Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/167/1 - September - October 1917 - Part 2

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triangular overlap in /

barrage as soon as /

barrage started to move.

In this way the 18 Bn ws

really on the green line

(17 Bn's objve) during the wait

on the second objective. 17 Bn

did not have to move any 

further ahead than this line where

18 Bn were. They came up

(by arrangement) abt 1½ hrs

before after the halt. They wanted

a lot of convincing tt /

18th were on their line; &

when / Bombt increased, & the

next attack began they wanted

/ barrage lifted as they cd

not get ahead. Eventually they

were convinced tt this ws

their objve & came back into

it.

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At 10 a.m. there came over

from the directn of Zonnebeke,

past Garter Point, a dog -

a dog abt / size of a kelpie

but brown - He ws clearly

trotting up making for

Anzac H. so ODonnell gave

orders tt he shd not be

shot. He trotted right up

to / door of the Anzac

House - he clearly had bn

there before. (The Germans

there were not surprised to

see him). On his collar ws

a little tin tube with a

message in it. The boy

German inter translated

it as folls:- From the Regtl.

Commdr to . . . . . . . . 

Retake shellhole area; arrange

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※ This message has been

sent in to A.W.R.S.

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arty by flare signals". ^※

The next night a 5.9 shell

burst by the  door of Anzac H.

then Bn HQrs 18 Bn - k. 5 men

& this dog.

During the morning

of Sept 20 shortly after / line

ws in positn / Germans

cd be seen hurrying his

limbers along the road on

the next crest towds

Zonnebeke - within Vickers

Range along / Rd from

Molenaresthoek towds Zonnebeke.

The arty got onto these.

In the aftn of Sept 20 the
Germ. cd be seen dribbling

his infantry down thro

Zonnebeke & so round into

the Albania Gully. These

were dealt w by arty - A

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practice barrage ws coming

on at 5.20 p.m. & this ws

due to deal w the germs there,

& did so.

Sept 4 Next morning parties up

to 12 men collected / wd

under big Red X Flags.

Our s.bs were carrying

continuously without Red X Flag.

& were not sniped.

Abt 5.30 p.m. dusk on end of

Sept 21 light arty ws seen

to come into action on Zonnebeke

Ridge - abt Molenaresthoek

NE of the Polygon Butte. The

guns cd clearly be seen &

waggons also, apparently.

The SOS went up on the rt

flank foled by SOS on our

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left - imd followed by

heavy barrage over /

whole front. Direct hits

were observed on the limbers

& guns wh began to try &

retire as soon as / barrage

got onto them. The infantry

wh had bn dribbling into

the gully (wh ws dead

ground) were presumably

going to attack. There ws

no Army barrage this evg.

The 18 Bn ws in

touch on both flanks.

The main line ws on Green

line - a continuous line, no

wire, a little ahead (abt 20yds)

of Garter Pt. A couple of support trenches

for 2 plns, each, were dug

abt on blue line.

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On aftn of 21st, ^Advance pty of 21st

Bn came in to relieve.

& there ws a lot of movement.

The German arty laid down

a heavy bombt & Anzac House

ws hit constantly by 5.9

& a number of men were killed

- Corners of concrete were

chipped off but the house

remained intact.

K  Offrs K. Appleby (A coy) K where mentioned

w. w. Capt Davies (D  C Coy) where mentd.

w w. Capt Lowther D Coy - wd

in ankle when
on way to Iron
X Redoubt. He carried
right on till in line
- saw their right & ws brought
out - still away on Nov. 23. 

w Capt Readford ^(2 in C B Coy) ws

liaison officer w Scottish Bde

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on left. He cd get no

definite informatn as to

front line & so went forwd

to get it on left of Anzac

& ws hit there - at abt 10 a.m.

20 Sept.

k Lt Leslie, B Coy (killed) sniped abt 3 p.m. He
had bn with B Coy - He ws ordered
to give Sheath a hand on rt
as no offrs. there - & he
ws sniped

k Lt Corrigan C Coy. ws k. at Iron
Cross Redoubt during consolidn.

(Iron X Redoubt ws a Hun
strong Point, a number of
trenches blown ^almost out of recognition)

k 2/Lt Fidge  C.Coy. ws killed during the
holding of positn after consolidn.

k  Lt W. Smith A Coy ws killed at
Garter Point - He had got up

& pulled down Red X Flag 

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from Garter Pt. a little

later he & Sergt Cotes &  another

went out w a L.G. to

settle a Pill Box wh ws

firing at them about in / wire

in the valley beyond. The

three went out into a

shell hole & got their L.G.

on to / Germs. The Germs.

surrendered & were coming

out, & Smith got up on /

edge o / shell hole to

show them / way when

he ws shot & killed.

wd Lt Daniels D Coy ws hit by

shell after consolidatn near

Iron X Redoubt. wd 

k 2/Lt Cleary  C Coy k. by a

shell to rt of Garter Pt abt

9 am. 20 Sept.

wd Lt Moors A Coy. where mentd.

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Hand drawn diagram – see original document
Oct 9th

9 Oct.

k. Capt Woodland ^ D Coy ws going across to arrange w Taylor abt

taking Daisy Wood when k. by shrapnel.

2/Lt Hull - wd while sending visual. He went

forwd abt 10am from Zonnebeke Stn where 

Bn HQ ws to estab. a new HQ near old frontline. He ws

outside / Pill box sending a message w Laras Lamp when sniped in neck. They got him into a shell hole & dressed him outside dugout when incendiary shell set fire to (camouflage brush wd.) & woodwork. 
Lt Irvine,
Int. offr. 18Bn
pulled Lt 
Doig (17Bn)
wd out of
dugout & had his
clothes scorched in doing so. 11
were k there incl. Pioneer Sergt 
& 2 signallers.
Fountain coolest man
ever seen under shell fire.

2/Lt Hale 

k. by shellfire digging stn pt near

Dash X ing.

wd: Lt Hill M.C. - On Zonnebeke Moorslade R

on reverse slope of hill moving up to support by shell, badly  

Lt Henderson (unit. offr detached
on Bde) kept an OP
all day on
Broodseinde Ridge - 
hit by a shell.

Lt. Potts (6th October). while holding line.
abt time of Raid

Lt Parry - someone put up SOS on rt 

Lt Satchell abt 5/6th Oct. & P. ws hit in
 retaliatn wh bn ws moving in.

Lt Satchell -wd night of Raid - He ws out in

a post on Broodseinde Moorslade Rd. They were

digging & hit a German bomb. He put a shovel

onto it to smother it & ws hit by a fragment.

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wd: Lt Parfitt 2/in C. D Coy. hit after consolidn -
severely -

Lt Sheath ^C Coy who took command of

whole right ws wd in the

arm but remained on duty.
_____________________

 

offrs	k	w
	6	7
o.r.	47	219 (some d of w.)

__________________________

Casualties Oct. 9th:

Offrs	k	w
	3	4
or	15& 8 d.of wd.	66

On Oct 9 the 18 Bn (wh ws taken

into Reserve after the Raid) ws sent

up to support old ,  support trench & then

when 20 & 17 attacked ws to

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move on & garrison

front line. When, however,

the attack ws held up at

Daisy Wood, 18 Bn ws

ordered in, & it ws in

going across to Taylor that

Woodland ws killed.

19 Bn wh ws to

have bn in Reserve ws

also moved up - & ws it

ws with Taylor of this Bn tt

Woodland ws arranging.

During the advance the 18 Bn

got onto Taylors left flank

& finally went to up towds

Rhine House. Taylor ws /

man who did / work

here.

On 7 Oct 18 Bn had made

the Raid.