Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/180/1 - 1916 - 1917 - Part 3

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Awaiting approval
Accession number:
RCDIG1066796
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

26 16 te a 24 D/13 at So D went location later for ashel 44 arriion for 2 days Blowfield sot apt of oluations to bury the offis men out near Perk H Before wed day swelling M.J. became o heavy & but 1offis Blomfield (hadd but then Hibbs Brodi Waul Chute. H Rose t Gamble IS Coulh forward 10. by Danaher XSept 27 toco atmost certain Blackley m k.near the and post on way to front after shell shock 27
rened duty 28 W aty cery Hardacre Capr awa 14 cor 27 after for lifter) H wilson netting of sept 27 shot coming across t Etton in Black watch Cormes 216 might d 28 Sept Dclbursti on door stighte Thompson 764 lf 44waltin 2 Sep 54 thompson ot dyse t eeplated. DC0 faven (mosll NCo manon 4t who I were ere pushed out the 1st attack (mosth A Co. Toest (So were cat of &) taken There were some 8X aho etond the object
29 30 300 Frowell By n ws 31 on left. 3 blown out The 31 Bn4 to0 of Sinater abto while exc. one were were 5.BS anx ditait pttct I out 30 4 wch. medical off mna tl over tis No Coys The in withdrawn in had tw beca stelling mg when it forit tie heav tdi ilt bac were att after meal in t waver X £t over
51 parapet by watch tig 50 few were left wat 0 decided they wd go togetin wnover the. at this (time there ws month Thellfir on parapit. our whenour men iacted gentinm wirt shoot from extreme left were o Ferm- were foe hungson the were fre. When 40 Co. fwmt beded otice here fire fairty wel The wire (we ut.Our own were had on cutby patrol. In day tignt bow iere passable when reached firg Baripet third wst (a) sood deal of bombinggo
32 of digouts. bomber Serw abt 30sent sarrey mosth wdd. Is stayed back Kb in trenches ere 5Hetts. The anar Seri dipouts 56 were abt all Edutain How Stps the ours the t the spels ble s up a the 45 at i 6 t 84 atie fis decayed with high t b fell bit whe cose t ti S4 t lo p it At this tim the n 87 it
t gamer the 4d W all hm They we ou obyic. bt a ind 300 thro water teaded the this a up to waist aditch prot taken End object bn strai wate Staguant l son dead permans in mbat just bey ond another Sunal say in to sras w fermans cb in i were lk ba tie of i w 33
34 tt altis 5a No C.I Ed ling to on gpt or pont be at abt 800yds fenatly He wh he dad reateh a being beyond recognd the put the o H 46 th te Fill in there no panel 2 the Ston ti T4e ter ear le Fan4 on wt Farm wh white the osifinally to have u attackeby a Co but this ws for some catout of easo The Serms the plan for tis all mane
35 the s th i tals there n en 8 T E 4 there 1o1 up sech their 2ear to it fom time a mig thes a reported alod Low flant just acrows on no 17 4d can cloal preth fetting acioss at fron dSaway sto leam he i the Tome agnt 49 may ser
36 the us as opchd up men thed i a ew the brought fun 4 th teport te toc0 ws 4 ther Hank t support 0 Aon W 6163 stn 41 th tell poport Detuate. 2de adit 1226 find obji support or Ct Light our own, barrage we beh They tried to h5 party it isolated Ferne to you up on t. 14Bde this ot be dong Berndrd went at l find right try t sch) be 1496p Cb 4 b 9
where37 in Cane ditch men were Toll had his there abt anhour near a Solitar open here. a biee t The further anyore Jot the road. After abt the as it ats £4 X feten 4 thy flar 29 Lappo 0 4 le back th to workk a 00 the yd 40 806 2ca Water the the water t 6 ort of obstach. He went back Dth travened. it find flanks doing that tod Ir t Flank onth t in

26
X The steel o / P/B interfered
w / compasses so D went
out to make / location -
ws missed - & later found
shattered by a shell.

10    27
Garrison for 2 days - &
Blomfield got a pty of
volunteers to bury the offrs
& men out near Jerk H.
Before midday shelling &
m.g. became v. heavy - but
Blomfield had 5 offrs by
then out of 7.
K. Hibbs
Brodie J G
Nancarrow RC
Chute CH
Rose EC
Gamble JS
Coutts CC.
x Danaher (I.O. by forward HQ taking
the location x Sept 27)
Blackley m. almost certainly
.k. near the
aid post on way
to front after
shell shock)

 

