Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/168/1 - 1915 - 1917 - Part 10

108

They started to consolidate
& made a rough line
in shellholes facing this
post ( wh. ws abt 70 yds
from our line in / centre)
[2 or 3 runners got thro & 
some sigs – one sig ws shot
Pilvin k. after a very
game run – they were
being shot at from both
sides running from
shellholes].
After getting this done Capt Smythe
got to right – keeping low -
& got them ∧ (from shell hole behind gow) roughly into
line near SE edge of
wood facing E & S.
Gow ws then of left in centre of this
last positn.

48
109
in one jump from the Red
to / Blue Line they wd
have got many more mgs
Light TMs & prisoners
as / Germ. ws very
demoralised (as shown
by Paddy Stuart getting 
30 Germs. & 4 m.gs. from
dugout reconnoitred for
Bn HQ for 27 Bn). 
[*? Capt JP.
Stewart
22 Bn*]
In the second jump,
to the Rt of the Pill box in wh
2 Bn Commdrs were taken
was an arty observatn Dugout
with a double domed top & 
a periscope from each dome.
Aubra Zeiss Range finder in 
positn on side o / dugout.
(Between these two dugouts were

 

110
(Nos 9280 & 9281)
for abt 3 secs – took
a snap shot & down
agn.)
Scales came along
& reported to Smyth – 2 men
(This ws possible by act of
Bishop & Burke in centre who 
kept up rapid rifle fire
from / post whenever
they saw anyone trying to
get there – Burke ws k
while doing this.)From scales figures &
men known to be in centre
on left flank of wood there
were abt 16 men. 5 of
them were k. later.

48 
111
the two 77s. x they had
bn brought up 2 days before
the attack (acc. to arty
observatn offr taken
there) to deal with tanks.
(There ws A.P. ammunition 
by then, wh proves it)
The arty liaison offr w
24Bn looking thro'
this periscope sd tt he
cd see the flashes of 9
of his own guns! No
wonder the C battery work
ws heavy.
The Germ This arty offr. sd tt the sight of our men
coming on ws taken by
them as ∧ tt of their own men retreating showing tt their
attack had failed. This
offr ws wd in the arm & ws

 

112
they got from left
a clear view of 
Germs shooting at
Cpt Smyths pty in 
centre wh centre
cdnt get. Betw
the two of them they
sniped 4 or 5 Germs
in tt post before
they were discovered.
Then they had to keep
down & Germs didn’t
expose themselves head
& shoulders as they
had been doing. (Germs
had rifle already loaded
& cocked & bobbed up

48 113
being bandaged by our men.
The smoke shells
showed / objve. There ws

a hedge some way forwd
parallel w front line on
/ left where there seemed 
to be a good deal of German
sniping. This ws shown as
a Germ. HQrs on our map
& for these reasons they
were anxious to push on 
& mop it up - But just
then our smoke shells came
down halfway betw.
the two & they xxxx knew it
ws beyond objve.
This place gave a 
good deal of trouble (& also

 

114 
killed. Gows pty
had stopped when out
of touch a rest of
“C” wh ws held up
by m.g. from SE.
Centre facing
 m.g. from SE.
Centre facing m.g. held
up by it, both left
& rt under heavy
fire from left & right.
Scales who ws
left centre in / wood
ws with Sergt Radley.
M.M. (for this show) Only a 
couple of men were
w them. When /
centre ws held up

48
115
from China Wood). [In
the fight of Oct 9 the 22 Bn
had to put a post near
there. They were nearly
surrounded at dusk & had to come back. but
this day they cd have got 
it. [It was this place also
wh 18 Bn raided after
& got 7 prisoners]
One wd prisoner ws
got from here at dusk on
4th by a patrol of 24 Bn
under Lt Nicholas M.C (brother
of late Maj. G.M. Nicholas DSO).
Then 24 found their line
& made a continuous
Trench x 7 Bn on rt had a strong post system.
21 on left also had
a continuous line & by

 

116
in Daisy Wood -
all / timber had bn
cutout by / Germs & / 
brushwood ws left.
There were big shellholes
in it -
When left got down
centre swung round
& rt kept touch betw
Centre & gows pty wh
ws also in / wood.

 

Diagram – see original

Nicholas had (when
they struck / wood)
gone rt, along /
edge to see positn
on rt. He reported
back to Capt Smyth
in the wood at S
& ws just going
back when he ws

48
117
dusk had united up.
23 Bn were digging
a CT thro from De Knoet
Fm up to 6 K Fm. This
ws completed by noon
on 5th Oct. It ws most
useful to have this cut
thro' / ridge.
This day Gen Paton came
up & had a look at this
point from / top of Ridge.
C.O. sd tt it wd be
necessary to push still
further & take 2 or 3 posts
- G.O.C. decided tt it wd
be eno' to Stokes it. This
ws done abt 1.30 pm & a patrol went out. The
germs. were seen limping 
away& red X men were
seen carrying from there.
When our men were close
up they were shot at & had

 

118
There were no men
of 21 Bn betw Dairy &
Daisy.
At 9.25 am. 3 Coys
of Germs observed by 22 Bn massing
xxxx at E 25 B8.3.
& arty ws switched on -
( near Keiberg). 
Lt B.F.Nicholas. M.C.
(Grevillers) ws in the corner
of Daisy Wood - & ws k.
near the N. Centre of the
wood at abt 6 by a 
sniper or rifle fire. The
Germs post was not 100 yds
away – this same m.g.
post.
Note there ws no Pillbox


