Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/187/1 - April - July 1918 - Part 5

105
L^t Woods of D Coy ws wd
2 or 3 days later.
We got hot cocoa from the
YMCA ^ & rum in / German objve
3 hours after its capture.
The carrying pty had to go down
to Bn H.Qrs for these. Carrying
pty of B. Coy under Lt Edmondson.
12 mins after / barrage had
lifted from / objve the Coy Commdr
of D Coy rang the C.O. up from
/ German support line & reported
tt he had consolidated his
position.
PTO
45

105       46
Capt Meysey Hammond.
9.45 p.m. Fine weather - just dusk - Sun had
just gone down behind our position
Crop - wheat - for abt 50 yds; then grass; then
closer before the German trench. There was
only a little trip wire. M.H went over
in / centre o / 1st wave. Most o /
barrage ws shrapnel about 50 yds
away - a little H.E. bursting further
back. Very clear evening - no
clouds. After passing / first objve

105      47
(posts) the guns put a smoke barrage
on / final objve (every other shell
a smoke shell). When near the Germ.
trench they cd see the parapet - brownish
earth thrown up thro the clover -
trip wire. Thro' / smoke abt half a
dozen to a dozen Germs cd be seen
running away over the top.
A few Germ m.g. posts were holding
the trench.

105      48
M. Hammond started with a stick
in his left arm wh he carried with
two khaki supporting bands. The
sleeve of his rt arm ws rolled
up to / elbow - later on he
carried a revolver (taken from /
Germs in / first post) in his rt
hand.
It ws 2 to 10 when they jumped

105       49
into / final German trench.
Hand drawn diagram - see original
M.H. stopped / line several times on /

105      50
way over - working w his watch in
his hand & walking w his back
to / Germans. He held his stick
high in the air to stop the line
twice. The last time he stopped
them ws abt 30 yds from the objve.
When the barrage lifted he waved his
stick & gave them the word to
charge. The m.g. ws firing during

105      51
the time when he stopped / men.
When ever he stopped / line they
got down - M. Hammond stood
abt ½ min. 
up all / time - Just as they got
up to rush the m.g. gave a burst
& it caught Lt Cobbold who ws
on / left of Capt Hammond &
6 other men were killed by it.
The guns were then firing

abt 400 yds beyond / trench.

105     52
Gas helmets were at the alert.
Hammond had no glasses.
Hand drawn diagram - see original
Lewis guns were carried like
this on a sling & one
of them just on the rt of Hammond
was firing at the Germans running
away. The men were in battle
order. The rifles were being carried at
the high port - bayonets fixed..

53     105

Hand drawn diagram - see original 

105     54

The German barrage ws down

on our trench almost imd after our

men left it.
Each man ws carrying either

a pick or shovel exc. L. gunners.

The shovel is slung with the blade

at the back o / neck, handle down.

Imd. behind Capt. Hammond were

two Signallers with a reel.

They had sand bags strapped onto the

105       55

belt behind them. On either side of the

L. Gunner wd be 2 or 3 men with panniers
(one in front & one behind)

& one man w spare parts. 

Signallers wd just have their

boxes over their shoulders, slung.
Germans were putting up red

& white flares well back.

Away to the left might

possibly be seen a bit of the top

of the village. Not burning.