Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/179/1 - 1915 - 1917 - Part 7

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Open for review
Accession number:
RCDIG1066794
Difficulty:
5

Page 1 / 11

54 K. before thes ot t HCook C. loy beleo by a bullet. Beline Putney BCoy 4 C k on blue line. missing believedk in nue porch Wd. Capt Gadd. after withdrawal Gr - Goldrick handed over from when wd D EA MacDonaw fain wd belw. T.0.7 8 L& Gibson- Wd betwRed & Olue Lives. towsend (in? wd in approach wart cod on bluelin n B Goldrick (Capt Mailer H & Nefe. 2 aod in the wood (34n & wood) Jast before reachin ied tine. saied by mg tho left High Mc Cox came through
Chaptain Capt. Murphy C. attd ws wdon march up at crossing A. 3onnebeke Rd & Rly. The Watson ws wd 4 days later (came up fom Cavatry Camp, 160c. 2 all ryht thro came Gordon D. Hockin wa oew. Eed r blucties Cook before red line killedid. OConnell sightly wd near blue line wd in left a t from bhee line (O out all the way. helped Perkins 6 lox Gordon thro alone came 35 n/c 36 (2in of 30Bn ws acting /of 35 Bn fight. during this Clilne &C on J.O. tape at Zero. Berg & After capture of red line. he went Hellside up to Hillsedo, being blown up by a 59 5/9 on 1 way up
were ready to start 79 c T Runnera were all k. or wd along 12 of him (by Bn H8) in 12 hrs- Helloide Im us strafed all day long recd. 10 MY. D.C.M. N.C. Duniny £ Proncer a Lang Dem. whole straf he ws back & foud w rations there were thro as of water carti it ne war on. first 2 days, 31 messines during t 36Bn as Br ws organised into 2 loys reserve 2loy 2 carrgen N& on right of 10 June at 5pm. the Col. had an order to attack Prottgries. There 300 were only 300 men left All the wires on this occasion were cutts paces by barry 300 200 men were organised into this party + at 11pn 6
Exactty (he says) where intended. He thinks no one landed before them but this is certainly wrong (supp. 8v - 8d for landing. Turk Bowas Dep 59 Landin 9Ba Cothiches alo further apt Milne lander South. He had told his men rid of packs under cliff Shill There as a Green just N. of Stell green. 01 hilt on top Capt Fishes got Capt thro Tery hill with a ballel Esq. as a trenth on their right at The left top. O / Coy ws near Suns. This trench 81 8e
82 i H. 5 Cloy fering on the Coys right. On ws the left the guns crews were still os when our men anid (milue thought) A Serst 620 an offer shot 4 tarks himself. Hc co now an 415 PuHarris offin 41en - he ws badly bit. There were some tents there. The offr came out of a door of his dusout ras tof 1 just going to put up his revolver when I sergt shot him. write to 41 Bn – who is this off 19 83 1 trench on right. + as Milne joined (men after they had Sr taken this trench & got some papers in it. later he got across the valley of despair. There he got proble from Brand) the order (by word of mouth) to come back. He there Salisbur wanted to know 1 authority. It came Shat presently - Salesbury wrote him an order to come back. It ws a good truch on the ridge ( Bottons). You cdut see it from our pont Dows screend w bush. It Commanded t valley past shell green & at same time commanded slope see [
O Before they got 1 men, in 1boats 84 to land – a flare as fired. M. had m 200 250 men on 1 Beagle. They approactiend land very slowly & just as 1 boat ws going to pull ap a flarewent up from topof hill probly somewhere in 1 vecinity of Lone Pine. be & a single rifle shot ws heard. Ind. 1 maching guns all along 1 face of hill opened vigorously. Gaba Tepe Gabe from our rt flank openedw Cepe everything tt had a hole in it
85 by one or more batteries aided t were situated just behind fort towds Olive Grove. Before (boats were leaded s my had pot tra in of destroger & ws making things very merry, but I destroyer ws very high a bluff bows & mosto stols 9c hit the high bow before they came along to 1 boats. The crews for these beato had all bn told off & were standing in their positus exactly as tey wd step into boat. The boats were quick brougt round ed mann gacrly & men stepped in quite
86 telt Mer 4 grun 37 orderly & quiety Te order to let g0 ws sn & we pulledwe mighed man for Shorl. The sea, right across seemed to be borting mg. fire falling in it every here Tis, wh splash of shell & shrapnel gave as a worm welcome to abduts Shore. The men were quiately without Askore & formed into line o their Dacks whwere dumped on beach + were immediately made for 1 shetter of bushes. Noone had landed elswherebefore this. Many turks were in cover within 50 or 60 yds of beach somein trnce some covered in 1 bushes, re
88 They kept a withring fire upon us. The nearest tots of them were quickly kelled & we proceeded up, I hill, every herer there haviy to diverge to one fland or anor: to 0 attack small pties w m.go wh ms were still planted in positus of effect as our loss of numbers rapidly proved). But I men were fresh Strong& fit & 1 Turk wt no match for C 2S. them when it came to bay one For next pare of narrative sll p. 8/) Rimaunder followe afar 5o The tine (o stitue, when M. left them, to 5 wound ws lining the first ridge - Before thy were kalf up I hill they had touched Mr Doy- Y.ws a bitt ahead at tim
59 89 w both flanks in 1 aer. But havin this trench on I flank across 1 gully he had been to wait. He sent round a party behind this 1. trench (as showr CDCo on 1sketch above) in touch w D Coy The Turks were in Strapnel Gull on a lot of litele 2y there see aho tea boy For 41 Bn see last page of book
(old 33735 H. Queinsland C Rivers (Old 34030) harply connected Tympee w Rockhampton. Mackay Ant & NRinerot W.A. S.A. (WA dyto Messuies 59 714. 99 aire during bountt. pout 41 By beld says. o 44 Bn ws att? b 10 Boll next Edior. 3 days 9sume 42 Bn reld 10Bde on blackhine 3 day 80ffes 234m. by shellfons 7hrs. reld 44 on goeen time. 43Ba night 11102. Had to advan at same tim as 36Bo. The next period in was the 18 days went in 22/5 June, came out 10/11 July. The lind ws adod 200 yds in his tine & dug. A loy dy Blines one behind 1other there. germs shelled heavily - one day he ws cotinated as puttiey into Messwes sector 5000 shells. He used to fire a number of shells as blinds - 7008 one after (other to try & smash ap1 concrete. He wd put 12059 "shells outs Steign est Im.

