Charles E W Bean, Diaries, AWM38 3DRL 606/187/1 - April - July 1918 - Part 8

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mopped found later in / hedge
A track led from the monastery
back towds the hedge (above i in Merris)
Germs. made back along this but
all were either k or captd.
Some, after our barrage eased,
after 1^st hour — strolling along — abt
20, from the E ran into our
posts. Later a formed party of
abt 30 came up there.  Our L.G.
 

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team took them for a c-attack & mopp
wiped them out.  (2 LGs in each post).
Later still, when it ws light &
quiet, sniping ws heard from NE of
3rd post from N.   Sergt Faint
went out from 2nd post & sniped
one of them thro back of head & /
rest walked into 3rd Post. Faint
went out & got a mg.  They
 

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had left.
One o / men lay out by / side
o / main road, & as 1 Germans came
up to out of Merris he got 9 of them.
This ws imd after the 10^th joined
up behind / village.
Betw. 3 & 4 in / morning a
German offr walked up quietly right
 

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to a Lewis gun post N of /
Rd – they let him come on. When
he saw 1 gun he threw his hands
up. They certainly didnt know
where we were. One Two thermit shells
seemed to skid off the ground & some o /
posts took it for a new kind of German
flare. But the third burst in / air
& ws obvious. Lt Pennington on 1
 

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Road caught 2 runners going back from
1 village — One of them carried a
message tt 1 salual British had
attacked & / situatn ws very obscure.
The offr in the 2nd Post from N
walked ^sent a runner  back ^for water abt 2 a.m. to the hopfields
near Garbedoen Fm where / dump
ws.  It ws v. misty – you cdnt see

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50 yds. The offr man walked right into
a German post.  They asked him
if we had attd & where our posts
were. He made them think he cdnt
understand them.  Half an  hour
later / whole post (1 offr & 30
men) ws captured.  It ws at abt
F 1 B 40.30. The offr sd our people
 

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10 Bn. Celtic Wood. Lt Scott ws k w 100 other
men at Celtic wood — nothing has bn heard
of any of these men  —  they were / picked
N.C.Os  — not one is a prisoner — they
fought for 1½ hrs.
Scotts brother ws k. on / night
when 1 patrols went around Merris. Lieut. R.
Graham Smith tt night went right to abt where the 3rd post eventually
was – met took two heavy Germ. m.gs. A working pty appeared – an
offr in charge of it. The man Germ. offr ws shouting apptly organising
the men to attack. Smith turned one L.G. and two Germ.

guns onto them; but he cdnt get  / guns away so
he took / locks, & put a bombs under them. He had fired
600-700 rds at very good targets & must have hit a lot.
They didnt join around / town. 

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must come out & take them — they
wd get into trouble in Germany when
they went back.
They Our man shouted out to
our people to come across & take
them & they did so.
___________________
 

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No 5 Pln of B Coy as they were going in
well back happened to get a salvo of
4 Germ Shells wh wd Lt Graham Smith & 9
men & k. one N.C.O. This pln wh ws
to have be on / right flank of B Coy accordingly
had to be changed w / left flank
pln.
Hand drawn diagram - see original.
47 dead were lying in front o / 
second post & there must have
bn 100 dead in front of B Coy
wh ws sniping all day at least

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three Germ. offrs were captd by this Coy.
The Stokes Mortars had blown to pieces
a number of Germs in the house at
F 1 C. 8 70.85. Our B Coys total casualties
were 2 k 17 wd.
The Germ, shelling during / aftn
became heavy w H.E. & gas on our
old front line & the road & later into
Merris & it looked as if he were
firing away all he had in / gun

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pits before taking back his guns.  There
were a few shells on / front posts.
A few casualties occurred during / day
—3 or 4 w this shelling.
The night we not xx light – &  /
shells made it misty. The
hedges kept them straight on /
way in.
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