10     28
Wd mg. WW Tracy
(early)
GVA Hardacre (after advance on
27 after fog lifted)
G H Wilson hit mg. of Sept 27.
shot coming across to HQ.
2/Lt Elton in BlackWatch Corner
night of 28th Sept. shell bursting
in door.
remd {Lt Thompson x, 27 Sept, slightly in leg
on duty {Lt H H Walter 27 Sept, slightly
Thompson got dysentery a
week later.
19 NCOs & men (mostly NCOs)
remaind on duty.
11 men ^who were pushed out in
the 1st attack (mostly A Coy) near
Joist Fm were cut off & taken
prisoner. These were some who
went beyond the objve &

 

29
Diagram. See original document
10     30
31 Bn. Fromelles.
32 Bn ws on left. 31 next on
rt.
The 31 Bn HQ. ws blown out
abt noon. Whole of signallers
exc. one were k & w.
S.Bs, A.MC details were
knocked out at 4.30 pm
incl. medical offr., guard
over kits.
2 of the Coys in front line
had bn withdrawn in /
mg. when shelling became
heavy in front line &
were filtered back durg
aftn imd after mid day
meal.
Bn had to go in 4 waves.
C.O saw first two go over

 

10     31
parapet by watch time. So
few were left that C.O
decided they wd go together
& he went over w them.
At this time there ws
mostly shellfire on
our parapet.
When our men reached
G wire the Germ. m.gs
from extreme left were shooting
over / Germ. wire & many
hung on the wire.
men were shot here. When
when C.O. went across he did not
notice m.g. fire here.
The wire ws fairly well
cut. Our own wire had bn
cut by patrols. In daylight
both were passable.
When C.O. reached German
parapet there ws a good
deal of bombing going on,

 

10     32
bombing of dugouts, Germs.
surrendering, abt 30 sent
back; mostly wd. Gs stayed
in trenches & were k by
German shells. The Germ.
dugouts were abt 3 or 4
steps down & all contained
their wd & ours. The
G. shells blew these
places up as the parados
ws thinner than / parapet.
Parapet ws 8 or 9 ft
high & much decayed - sandbags
fell to bits when we tried
to shift them across -
had to be shovelled - we
had few shovels & work
ws difficult.
C.O. At this time tho
there were men forwd
it had not bn reported

 

10     33
tt the 2nd objve ws gained.
Toll went forward w
abt 30 men of 31 Bn of all
Coys. Maj Eckersley ws hurt.
They went on looking for
2nd objve. At abt 300 yds
they waded thro water
up to waist - this ws
a ditch (probly taken as
2nd objve - long stream of
stagnant water w some
dead Germans in it &
on bank). Just beyond
this ws another small
sap in / long grass w
some wd Germans in
it. They surrendered &
cd walk & were
sent back to / line.
This ws only an isolated

 

10     34
gap running at rt angles
to front line. No C.T. cd
be found on right or front.
He finally at abt 800 yds
reached a road wh he
recognised as being beyond
the objve. He put the
men into the near side
o / road - (there ws no
hedge - the rd ws parallel
to / front line). The
Germans were seen
on / left flank near
the White Farm wh ws
originally to have bn
attacked by a Coy -
but this ws for some
reason cut out of
the plan. The Germs
all made for this -

 

10     35
there ws a Strong Pt there
- & the Germs. reinforced
there later.
It ws 8pm when T.
got there - the Germs cd be
seen just going back up
to it from their rear.
At this time a m.g.
party ws also reported
on rt flank just across
/ rd, crawling up &
getting pretty close.
On rt front across /
rd abt 400 yds away ws
a S.P. very strongly
wired. This team had
apptly come from there.
Sert Maj Law who reported
it, went w a few men

 

10     36
just as this gun opened up,
rushed it w a few men
straight, k. the crew &
brought the gun in (heavy
m.gun).Then he reported formally
to C.O. At this time C.O.
having seen tt there ws no
support on either flank
ws sending a pigeon message ( I.O.
-Lt ^G Still ws writing it) to
Bde reporting situatn.
cdnt find objve, no
support on left or right.
Our own barrage ws behind
this party. They tried to
get some isolated parties men
of 14 Bde to join up on rt.
but this cdnt be done.
Lt Bernard went out to
patrol to try & find right
& ws hit thro leg (broken) by
mg abt 50 yds ahead away

 

10     37
in / same ditch where /
men were. Toll had his HQ
there abt an hour, near a
solitary tree in / open here.
The furthest anyone got ws
the road.
After abt 1 hr. as it
ws getting dark abt 9pm
- no flares going yet - & they
had no support C.O. ordered
them to fall back towards
some old Works abt 300
yds in front of the G. parapet
near the water ditches
- the water wd make a
sort of obstacle. He himself
went back to the G. trench
& traversed it to find flanks.
In doing this he found the
C.T. on the left flank in

 

 

Last edited by:
Maralyn KMaralyn K
Last edited on:

Last updated: