of 8 to 10
to a pt of concentratn
at J 11 a. 

[2nd Army says Morng Rept. 27/9/7
There were 3 heavy attacks yesty
between 4 & 7 between S. end
of Tower Hamlets Spur & N of
Polygon Wood.   Line substantially
unaltered - still in Red line
S of Cameron H. but S of
Cam. House gap to Red Line at
Reutelbeek.
60 Aust Bn & RWF preparing
to close this gap]. 

. 5 Aust Div - RWF - Suffolk
S. Rifles - Hants - Sussex - Chesh - Camb. - Bl. Watch

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At abt 6 pm on 26/9/17
3 Div attacked Hill 40 &
Zonnebeke Stn. to complete
Blue line, & at same moment
enemy heavily attacked.
______
9 am on 27th Elliott reported tt
he himself reconnoitred front
line - we 60 Bn hold Cameron H.
(captd few prisoners there)
& Posts in Cameron Covert.
31 Bn reorganising in
Polygon Wd ordered to
proceed to objve wh cd not
do before as 98 Bde
made no progress.  They
98 Bde has now got on
wh help of 60 Bn & has 2 Coys
echeloned in Pill Boxes to
rt rear (R.W.F.) Not known if these
in touch w Bde.
[1.55 am. 27th 98 Bde reported. Quiet. Parties
of 4 / Suffolk, 2 RWF believed be in Red Line]

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27th  6.15 pm.  10 Corps:  98 Bde
in touch w 15th Aust.
Bde near Jerk House: 98 Bde Also
in House N of 3rd E in 
Reutelbeek - took 12 prisoners. 

26th.  At 7 pm enemy
vigorously attd 14th
Bde but ws beaten back
w heavy musketry &
mg & failed to reach
line.
27/28  Quiet night.

During night the 98th
Germ RIR? ws reld by 75th
Regt of 19th Res. Divn. The
4th Coy ws led forward by

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2 guides incl. an offr. who
brought them thro the other
coys in 3 or 4 positns in
shell holes, wandered abt
& at last placed them down
in shell holes too. 

At dawn they found
themselves staring into our
mens eyes - almost
amongst them.  They tried
to run back but came under
mg fire.   Our SOS went 
up & down behind them
crashed our arty.  As one
NCO sd - we cd fight if
we had anything partr to 
do - but under these circumstances
we thought it useless - &
60 came in at once. 

This ws reported by us
as a raid.

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Role 229 Regt 50 R Div. sd tt
2 Regts of Prussians had refused
to go forwd.   The Russian front
ws easy compared to this one. 

2nd Anzac appear to have
gone in today ∧relieving 5th Corps we passed
the 3rd Divn (11 Bde) on the road just
this side of Steenvoorde yesty &
I must say they looked
magnificent. ∧I'll swear They knew they
were passing thro' the 1st
Divn - & their sleeves were
rolled up & men looked as 
good as any I have ever
seen. 

We are to have NZ, 3rd, 2nd, 1st
Australian Divns in line in
the next show - they must
have altered their plans since
the first show went so well

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& w such slight losses.   The
3rd beside the 2nd & 1st will 
make a magnificent combination
- all keen to win, up keep, their 
reputations & their place in the force.
It will bring the 3rd Divn home
amongst its fellows at one
step.   Steenvoorde ws crowded
with 1st & 3rd Divn yesty evg -
streets simply moving w them;
the old colours of the 6th on the 38th
& 7th on the 39th - but they
kept to themselves very much,
little groups a bit shy of one
another, I thought. 

Before the fight on the 20th
Gen. Birdwood was rung up to
find his opinion on a 
suggestion o / 5th Army tt

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the fight shd be put off owing
to rain.  He absolutely
refused - & in it he showed
leadership.  He knew his men,
& I believe they had already
started.  A false start wd 
have bn / worst thing in /
world. 

A quiet day today - 
I have been seeing 15th Bde.

Two days ago had a long
argument with Hurley
who wants to be allowed
to make "Composite" pictures
for his exhibition - i.e. to 
put in shell bursts made
by trench mortars at St
Pol.   I can see his point, he
has bn nearly killed a dozen
times & has failed to get
the real picture he wants -

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but we will not have it at
any price.  The Canadians to
some extent faked their big battle pictures
by printing shellbursts on 
other photos - but we do not
want to rival them in this.