Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/183/1 - 1917 - Part 4

Conflict:
First World War, 1914–18
Subject:
  • Documents and letters
Status:
Awaiting approval
Accession number:
RCDIG1066799
Difficulty:

Page 1 / 10

37 known to have got thro the wire. tanks were to act as shown under any lank gobters 3 here it wast have been to right on vally Nove were sen the nfante
32 Datir one tank set cut Ellecourt 15 from S This doesnot tbe ove these Seem crosse which fthe line There r a lob of rumanes of Cants ery on their on own me overs etter. But a tank is such a hobbed fire from the Enemy tories are that thes Cibel to have that of in We were on the sabent t the belt ws badly dam right of this was bub to
83 ancut lorgely of starting t From time had enplade & direct caby my. fire. The uy mov codreach the at 5.10 5:20 were abo flante the were on right very heavy. The C.C. of one plation came back to say to his whole plation we weped out. He ountered to leadup wh he did recfts U5 hit in the footduring retirnt. Tis ws the ter extreme it wh onthe heavy wire. wch It is of known exack where fire came fom thi 500b1 the once
abonce Jerid the 34 ne. There for the 2nd dead in1 not was a fecedead & faw wd. e rswere not in the They cleared over Supouts and time & flanks to TeB starte to bomb to bot planks of reached at andhr 50 yds on each plank. Thence oucods it as a seesawal the morning. Te rt pank much the mos on left the diffecult 78 were latr driven down att voydo sut a sergs whoos sent ap abt 10 am. wenbalory line ontuoe & reported
X he from thi35 tt Eisten port in 2385.9 post in 29A.3 leste comd of 27 0 a his little later or absame time it right wt abt reported ang posite 1000ss thort of thes The Germans held the Sunken road on the right all the time - ab Abt 7 here ws attack from Cep plank up abo Gerway fond 2 4 fighting ws hear fam on right Fightin aere. tus shole ws co te right flank The
was driven back sowds the lept & can out of sapplies had as 7.M The Germans hada 1M where warked, on left at did alot of dam le there (22D9.0 abt) when it as driven back oto tothers one l of oprs as bryin bayouet or caniss a attack along Y Nat paropet. 1 parado them got up Some to Start the; but ofermd had a a wh swept tis parapet. A few were hit & te altept facted ws prepared m Ser Speciall asobl for this
1 lais on sterti That 37 o the returninng. tk The remfto were te Co of 4788 aft ws 6.300 th parties bad 20 carry under caplade tocross Bullecourt wh fire from to difficult. A made anything ap. Some got through of partes bombs wey tatien 4 7 Bu Co 2mesor offr were k 2 Ewd wrk Capt. Boodington the pt in lett atter on then shot bonbedas first we were fell as the
38 bombing down I truch Capt. Davis wet s6ot fetteny an to theE Aro the forehead gettin trowire a centre Coys got in Straight over I were Lieut Stanton at the end was actually hit by a boat (on right. flank) - he wa organisin (bayovet aleach He bomb did not explode but winded hem & knocked him down. The Germans he ad hear round the wext traverse - He managed just to pit over I tok into a shell
bate as they paine 39 cate that ba one of ad officers Dt Speer, came back atmeen wound thro't the high. The other is were brought 5ad of in later- When fir were out ou were collecting wel later Ct Denham seubout found bo who 8 in I were or offs some were t bock We ad Co gob a lob of men also back. There we saipen but it I hard to say ife tee were on 5.60.
40 turned inpo on ad men crawlng back- t again might be mistabin -is not necessarily a piece of Savagery one wd man teked I sod men into shell holes &tred ap their wounds. A good many slightly wd man &oln who werent ad remained in shell holes till dark then gotin. The Bn lost 10 offis& abt 370 others - The Vickers aus such as were there, were left R.g were brought back but some of those left were destroyed by funner

6     31
known to have got thro'
the wire.
Tanks were to act as
shown under

Diagram - see original document
If any tank got thro
here it musnt have
been to right on valley.
None were seen by
the infantry.

 

6     32
Later on one tank got
into Bullecourt from
S E. This does not
seem to be one of these
which crossed the rly
line.
There are a lot of
rumours of tanks firing
on their own men & on
one another.  But a
tank is such a hotbed
of fire from the enemy
that these stories are
v likely to have that
origin
We were on the salient
in the belt ws badly damaged
- but to right of this was

 

6     33
largely uncut.
From time of starting the
infy had enfilade & direct
mg. fire The infy moved
at 5.10 & wd reach the 
wire abt 5.20.
On right flank the wire
ws very heavy. The
O.C. of one platoon came
back to say tt his whole
platoon ws wiped out. He
volunteered to lead up
reinfts, wh he did -
& ws hit in the foot during
retirement. This ws the pln
on the extreme rt wh
met heavy wire. It is
not known exactly where
this fire came from.
Once they got to / trench

 

6     34
the Germans ran at once
for the 2nd line. There were
not many dead in /
trench - a few dead & few wd.
The Germs. were not in the
dugouts. They cleared over
top to 2nd line of flanks.
The 46 Bn started to
bomb to both flanks &
reached abt another 50 yds
on each flank. Thence
onwds it ws a see saw all
the morning. The rt flank
ws much the most
difficult - on left the
Gs were later driven
down abt 100 yds.
A ^scout Sergt who ws sent
up abt 10 a.m. went along
line outside & reported

 

6     35
tt it ws held from the 
listening post in 28B 5.9
to listening post in 29A.2½9½
Offr in commd of trench a
little later or at same time
reported tt right ws abt
m.g positn 100 yds short
of this.
The Germans held the
Sunken road on the right
all the time -
Abt 7 there ws a heavy
attack from left flank up
Germany front trench; to abt
9 am fighting ws heavy
here. Fighting on right
was continuous whole of
time. The right flank

 

6     36
was driven back towds
the left, & ran out of
supplies.  had no T.Ms
The Germans had a TM
where marked, on left,
wh did a lot of damage
there (22D9.0 abt)
when rt ws driven
back onto / others one
o / offrs ws trying to
organise a bayonet
attack along / trench & along
parados & parapet.
Some of them got up
to start this; but / Germs.
had a m.g. wh swept
this parapet. A few were
hit & the attempt failed
Germs m.g. ws prepared
for this - probly specially

 

6    37
laid on. That started

the retirement.
The reinfts taken up
were a coy of 47 Bn -
this ws abt 6.30 a.m.
The carrying parties bad
to cross under enfilade
fire from Bullecourt wh
made it difficult to
get anything up. Some
o / parties got through &
bombs were taken up
by ^the 47 Bn coy.
2 offrs were k. 2 missing
& 6 wd.
Capt. Boddington ws k.
On left after they got in -
first shot & then bombed 
as he fell - as we were

 

6     38
bombing down / trench.
Capt. Davis ws k.
getting in to the trench - shot
thro the forehead getting
thro wire in centre.
Coys got in straight
over / wire.
Lieut Stanton at the
end was actually hit
by a bomb (on right.
flank) - he ws organising
/ bayonet attack.
The bomb did not
explode but winded
him & knocked him
down. The Germans
he cd hear round the
next traverse - He
managed just to get
over / top into a shell

 

6     39

hole as they passed
into that bay.
One o / wd officers,
Lt Speer, came back
w / men, wounded
thro' the thigh. The other
5 wd offrs were brought
in later- When Germs
were out on wire
collecting wd, later,
Col. Durham sent out
S. Bns who found 5
offrs xxx in / wire or
in nomansland. Some were
wd coming back. We
also got a lot of men
back. There ws sniping
but it is hard to say if it
were on S Bn. They

 

6     40
turned m.gs on wd men
crawling back - this
again might be mistaken
- is not necessarily
a piece of savagery.
One wd man helped
11 wd men into shell holes
& tied up their wounds.
A good many slightly wd
men & men who werent
wd remained in
shellholes till dark &
then got in.
The Bn lost 10 offrs &
abt 370 others - The
Vickers guns, such as
were there, were left.
3 L.Gs were brought back
but some of those left were
destroyed by gunners

 
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