59

76
Lt Cook C. Coy k. before they got to

Red line – by a bullet.

Lt Putney B Coy — missing believed k. – k on blue line
A

Wd Capt Gadd. wd in / new plositn

after withdrawal

L. G. –  Goldrick handed over

to him when wd.

Lt EA MacDonald

wd betw J.O. & BLue LIne

Lt Gibson –wd betwn Red & Blue Lines
Lt Tow^nsend 

wd in approach march

        ———

B Goldrick (Capt) wd on blue line

Mailer Lt

wd in the wood (? Ang

wood) just before reaching

red line. Sniped by mg. thro left thigh

(Cox came through  —  M.C.)

 

77

Chaplain. Capt Murphy C. attd

ws wd on march up at crossing Zonnabeke Rd & Rly

          ——

2/Lt Watson ws wd 4 days later
(came up from Cavalry Camp)  –
16 Oct.

 

59
78
C. Gordon came thro all right

Lt Hocking wd betw. red & blue lines

Cook killed immd. before red line

O'Connell slightly wd near blue line

ws wd in left arm   –going out from blue line

but helped his O.C. out all the way.

Gordon, Cox, & Perkins alone came thro'.

2/c of 36 Bn ws acting in/c of 35Bn

during this fight.

Col Milne ws on J.O. tape at Zero.

After capture of red line he went

up to Hillside, being blown up by a 5 . 9 on / way up

 

? were ready to start

59
79
7 Runners were all k. or wd alongside 

of him (by Bn H.Q.) in 12 hours  – Hillside
Frm ws strafed all day long. Bn

recd. 10 MMs, D.C.M., M.C.
Pioneer ^ Sergt Lang got D.C.M. During

/ whole straf he ws back & fowd w rations
of water carting it thro as if there were 
no war on.

                   ——
At Messines during / first 2 days, 36
Bn ws organised into 2 Coys reserve 2 Coys

carrying.
On night of 10 June at 5 p.m. the Col.

had an order to attack / Potteries. There
were only 300 men left  – All the wires

on this occasion cut to pieces by / barrage.
200 men were organised into this party at 11 p.m.

[*? were ready to start*]

 

80

[ XExactly ( he says) where
intended.  He thinks
no one landed before them
but this is certainly 
wrong].

(See pp. 84  – 88 for landing)
hand drawn diagram _ see original

Browns                                        Turk Trench

Dip

 

59
81

9 Bn  –  Landing

(Col Milne's a/c)

Capt Milne landed furthest

south. He had told his men to get

rid o / packs under / cliffs
There ws a shell

Green just N/ of Shell green.

Capt Fisher got hit on top o /

hill with a bullet thro  / leg.  There
ws a trench on thier right at /
top.  The left p / Coy ws near / guns

This  trench- - - ?

