Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/168/1 - 1915 - 1917 - Part 4

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32
Lt Chapman, hit early before
1st objve
Lt Edmanson, hit on 1st objve
shell wh cut
leg arteries.
Lt Bessemeres, shot in hip at
big flat Pillbox (3)
Lt McDonald, sniped thro head
v severely from rt while waiting on red line - 
Lt Eales D.C.M. (Lougatte)
lightly.
Or.
k 24
w. 202
m. 33 (all k.)
_______

i.e. 57 k 202 wd.
____________
On 5 Oct Bn
moved to Kit & Cat.
On 6 & 7 Oct they
were employed on fatigue
duties (after a little sleep -
rations & overcoats up) -
 

33
[Shorthand]
48
34
(Burying cables & carryng 
to Tokio).
Col Duggan went back on
7th & Maj. Crowther took
Commnd. 
On Oct 7. 100 most tired
men were sent to
Caistre to be replaced
by 100 fresh men
from Reinft Camp.
(120 there in all w 6 offrs)
All these offrs were ordered up.
After Oct 7. Reinfts had
not arrd. Bn organised
into 2 Coys moved
up to original Red Line
 

48
35
& De Knoet Fm. Their 
orders were to be in
support for a further
attack.
Oct 8 owing to
weakness of 23 Bn

Crowther ws ordered to
take over 1/2 front allotted
to them, & attack on
9^th betw. Dairy &
Daisy Woods, with
Objve at Rhine & Knoll
30.
On 8/9 the 100
Reinfts & 6 offrs came
up.  Strength ws then
8 offrs, 220 o.r.
(Sale Clark & Miller
 

48
36
out of 1st attack were
sent back with C.O.)
HQ: De Knoet Fm.
J.O. just behind
Crest Rd - rt Flank
Daisy Wd, left Dairy
Wood, 24 Bn on Rt,
23 Bn on left.
The hopping off strength
ws 7 offrs & 160 men
but 1 offr & 30 men
were sent up imd.
after Zero. These w
Lt Barton ws hit & most
of this pty wd before they
got to J.O.T. 
 

48
37
In moving to the Assembly
positns Lt. Armstrong
ws k. by shellfire &
Lt Garton wd. This
left only 5 offrs. & 10 o.r.
They formed up
well in drizzling rain.
The ground ws very
sticky & slippery - the 
men were done to a 
turn but more cheerful
than wd have bn

expected & the 100 newcomers
were in fair nick.
Just as we were moving
up an SOS went up
& the Bn caught this
 

48
38
shelling (on Oct 7/8)
The C.O. & party were lying
behind a small pill
box for 1 1/4 hrs in this
barrage, going on ahead
of Bn. (Their tin hats
were blown into their
faces by one shell).
The barrage opened
at 5.20 (there ws a 
trench to jump off from
just behind / rd).
The barrage ws 
thin, scattered & quite
insufficient to stop
enemy sniping &
m.g.s. Germs imd.
 

48
39
shelled front line, Ridge,
& Zonnebeke slope heavily
& m.g. fire ws v. heavy
& accurate.
Germ. ws holding
a few Pill boxes but
mainly short lengths
of trench w bent
iron shelters, esp.
in Busy Wood, Dairy
& Daisy wds.
We attacked w 6
plns on a 2 Pln front
same formatn as before
but no carriers
exc. everyone ws to have
a shovel.
 

48 
40
The m.g. & rifle fire
disorganised / attack
straight away. It ws
mostly from / flanks
- Daisy Wood & End of 
Busy Wood. 21 Bn
advanced between 
/ two; flanking Bns
were hung up at each
Wood & 21 got it
from all directns.
Every offr became
an early casualty & 
no report came from
anyone. Of the 6 who
went over 3 were k:
 

48
41
Lt Hogan. k.at Pillbox Shot at Mud Dugout H
Lt Place, helping 24 on edge of
Daisy wood near
Pill Box P
Shot thro head - a DCM
from Engrs - 6 F. Coy.
A man of 6 f^t 2 who
went over itching w
fight - like Jones.
(Lt Armstrong)
Lt Walmsley      }
Lt Corney           }     missing
Lt Bollingham  }
It is pretty certain tt
Walmsley & Bollingham are
killed. Nothing is known
of Corney.
Elements of the Bn
estab. a line from N edge
of Daisy Wood to S.E
Corner of Dairy Wood.
One pty under Sergt
Bowler pushed out
 

48
42
& estab. abt 300
yds S.W. of Rhine,
in touch w some parts
of 23 Bn & 5^th Bde.
2 other pties under
Sergt Weir & Sergt
Warren (k.) got out there
v. near to their objve
& established by Knoll
38. They got by 8.30
- from shellholes -
pushing clean thro' & 
being shot at from 
Busy Wood. Our
heavies were on 
to Busy & Germ.