Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/166/1 - September 1917 - Part 4

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many of them have
got thro our barrage for
they cd be seen through
it running ^100 or 200 or 300
yds away.  They were
too far for accurate
shooting in this light -
There had bn a lot of
rain - even while we
were in positn waiting
- & so there ws no
dust & it ws quite
easy to see thro' the
barrage. (There ws rain
the first day too).
On the right the Bn
struck oppositn from a
m.g. post in a concrete
blockhouse - but it
ws soon outflanked.  Capt
 

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Traill ws there, & he
got round it w a
couple of men.  The
Germs. came out w
their hands up once we
were round them &
were all shot.
On our left at
Retaliation Farm, wh
is some undergnd concern,
there were at least 3
m.gs.  They outflanked
this too.  The Germ m.gs
cd. be heard going on
both flanks at this time.
The German ws enfilading
from these two posts
& a good many of M's
 

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men who had bn w
him till then he never
saw again.  This ws
just after they met the
line of Germans.
(None of the Germs seemed
to give themselves up - if
they had the boys were
too excited after the
barrage to take prisoners)
A Coy were on left
abt Retaliatn - Kirsch
& Davidson's Coy - had both
bn k.  Lt Poynton of A ws
hit there in the arm.
Lt Daly wd be in comm A Coy
(new Commn 2 days)
there (he ws hit further
on).  Lt Stubbs (one month
commissioned an AMC
 

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man - a splendid chap
ws in commd there.
Both of these had their
leg broken by shells
at the 1st objve &
A Coy thus lost all
its offrs.
Traill who ws senior offr there put
Lt Glanville went from
D Coy to A Coy to commd.
(he won his M.C. in the
first fight) & immd after
ws k. by a ^Germ shell.  This
ws just as they were
getting settled in the line.
After this Lieut Lay (who
recd his commn 2 days
before - Croix de guerre,
Sergt. Bullecourt
M.M. a splendid fine
soldier, perh. the best in the Bn
a grand man on patrol.
 

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Lay ws the man who
captd the German at
Bullecourt ^going out without any
arms.)
Lay rea
The 1st objve ws 750
yds - from NE. edge of
Romulus wd to SE
edge of Remus wood -
but they moved the line
up to within 50 yds
of the ridge to prevent
casualties.  They were
dug in under a ledge
Hand drawn diagram - see original
Lt Joynt took a party
of B Coy to the right
wh ws uncovered
& linked up w 3 Bn
 

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there.  Murdoch took
40 men from C & placed
them N. of the crater betw
Joynt & the remainder.
The men were thus
in 3 parties - having
bn originally to the left.
The barrage halted
for an hour just on
the road & the crater.
The line ws in dead
ground from the road & 

crater.
The line had to be
reorganised so tt if a
c-attack came they cd
get at it at any moment.
But when the barrage
 

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ws halted they began
to work into the edge of
it & got up just abt
80 yds this side of the road.
They were on the left of
the crater & came under
m.g. fire coming over the
top of the ridge.  A number
were lost there.  The
enemy were  abt 30
yds this side of the rd in
Pill Boxes.  The 8 Bn
got these & got 3 guns
there - guns of Nahe kampf-batterien
on small wheels.
When the barrage went on
M. they tried to get the guns
to work - got it round
& found there ws no
breech.  The guns were in
a little hole without any
 

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shelter.  These were captd
while the barrage ws stationary.
The crews had m.gs. in a
trench beside the guns guarding
them - more or less in
the open.  Lt. Hickson, acting
O.C. C. Coy did splendid
work there.  ^Hickson led while They crawled
up from everywhere &
shot the gunners - you
cdnt outflank them on
this ridge.  Ms pln did
this.  It ws not the
8 Bns work.  The 6 Bn
ought properly to have
gone through & done this
while 8 Bn consolidated.
There ws a good bit of
confusion.  The barrage
ws over this positn &
the inner edge of it ws very
 

x
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light  These guns were
taken before the barrage
went on agn, & were
aftwds blown up by
Germ. shell - ^x
The 8 Bn dug in
80 yds behind the road
under the ledge.
Joynt ws on the right
& M. with his 40 men in
the centre.  Later another
14 men were brought
over & another post
placed betw Joynt's &
the central post.  The 6 Bn
had a line just on
our side of the road
& this really made
the positn a more solid one.
 

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Lt Meadows C Coy .ws wd
by German shell abt 2 hrs
after consolidn began.
Lt Finley C Coy. ws wd on the
way up to the ridge half
way tothe/ Ridge. Objve.
Lt Ross ^B Coy (commnd a few
days before) had a leg &
an arm blown off x in
die Remus wood just
before reaching the objve by
a 5.9 - germs picked
it up v. quickly.)
As soon as we got
to the ridge a Germ. aeroplane
came over & put down
flares to show the arty,