48
119
to retire. This day / Germ. sniping abt 4.30pm
fire got very heavy - 
The relief of 24 Bn
began at 5.30 pm.
Germs put down barrage
at 5.45 to 6.30; we
had a practice from 7 to 7.11
Germs answered this.
Relief ws held over,
men in C.T.; relief
continued abt 7.45 &
another Germ. barrage
came down abt 8 pm & 
heavy shelling contd till
9.30 pm. Then it eased.
Relief ws complete at 10.50
by 18 Bn.
This evg. the 24 Bn
dug a support line to the

 

120
Jones ( in centre
betw B& D) had
heavy casualties
& 28 reinfd them.
Capt Jones ws wd
abt 10 am. In this
positn by a piece of
shell cutting a facial 
artery.
Lt Bacon had charge
of rt ½ of Coy & Lt
Gow of remnants if
left ½, (abt ½ doz men)
[By 1 pm Bn knew 4 offrs had bn k & 3 wd]
All say Gelly won’t stand eyewash
& Paton will – extra ord. belief
in Gelly – This 24 Bn a/c is
clearly true whereas 21 Bn dont
know what happened to them. 
I notice tt Maj. Bridges does not
entertain illusions whereas P.
does.
Norman, staff Captn, did splendid
work, Col. James says]


48
121
front line 100yds behind
front line ( in good soil,
3 hrs compl. by 4.30 pm)
for one ∧ close support Coy.

2/Lt Nichols }     ws wd
xxx Lt Stuart }   in
                             consolidn
                             on Blue
                              Line.
Capt Lloyd ws wd twice
(1) at beginning of consolidn
(2) an hour later
but remained on
duty till Oct 6. (Sniped
both times - 1 in arm, 1 in leg.
It took him 4 hrs to get out
-he had almost to be carried.
Bn HQ ws in the
arty dugout.
24 Bn went to
Gordon area. On

 

122
ws pushed 40 yds
ahead of their most advd.
post wh ws then 20  yds
in rear of the Hedge wh runs
into the S.W corner of
Daisy Wood. The L.G.
ws withdrawn at dusk
& placed on the Broodseinde
Moorslede Rd in line
w post.
At 7.15am. Cm offr. & 30 men
of 28 Bn went ford
( 28 Bn were in point old red line
at Zero) on left of Bde Sector)
to link up w 22 Bn. &
reinforce xxx weak line
from Broodseinde Rd to
Daisy Wood.
C Coy 24 Bn under Capt

49
123
Oct 7. supplied a working
pty of 2 offrs & 100 o.r. who
reported to Anzac at 7am.
for work on buried cable
towds Zonnebeke.
Sent off 70 men to
Caestre at 10am. & 3 offrs.
Capt. Ellwood M.C., Lt Marchant
& 2/Lt Noble.
Went into support line
relieving 20 Bn by 7.30pm.
This ws 22 Bns old red line of
Oct 4 attack in front of
De Knoet Fm. They did
as best they cd to bise
comfortably till 8^th
At 7am on Oct 8
Germans put in heavy
barrage in Zonnebeke
Valley & w slope of Ridge
in reply to our practice
Barrage. There were a fair
number of casualties during
this night 8 k. 16 wd. 

 

124
up one o / S.Ps in this
hedge. He ws seen to
go forwd w a Grenade
in his hand. A m.g. ws
turned onto him & he 
ws killed.
2/Lt Nation ws also
sniped at this stage w
D Coy. This left D Coy
without any offrs.
Sergt. Prime took /c
of 12 men left these w L.G.
put there in 3 shellholes, &
set them to connect w
one another, & the LG

Lt Scales XX MM (Grevillers)joined at Gordon
area from Corps School. 

48
125
At 6pm. Germs agn replied to
our barrage w heavy shelling
by 4.2 & 5.9
7-8.45pm. A Coy. (Capt Smythe occ) reld
19 Bn. on left of 22Bn, thro
C.T. towds Daisy Wood & 
down front line from left to
rt. The rain & dark
made it very heavy going
(Lt Geer the I.O. had reconnoitered
place & took them in).
At 4am. they moved out
over the back of trench to J.O. Tape
abt 70 yds in rear - (to give barrage 170 yds). They
left 2 L Gs in frontline ( to 
hold it & withdraw at 4.50) 
The men from Caestre
came up on night of 7^th/8^th
& all got into positn.
X Capt Williams, Capt Jones,
Lt Scales Gow & Lt Pickett M.C.

 

126
corner o / wood.
Lt Oliver of A Coy ws wd then.
[*(hand smashed)*]
Most o / casualties were
here on left. 2/Lt Day of C Coy ws
also wd here. This mg nearly
wiped / left out. Those 
who got into / word
got into shellholes.
[Note The 21 Bn were not
seen - & their centre wd
gone over / top of
this mg.]

D Coy on rt recd
very heavy casualties
at same time from
the S. Corner of Busy
Wood & hedges immd.
N. of xx 50 (contour mark) 
Capt Williams at this stage
ws sniped & died almost
at once.
Lt Pickett tried to clear


48
127
The 22 Bn on rt flank
were not connected; 21 Bn
on left were.
The jumpoff ws all right.
The barrage ws very weak.
it w not as strong as / German
reply wh ws laid down
in front of / front line trench x
shrapnel ws scarcely
noticeable but at right height.
Abt halfway betw
front line & Daisy Wood (100. yds
from wood) xxx the Germs
opened w rifles from
wood. At / edge o / wood 
they turned on a m.g.
near a couple of heaps of 
brick. The German positn
ws a trench w carefully 
turfed parapet & v. hard 
to see in half light. This
m.g. caught our left
flank near the NW
[* When centre ws 1st bought to a halt Capt Roff sat
on edge of shellhole with LG under his arm & sniped at
every flash he saw (all he cd see). for 1/2 hr.*]

 

Folded map - see original

 

Unfolded map of Becelaere - see original