Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/167/1 - September - October 1917 - Part 8

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Diagram - see original document
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90
at our positn.
Capt Bolton Wood ∧ M.C. O.C.
of A Coy ws wd by shrapnel
thro back of head & neck, &
Anthon took over ∧ Wood died of wounds. The line here
ws on our side of these Pill/Bs
on / hill slope.
When / barrage lifted off these
P/Bs the 20 Bn here went on
to a better positn higher up / hill.
Anthon ws wd. When binding
Wood up, & some time later
left / line abt midday. Lt Hough then
took over.
Offrs K. Maj Hosking M.C. (M.C. chiefly
for work as 2 in C. after Le Sair). O.C. C Coy.
D Coys rt boundary ws the rt of
Hannebeek Wood, & Hosking ws
K. a litt rt of Wood, just
before reaching it. He ws k by a
shell.

4 91
Capt B Wood d. of wds (as above)
O.C. A Coy.
Lt Evatt MC. (D Coy) as above.
Lt Edgington. (D Coy) k. by shell concussion,
died at / dressing station - 
k during / advance.
Offrs wd: Lt McColl ws hit by shrap. at /
very start. (C Coy)
Lt C. Cameron ∧ (B Coy)(not G. Cameron M.C.)
wd by shell just before / objve
He ws leading 1st wave xxxxx
Lt Browning C Coy (M.C. - Le Sais & bar
for this fight) - Hit by m.g.
bullet in thex above knee
abt reaching Hannabeek Wood,
but carried on till consolidn
complete -
Lt Lowe B Coy. 2 m.g. bullets in
ribs after going abt 5 mins -
One entered at wrist & tore up /
arm. This ws before Hannabeek.
Lt Wilkins - hit by many m.g. bullets,
losing his arm - shortly after jump off,
in charge of carrying pty of A Coy.

92
The eventual line ws over the first
crest of the Anzac finger, well in view
of 17Bn & of Zonnebeke Church - 400
yds ahead of first red line.
All offrs of C Coy were wd or k.
D Coy. Capt Barlow took ch. of line
after reaching objve.
Lts Sard} 

Lt Hall}
Came up next mg. 
B Coy Lt Marlin ( a Duntroon boy,
mentd in dispatches) came thro!
A Coy Lt Bancroft}
A Coy Lt Hough}
Came thro. 
[Bancroft ws sent to C at
end of fight.]
The barragh ws as near perfect as
possible - easy to follow. The smoke
at stop ws easy to pick. One 18 pdr &
one 4.5 bom dropped 100 yds short & they
learnt to give them a clear berth. 
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93
Capt Broadbent M.C. ∧(Pozieres bombing attack Munster Alley) O.C. B Coy
ws hit at the 1st objve, & held
on after they moved up
until 5pm.
Lt Anthon (as above). 
Lt G. Cameron M.C. who worked
thro Hannebeek on left. He
ws hit abt 3pm on Sept 21
by a shell wh k. two Sergts -
He lost an eye.                Camerons
              k. & d o w           eye ws putout by
  Offs    4             8            a piece of shell
&men   80        170          wh went thro his
                                            helmet & thro 
                                            his head - he didn't know it,
                                            & walked out himself.
Oct 4. moved from esplanade saps
(W. Ramparts) to Windy Green
(SE of Ramparts) in early mg.
5.30 pm - to Rly Wood.
Oct 5. Reld 21 Bn by 8.50 am.

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94
D Coy ran into a barrage on
the Zonnebeke. Support Positn ws
just behind Broadseinde R. abt De Knoets Fm.
Oct. 6 2 pract. barrages at 4.10am
& 11 am.
Orders New preparatry to new
attack were read. 20 Bn to
relieve 25 Bn. (towds left)
Oct 7. 20 Bn ∧supplied carrying pties for
front line.
At moment of relief a 
heavy barrage came down
& caused abt 80 casualties.
in A Coy wh ws in / heavy mud betw. / old & new positns
{This ws / bombt for a German attack] It ws mostly
whizzbangs - x / bn moving close behind /
cemetery mostly missed it. A Coy ws lower.
By 10.15 25 Bn had bn
relieved in / mud.
Oct 8. There ws shelling abt day & by 
evg. 20 Bns strength ws down to 
abt 120.
Oct 9. 20 Bn ws for Red Line.
This ws taken by 8.25; some men

95 
20 Bn went in not expecting to
attack & took in juniour offrs - to give them
expce. without heavy responsibility of action.
Lt Lumb went                 C & A Coy astride rly
on w 17Bn.                      line went forwd to
                                            help 17Bn * practly
                                            ceased to exist.
Treacher
Capt. Hall MC. wd.
Lt Marlon           "
"    M'Gill              "
"    Lumb            xm.  Last seen practy surrounded
                                      and putting up a big fight.
"    Edwards       m.    Someone saw a bomb
                                      burst under Edwds
"     Dease           wd. 
(all wd forward) 
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96
went on with 17^th Bn. The posts
ahead were to weak to hold, but
a line ws occupied E of Decoy xxxxx Wood.
The Bn ws relieved by 45Bn at
9.35pm. & withdrawn to support
lines. These were badly collapsed
thro rain & shells.
Oct 10 Germs shelled support lines -
forteen casualties. Relieved by
46Bn by 10.15 pm.
For Oct 9 see Bn summary
& notes.

104
Ayers ws wd on 12 Oct
& is now in Wandsworth.