Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/172/1 - October 1917 - Part 2

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52
to rt of NZ seemed
to be stationary. It
appeared to move
abt 6.55 -
When it moved
the oppositn came

from Springfield.
This had once bn a 
farm. To the left of
this there ws a positn
in wh ws difficult
to make out - not
a Pill box -  but some
men were seen there

& a gun.
Capt. Moule (37Bn)
started for this & ws hit

13
52
severely as he did so, &
his batman also.
There were few Germs there.
Someone came in from
the left onto the rear

of this (wh ws the

only positn in Springfield)
& this oppositn ceased
[There ws a bit of one brick
wall left at Springfield -
the Germs were shelling
it by / time 38 Bn passed
& it continued to be
dangerous. A German
officer near this place
who had bn wounded 

hailed one of the offrs of

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52
38 Bn, explaining in
English tt he ws an
officer & wanted to
be taken out specially.
There ws not time to
attend even to our
own wd for long after
this & he ws naturally
left].
All the time the
38 bn ws on its line
& in positn there ws
a constant fire
coming over the ridge
either indirect from the

rt or from the cemetery
or both. One of these

52
15
hit Capt Orchard in
the arm & didnt
get thro' the coat.
When 38 Bn reached
its objve oppositn ws
still coming from a positn
inside the NZ sector
abt 16 A 1.3 15 B 8.3. One
pln went on & dealt
with this & came 
back after settlg it.
N.Z. went over
Abraham Heights abt
/ time when 38 Bn

were getting to their objve
& had to come back
over / hill crest for
a time, getting into their

16
52
own barrage beyond
it.
The 38 Bn objve
ws abt 100 yds
150 yds up / slope,
with Suppt line abt
50 yds in rear.This
ws dug into a
continuous  trenchx.
Just after the Jump off
Capt. E. F. Moore O.C.B. Coy ws k.
with a big lump of shrapnel
thro the chest.
Capt Selleck O.C. C Coy
ws hit in rt wrist & both
arms (in assaulting wave
on left). This ws m.g. fire

17
Maj. Hurry ws in/c
of 38 Bn this time &
got the D.S.O. for it.
HQrs at Judah House. At 10 am
he ws out in / line talking to / men.^X
                  offrs              or.
k.                 1                   9
w.                                   35
X It ws at this time tt /

news came of a probable
further objective & the adjt
had to chase up the C.O. to
telll him of it.
k.              w
30           153.

52
18
from the 2 first
pillboxes encountered
by D Coy, wh were
firing obliquely at
left & got a number
of casualties on
left of D Coy & rt of
C.
These were the only
offr casualties in the
fight of Oct 4.
A:         7.         43.
B:       Total     46 . 35    (k
            10                          1 offr)
C         10.          32 c.      (w  
                                          1 offr)
D           3.          43.
____________________
           offrs.        wd.
Bn.       2            181
Cas.
_____________________   

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Oct 12.
On Oct 12 the 38 Bn
had the final objve -
to take.
Diagram - see original document
The green line ws thro
Exert Fm.
Green dotted line abt
200 yds beyond
Paschendaele.
38 bn ws at

Hussar Fm. bivouacked
in tents at Hur practically

20
52
at Potizje. The duckbds
ran to Levi Cottage.
In the dip near
Springfield they lasted
till the creek ws
crossed. From then
the going ws heavy
but not impossible.
There ws a little gas
after leaving / Zonnebeke
Rd, & a good deal
of gas in Springfield

Valley. This gas ws
meant for K. track.
& lobbed on / side from wh / wind was.
The men had helmets
ready & had to put /
gas mouthpiece in /
mouth in many cases.
The men were in
many cases

21
In No 6 Platoon there
were 4 men hit on
duckboards, 10 k & 2 wd
by one shell on / sunken
Rd.

52
22
splashed w mud by
/ burst - the Germs
clearly knew where /
track was & had it
well lined. A few
men were gassed.

It ws sneezing gas
but / wind ws high -
a few men were blistered
afterwds. (The bn had
had some of this gas, wh
smelt like burnt
rubber, towds / end of

July at Messines).
At 3.20 the Bn ws
in positn, just behind
(in rear of) the Sunken
Rd. Germs were shelling
the jn of Sunken Rd)

23
Diagram - see original document

Plan was .

B2 plns A [2 plns]   Assaulting wave

D2 plus C 2 plns      in extended order

B  A                               m. up in extended formation.

D   C                           assaulting wave

                                       m.gs.
39Bn.

D Coy 39 under Capt

Southby

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& K. track. Abt
5 this got heavier till
zero. Everyone had their
waterproofs on, shining
in the rain - & w /
very lights they were
possibly seen from
the blockhouse at Waterfields
& possibly Bellevue.
K track comes in on
the rd near Hamburg.
The Bn _∧ plan ws for the
attack formation -
as opposite.
There always is a
certain amt of confusion
apparent at / start
in getting away from /
German barrage - this
is incidental to this form of