Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/168/1 - 1915 - 1917 - Part 3

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21
seen. A Coy in
open line ^also came over
the Paschendaele Terhaud 
Ridge into / valley at
/ rear of Busy Wood -
they were fully armed
men. This looked as 
if they were piling up for
a c-attack in / valley
They were not serious
eno' to get / guns onto;
& / guns were had stopped
barrage at midday but
/ heavies were searching,
the valley & forward slopes
opposite.

48
22
The Germans cd be seen
on the Broodseinde 
Moorslede Rd S. of
Table Wood - fully
equipped men running
abt all over / place;
A Captd Offr. sd they wd
make a lively c-attack
along this rd; but
they were under our
sniping & m.g. fire & 
nothing came of it.
Within 10mins of our
getting onto / Blue line
a German plane went
along & threw green

48
23
flares over / positn - 
& / German guns began
to get onto / positn
at once - especially the
Fms just forward o /
crest - not / front
line. This heavy shelling
ws kept up all day
& all night & on / crest,
the Cemetery, Zonnebeke,
& DeKnoet Fm.
The German guns
ceased at 9am on
Oct 5, & his sniping &
m.g. also. It looked as if
he were retiring.
Sale sent out a patrol at
once to one of the Germ.

48
24
posts - At 3p.m.
to D2.3 D3.4. A' L.G.
& a few men went out,
& found a wd. German
there & a well organised
post w all Germ.
Equipment packed
apt part of trench. The
man sd they had left
him & were coming back.
He ws as N.C.O.
He ws got back prisoner.
That evg. at dusk the
Germs got round this
post & our men had to
retreat to previous line.
The Germs. had previously

48
25
sniped & m.gunned it.
24 Bn also occupied
a forwd bit o trench but
retired imd. as Germs
came out agst them
at once (abt 29B.2.7.)
This ws on / morning of
5^th by wh time the
strain had bn pretty 
severe.
No c-attack came.
No SOS has bn sent
up by 21 Bn from start to now.
Two Vickers were in
front line but were not used;
also a stokes rear 6K
Fm wh cd reach the Rd to 
Moorslede.

48
26
A m.g. wh ws
causing trouble ws
knocked out by them
(Lt Paynter ws w them).
On night of 5/6 they
were reld by 19 Bn
The Germ. Arty
seemed to be firing
from over the N. Keiberg
Crest. We had abt
200 rifles of 21 Bn in Blue
Line.
Capt Pearce ws k. in
the trench near the
R of BRoodseinde - 
He ws jumping out of
it & blowing whistle to call his men
forwd when he ws 

48 
27
sniped thro' / head
by a Germ. Offr w
a rifle from abt 150
yds. The ^German ws in /
trench near SW
corner of Daisy Wood
at 98 standing w
a pty of men looking
over.
Pte Ord saw
this offr - walked
over, (many were doing /
same), threw a bomb
in, k. the Offr & took 
13 prisoners.
Pearce O.C. C Coy. got his MC
at Mouquet Fm.

48
28
Lieut Black ws k in
/ advance on / first
objve by shellfire -
never traced.
Lt Collins ws sniped crossing
the Ridge
Lt F. Rigby ws sniped
while they were digging
in on / blue line -
shot thro head - (several
valuable N.C.Os sniped
there too).
Rigby ws not k. right
out. 4 s.b.s took him
at once, & had not
got 10 yds before 2 
were shot dead - R died
there.

48
29
Lieut J. S. T. Rigby ws 
k. by a shell in / c of 
Stokes mortar party by
a shell in the J.O.T.
(The one who ws sniped
ought to have bn behind
the ridge estab a post - he heard of
his brothers death & 
went forwd). 
2/Lt ^HW Harper k by a
chance ^whizz bang shell on / 
Blue Line after Consoldn
complete.
2/Lt J.T.Herand DCM.
Lightly wd early, & on
his way out, ws k. on way 

30
Sale B Coy.
Sandford C Coy.

48
31
from Aid Post near
Zonnebeke Lake. He
got his DCM at Mouquet
F.M. 
7 were wd.
A Coy lost all its
offrs. before McCoughy C.C. A Coy
ws the last - wd
after of 4^th by a shell;
Lt Scales C.Coy. ws wd by
/ same shell & carried
on & ws hit later by
a wh smashed his 
knee -
Sergt Willis commnd
A Coy afterwds.