Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/168/1 - 1915 - 1917 - Part 8

77
48

They got to / edge o / 

wood & saw 2 deserted

m.gs. They captd 2 of

enemy. On edge of wood

our heavies & m.gs.

made them with draw.

They withdrew towds

Rhine w only 2 casualties.
 

The casualties were

so heavy tt 27 Bn ws got

up to occupy original

frontline & they suffered

heavily there. While at

Rhine they took a new m.g.

No 3626 56 but it had to be

left when they retired.

78
48

There ws no c-attack.

Men going up were sniped

as / place ws so isolated.

They had only / ammn

wh they carried & therefore

kept their ammn for possible

c-attack.
 

/ Coy of 28 Bn ws

allotted to each Bn. 60

were used by 23 Bn to

establish a line along /

western edge of Dairy

Wood, wh ws very thin -

(They were intended to go

to E edge but fire ws

heavy). 28 Bn went out

abt 9 a.m.

79
48

One coy 49 Bn

relieved 23 Bn on 9/10.

It ws a most difficult

relief - very dark & raining.

The first attempt did not

find them; the relief ws

 sent out agn w orders to

dig in E of Dairy Wood if

it cd not find them -

but this time the light

ws a little better & they

found them.
 

Capt Noall ws

got in ^during day; & ws now in

Duchess of Westn's Hosp.

Paris Plage -

Frosts body ws seen

by one o / runner.

79a
 

80
48

The 49 Bn reld. 23 Bn

in the posts established.

Cas. 2 offrs.

         abt 90 men.

R48
80

Casualties

	Killed		Wounded		Missing
	Officers	O/RKS	Officers	O/RKS	O/RKS
26.9.17. 20TH, TO 26TH	-	17.	2.	74.	-
4.10.17.	5.	56.	5.	206.	7.
9.10.17.	4.	39.	4.	84.	8.

48

80
48

The 49 Bn reld. 23 Bn

in the posts established.

Cas. 2 offrs.

         abt 90 men.
 

R48
80

Casualties 20/9/17 to 11/10/17


 

	K.	D Of W.	M.	W.
Officers	4	1	-	65
OR's	62	8	28.	273

                   

Left at Caestre	132
Band	24
Transpt	56
Took in on Oct 4:  20 offrs  540 o.r

81 
^X This ws the only

hot food in all this 

time.

Men had Tommy

cookers but little

chance of using them.
 

The cookers were 

dragged out w great

labour by abt 6

horses on each.
 

82
48

22 BN.

(see Notes on Report.)
 

On coming out on Oct 5/6

into Hanabeek Wood abt midnight

they all started on fatigue at

1 pm. Oct 6. They were

back by 6.30 p.m. [ 2 cookers ^X

were got up to Hedge wh runs

from near edge of Hanabeek Wood

to Sans Souci. Overcoats were

not up - it was most difficult

to get up water & rations in /

rain].

They went on fatigue (¾ of

remainder - many were

evacuated) at 7 a.m. 7 Oct.

2 parties, ^c.75 & 90, one for

cable burying, other on

tramways - Back by

midday.

That evg abt 4.30 Bn started

for front line. The party of

48        83

100 o.r. reached Hanabeek

wd for front line (without

rations) at 8 p.m. were put

into 4 plns each w L.G.

& given ammn & went

up line under Capt Bunning.

& 3 other offrs. No offrs from Caes

48 reached the front line abt

midnight & stayed with

Bunning. They got into a

barrage, some were casualties, 

others prob. drifted in next

day.
 

At 8 a.m. 100 left

Hanabeek Wood for Ypres

where they embussed when 

busses arrived at 5.30 pm.

with the reinfs from Caestre.
 

The shelling ws not so

bad as Pozieres, but

this ws the worst turn

for fatigue & weariness

tt the Bn has ever had.
 

The Broodseinde ridge

ws held after this fight by a

mere handful of men - betw

84
Oct 4
At Mouquet Sergt (now Lt)
Pollington 24 Bn got
into Mouquet Fm when
21 Bn attacked (26 Aug )
& 1 sergt and Pte w him
(He only had 6 men & threw
a couple of bombs - they
were mostly casualties
straight away -
He is with 6 TB now)
 

85
48

the Germs & our guns.   
When first seen the Germans

were advancing abt 50 yds

from our hopping off trench.

They seemed to be in column 
like our Arty formation
 

Our men shot them - in

many cases from the hips

One prisoner had bn told tt

we shot all men w Iron Xs.
          __________

One ^German artillery Sergt ws

taken prisoner - He sd tt

they had seen our men around

Anzac M. or one of these Pill

Boxes when someone opened

a map. He tried to get

fire onto it, but an officer

sd "Never mind - we shall have

86

over & we signaled

by waving maps.

The offrs NCOs taking the flares

were both casualties).

Abt 2 p.m. the German

evacuated all / posts

by / hedges betwn Dairy
Wood & Broodseinde
Rd. He cd be seen

moving back onto /

rd - they all left their

rifles.

Germ. Sbo came along

rd past Table Wood w flags.

A great number of bearers

left the Pill boxes going back.

The stretchers were very well

manned.
 

87
48

tt tomorrow".

The O.P. from wh he

ws taken at 2.30 pm.

by Lt Taylor, 22 Bn, contained

5 officers w range finders

& binoculars etc. These

offrs were lying quietly

inside, armed to / teeth.

Taylors batmen went in

first. The entrance ws full

of dead & they were

probly waiting till dark.

The artillery It ws well

furnished inside &

the orders for / attack

were found there.  A bicycle

ws there wh generated power

for the wireless set. There