 

82

hand drawn diagram - see original 
Owens Gully

D Coy   C Coy

Shell Green
ws firing on the Coys right. On
the left the guns crews were still [*there*]
when our men arrd ( Milne thought). A sergt [* shot *]
an offr & shot 4 Turks himself, ( He is now an
offr in 41 Bn – he ws badly hit).
There were some tents there. The offr
came out of a door of his dugout & ws

just going to put up his revolver
when / sergt shot him.

[write to 41 Bn – who is this offr)

 

59
83
As for / trench on / right
Milne joined / men after they had
taken this trench & got some papers in
it. Later he got across the valley
of despair.  There he got (probly
from Brand) the order ( by word
of mouth) to come back. He
wanted to know / authority. It came
presently  – Salisbury) wrote him an
order to come back. It ws a good trench
on the ridge (? Bottoms). You cdnt see it
commanded / valley past shell
green & at / same time commanded / slope
(see p 88)

 


59
84
Before they got / men in / boats
to land –  a flare ws fired.  M. had

250 men on / Beagle.  They approached
/ land very slowly & just as / boat
ws going to pull up a flare went
up from / top o / hill probly
somewhere in / vicinity of Lone Pine

& a single rifle shot ws heard. Imd.
/ machine guns all along / face o /
hill opened vigorously.  Gaba Tepe
from our rt flank opened w
everything tt had a hole in it.
 

 

59

84
aided ^by one or more batteries
tt were situated just behind / fort
towds Olive Grove.  Before / boats
were loaded / m.g. had got / range
o/ destroyed & ws making things

very merry, but / destroyer ws

very high w bluff bows & most o / shots
hit the high bow before they came
along to / boats. The crews for these
boats had all bn told off & were standing
in their positns exactly as they wd
step into / boat.  The boast were quickly
brought round & manned & / men stepped in quite calmly
 

 

86

hand drawn diagram - see original 

steep hill (& narrow)
shell green


59
87
orderly & quietly.  The order to let go ws
gn & we pulled w might & main for /
shore.  The sea right across seemed to be

boiling – m.g. fire falling in it everywhere.
This, w / splash of shell & shrapnel gave
 us a warm welcome to abdul's
shore.  the men were quickly
ashore & formed into line ^ without their 
packs wh were dumped on / beach &
we immediately made for / shelter o /
bushed. No one had landed elsewhere before
this. Many turks were in cover within
50 or 60 yds o / beach, some in trenches,

some covered in / bushes.

 

59
88
They kept a withering fire upon us.  The
nearest lots of them were quickly killed
& we proceed up / hill. every here & there
having to diverge to one flank or anor. to 
attack small pties w m.g.s wh
were still planted in positns of
effect ( as our loss of numbers
rapidly proved). But / men were fresh
strong & fit & / Turk ws no match for

them when it came to / bayonet.
(For next part of narrative see p.81. ^ to 83 Remainder follows after p.83)
The line (to Milne) when M. left them. w 5 wounded
ws lining the first ridge – (Before
they were half up / hill they had touch w
DCoy – M. ws a bit ahead of them

 

59

89

w both flanks in / air.  But having
this trench on / flank across / gully
he had then to wait. He sent round
a party behind this T. trench ( as shown
on sketch above in touch w D Coy. 
The Turks were in Shrapnel Gully
in a lot of little trenches there,
[ For 41 Bn see last page
of book.]

 


(Old 333 &35 ) N. Queensland or     Q –
 (N. Rivers)                                            W.A. –
(OLd 34 & 36

Largely connected      Gympie} ——Q—
w Rockhampton          Mackay}
                           Centl (N. Rivers)}

                                                             {S.A.    }
                                                             {(W.A).}
                                                             {[[?]]    }

 

59
90
Messines

————— 41 Bn held front line during bombt. 

[[ shorthand]]days

— 3 days    44 Bn ws attd  [[ shorthand] 10 Bde next 4 Divn
— 3 days    42 Bn reld 10 Bde/ 9 June on black line
      72 hrs 8 offrs 234 m. by shellfire

————— 43 Bn reld 44 on green line
 — night 11/12. Had to advance

at same time as 36 Bn.
The next period in was the 18 days
went in 22/23 June, came out 10/11 July.
The line ws  a   200 yds in this time
& dug.  A long dug 3 lines one behind / other there.

Germs shelled heavily – one day he ws
estimated as putting into Messines
sector 5000 shells. He went to fire a number
of shells as blinds – 7 or 8 one after / other to

try & smash up/ concrete.  He
wd put 120 "59" shells onto [[?Steignest]] Fm.

 


 

Last edited by:
H.BoutellH.Boutell
Last edited on:

Last updated: