Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/187/1 - April - July 1918 - Part 2

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When Sergt came in the 3rd Patrol went out Corpl. London

& 2 men went out & stopped till 8.30.(all these

reported no movement).

Gaskell reported to Coy Commndr Capt Somerset

& at 9.30 took out a patrol consisting of

Lt Gaskell, Sergt. Scott, Corpl. London & one man.

They wanted to get an identification from

the house.

They went just S. of the hedge through the ditch

crawling up. There ws crop on the right &

shellholes thro it

At the hedge at the corner o the house

they divided & 2 went round to the right

along the hedge (Scott & man) & got into the house

 

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from the back. The other 2. (Gaskell & London)

covered them from the hedge imd. N of the house.

(they had 4 bombs each, 2 or 3 bandoliers each &

a rifle each).

The house had bn occupied recently -

they only found a number of old cards.

G. instructed Scott to clear 2 or 3 big

shell holes just beyond the house ^wh cd be seen from where they were. They crawled

thro the crop & found no one there. (They crawled

across the grass to reach these shell holes & into

crop^The morng ws dark & the embankt prevented view from NE).

They were covered from the same place. The

shell holes had never bn occupied.

They came as marked to X.

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& lay up at the corner o the hedge, Scott

keeping a look out to S, & G. to W. They

thought they saw a post at Z. There ws thrown

up earth & they almost at the same time

not earth thrown up on either side of it.

They all crawled out in file to A &

then G. left London & the man there to cover

them & he & Scott went on and took the

post. By getting a head above the crop you

cd see the post. (These 2 men had to look

out for their rear mostly). By the time they

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got there they were sure it ws a post

- the Germs. had been using the crop as

a latrine.

Then G. & Scott crawled up right to

the back edge of the crater without being

seen. When G & Scott put their heads over the

parapet they saw 2 Germs & a m.g.

One Germ. supposed to be on guard ws

squatting down in the post talking to the

other man who ws lying on the bottom

o the shell hole. G. & S. pointed their revolvers

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at the Germans who scrambled up to their

feet & held their hands up. The sentry

had a revolver strapped on him in a leather

case. They were very astonished.

G. asked them where the other posts

were. They had started to call out

Merci Merci & had to be seen threatened

to stop the noise.

They pointed to the post at U wh G. ws

uncertain of till then. The post at Y he ws

certain of because it ws camouflaged

with cut crop.

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G. took the two prisoners out at the back

o the post to the two men who were at

A. They carried their gun w them & as soon

as they knew what ws wanted were

very ready to do it.

G. decided to rush the other two

posts together, he taking one & Scott

the other. They crept out to S. & G. &

then G. gave the Sergt a signal by waving

his hand & they rushed them - abt 10 yds

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to go. This time both posts fired a

shot. Scott fired a couple of revolver shots

& Gaskell 2 others & hit the Sergt Maj.

thro the wrist. There were 4 men & Scotts post

& 7 & the C.S.M. in Gaskells.

After that they gave up.

G. didnt throw a bomb as he

didnt know who else might be abt - but

a shot they wdnt notice.

They hurried these prisoners (not

crawling) thro the crop into our post.

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Our front

Hand drawn diagram – see original

 

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While these prisoners were being taken in the

Germs were sniping from the houses at T.

but hit no one. The prisoners were

then taken over the rly line to Coy HQrs.

The Coy Commndr said tt all shell

holes were then to be cleared.

G. took out Scott London & 3 men.

They worked the whole front half way down

to the road taking the shell holes from the front. They

were simply observers etc living in these

shell holes.

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These men were living in shell holes organised

like that on the previous page & were

v. well hidden w a W.P. sheet over the

entrance. They were the crews o the guns &

probly stood to.

In each post (Z Y & U) a gun

had bn found mounted, pointing

towds the front, L M Gs.

They got 18 prisoners in this way &

rnd trip - 32 altogether & 3 guns.

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This finished the patrolling. One man

ws hit thro the abdomen by a

sniper from the house at T.

Scott London & 2 men remained at the house

to make sure it remained ours.

At 5 pm. 3 guns went up there

from No 2 post.

From there they covered the

flank o the attack on the two houses

at T. wh ws worked by No 3 Post.

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As shown
Diagram – see original

The m.g. in house at T. was

only firing in a N W direction