Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/182/1 - 1915 - 1917 - Part 3

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attacked by 3 seater. Two

Germ. gunners firing at

him. Xxxxxx They chased

him He chased them him E.

The other 4 scouts cleared

out E.

Dec 5 over Cambrai.
12 scouts & 4  2 seaters
encountered 5 of our machines

who drove them ^far E whenever

they tried to cross / 

line - then noticing our

barrage dived at G. Infantry 

from abt 800 ft.

Dec 6 - a patrol of 4: during

a big scrap Mackenzie had

his Aileron Control shot 

away. He had to break off

- & try to get home - but his

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engine having been hit he

ws forced to land on / way.
The machine being uncontrollable 

he crashed & ws pulled & reported back

out unconscious. Within

2 hours he reported back 

for duty. No one knew The author

His C.O. didn’t know

The C.O. didn’t know

till later on, when the

mechanics reported it,

that he ws pulled out

unconscious.
6/12/17 Huxley, flying at 1000
feet, got a German saw 2 machines in the
haze.  He thought this
ws one of ours being
attacked by ^an E.A. 2 seater.
He dived on the attacker
& the other opened fire on

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him.  The first he brought
down (in flames as it reached
ground).  Second cleared
away E.
Bombs on guns in
front of tanks.
2 Bombs on road - when
returned for m.g. work road
empty 2 craters 2 heaps
of dead.
On Nov 20 - Taylor, flying alone,
but w Wilson near - xx
Certain right on / front ws
shot down by m.g. fire from
/ ground. Wilson saw him land
in a terrible crash.  He crawled
out, picked up a German
rifle & sniped at the snipers
who were firing at him. He 

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crawled away towds our
trenches.  On the way he found
a Tommy very badly wd
whom he dragged ovr 700
yds to a British
advanced post.  He
took stayed w them & then
made home.
On the way home he
saw Capt Bell's machine
looking apparently quite
all right - Bell had been
shot from / ground earlier
in / day.  Taylor 
found / machine w 2
bombs in it & tried to
get it off - but the petrol
tank had been shot thro'.
He then went to a dressing
stn & gave a hand there
& got a lift home.
Taylor's older than the average
pilot 

Diagram. See original document
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Denis Allen} R.N.A.S.
Little    } are both Australians
Hawker & Allen are abt
the two best pilots
Maclaughrie shd be out in
a few days in / c of 71.
The 60 Sqn ws congratulated
by Gen. Trenchard on
Sept. 20 for flying in
almost impossible weather.
In salving aeroplanes
The personnel had to get
into a number of difficult
places & had some stirring
times in trying to get them out. 

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X Birdie came down & this helped
to win the time needed.
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1st Div Pozieres.
When Gen. Walker came down
to the Somme w / 1st Divn. Gen Gough
met him & said: Now I want you
to go into the line & attack Pozieres
tomorrow night!
Gen. Walker sd it ws impossible.
He argued, the sweat on his brow, that it
cd not be done - & at least got another
24 hours grace. X
Gough wanted him to attack it
from the N.W. This also he sd ws
impossible. He finally arranged to
take up a staff officer & show him
the place & prove it to him. The 39^th
Divn had gone for it 3 times from
the N.E. & failed - with the Germans on
their left flank. Walker took an
officer up until they got to a place where
/ officer sd: Do you think it is necy to
go any further? Not if you are convinced
- sd Walker. The offr sd he ws - &
so it was settled.